GUIDE TO INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

I have since traveled overseas a number of times, but I still remember clearly what was confusing on my first few trips. My goal in this guide is not to provide detailed information about any particular destination, but to explain some of the practical details involved in international travel: what preparations to make, what happens at airports and borders, how to avoid a few common problems, how to leave a good impression, and how to better enjoy your trip.

Travel requirements change frequently. Before any international trip, check current passport, visa, health, customs, and entry requirements with official government sources. A good starting point for Americans is the U.S. State Department international travel Web site.

I would appreciate hearing from more experienced travelers about any comments, suggestions, or corrections you may have.

Passports and Visas

Don't lose it! I keep my passport secure while overseas, and I keep copies of the identification page separately from the original. I also leave a copy with someone back in the United States. It can also be useful to keep a photograph or electronic copy of the identification page somewhere you can reach if the original is lost.

Check your passport's expiration date well before your trip. Some countries require your passport to remain valid for several months beyond your planned stay. Also check whether your destination has requirements concerning blank passport pages. Adult U.S. passports are normally valid for 10 years. Apply for or renew a passport well in advance of your trip rather than waiting until the last minute. Information on U.S. passports is available from the U.S. State Department.

A visa is different from a passport. Your passport comes from your own country and establishes your identity and nationality. A visa, when required, comes from the country you wish to visit and gives you authorization to travel there and request entry for a particular purpose.

There are different kinds of visas, such as tourist, business, student, and work visas. The kind you need depends on what you intend to do while you are there. A visa does not necessarily guarantee that you will be admitted. Immigration authorities at the border generally make the final decision about whether you may enter.

Visas can take several forms. A traditional visa may be a stamp or sticker placed in your passport by an embassy or consulate before your trip. Increasingly, visas are issued electronically and are associated with your passport number, so there may be nothing physically placed in the passport. Some countries issue visas on arrival.

Many countries do not require U.S. citizens to obtain a tourist visa for a short visit. In such a case, a stamp placed in your passport when you arrive, if one is used, is an entry or admission stamp, not a tourist visa. Some countries also use an electronic travel authorization or similar system that must be completed before travel even though a traditional paper visa is not required.

Visa and entry requirements depend on your nationality, destination, purpose of travel, and length of stay, and they can change. Check both the U.S. State Department information for your destination and the official embassy or immigration Web site of the country you intend to visit.

Before You Leave

• General. Read about the country before you go. Find out about local laws and customs, safety conditions, health concerns, transportation, money, electrical systems, weather, and anything else likely to affect your trip. A good source of general information is the U.S. State Department travel site.
• Passport. Check your passport's expiration date and the destination country's validity and blank-page requirements. Apply for or renew a passport well in advance.
• Visa. Determine whether you need a visa, electronic visa, electronic travel authorization, or other advance entry permission.
• Maps and navigation. Get maps and travel information before you leave. Modern smartphones make navigation much easier than it was when I first began traveling overseas. Download maps for offline use when possible, and save important locations such as your hotel before leaving home. A paper map can still be useful as a backup if your phone is lost, damaged, or out of power.
• Phrase book. Get a phrase book or otherwise learn some of the local language before you leave. (More on language below.)
• Register your trip with the U.S. State Department STEP program. This is optional, but probably a good idea. STEP can send security, health, demonstration, weather, and other alerts from the U.S. embassy or consulate and can help the embassy contact you or your emergency contact during an emergency.
• Travel advisories and health information. Check the State Department's Travel Advisories and the CDC Travelers' Health site for your destination.
• Electrical appliances. Electrical systems vary from country to country. There are two separate issues that are sometimes confused:
  1. Plug shape. Foreign electrical outlets may use a different plug configuration from the one used in the United States. A plug adapter allows your U.S. plug to fit the foreign outlet.
  2. Voltage and frequency. The United States uses approximately 120 volts at 60 Hz. Many countries use approximately 220-240 volts at 50 Hz. A voltage converter or transformer changes one voltage to another.
  Many modern electronic chargers are designed for worldwide use. Look at the label on the charger. If it says something similar to INPUT: 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz, then it normally does not require a voltage converter; it only needs the correct plug adapter. Do not assume this is true of every appliance. High-power devices such as hair dryers can be especially troublesome. Check the voltage and frequency ratings of each appliance and the electrical standard of the country you are visiting. The World Standards site has information on plugs, voltages, and frequencies.
• Currency. Different countries use different currencies, although several countries may share the same currency. Before leaving, learn the approximate exchange rate. Exchange rates change continually, so I find it useful to memorize a rough mental conversion for shopping rather than trying to remember an exact rate.
  
