When you are traveling from your home to countries around the world there are some general tips that you can take that apply for just about any foreign destination. Of course specifics are nice, but it’s good to have an idea of what to expect no matter where you go. The first has to do with transportation to and from your hotel and for getting around the city or country you are in. While most airports will have several companies that offer car hire services to tourists, in some places it is always best to have the reservation made ahead of time as you never know what kind of availability a company will have on short notice.
Car Hire or Not?
You may decide that you don’t want to hire a car, and that is of course up to you. Most countries have cabs, buses and tours that would mean you wouldn’t need to hire a car. The problem with doing this however, is that if you don’t have your own transportation, you are limited to the schedules of the tour operators. With the advent of the Global Positioning Satellite units that are common place in many vehicles now, getting around in countries or cities you’ve never seen is easy.
Visit before you visit.
Take some time online to use Google earth to locate your destination. Map out the routes from the airport to the hotel and to some popular areas you plan on visiting. Become at least partly familiar with the city and see if there are screenshots of the routes you will be taking from street view.
To Drink or Not to Drink
This section should really be in two parts. First, let’s deal with water. Some people have a great deal of difficulty drinking the water from areas around the world. Sometimes it’s because of the quality of the water, other times it is because of the difference in taste. To be safe, plan on avoiding the drinking water, freshly washed fruits and vegetables, (salads) until you are sure the water won’t make you ill.
Second, in many countries, the alcohol content of beers and wine is much higher than that in the States. So if your ‘usual’ is three beers or two glasses of wine, you might end up a little more tipsy than usual. Be aware of the differences and cut back a little until you know how affected you will be.
Security
Americans have gotten used to those handy key cards at hotels to use to enter rooms instead of a carved key. What you may not know is that in some hotels, those keys are linked to your name, address, and credit card number. Clever crooks have invented magnetic strip readers that can pull this information off of your room key. Make sure you treat that key card like a credit card and do not leave it lying around when you leave your room.
This was a guest post left by Aronno, a writer and travel lover. For any questions on international travel, please feel free to contact an agent of Elephant car hire in the country you intend on visiting. For hiring rental cars in any worldwide location visit www.elephantcarhire.com to make arrangements prior to arriving.
Tips For The International Traveler
