7 Unique Ways to Plan for a Foreign Country
Preparing for a trip to another country is an easy task for some, but it can be difficult for others, often deterring them from traveling altogether. Many websites recommend the same things when preparing to travel: check for safety, learn local customs, have the proper paperwork and vaccines, purchase travel insurance, and many more. Here are seven things I don’t commonly see recommended that have helped me prepare for travelling to a foreign country.
- Weather
Different cities within a large country can have varying climates based on the season and terrain. Within a two-week span, you can come across sunny, cold, wet, windy, and many other climates. Pack in a manner to suit all climates.
2. Download Offline Maps to your Smartphone’s Navigation App
Walking and public transportation routes won’t work when you lose phone service. Whenever you have Wi-Fi, take 30 seconds to download the offline maps to Google Maps, Maps.me, etc. As great as Paris is, you don’t want to be lost wandering the streets at night.
3. Download Local Language to Offline Google Translate
Google Translate’s offline translation is very good. You can also look into whether the country you are visiting recommends a different app to translate between their language and your native tongue. On your own, learn how to say “hello,” “thank you,” “please,” “bathroom,” and “bank.” You can get by in any country with these 5 terms, except China.
4. Search “Common scams in ____”
Some scams are universal, while some countries have their own unique specialities. Be aware of which specific scams to look out for before entering a foreign country. In China, it is common for a schoolgirl with a book bag to approach men in the street and ask to practice her English. She then recommends getting tea in a local cafe to practice further. She brings you to her friend’s high-end “tea parlor” and orders a few things, leaves, and never comes back, leaving you with the $500 tea bill.
5. Search “Useful mobile apps in ____”
Some mobile apps are used universally and are very effective; however, sometimes countries develop their own local apps that are more helpful when visiting that country. In India, Zomato is great for food reviews, OYO has a great selection of hotels, and Olacabs is a cheap and reliable ride-hailing app.
6. Search “ ____ (time length) itinerary in ___ (country)”
Check the first handful of results and you’ll see that most people who have been to that country will recommend the same cities. The cities that come up on most recommendations, make sure to visit them if it is your first time visiting that country. The cities that differ on different sources, look into them further to see if they offer what you’re looking for. By doing this you may also realize that you don’t have enough time to thoroughly see all of the cities that you want to see, or that you can see more cities than you initially planned. Thailand is an amazing country to visit and has dozens of inland cities and islands to explore, but it is vital to plan accordingly to make the most of your time.
7. Getting In and Out
If you are traveling to small and remote destinations make sure to plan not only how to get from the larger city you may be flying into, but also how to commute between the smaller cities. If you don’t have a car and are relying on public transportation, a few minutes of research and planning will save you hours of traveling. In Spain it is easy to commute between the major cities of Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia; however, there are many amazing small cities in the deep south that are not so easy to get to.
Failing to Plan, is planning to fail.
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Next week I’m going to share how the world views Americans.
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