Getting in (and out) of countries can sometimes be a challenge. I once (a long time ago) took a . . . → Read More: Essential Documents]]>

Getting in (and out) of countries can sometimes be a challenge. I once (a long time ago) took a ferry across the Straits of Gibraltar to Morocco (a 2.5 hour journey), only to be turned back as I tried to disembark and had to return to Spain.

The problem was a missing stamp in my passport which could only be obtained in the passport stamping office on the boat, and by the time I found this out the place stamping the passports had closed. Of course, nobody tells you this when you get on or while you are sailing, and I wasn’t the only one turned away that day.

Needless to say, I was at the front of the line on the boat the next day, got the stamp, and entered Morocco without any further problems. Of course, it may be different these days but I will know to check next time.

The moral of this story is, make sure you know before you leave what it takes to enter the countries you want to visit. This section lists a few things to watch out for when travelling around the world. Some may seem obvious (a passport, for example) but there are other less obvious things you have to look out for.

It is also a good idea to make sure you have these documents well in advance of your trip. For example, if your passport only has a few months before it expires then some countries will not let you in. It can take a few weeks to renew a passport (months at busy times of the year), and getting vaccinations takes time too (making appointments, taking a course of pills, waiting for them to take effect).

There are companies who can get passports in a hurry, for example,RushMyPassport.com can get your US passport to you within 24 hours.

Most countries will want to see your passport, but in addition to this there are sometimes other things you . . . → Read More: Passport]]>

Most countries will want to see your passport, but in addition to this there are sometimes other things you need to know which aren’t so obvious. For example, some countries require that your passport is valid for at least six months after you plan to leave that particular country and if it isn’t you won’t be let in. So it pays to get your passport renewed if it is quite close to expiring.

Some countries, such as South Africa, have other requirements. Your passport needs to be valid for at least 30 days after your intended date of departure, but also it must have at least two blank pages for an entry stamp.

If you also require a visa to enter South Africa (EU and USA citizens currently don’t), then you must also have a passport with two blank facing pages, one for the visa and one for the entry stamp. Anyone attempting to enter the country without the two blank pages will be sent home (at their own expense).

So, as you can see, it pays to check these things well in advance. A good place to find current entry requirements for most countries in the world is using the World Country Guides on the World Travel Guide website (scroll down when you get there and click on the country you want to go to on the map).

As well as a passport, many countries require a visa to enter. This is simply a document or stamp . . . → Read More: Visas]]>

As well as a passport, many countries require a visa to enter. This is simply a document or stamp issued by a country giving you permission to enter for a given period of time and for certain purposes, which is usually stamped or glued inside your passport, or issued as separate pieces of paper.

Here are some examples of entry requirements around the world (check with the country’s embassy or consulate before you leave, though):

New Zealand doesn’t require US or EU citizens to obtain a visa in advance but you do need a return or onward ticket (plus a visa for the country where you are heading, if required).

Some countries (for example, Australia) use electronic “visas” where you can apply online and, if successful, your name is added to a database which is checked when you enter the country.

Indonesia requires an onward ticket for entry but these can be bought cheaply after landing at the Indonesian airport and then sold later if not needed.



There are reciprocal arrangements between various countries, too, like the US Visa Waiver Program, which allows citizens of specific countries to travel to the US for tourism or business for up to 90 days without having to obtain a visa and vice-versa. The reciprocal arrangement means that most European countries will admit citizens of the United States with just a valid passport.

Canada just requires that US citizens have official identification (usually a driver’s licence), and sufficient funds to enter.

Mexico requires just an id to travel within 26 kilometers of the border, and a $15 visitor card beyond that (bought at checkpoints).

Thailand will issue a free transit visa valid for 15 days to those arriving there without a visa as long as you have an onward airline ticket. For $25, paid in advance at a Thai embassy or consulate, you can get 30, 60 or 90 day visas (valid from the date of entry), with no need for an onward ticket.

A visa for visiting India is multiple entry (you can leave and re-enter on the same visa), and can be obtained at your local Indian embassy. You will get an application form which you send back with your passport and the required fee by registered mail. Your passport is then returned with the visa inside. This will take about two weeks, although, for an additional fee, you can get next-day processing. The visa is valid from the date of issue, not from when you enter the country.

Other things to be aware of are such things as the fact that there are certain countries that will not let you enter if you have an Israeli entry stamp in your passport (or if you use an Israeli passport when entering). Luckily, you can make alternative arrangements, for example, by applying for a second passport if you travel frequently to Israel.

