I’m going on my first overseas trip with my girlfriend since we started dating. I worked hard all last year to earn and save money for this trip. It will be our first international trip ever, and I want to make it perfect, memorable, and the best trip of our lives.
I’ve read countless articles online to ensure everything is perfect. It felt overwhelming to the point that my head started to hurt. Fortunately, I found an article that provided a detailed guideline, and it seemed like the perfect guide. My girlfriend and I have been following it, and it has been very helpful so far.
However, I decided to come to this community to seek additional guidance, advice, and tips from you all, just in case the article missed something important. My girlfriend and I would greatly appreciate any travel tips, advice, and guidance you have, as this is our first trip abroad together.
If you are going to a non-english speaking country, do not expect anybody to speak english. Learn some basic phrases on the local language.
If you need any medical assistance, do not hessitate and go to a hospital. Even better if you have some travel insurance.
Do not propose. Thank me later.
do not expect anybody to speak english
Can I add: also don’t expect that your body language and gestures are going to be the same. Had to learn this the hard way
How did you learn this lesson? Was it Bulgaria like the other commenter said?
No it was Japan. (I’m from Germany.)
I was 17 and it was before smartphones and I somehow imagined people in Tokyo and Kyoto would know English but they didn’t. And then I tried to explain what I wanted or where I wanted to go with gestures and they tried to explain back with gestures but it was a catastrophe. None of us understood each other.
I am so sorry because at some point a cook in a soba restaurant kept asking me “Soba?” and I didn’t know what soba was and it was day 10 out of 14 and I was at my nerve’s end so I yelled back in German “I don’t know what you want I don’t know what your soba is just give me that soup that I am pointing at!”
It’s been 15 years and this still keeps me up at night 😭 I’'m so sorry soba guy. Yelling at you legit is in the top 5 things I would do differently if I could relive my life.
(I was also still processing my first break up and it was hot af and my boobs had grown humongous which earned me a lot of stares abroad and all of this added to me feeling lost and frustrated.)
Do fewer things better. Don’t try to cram a million things into a day. Set a “if we do X and Y today then we will be satisfied “ goal to keep perspective. It is easy to get overwhelmed by all the things you could do, so try and be satisfied with what you did do.
-
Buy good walking shoes, not just basic sneakers. That pair of chucks or vans may look cool, but they are terrible for standing and walking for long periods. Your feet will thank you later.
-
Download offline maps so you can find your way if you lose data/reception.
-
If your travel is focused on going around and not staying put at your accommodation (i.e. resort), don’t bother with getting super expensive hotels. What’s important is that it’s clean and safe. You can use the money saved for when you’re actually going around.
-
Save scans of your passports and other important documents on your phone or somewhere online, in case it gets lost or stolen.
-
Bring a pen. You’ll need to fill out forms as you enter and exit ports. It’s a hassle having to borrow a pen from other travelers.
-
Bring a small pouch bag for you phone, wallet, keys, and passport. That way you can securely carry it with you wherever you go without dragging around your luggage. Edit: Here’s a prime example of why a small bag you can wear on your body is helpful. Happened just a few days ago: https://youtu.be/xEUtmS61Obw
If possible pay to have international service in that country with internet data, I did it when I visited Japan last year and the extra 30 bucks were worth it for the couple weeks I spent there. I had Hotspot available to me as well and I used it to ensure my traveling companions also had access to data. I actually looked into getting a mobile Hotspot rented but just paying for international was a better deal for me.
Plus one for the offline maps. You never know if you’re going by an area with poor reception.
If it’s a country where you don’t speak the language check out the translating apps. Google does a great job and I also used DeepL to great effect.