  This can also help prevent mistakes. On one trip, a currency exchange booth in Boston offered me 1500 Icelandic krona for US$500. Luckily, I knew that an Icelandic krona was worth roughly one U.S. cent at the time, so US$500 should have bought something on the order of 50,000 krona. They were offering me only about US$15 worth of Icelandic money for my US$500. I said NO and exchanged my money elsewhere.
  
  Today, credit cards and ATMs are often more convenient than exchanging large amounts of cash before departure. Find out whether your cards charge foreign transaction fees and what your bank charges for foreign ATM withdrawals. Carry more than one means of payment, and don't keep all of them in the same place. When paying by card, you may sometimes be asked whether you want the transaction charged in U.S. dollars or in the local currency. This is called dynamic currency conversion. Understand the exchange rate and fees before agreeing to have a foreign merchant convert the purchase into dollars. It is still useful to carry some local currency for small purchases, transportation, or places that do not accept cards. Current exchange rates may be found at XE.com.
• Time zones. Find out the time difference for the country you'll be visiting. The World Clock shows the local time in major world cities. I reset my watch to the destination time zone while on the airplane. On very long trips, remember that you may also cross the International Date Line and arrive on a different calendar day than you might expect.
• Health, vaccinations, and medications. Check the health information for your destination before leaving. Depending on where you are going, vaccinations or other health precautions may be recommended or required. If you take prescription medications, check whether they are legal in the country you will be visiting. Take enough for your entire trip, plus some extra in case you are delayed. Keep medicines in their original labeled containers and carry them in your carry-on luggage rather than checked luggage. Carry copies of your prescriptions and, if appropriate, a letter from your physician listing your medicines by their generic names. Remember to check the medication rules of countries through which you will pass as well as your final destination.
• Travel and medical insurance. Find out what your health insurance covers outside the United States. Do not assume that your normal American health insurance will pay for overseas medical treatment. Medicare generally does not cover medical care outside the United States except in limited circumstances. Consider travel medical insurance and medical evacuation insurance. Emergency transportation back to the United States can be extraordinarily expensive. Trip cancellation or interruption insurance is a different type of coverage.
• Valuables. I don't take anything overseas that I don't want to lose. I leave my good watch at home and wear an inexpensive watch instead.
• Wallet. I prefer not to carry my normal wallet overseas. Instead, I use a small pouch with an attached cord for credit cards, identification, and much of my currency. The pouch is intended to be worn around the neck, but I tie the cord to a belt loop and keep the pouch in my pocket. Whatever method you use, avoid keeping all your cash, identification, and payment cards in one place.
• Keys. I leave unnecessary keys at home and take only the keys I will actually need.
• Emergency information. Write down the address and telephone number of the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Keep important telephone numbers and addresses both on your phone and somewhere you can access without your phone. Leave a copy of your itinerary and important contact information with someone at home.
• Airport-to-hotel transportation. Carefully work out how you intend to get from the airport to your hotel and back before you leave. Arriving tired in an unfamiliar country is not the ideal time to begin figuring out the transportation system.
• Luggage identification. Put your name and useful contact information inside your checked luggage as well as on the outside. If the exterior luggage tag is lost or damaged, this may help the airline return the bag to you.
• Cell phone. Before traveling, find out exactly how your cell-phone service will work overseas and what it will cost. Years ago I took my cell phone to Iceland and Greenland without understanding international data roaming and came home to a $300 phone bill. My carrier kindly waived the charge, but I learned the lesson. Depending on your phone and carrier, you might use your carrier's international roaming plan, a local SIM card, an international or local eSIM, or Wi-Fi. The important thing is to understand beforehand how your phone will connect and what you will be charged. Download useful maps, airline details, hotel information, and important telephone numbers so you can reach them even without an Internet connection.
• Photograph your luggage. Take photographs of your luggage before leaving. Keep the photographs on your phone and, if you wish, print a copy to keep in your carry-on luggage. A photograph is much easier than trying to describe a missing suitcase, especially if there is a language barrier. I also take a quick photograph of the contents before closing the suitcase; this can be useful if luggage is lost and an insurance claim is necessary.
• Airport. Check your airline's recommendation for how early to arrive for an international flight. Allow generous time for parking, shuttle transportation, checking luggage, security, and unexpected delays. For many international flights, arriving about three hours before departure is a reasonable starting point, but circumstances vary. Bring something to read while you're waiting.
• Parking. Write down where you parked your car: parking lot, level or section, shuttle stop, and parking-space number. Taking a photograph is useful too.