The World Travel Guide says this: “Tourists [visiting Israel and] continuing [on] to Arab countries, excluding Egypt and Jordan, are recommended to request that an Israeli stamp does not appear in their passport. The granting of such requests is at the discretion of the authorities.”

As with passports, applying for visas is another thing that can take time (for visas to enter some countries it can take months), so, again, check the requirements for the countries you are visiting well in advance of your trip (here, for example, on the World Travel Guide website).

Once in a country it can be possible get visa extensions but sometimes it is easier to leave the country and come back on a new visa.

Finally, it also pays to take extra passport-sized photos for any additional visas that you might need while travelling.

Some countries insist that you show some means of support (credit cards or cash), or have evidence of an . . . → Read More: Tickets, Money, Credit Cards]]>

Some countries insist that you show some means of support (credit cards or cash), or have evidence of an address where you will be staying (hotel, friends, etc.) while visiting. You may also need to show return or onward air tickets.

This is mainly to show that you don’t intend to stay for an extended time in the country (illegally), and you won’t become a burden to the state (and won’t need to be flown home at their expense, for example).

This is known as the ‘sufficent funds’ requirement. New Zealand, for example, requires that you have about $15 per day of intended stay. Canada will turn you away if you can’t show you have ‘enough’ money.

Any credit card (regardless if it has a low limit or is ‘maxed out’) should be OK to show you have sufficient funds at most borders.

It helps if you look OK when crossing the border, too, (i.e. not poor or dishevelled). Being clean shaven and wearing clean clothes just for this purpose is a good idea.

You can find more about taking money and credit cards with you in the ‘Money‘ section of this website.

Some problems with the cold aren’t necessarily associated with cold temperatures, for example, hypothermia.

Hypothermia

Cause – a life-threatening . . . → Read More: Problems With The Cold]]>

Some problems with the cold aren’t necessarily associated with cold temperatures, for example, hypothermia.

Hypothermia

Cause – a life-threatening condition defined as body temperature below 95 F (35 C).

Temperatures do not have to be extreme to cause hypothermia, since water and wind can combine to rapidly chill a person. Most deaths from hypothermia occur in well-above freezing temperatures.

Symptoms – a pale, drowsy, confused, and cold victim. She may become unconscious.

Treatment – consists of seeking immediate medical help and warming the victim. Warm drinks are effective, as well as hats, blankets, emergency aluminum blankets which reflect body heat, and, of course, warm shelter. Remove wet clothing.

Prevention – wear warm clothing in insulating layers, a windproof/waterproof shell, and a hat. An aluminum reflective space blanket should be in every traveler’s pack. Avoid cotton clothing in cold, wet conditions.

Frostbite

Treatment – must be immediate. Warming affected areas. Massage is not helpful, but placing feet and hands under armpits is. If warm water is available, place the affected areas in it. The water should not be hotter than 110 F (43 C). Remove constricting clothing, rings, and watches. Don’t warm affected areas with direct heat, such as from a lighter. Don’t allow someone to walk on a frostbitten foot, unless it’s necessary for survival.

Once upon a time, everyone who travelled carried traveller’s cheques, but not anymore. Nowadays, credit cards are the norm.

Credit cards (and debit cards) are usually the preferred option for making purchases overseas because the currency conversion (the . . . → Read More: Using Credit Cards]]>

Credit cards (and debit cards) are usually the preferred option for making purchases overseas because the currency conversion (the actual exchange rate you see in the papers or on the news) is usually at the wholesale rate (or 1% over the commercial bank rate) and not at the retail rate you would pay for changing cash at the airport, hotel, or bank.

Not only this, using cards is just as secure abroad as when you are at home (for example, if used fraudulently). You also don’t have to carry cash around, taking it out and putting it back into your purse or bag each time, and you don’t have to worry about counting out or receiving the correct change.

Credit and debit cards are accepted almost everywhere in the developed world, and Visa tends to be accepted more than the others. Bear in mind, however, that the budget hotels, hostels and cafes used by budget travellers may not accept them.



If you do use them you can also postpone paying the bill (with a credit card) and take advantage of any differences in exchange rates between the purchase date and the money being converted (if you travel to countries with ever rising inflation).

Disadvantages of paying with a credit card include the fact that some card issuers (and this applies to debit cards too), will charge you a fee for foreign currency conversions, perhaps between 2 and 4%, usually 3% of the transaction amount.

Some debit card purchases attract an additional flat fee on top of this foreign exchange fee each time you use your debit card (check with the card issuer).

