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Traveling in general can be quite exciting, no matter where you go. But the first time you head outside of your home country is even more thrilling. Being able to experience another culture and another location is hard to describe and hard to forget once you´ve been outside of your borders. Getting ready for the trip, however, can be more challenging than exciting when you´re not sure where to begin.

Papers? Do You Have Your Papers?

No matter where you might be traveling, if you´re heading outside of the borders of your country, you need to ask your local government what you need to bring with you and what the destination´s government also needs. For example, if you are traveling from the United States to Germany, you need to have a valid passport in order to enter Germany. For most tourists and business travelers, you will not need a visa to enter the country – but in some cases, you might. It never hurts to head to the website for the country where you are traveling. There, you will find advice from that country´s embassy to help you decide what you need to do before you arrive. In some cases, you may need a visa in order to cross borders, in other cases, you might not. Some countries might have travel warnings, others will not. This information is constantly changing, so make sure to return to these websites as your trip planning progresses.

What Do You Need Abroad?

Whenever you are traveling, it never hurts to have the comforts of home with you – especially the farther from home you are. When you in another country, you might not be able to find the things you generally need – i.e. certain medications, foods, etc. It never hurts to bring more than you think you need with you, just to be prepared. One of the best things to bring with you is a basic first aid kit. This should include antiseptic, bandages, diarrhea medication, antacids, pain medications, and a thermometer. These basic items will help you manage minor medical problems along the way, without having to navigate a foreign pharmacy or apothecary. It will also be helpful to bring along a pocket translator of the most common language. With this, you can ask simple questions of the locals, i.e. directions, help, etc. Of course, it´s even more helpful to practice a bit before you enter into the country. Many locals will be able to speak more than one language, especially in bigger cities, but don´t assume this to be the case everywhere.

Communication in Another Country

While knowing a bit of the language is helpful, having your cellular or mobile phone ready for a new location is also going to be of use. Before you leave for your trip abroad, talk to your phone company about how things work with your phone and how much it will be use it. Your cell phone will need to be a quad band phone in most areas, so if your phone doesn´t have four bands, you might need to rent a phone once you arrive or utilize phone calling cards from the local pay phones.

The Matter of Money

No matter where you go, you will need money to get there and to get around. Before you arrive, it will be helpful to change some of money into the local currency, but know that your local bank might need up to two weeks in order to receive that currency. Or you can change some of your money at the airport when you arrive, often with the best exchange rates outside of actual banks. Most countries accept credit cards as well, but as this is not generally the case in smaller cities and destinations, it never hurts to have cash on hand as well. While this is not a complete guide to traveling abroad, this will help you complete the basics before you get on the plane – and you can begin to relax and enjoy your trip instead of biting your nails at the airport before the plane boards.