What to Take With You

• Passport, and visa or other entry authorization if required.
• Copies of important travel documents, stored separately from the originals.
• Credit/debit cards and some local currency.
• Prescription medications in their original labeled containers.
• Copies of prescriptions and any necessary medical documentation.
• Phone and charger.
• Appropriate plug adapter.
• Voltage converter only if actually required by the appliance.
• Portable power bank, if desired. Lithium-battery power banks belong in carry-on baggage rather than checked baggage; check current airline and TSA rules.
• Notebook, pencil, and calculator.
• Maps and directions between hotel, airport, and your destination.
• A diagram of a U.S. telephone keypad. This is useful in case you memorized your ATM card PIN by the letters on the keypad rather than the numbers. Some ATM machines outside the U.S. do not include letters on the keypad. A keypad diagram may be found here, for example.
• A printed photo of your luggage, in case it gets lost. Keep this with your carry-on gear! Obviously it does no good to put your luggage photo inside your checked luggage.
• Any guidebooks you wish to take.
• Phrase book for the local language.
• Something to read. I like to carry at least one paper book so I have something that doesn't depend on a charged battery.

When You Arrive at Your Destination

Immigration is primarily concerned with you: who you are, why you are visiting, and whether you are entitled to enter. Customs is primarily concerned with what you are bringing into the country.

Follow the signs and instructions at the airport. Increasingly, passport and customs processing may involve electronic gates, kiosks, or electronic declarations rather than paper forms.

During Your Trip

• Keep receipts for significant purchases and keep track of what you buy overseas. This will make customs declarations easier when you return home.
• Keep your passport, payment cards, and other important documents secure.
• Stay aware of local laws and customs. Remember that something legal or commonplace in the United States may be illegal or regarded quite differently elsewhere.

When You Return

In general, you will be processed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at your first U.S. port of entry, unless you have already gone through U.S. preclearance at a foreign airport.

You will normally go through immigration/CBP processing, collect checked baggage as required, make any required customs declarations, and then continue to your destination. If you have a connecting flight, you may need to recheck your luggage and pass through security again. Follow the procedures at the particular airport.

Duty and Customs

What is a duty? A duty is essentially a tax imposed on certain goods when they are imported into a country. Not everything you carry across a border is necessarily subject to duty. Countries have exemptions, restrictions, and different rules for different kinds of merchandise.

"Do you have anything to declare?" To declare something means to tell customs about something you are carrying that the country's customs rules require you to report. Declaring something does not necessarily mean that you will have to pay duty on it.

When returning to the United States, you should declare goods you purchased or otherwise acquired abroad and are bringing home with you, including gifts. You must also declare certain other things, including agricultural products and, under specified circumstances, currency and monetary instruments.

If you are uncertain whether something needs to be declared, declare it and let the customs officer decide. There is generally much less trouble in declaring something that turns out to be permitted than in failing to declare something that should have been reported.

Personal duty-free exemption. Returning U.S. residents are ordinarily allowed to bring a certain value of qualifying merchandise into the United States without paying duty. At the time of this writing, the usual personal exemption in most cases is US$800, although exceptions and conditions apply.

You should still declare qualifying purchases even when they fall below your exemption. Declaration and duty are two different questions. For example, if you buy $100 worth of books overseas and bring them home, you declare the purchase, but you ordinarily would not owe duty merely because you declared it. Because exemption amounts and rules can change, check current U.S. Customs and Border Protection information before traveling.

Duty-free shops. International airports often contain duty-free shops. These shops may sell merchandise to departing international travelers without certain local taxes or duties because the merchandise is being taken out of the country. You will normally need to show your boarding pass or other travel information.

