International Travel Advice?

Hey everyone! I’m about to fly out of the United States for the first time in my life. It’s a business trip (working in the north sea now), but I was just wondering if you all had any advice for international flights. I’ve never done it before, so I’m a little nervous. Any checklists, ideas, etc would be appreciated. Thank you!

I have a long layover in Germany, then flying into Aberdeen from there, if that information is relevant.

Very minor, but keep a pen handy, as you’ll need to fill out a customs declaration when you land. The flight attendants hand out the form prior to landing and then you need to present the competed form when you go through customs.

Make a photocopy of your passport; take it with you, but not in the same bag as your passport. Also make sure to leave a copy with someone back home (or just scan it to a Photo-sharing website)
If you plan on using Credit Cards while abroad, make sure the card you take is widely accepted where you will be. For example, AMEX is not as well-accepted in some places in Europe as you might expect.
Take you drivers license with you (with the same caveat about copies) – you may want / need to drive, and you certainly may prefer to go about town with it as your ID rather than carry your passport everywhere. Leave your passport in the safe in your hotel room.

Like Noone Special said, make several color photocopies of the first page of your passport (the one with your pic and info). Take at least one with you in a different bag than your real passport, and leave at least one with a trustworthy, readily available person back home.

You might prevent some trouble for yourself by calling your credit card company and letting them know you will be out of the country. I know people whose credit cards have been locked after being used abroad.

Wear comfortable clothes for the flight. You don’t want to be sitting down with a tight waistband for several hours on an airplane. Drink water whenever it is offered, on the flight.

… do you have one or two plug adaptors for the country you’re headed to?

Enjoy the German bathrooms during your layover. Admire their cleanliness. I can’t recommend German airport food based on my experience in Munich, unfortunately.

Thank you for the advice on photocopying the passport; I hadn’t thought of that. I put the copy in my wallet, so if I lose my bag or whatever, I’ll have that. I also copied my Merchant Mariner’s Credential with it so that’ll help verify my identity if my passport gets lost. I have also copied my driver’s license and put it in where my passport/MMC is located.

I have called my bank and flagged my debit/credit cards for travel, and have both VISA and Mastercard options. Are these widely accepted in Germany/Scotland?

Also, should I try to locate some international currency before I head over there? I live in Houston, is there somewhere I could buy some Euros or British Pounds before leaving, or should I just deal with it while I’m there? (I’m bringing some traveling US currency with me)

I did buy an outlet adapter for both continental europe, and one for the UK. They aren’t voltage converters, but the guy at Fry’s told me that cell phones and laptops have their own voltage converters built in so that these cheap adapters would work.

In addition to keeping a copy of your passport, the State Department offers a free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). It’s supposed to facilitate assistance in case you need it. I am registered but have never had to use it.

Small 2x2" photos often come in handy, but that’s probably more a Third World thing.

International flights are the same as domestic flights, except that they take longer (*in most cases) and there’s some paperwork on landing.

For the plane, bring whatever you usually bring to alleviate boredom: books, ipod, handheld game system, etc. Drink plenty of water. Avoid caffeine and really salty food. Get up and walk around at some point if it is possible to do so. Sleep if you can when it’s dark (which will only last a few hours). Avoid sleeping during daylight hours on arrival. (experiences differ, but I find that for me it’s best to just suffer through the arrival day by forcing yourself completely onto the new schedule for eating and sleeping; giving in to off hours eating and early bedtime just makes jet lag last longer.)

Don’t bother with getting currency before you go. Hit an ATM in the airport for local money.
-memorize your PIN as its number sequence - European ATMS don’t always have the same letters matched to the number keys)

I’d recommend keeping another copy in a carry-on bag that you will then leave at the hotel (or transfer the copy to your suitcase at the hotel); a wallet in your pocket can be and may be picked…

IME, any place in Europe that takes credit will take at least one of VISA or Mastercard, so you should be OK here.

