Travel is incredible, eye-opening, and oftentimes life-changing. It can also be totally overwhelming, especially when you first step off the plane after a long flight. But don’t let that scare you away from booking your next trip. Here are ten tried and true ways to make the transition to a new country as smooth as possible.
1.) Organize a car to pick you up from the airport
When you step out of baggage claim it usually doesn’t take long to realize you aren’t in Kansas anymore. Chances are you’re jet-lagged, with a time difference and long flight under your belt, and the last thing I want to do is barter with a taxi or get taken advantage of. That’s why I suggest you organize a car to pick you up from the airport. Depending on where you are, this probably isn’t the cheapest option, but for me, I don’t mind spending a few more dollars to have someone waiting that knows where I’m supposed to go, whom I don’t have to barter with.
If you would prefer the cheaper option, do your research before you land and know how much it should cost to get to your lodging. Hotels and Airbnb’s will typically provide that information upon request. If you are not taking a metered taxi, make sure you agree on a price before getting in a vehicle. If you are taking a metered taxi, keep an eye on the route they take, we’ve had some taxis try and go the long way in order to increase their fare. Also, make sure you have the name of your lodging and the address in the local language and script, and a contact number in case the driver gets lost.
This is our Booking.com confirmation for our lodging in Beijing. The address listed is in English, written in the Roman alphabet. That doesn’t do much good in China.
This is also from Booking.com, they provided the address of our hotel in Beijing in the local language and script. We showed this to our taxi driver.
2.) Stay in a hotel the first couple nights
We absolutely love Airbnb. We’ve stayed in Airbnb’s in a majority of the countries we’ve visited and haven’t ever had a problem. However, picking up the key and having an address the taxi understands and can find is sometimes challenging. Throw in a flight that arrives at an awkward hour and it makes it even tougher. In order to eliminate confusion and make for a smoother transition, spend your first couple nights in a hotel.
First of all, most taxi drivers are going to be much more familiar with hotels, which can eliminate a lot of confusion, especially if you don’t speak the language. In addition, hotels provide 24-hour assistance which guarantees you can reach someone if you call for directions and allows you to check-in if your flight lands late or is delayed. Typically, they are also in locations that are desirable and surrounded by restaurants and things to see. Spending a couple days in the hotel will give you a feel for not only the city you are in but the country and their culture. Those first few days, especially if you are jet-lagged, can be tough and giving yourself some time to get your feet under you will make a huge difference.
3.) Get a working telephone
Our phone has proved invaluable during our travels but for more than just staying connected through data. We’ve used minutes calling hotels when our driver has gotten lost, called tours and restaurants to confirm bookings, called our bank when we accidentally left our card in an ATM, and we’ve exchanged contact information with new friends through WhatsApp or WeChat.
We don’t have an international phone plan, so the way we’ve gotten working phones is by buying SIM cards in the country we’re visiting. It is typically very inexpensive and easy to top up at kiosks around the country. There are some countries where it is challenging or prohibited for foreigners to get SIM cards, but there are other options in those instances. In India, we used a company called Trabug in order to rent a cell phone for our time there. It was delivered to our lodging on the day of our check-in and we left it at our last destination where someone picked it up after we checked out. In Japan, many of our Airbnb’s offered a wireless hot-spot we could bring with us during the day so we always had wifi.
Of course, if you have an international phone plan like T-Mobile, that works too. Depending on where you travel, it could be significantly more expensive, though.
4.) Get an ATM card you can use to withdraw money without fees
Before we left for our trip we set up a Charles Schwab account which allows us to use ATMs all over the world and withdraw without paying an international fee. More importantly, it refunds any ATM fees that we pay. So, when you take out money and they charge a $3 fee for the transaction, we actually get reimbursed that fee at the end of the month with our Charles Schwab card. A huge perk and Schwab doesn’t require you to have any other accounts with them in order to get this card. Unfortunately, Schwab is only for U.S. residents. We would love to add other suggestions for those who live in other countries so let us know what you use in the comments below.
The card we use at ATMs around the world.
5.) Get a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees
When buying something from a different country, it is pretty common for the banks charge a three percent foreign transaction fee. That fee doesn’t provide you with anything other than a lighter wallet, so make sure to have a credit card that doesn’t charge those fees. Here is a list of credit cards that don’t. We’ve used the Chase Sapphire Preferred for years and love it. It’s also gotten us some awesome free flights.
6.) Download the Google Translate App and the offline version of the language for the country you’re visiting
This app has proved repeatedly to be a lifesaver, especially in countries where the Roman alphabet isn’t used. There are a variety of ways to use the app, you can type in English and have it translate into another language, or you can take a photo and then highlight the portion you want to be translated. I can’t tell you how often we used this app for food menus, washing machines, road signs, restaurant names, etc. You can download certain languages offline, so even if you don’t have data, you can use the app.
Google Translate lets you type in what you want to say and translates it immediately.
While the above picture showed the translation to Mandarin in small type, Google Translate also has this cool feature where if you twist your phone it magnifies the translation to take up the entire screen. We’ve used this feature to conduct entire conversations and tea tastings.
7.) Download offline maps
Getting lost is a terrific way to explore cities, but it is always nice to have a way to get back when you’re done. This is where offline maps come in handy. Google allows you to download maps for cities/countries and then you can always have them, even when you don’t have wifi or data. Since many of the places in Asia where we’ve traveled don’t use the Roman alphabet, it’s been wonderful to have maps so we can find our way to restaurants, hotels, train stations, or even well-known landmarks. Maps.me is even more detailed than Google Maps in some places since it uses information aggregated from travelers, including reviews and opening hours, which aren’t usually included in Google Offline Maps.
8.) Download a currency exchange app
Are you in a country where you have to convert a new currency every time you look at a menu or barter with a shop owner? Never fear, the currency exchange app is here to help you. Just type in the amount they are asking for and it automatically shows how much you will owe in your own currency. We use the Xe App, but there are many others to choose from.
A screenshot of the Xe app.
9.) Have access to a calculator
It seems silly, but I sincerely believe if you can say “hello” and “thank you” in the language of the country you are in and you can gesture with your hands, the only thing you’re missing is a calculator and you can do anything. At a small roadside stand buying a bottle of water? Pull out your calculator and let the merchant type in how much you owe them. Trying to barter for that sari? Type in how much you want to pay and see what they say.
We use our iPhone calculator most often, though vendors often have a calculator at their shop.
10.) Learn to say “Hello” and “Thank you” in the local language
It took me nearly a week to learn how to say “hello” and “thank you” in Mongolian, and I still ended up saying them wrong sometimes. Yet, the smile I got from people was so significant. They realized I was trying, even if when I was butchering their language. It makes such a huge impact on the locals if you attempt to speak their language, and since you are a visitor to their country, I think it is something important to do. Also, how cool is it to know how to say “Hello” in dozens of languages?!
Now that you know all the tips, it is time to book your next trip. Yet, while these tips will absolutely make your transition smoother, it’s also important to remember that when you are uncomfortable you are able to grow. For me, being in a foreign place makes everything seem so exciting: from laundry – what cycle did I just choose?, to mailing a letter – what forms do I fill out?, to going to the market – what is that vegetable?. Give yourself some time to adjust but don’t forget to enjoy all of the quirks and inefficiencies that you will find. Those are the things which make each place unique and are great stories and memories when you return. Happy traveling!
Did we miss something? Write it in the comments below.
