Make sure you do these 4 things before traveling abroad

Image from YouGov

1. Make copies of your passport

Passports are easily the most important thing to have with you during your international travels, and losing it would be detrimental. So my suggestion is that you make sure to know where it is at all times. If for some reason it does get lost, having a copy can make a big difference and give you access to all the information in your passport. 

Image from MAP Communications

2. Let your bank know

This may be common knowledge, but it wasn’t to me and this mistake was not a fun one to make. It’s important to call your bank and let them know that you will be leaving the country so they can put a notice on your card. If they see lots of transactions going through in a different country, or even state, it’ll be viewed as suspicious activity. 

I didn’t know about this and so during my first week here in France, everything went fine, but then out of the blue it declined again and again so I knew something was wrong. I called and they explained to me that I should’ve called before leaving but it was easy for them to get my card up and running again! So don’t worry if you forget because you can do it while you’re on the trip but it’s better to be proactive and do it in advance.

Image from Next Vacay

3. Do your research 

I know some people just like to fly by the seat of their pants and be spontaneous, but you will always be able to see more if you do your research. Even if you don’t schedule everything, it’s still good to know what there is to do in the city or area you’re traveling to.

When you schedule everything it does make it easier to maximize your time because you can map your stops out so you don’t go to one side of a city for something and then have to go to another side for something and then be back in the middle for another thing.

Image from Oxford Learning 

4. Learn the basic phrases of the local language

Okay, maybe this isn’t necessary but it can be very useful, especially if you’re going somewhere outside of a big city where not as many people may speak English. Knowing a few phrases can really help you get by and communicate during your travels. 

Not only is knowing how to say a few things helpful, but it also shows respect and appreciation for the country you're visiting.