News: Get Ready, Here You Go

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http://www.america.gov/st/educ-english/2009/August/20090807173027CMretroP0.2671124.html&distid=ucs

Get Ready, Here You Go

Learning the fine points of currency exchange is a key step in an international journey.

So you were accepted by a university in another country. You?re applying for a visa. Whew! You are ready to kiss your mother goodbye, pat the dog, and get on the plane, huh? Not so fast! There?s a lot more you need to do to prepare for an international trip. Your journey should be fun and exciting, but remember that the U.S. State Department alone must come to the assistance of 200,000 travelers each year who are victims of crime, accident, or illness, or whose family needs to make emergency contact. Anything can happen, but the consequences can sometimes be eased with the proper preparation.

Long-Term Preparations

Study up on the local conditions, government, politics, laws, weather, and culture of the country you?re visiting. All of these influences will be shaping your new environment every day. Know what you are getting into.

Check with the foreign ministry of your home country to see if your government has issued any travel warnings or announcements for the place you are going. For instance, Americans can check for such information with the U.S. State Department at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html.

Think about your health and health care during the course of your trip. Turn to your nation?s embassy in your destination country to find out if you need vaccinations or immunizations to protect yourself from disease where you are going. If you need special medicines on a regular basis, make sure they are legal substances at your destination and plan for how you will be able to maintain the supply you?ll need.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also maintains comprehensive information on various health issues and conditions a traveler might encounter with advice on planning ahead. That Web site is available at http://www.cdc.gov/travel.

You may be accustomed to a system of national health care that is nonexistent in other places. You?ll need to find out what options are available for your health care in your destination country, and what type of health and travel insurance will be valid in case of illness or accident. If you have allergies or an unusual medical condition, you should consider wearing a medical bracelet describing the appropriate treatment.

If you plan on driving abroad, check with authorities in your destination to see if you need an International Driving Permit (IDP). The most reliable place to obtain an IDP is through national automobile associations. Also find out what auto insurance coverage is required.

Short-Term Preparations

A young traveler rushes through the airport at Duesseldorf, Germany.

Leave copies of important documents with your family at home. This includes duplicates of your passport identification page, airline tickets, driver?s license, credit cards, itinerary, traveler?s check serial numbers, and contact information abroad. This information could be critical for relatives to assist if you are involved in an accident or emergency.

Make sure your covered luggage tags are labeled with your name, address, and telephone numbers. Also, place your contact information inside each piece of luggage.

Familiarize yourself with the air travel security guidelines for luggage, and find out how much luggage your airline will allow.

Know the credit limits on all your credit cards, as well as how to contact those companies from abroad.

Know the location and contact information for your nation?s embassy or consulate closest to your destination. If possible, register with the embassy upon your arrival so that it?s possible to find you in case of emergency.

Plan for multiple ways to contact home: calling card, internationally accessible e-mail address, fax, and the like.

Find out if your wireless mobile devices will work abroad.

Order foreign currency and/or traveler?s checks. Find out if your financial institution is a member of electronic networks that will allow use of a debit card to directly access a checking account at home. Avoid carrying large amounts of cash.

For insurance purposes, create an itemized list of all that you?ve packed in your luggage.

Arrange transportation to the airport in your home country.

Inquire about ground transportation in the country your visiting, and how to reach your ultimate destination. Be prepared to make appropriate arrangements.

If you are going to a country with a very different climate than yours, make sure you?ll have the appropriate clothing upon arrival.