There are few things more exciting in life than your first trip abroad. Just seeing the airport lights and feeling the plane leave the ground can put butterflies in your stomach! While traveling on an international vacation is certainly an amazing experience that everybody should get to have at least once in their lives, it is also something that requires a great deal of planning. Most people can’t just hop on a plane and set out for a country on the other side of the world. So, if you’re not accustomed to traveling out of the country, here are 4 things you need to bring with you on your next international vacation!
Travel Documentation
Before you plan anything else, you need to make sure that you have your travel documentation in order. Your passport is the first and most important document you will need to travel outside of your home country. Not only does it need to be current, but some countries will require you to have a passport that is at least 6 months from expiry. Additionally, you will need to research your destination to find out if you should apply for a visitor’s visa in advance. Finally, you should make sure that your COVID-19 vaccine documentation is updated and you have the information for your flights and, ideally, where you plan to stay.
Insurance
Though traveling abroad is a lot of fun, it can expose you to greater risks. Whether you fall ill while you’re abroad or your luggage gets lost, you will want to have some kind of protection against risk when you are in unfamiliar territory. For this reason, you should see if your insurance covers any kind of medical care outside of your home country (most insurance providers and plans do not). Additionally, you should consider acquiring a traveler’s insurance plan that can help cover medical costs and compensate you for lost valuables.
Plug Adaptors
Once you start spending any amount of time in different countries, you will quickly realize that there are a number of different kinds of electrical outlets used throughout the world. If you want to charge your phone or even work from your computer, you will need to make sure that you have an adapter that can fit into just about any type of socket. Not only does this allow you to plug in your electronics, but a high-quality adaptor can also convert different voltages to make sure that you don’t accidentally cause damage to your device.
Medications
Finally, if you take any kind of medication, you need to make sure that you bring extra with you on your trip. You never know if a returning flight will get delayed. This could mean that you may need an extra day or two of medication before you can return to your home country and refill your prescription. It may not be as easy in a foreign country, so always have extras just in case!