However, "duty-free" at the store does not mean "free from the customs laws of the country you're entering." For example, suppose you buy an expensive watch at a duty-free shop overseas and bring it home to the United States. You still declare the watch to U.S. Customs. U.S. customs rules then determine whether any duty is due.

Food and agricultural products. Food, plants, seeds, meat, fruit, vegetables, soil, and animal products are subject to special import rules intended in part to prevent agricultural pests and diseases from entering the United States. Declare agricultural products rather than trying to guess whether they are permitted. Some commercially packaged foods may be allowed, while many fresh foods and animal products may not be. If an item is declared and turns out not to be admissible, you may simply have to surrender it. Failing to declare a prohibited agricultural item can result in penalties.

Currency. There is no general U.S. law limiting the amount of money you may carry into or out of the United States. However, if you are carrying more than US$10,000 in currency or certain monetary instruments, or the equivalent in foreign currency, you must report it to the U.S. government. This is a reporting requirement, not a tax on the money.

Other countries may have quite different rules. Some restrict the amount of their local currency that may be taken out of the country; others restrict or require declaration of foreign currency above specified amounts. Check the currency import and export regulations for your destination before traveling. The laws of both the country you are leaving and the country you are entering may apply.

Language

• I strongly recommend learning at least a little of the language of the country you'll be visiting. There are several reasons for this:
  • Don't assume everyone speaks English. Many people do, but many do not, and some who speak English may know only a little. During my first trip to Italy, for example, I found that nobody at my hotel spoke English.
  • Don't expect people in another country to speak English for your convenience.
  • It is polite to make an effort to learn at least a little of the local language. Your efforts are often appreciated, especially if you have made an effort to learn a lesser-known language.
  • Your trip can be much more interesting if you can communicate with people in their own language.
• Even if you don't have years to devote to becoming fluent, learn a few words and phrases. Try to imitate the pronunciation of native speakers as closely as you reasonably can. I've found the Pimsleur language courses useful for acquiring a good accent. I like to make every effort to use the local language when traveling.
• Useful phrases. The more of the language you can learn, the better, but I've found the following especially useful:
  1. Thank you.
  2. Thank you very much.
  3. Please.
  4. Yes.
  5. No.
  6. No, thank you.
  7. Good morning.
  8. Good day.
  9. Good evening.
  10. Good-bye.
  11. Pardon me / excuse me / I'm sorry.
  12. That's fine / it's OK.
  13. I understand.
  14. I don't understand.
  15. You're welcome.
  16. Where is...?
  17. Where is the toilet/restroom?
  18. Do you speak English?
  19. I only speak a little... [language].
  20. How do you do? / I'm pleased to meet you.
  21. My name is...
  22. I have a reservation.
  23. How much is it?
  24. Do you take credit cards?
  25. Water.
  26. Help.
  27. I need a doctor.
  28. Numbers. (Useful for hotel room numbers, flight numbers, prices, times, and addresses.)
• Don't shout. If you try speaking English to someone and they don't understand, speaking English louder probably won't help. Try gestures, writing, simpler words, speaking more slowly, or, best of all, using the local language with the help of a phrase book or translation tool.
• Esperanto. Esperanto is an international language created in 1887 by Dr. L. L. Zamenhof. It has speakers in countries throughout the world. Learning Esperanto is an excellent introduction to foreign languages and is also a particularly interesting way to see the world.
  
  The Universal Esperanto Association holds its Universala Kongreso, or World Esperanto Congress, in a different country each year. Participants meet Esperanto speakers from around the world, attend lectures, plays and concerts, learn about the local culture, and can take sightseeing tours conducted in Esperanto.
  
  I have attended World Esperanto Congresses in several countries and have found them an excellent way to combine international travel with meeting people from many different cultures. Esperanto is considerably easier to learn than most national languages, and once learned it can be used with Esperanto speakers regardless of which country is hosting the congress. For more information, visit Esperanto-USA and my Esperanto Web site.

Transportation

• Public transportation. Learn how the local transportation system works before you need to use it: where the stations and stops are, how fares are paid, where tickets are sold, whether tickets must be validated, whether contactless credit cards can be used, and whether there is a useful transit app.
  
