International Travel Tips!

[Hugh R]

Dennis Kalma's thread on a carry on bags (Need a new lightweight carry on bag) got me thinking of a new thread for those of us that travel internationally. Besides a good travel bag, how about a thread on travel tips to make your business travels easier. I'll start with a few:

1) You don't need a transformer for most laptops. Just a set of international adapter plugs, there are pretty much six, I think for the entire world. The laptop plug in transformers can automatically change from 110/120 to 220/240 automatically. Same for most phone/ipod plug in chargers. One or two less things to carry.

2) Colorphoto copy the front two pages of your passport and laminate them. Carry that when you walk around, and keep the original in the hotel room safe, (that the maid can open). Keep a PDF of it on your laptop. Your US or Canadian passport is worth $10K on the black market in Eastern Europe. You walk around at night thinking your safe and the bad guys see you as an American/Canadian with $10K in your back pocket.

3) For those of you with Blackberrys and such, there was a recent article about data roaming by a women in Montreal, from the US, who got a $2,300 data usage bill from T-Mobile for the 25 minutes she was in the Montreal airport for some huge amount of data transfer on roaming. Here is the link

http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-lazarus27-2008aug27,0,615131.column

Moral of the story, turn your data transfer off when roaming and use your laptop in the hotel. I have in my "connectivity" portion of my BB to "turn off when roaming"

[Tishabet]

Cool idea for a thread.

When I am traveling, I bring along packs of American cigarettes. I don't smoke myself, but will use cigarettes (either individual or entire packs) to "tip" informally or in some cases as gifts/handouts. Tuk tuk drivers in Bangkok, friendly old men in Ephasus, helicopter pilots in Chamonix and beggars in Rome all agree... Marlboro reds are the $**t!

[Seahawk]

When I traveled internationally with the Navy, we always got "country briefs", which included a political review, brief history, etc.

I now use this site to get up to speed on current events, history, etc. before I travel. Nice currency exchange windows as well.

http://www.economist.com/countries/

[John_AZ]

Money. Carry an ATM card. One and a copy if the first card gets damaged. Most (all) credit cards charge a 3% transaction fee for overseas use. Set your daily withdrawal limits higher if needed. Some US banks have agreements with overseas banks and no fee is charged. Bank of America can use Barkleys, Deutsche Bank and others.

Tipping. Even if "service included" 5-10% has become customary. The hotel maids here and overseas appreciate your $ thank you.

Safety. Dept. of State travel advisory:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis_pa_tw_1168.html

John_AZ
UK, East/West Europe

[red-beard]

Check your adapters. Most will switch, but some are 110 only.

There are never enough outlets in a hotel room. I carry a 3 prong type extension cord with 3 outlets. This, with one adapter, allows me to connect items.

You can get a super multi adpater that will connect you with every known system. I prefer to get the cheap single adapters, specifically for the country I'm heading to. Frys sells them for $2.99 each. I usually buy a bunch, since the people I travel with never have the adapters.

IF you do need a 110-220V adapter, do not buy the cheap crappy ones. They do not work. Radio shack sells a true transformer for about $35 that really works. I have one, but usually I don't carry it.

Cell phones: CDMA (Verizon) and PCS (Sprint) generally do not work overseas which are GSM based.

IF you have a Blackberry and it is with T-mobile, you can get the internation data service for $20 per month. If you have another phone which uses GPRS, you can use the Blackberry plan...Make sure you select the service on your phone as "T-Zones"...or you will get a big surprise at the end of the month.

Getting and using a local SIM card is cheap and easy. But, I prefer to have a cheap GSM phone for that and keep my regular phone operational.

If you know you are going to be overseas for quite a bit and you know you'll have Wifi access, get some sort of VOIP. T-mobile offers a blackberry phone with VOIP built in. When in a hotspot, it switches to VOIP mode. If you are overseas and using the VOIP, there is not international call charge. I setup 2 of our guys with these phones and they went from $3000/mth each to $700/mth phone bills, each.

Always have some local currency. Lots of places don't take credit cards.

[LakeCleElum]

Have a backup credit card and ATM. I've had Visa put a hold on my account as they didn't know I was out of the country (I now notify in advance) and had an ATM card expire due to my own negligence.....

Never put your Passport in your checked luggage, seems basic, but I was with a guy that did it until I caught it at the last minute. He had to run to chase his bag and retrieve it. Same goes for laptops, I-pods, cameras and anything of real value...

[red-beard]

I'm not sure how you would do that, since you need the passport to check in. Unless he put the passport back into his checked bag, after he checked in.

[Laneco]

It is always best to speak the language of the country you are visiting. But...let's face it...most of us will not be fluent in the native language.

Make sure at a minimum you can say "Please" "Thank you" and "Sorry" in the language and can ask for emergency help (police, hospital).

angela

[red-beard]

And knowing how to say "I want that, please", and pointing, helps with not starving to death...