If you have time, go down to your bank and take, oh, maybe 100 GBP in cash. Your CC will work in almost any European ATM. If not, you may well be able to get some at a OK but not great rate at your originating airport. Failing that, there’s always an ATM or 14 at your destination airport…
I wouldn’t bother with Euros for the layover in Germany - if only because I cannot imagine an Airport Shop that won’t accept CC and/or Dollars and/or GBP.
Last time I was in Scotland, they had their own banknotes, which is kind of cool :slight_smile:
When dealing with the Scots, emphasize that you have come to Scotland, not to England. Watch their eyes light up and the treatment you get go up three grades :smiley:

Haha, I would never refer to Scotland as England or vice versa. I might talk about how I went to the United Kingdom… but, I still prefer to say Scotland.

I won’t ever be in a hotel (go straight from the airport to the port to the boat), and I’ll never really be walking around out in public except when I’m at the airport and heading to the port. So I think having my real passport in my bag and my copy in my wallet should be ok. I left another copy here at home as well.

I just realized that my cell phone will NOT work in Germany or the UK. (went on Verizon’s website and they said no dice). However, I use google voice, so as long as I am at a wifi hotspot, I should still be able to send texts either from my laptop or my phone. I should even be able to make calls from my laptop using the google calling from gmail, I assume… has anyone ever tried this?

Yes. VISA and Mastercard are always safe options. American Express and Diner’s Card are nowhere near as popular outside the US.

It’s 2012. :slight_smile:

I haven’t taken currency with me overseas in years. Just take your cards and use an ATM just like you would do at home.

Ugh… been calling around the Bank of Americas in my area and they all are saying that none of them carry foreign currency, that I had to call ahead and order it. Oh well, guess I’ll use the ATM if I need to draw out anything. Or buy it at one of those exchange places with the US cash I’m bringing.

Honestly, you’re making it more difficult than you need to. As far as cash goes, it’s no different to home. You just use the ATMs. Buying and exchanging currency is more effort than it’s worth.

Get to the airport earlier. Lines are often worse for int’l flights.

Ok that’s a relief. Thank you for reassuring me!

We almost got screwed by that this year in Barcelona; our ATM cards did not work for the entire week and we had to get cash advances from a credit card (and pay the price for them). Words have been had with the bank, and in fact we’re pretty likely to be switching to another one.

Editing: on the other hand, Bank of America is not likely to give you the mickey mouse shit we got from our bank, so you’re probably pretty safe there.

Agree with the advice to just get cash when you arrive in Aberdeen. The hassle of going to a bank back home, and getting a lousy rate for a measly 100 pounds is just a waste of time. There are tons of ATMs in the UK, just stop by one after you arrive. It isn’t like there’s difficult access to cash over there. And the cash exchange places, in my experience, are more often terrible rip-offs as compared to ATMs.

But the most important advice is: relax. International travel, especially to developed places like Western Europe, is easy. The surprises that you’re going to have are things like, “Hey, why is this can of Coke 10% smaller than what I’m used to in the US?” and NOT things like, “Why did nobody tell me that I was supposed to bring a _____ from the US??? Now I’m totally screwed!!!”

Ouch. That’s unfortunate! I guess a quick phone call to the bank to verify that the cards will work might be a good idea.

Oh, and tipping: in Scotland, 10% (maybe a skootch more) is fine for a typical restaurant. Tipping at the bar isn’t really done.

No. You’ll get a better deal from the ATMs there than you will from your bank here. (But do check with your bank and credit cards about foreign transaction fees and foreign ATM fees - even with those, you’ll still get a better deal there than here)

Since you are with Bank of America - use Deutsche Bank when in Germany and Barclays in Scotland if you can (lower fees)

You might simply want to check what your bank will charge for you to use your ATM card overseas - our bank is dumb and charges a couple of bucks, so it was always worth it to grab hundred(s) of pounds or Euros rather than just twenty at a time!

As for your phone, depending on the type of phone (if it’s a GSM/smartphone) you can get it unlocked and just buy a SIM card once you reach the UK/Europe. My friend uses Giffgaffon a cheap old phone when she travels around (she lives in Manchester). Others might be able to give you other suggestions. We borrowed her phone when we were there for a few weeks and it was so convenient to have.