  Don't assume that you can simply board a bus or train and buy a ticket from the driver or conductor. The procedure may be quite different from what you are accustomed to in the United States.
  
  I learned this while visiting Florence, Italy. For my return trip, I discovered that there was a public bus that would take me to the airport. According to my travel guide, however, bus tickets could only be purchased at a tabacchi (tobacco shop); I couldn't simply board the bus and buy a ticket from the driver.
  
  Before going to the tobacco shop, I read about the different kinds of tickets and learned enough Italian to ask for what I needed. At the counter I said, in Italian, "I would like to buy a ticket for the bus, please." The man behind the counter then asked what kind of ticket I wanted and listed several choices. Fortunately, I had studied this beforehand and recognized one of the choices: a pack of four tickets. "Yes, a pack of four, please," I replied in Italian.
  
  I needed only one ticket, but that didn't matter. The extra tickets cost very little, and, most importantly, I now had a ticket that would get me to the airport.
  
  The experience taught me two useful lessons. First, when traveling, don't just find out which bus or train to take. Find out beforehand where and how to buy the ticket, how to use it, and whether it must be validated. Second, even a very modest knowledge of the local language can turn what might otherwise be a confusing situation into a fairly simple one. Public transportation customs and procedures can differ considerably from those in the United States. A little research beforehand can prevent considerable confusion when you are standing at a bus stop with your luggage and a flight to catch.
• Driving. Driving overseas requires some advance preparation. Your U.S. driver's license may or may not be sufficient. Some countries require an International Driving Permit (IDP). An IDP is essentially a standardized translation or companion document to your driver's license; it does not replace the license itself. If required, carry both.
  
  Check whether your destination or rental-car company requires an IDP, whether your U.S. auto insurance applies overseas, what insurance the rental company provides or requires, local road signs and traffic laws, toll-road procedures, parking rules, and whether traffic drives on the right or left. If you will be driving on the opposite side of the road from what you are accustomed to, give yourself time to become familiar with the traffic pattern, especially at intersections and roundabouts.

Manners

• Be polite, courteous, and friendly.
• Be patient. Things may not work exactly as they do at home.
• Avoid unnecessary complaining.
• Speak at a moderate volume and observe how people around you behave.
• Learn at least a few words of the local language.
• Be cautious about discussing politics, religion, or other contentious subjects with people you've just met.
• Don't criticize the country you're visiting.
• Avoid boasting about the United States or constantly comparing everything with the United States.
• Don't turn conversations into arguments about which country is better.
• Feel free to offer sincere praise for things you enjoy about the country: scenery, history, food, architecture, music, or the friendliness of people you meet.
• Observe local standards of dress, particularly at religious or culturally important sites.
• Remember that you are, in a sense, representing your country. Try to leave people with a good impression of Americans.

Miscellaneous

• Tipping. Tipping customs vary greatly from country to country. Do not assume that American tipping customs apply overseas. In some countries tipping is expected. In others it is modest, genuinely optional, unusual, or even potentially awkward. Check the customs of the country you are visiting.
  
  On one trip to Florence, I tried leaving a tip in my hotel room for the housekeeper. When I returned that evening, the money was still exactly where I had left it. The housekeeper apparently either did not recognize it as a tip or was unwilling to assume that money left in the room was intended for her.
• Hotel keys. One thing that took me by surprise at a small hotel in Italy was that my room key was attached to a large, heavy piece of metal. I learned that I was expected to leave the key at the front desk when leaving for the day and pick it up when I returned. You may still occasionally encounter arrangements like this, particularly in smaller or older hotels, although electronic key cards are now much more common.
  
  Since nobody at that particular hotel spoke English, it was useful to know how to say in Italian:
  • "Here is the key to my room."
  • "I would like the key to my room, please."
  • "Room 16."
• Food. I sometimes take a few commercially packaged snacks with me in case I'm delayed or have trouble finding food. Before carrying food across an international border, however, check the destination country's import rules and declare food when required.
• Observe local people. When you're unsure of a minor local custom, observe what people around you are doing. For example, during a trip to Japan I learned to bow and noticed that people tended to walk on the left side of the sidewalk. Be observant, be adaptable, and remember that part of the pleasure of international travel is discovering that everyday things don't necessarily work exactly the same way everywhere else.

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