Travel Tips

Tips for traveling abroad:

• Pay down credit card balances to ensure that you will have enough credit while away. It is a great idea to take two different credit cards, as well as travelers checks.
  
  
• Make sure you do not have too many digits in your PIN. Many foreign ATM’s will not accept more than four digits. In addition, retain the telephone numbers to call for lost or stolen debit and credit cards.
  
  
• Make two copies of your passport. Leave one copy at home with someone who can be easily contacted and take the other copy with you on your trip, keeping it in a safe place, separate from the original.
  
  
• Purchase as much of your trip as possible before leaving the US. Look for hotels and packages that will guarantee their rates in US dollars.
  
  
• Obtain enough foreign currency to pay for incidentals when you first arrive, such as the taxi ride from the airport to your hotel. You will want to have enough local currency to get you through the first day, or until the ATMs or banks open. Banks and ATMs will generally have a more favorable exchange rate.
  
  
• Eat where the locals eat: hotel dining is typically the most expensive choice. Make breakfast and/or lunch your main meal as often as is enjoyable… the early meals can be up to 50% the price of dinner, even at the same establishment.
  
  
• File for your VAT (Value Added Tax) refund. When traveling in a country in which the VAT is assessed, ask for the refund forms when shopping, and keep all purchase receipts. In some countries, the VAT is as high as 24%!
  
  
• It is a great idea to buy hand sanitizer for use when there is no sink available. A product such as “Purell” requires no water or towels, and a drop on your hands will, in seconds, make them clean and bacteria free.
  
  
• Purchase several pre-paid telephone calling cards. They are the simplest and cheapest way to call home. The US country code is 01 when calling home from overseas.

Passport Link: www.uspassportnow.com