You can, however, find card issuers that charge very little or nothing at all. For example, check out Capital One in the US, or Nationwide, Lombard Direct and the Post Office in the UK.

You can compare UK card charges for overseas use here.

Remember to find out any daily /weekly/ monthly limits your bank imposes on transactions using your card.

Finally, don’t forget to inform your bank or other financial institution of your travel plans, where you are going and for how long, as automated fraud systems can sometimes block access to you funds at inopportune moments. If possible, give them a mobile phone number where they can contact you 24 hours a day and failing that, find out their customer service number (24 hour if possible), so you can call them if there are any problems.

Write lists of phone numbers and addresses of emergency contacts, friends you will be visiting, numbers to call if . . . → Read More: Contact Information]]>

Write lists of phone numbers and addresses of emergency contacts, friends you will be visiting, numbers to call if you lose things and need to cancel services or get replacements sent to you (your cell phone and credit cards, for example), phone numbers and addresses of embassies/consulates, and perhaps addresses of useful travel-related websites.

Similarly, for any hotels or lodging you have arranged in advance, make a note of addresses and phone numbers.

Enter all the phone numbers into your phone’s address book and maybe even email a copy to yourself. Another idea to keep it safe is to print out the list on a small piece of paper and laminate this (thus waterproofing it).

Try to get local numbers. These will be cheaper to call from within the country where you are staying, and besides, most home country toll-free numbers can not be accessed from overseas.

There are ways around this, however. One is to use the AT&T USADirect service, which gives access to a limited number of 800 numbers. Or a similar service from MCI where you can call the number listed for the country where you are currently located and ask the operator to make a collect call to the number you are trying to reach (my bank in the US uses this service, for example).

However, the best way to keep in touch while abroad is to use Skype.

I have been using this service for a few years now, calling between Europe and the States (and occasionally to France and New Zealand), a lot of the time for free, and at other times for just pennies. It is also the best way to call 800 numbers in the US from Europe (and for free).

Click on the ad above to check them out.

There are a number of ways of carrying money, or at least getting access to it, as you travel.

Whichever way you choose to finance your trip, how far your money goes will depend on which countries . . . → Read More: Budgeting]]>

Whichever way you choose to finance your trip, how far your money goes will depend on which countries you intend to visit, how (well) you intend to live, and the activities which you undertake whilst there.

If you are on a modest budget then don’t spend all your money on expensive gear. You will be constantly worrying about having it lost or stolen, and you probably won’t have enough left for food and accommodation. In many cases you can just take what your already have. See the ‘Packing’ section for hints on what to take and what to leave behind.

To make your money last longer you can (obviously) sleep and travel by the cheapest means possible, do lots of hiking, and limit yourself to free activities (for example, looking at the outside of famous buildings and monuments but not paying to go inside).

But bear in mind, if you do choose to live on a shoestring, you will always come across unexpected situations where you will want (or need) to pay for things.

For example, you would expect that something like the famous Meteor Crater, a 4,000 ft diameter hole in the middle of the Arizona desert, would be easily accessible for viewing (as it was in the movie ‘Starman’), and therefore, free.

However, when I arrived there I found it was completely fenced off and run as a privately owned and managed “attraction”, and inaccessible if you didn’t pay the $15 admission fee.

So keep a small emergency fund for these unknowns so you don’t miss out on things you always wanted to see, or return from your trip owing money.



Work out a rough budget for travel, accommodation and food. Include your air tickets, rail passes or tickets, local transportation, lodging, passports and visas, immunizations and health supplies, clothing, luggage, food, restaurant meals, tours and general daily expenses, by day and by country if you can.

Doing this should help you avoid the usual budget traveller’s mistake of spending a lot at the beginning of a trip, less in the middle, and next to nothing near the end.

However, avoid trying to live too cheaply all of the time as it is almost always a false economy. You may save money by staying in the the cheapest hotel and eating at the cheapest restaurant, but you may also end up living in the worst part of town in a terrible place, and you may get food poisoning or even mugged.

And hotels can be a lot cheaper than you think, especially if you book them at the last minute. I regularly use priceline.com to book hotels and I save up to 50% on regular room rates and have stayed in some very nice hotels for very little (sometimes for not much more than at a hostel).

In general, try to play it by ear and be a little flexible. Pay only a little extra and you might get great accommodation with nice views and excellent food.

After all, one of the best things about places like France, Spain and (more so nowadays), the UK, is that you can eat at some of the world’s finest restaurants.

Remember, this may be the only time you visit the places to which you are travelling, so don’t spoil it when a small amount of money could make a big difference.