Tips for Traveling Abroad
Familiarize yourself with local laws and customs of the countries to which you are traveling. Remember, the U.S. Constitution does not follow you! While in a foreign country, you are subject to its laws.
Each person with a disability has his/her special needs. Individual countries have their own standards of accessibility for disabled travelers. Preparing before you go can often prevent difficulties and ensure that your planned destination will be accessible, safe and enjoyable.
Try to blend in and don’t draw attention to yourself as a tourist. Only carry what money and credit cards are necessary and distribute them about your person. Avoid wearing conspicuous clothing or excessive and expensive jewellery, particularly in more religious countries. If the local women (and men) tend to dress modestly and reveal little flesh, you should aim to dress in keeping with this when in public areas.
. Encourage students to learn about the history, culture, politics and customs of the country/countries in which they travel and study, and to respect the country's customs, manners, rules and laws. For instance, various countries and cultures respect certain manners and dress codes. American students should also abide by these manners and dress codes as much as possible.
When traveling overseas it is important to know the health risks you may encounter and take the necessary precautions to protect yourself. In addition, you should develop a plan in case you become sick or injured while traveling.
Country-entry requirements are imposed by the country for the safety of the citizens of that country. This is not the same as your actual disease risks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) make recommendations to help reduce your risk of illness. These can be reviewed on the CDC website: www.cdc.gov and check under ‘Traveler's Health'. A Penn Travel Medicine specialist can help determine what immunizations are best for you.
The Department of State publishes Background Notes on countries worldwide. These are brief, factual pamphlets with information on each country's culture, history, geography, economy, government and current political situation. Background Notes are available for approximately 170 countries. They often include a reading list, travel notes and maps.
Note the credit limit on your cards. In some countries, you can get arrested for exceeding your limit. Keep a copy of the contact numbers of your credit card companies with you. Usually the toll free numbers are not valid outside of the country of issue.
Prior to your departure, you should register with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate through the State Department?s travel registration website . Registration will make your presence and whereabouts known in case it is necessary to contact you in an emergency. In accordance with the Privacy Act, information on your welfare and whereabouts may not be released without your express authorization. Remember to leave a detailed itinerary and the numbers or copies of your passport or other citizenship documents with a friend or relative in the United States.
Keep a record of your passport number and credit card numbers on a separate sheet of paper away from your wallet. If you lose your wallet, this list will make it easier to cancel credit cards and replace your passport.
You can buy them either in the currency of your destination or in U.S. dollars. If you need to cash U.S. dollar traveler's checks abroad, you are more likely to receive the best exchange rate at a bank. Fees usually apply per check cashed, so it may be in your interest to cash the higher denominations.
Write down serial numbers, bring copies of receipts to avoid duty taxes, and make sure insurance and warranties are up to date (many home or renters' insurance will cover computers). Be aware of differences between American and foreign electrical current to avoid damage.
Find out what information your school offers. Find out whether your school offers additional information for students who are planning to study, travel, or work abroad. Many student advisors can provide you with information about studying or working abroad. They may also be able to provide you with information on any travel benefits for students.
As you prepare to travel, live and work overseas you can enhance your safety by informing yourself about the new environment. The internet and contact persons who have recently traveled to the same destination are valuable sources of useful information and lessons learned. Here are some basic measures that may prove useful.
Every year, hundreds of students become ill or suffer injuries overseas. It is essential that students have medical insurance and medical evacuation insurance that would cover a medical emergency abroad. For further information, see the brochure on Medical Information for Americans Traveling Abroad, and visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's web site at http://www.cdc.gov.
There is a wealth of literature available both on the Internet and in books and journals with information and advice for women traveling alone. Take the time to search the web and your local library and/or bookstore.
The traveler should obtain the necessary travel documents two to three months before departure, especially if visas are needed. A travel agent can help make the arrangements. A valid passport is required for all travel outside the country. If traveling on an old passport, you should make sure that it remains valid for the entire duration of the trip.
Note that you may also need to obtain a visa(s) for the country or countries you intend to visit. See visa requirements of other countries at Electronic Embassy. For Europe, the Schengen Visa covers many (but not all) countries with one visa.
The consulate section maintains a register of Americans visiting the country. This enables them to contact you in case of an emergency. It takes only a little time to visit the consulate and register.
Make 2 copies of your passport identification page. This will facilitate replacement if your passport is lost or stolen. Leave one copy at home with friends or relatives. Carry the other with you in a separate place from your passport.If you wish to replace your passport, you can complete the appropriate passport application form online.
