Travel safe
Check with your foreign affairs travel advice (maybe even from other countries, some are different than your own country’s), have a travel insurance and use your common sense.
Money and cards
Check the money situation in the country where you plan to go to. Here are a few things to consider:
– Will they accept your credit card? Your debit card? Is it more acceptable to pay cash?
– Should you maybe rather draw cash often, since that is more accepted than cards in that country? Nothing is more annoying than having to find an ATM after you enjoyed a meal, just because the restaurant doesn’t take cards.
– How much will your bank charge you for ATM-transactions in the country you travel to?
– Can you exchange $ or € easily?
– Do they accept Travelers’ Checks? This is a great way to take money with you. You can even insure the checks, and never lose your money (except for the bit of commission).
– Are you allowed to overdraft on your account in case it’s necessary? You don’t want to be stuck on the other side of the world without cash after all.
Just to be on the safe side, take different kinds of money, dollars or euro’s, credit card, debit card, travelers’ checks. Also make sure to draw local cash immediately upon arrival (so you can pay the taxi driver).
Know the approximate exchange rate for the local currency. Unless you want to end up drawing cash for the equivalent of a few dollars. The rate can be 30,000 to the dollar, meaning you would have to draw millions.
Emergency funds
Have somebody at home able to help you out in case of a money emergency. They could send you money via Western Union, or transfer some extra money in your account if needed, etc.
Travel insurance
Take a travel insurance. A ongoing travel insurance can be cheaper than a separate one for every trip. A good idea when you plan on doing several trips per year. You will also be insured for traveling within your own country this way. Inform yourself with the fine print: do they let you travel for longer than 30 days in a row?
When booking a lot of different flights, hotels and excursions beforehand, you may want to get an cancellation insurance as well. Just in case some family-emergency or so comes up halfway your trip. You’ll at least be able to get some of your money back.
Save your important documents
Make a scan of all your important documents like passport, visa, travel insurance. Make a note of emergency contact numbers for different situations like to block a stolen credit card or medical emergencies. It is a great idea to e-mail these scans and notes to yourself. In that case you can always find the information. All you need to do is go online and open your e-mail.
Go to the right address
It is a good idea to have the name and address of your hotel written down. Perhaps even in the language of the country you are in.
In a big city like Bangkok, there may be hotels with similar names. If you pronounce it wrong (likely to happen), you may end up at the wrong side of town. It may cost you double the taxi fare to get to the correct hotel after a long drive around.