If you take prescription medication, make sure you have enough to last the duration of the trip, including extra medication in case you are delayed. Always carry your prescriptions in their labeled containers as many countries have strict narco-trafficking laws and might be suspicious of pills in unlabeled bottles. Bring your prescription information and the names of their generic equivalents with you just in case.
If you require regular or prescription medication while travelling, discuss this with your doctor and arrange an appropriate supply. It is advisable to take a letter from your doctor detailing the contents of tablets or other medicine you'll be carrying with you. Keep the letter and a copy of the doctor's prescription with the medication.
"If you're going to get sick, it's probably going to be from insect bites or from contaminated water," says Dr. Douglas Zeiger, an infectious disease and travel medicine specialist at New York University Medical Center and the Hospital for Joint Diseases. "The most common sicknesses are not tremendously exotic. They include diarrhea, typhoid and dengue fever."
There are other sources of potential contamination besides drinking water. The ice in a cup of soda, the water you use to brush your teeth as well as the water used to wash fruit or vegetables could be contaminated. If you are in an extremely rural area, use bottled water for ice, brushing your teeth or washing produce, just to be on the safe side.
In fact, traffic accidents are on par with malaria and tuberculosis as a cause of death globally, according to the Commission for Global Road Safety, a coalition of Group Of Eight (G8) representatives devoted to reducing traffic deaths. In a report issued last year, it estimated that 1.2 million people were killed and 50 million were injured in worldwide traffic accidents, with the highest accident rates across Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia.
If you're involved in an accident, call the traffic police, gendarme, or local authorities. Stay with your vehicle, but avoid altercations and try not to get into arguments about blame. As a tourist in a strange land, you're at a serious disadvantage, and you never know what local customs might come into play.
Consider a prepaid local SIM card for local calls and Skype for phoning home. If you are going to be in another country for an extended period of time, you might want to consider picking up a prepaid SIM card for your unlocked phone. These can be purchased at most cell phone stores, such as Orange, and are a great and affordable option for calling local numbers. For calling home, Skype easily offers the best rates around and you can talk for extended periods of time without having to worry about racking up huge charges. Make sure you buy a headset for your computer before you go if you are going with Skype.
Safety and Security: Use common sense and be alert and aware of your surroundings. If you are unsure in general about the local situation, feel free to check with the American Citizens Services section of the local U.S. Embassy or Consulate for the latest security information.
Be aware of your surroundings. Is someone following you? If you think so, return to the hotel or go to a secure place. Is there a large crowd gathering? It's good to avoid them; you don't know if a peaceful gathering has potential to turn ugly.
Hotels: Choose a hotel where security is good and transportation is readily available and nearby. Check that all the doors and windows in your room have locks and that they work. If you feel uncomfortable, ask hotel security to escort you to and from parking lots or your room at night. Always use your peephole and common sense about letting strangers into your room.
In developing areas, boil your water or drink only bottled water or carbonated (bubbly) drinks from cans or bottles with intact seals. Do not drink tap water or fountain drinks or add ice to beverages. Avoid eating salads, fresh vegetables and fruits you cannot peel yourself, and unpasteurized dairy products.
It is commonplace for street vendors to refill water bottles from the tap. Reliable sources would include your hotel or a reputable grocer.
Destinations where accommodation, hygiene and sanitation, medical care and water quality are of a high standard pose relatively few serious risks for the health of travelers who have no pre-existing illness. In contrast, destinations where accommodation is of poor quality, hygiene and sanitation are inadequate, medical services do not exist, and clean water is unavailable may pose serious risks for the health of all travelers. In these settings, strict precautions must be taken to avoid illness.
The topic of diarrhea may seem gross, but it can be a serious problem. Traveler's diarrhea, known as turista, often occurs when a foreign type of bacteria enters your digestive tract, usually when you eat contaminated food or water. The best way to prevent turista is to be very careful of the food you eat and the water you drink on the road.
Lack of formal training. Many drivers in less developed nations have never had formal driving training. Incidences of drunk driving, reckless driving, and driving vehicles ill suited for the road are more common in these countries.
The business person should be aware that travel from one country to another may be restricted. For example, a passport containing an Israeli visa may disallow the traveler from entering certain countries in the Middle East.
While it can sometimes be intimidating to journey outside the comfortably numb of one's own country (especially when you have dietary restrictions) traveling abroad as a family is fulfilling on so many levels? With some preparation, finding foods that you feel good about giving your family will be a snap?
