international tips

Passport:  USA Citizens can currently visit 116 countries with their US Passport. If you plan to travel internationally you must have a passport.  When you apply for your first Passport you will need to apply in person at a passport acceptance facility or agency.  For more information relating to Passport related information select the following link  

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/requirements.html

Visa -  Currently there are 82 countries that require US Citizens to obtain a Visa; 47 allow visa on arrival and 35 require a visa prior to arriving.  For more information relating to which countries have visa requirements refer to the link below. 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages.html 

US Department of State - Before you book tickets to an international destination we recommend that you check the safety level of the country with the US Department of State. Each country is rated on a scale of 1-4 with one meaning exercise normal precautions and 4 meaning do not travel.  After you have confirmed the safety rating and you have booked your tickets you should keep this site bookmarked when you travel as it includes important information if you need assistance while traveling abroad.  

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages.html 

STEP refers to the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.  This is a great service to utilize when traveling in a foreign country.  When you enroll in STEP you register your trip with the closest US Embassy or Consulate.  This services keeps you updated regarding any safety updates for the Country you are visiting and helps you keep in touch with the Embassy and Family and Friends in case of an emergency. 

 https://step.state.gov/step/ 

When you travel internationally one of the most convenient ways to pay for items, food, etc is to use your credit card.  Before traveling always notify your credit card company/bank so that they can prevent your charges from being declined.  Also check to confirm if your credit card issues/bank charges any foreign transaction fees.  

My wife and I use 2 cards which are great for international purchases as they do not charge foreign transaction fees.  By using a card that does not have foreign transactions fees we can use the savings for other items. The 2 cards we currently use for international purchases are Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi and Southwest Rapid Rewards Card by Chase (Premier).

If you are interested in researching other credit cards that don't charge foreign transaction fees you can find many options with nerdwallet.com, creditcards.org, creditkarma.com or thepointsguy.com. Filter your search on these websites for cards with no foreign transaction fees. 

Most cosmopolitan cities accept credit cards, however, it is always good to have some currency on hand for times that a card is not accepted. Below are three ways that you can obtain foreign currency. 

1-  Take cash with you and exchange it at a currency exchange.  My wife and I almost never use this method as it is expensive and the rates always vary from location to location.   If you decide to take cash and exchange it be sure to use banks and not small vendors as the bank rates are typically more favorable. We also strongly recommend that you make sure that the bills you take are very new with no tears or marks otherwise the foreign banks or vendors may not accept them.  We experienced this in many cities when we initially traveled.  Some foreign banks also prefer $100 bills and not smaller denominations.  

2-  Take your debit card - My wife and I use our debit card to withdraw currency once we arrive at our destination.  We have a bank account that does not charge international fees or or ATM fees.  The bank we use for this is Capitol One 360. They do not charge a foreign ATM fee or  transaction fee. However, the bank you are withdrawing from might charge a fee.   

Taking your ATM card with your is much safer as you don't need to take large sums of money with you.  Another tip that has come in handy for my wife and I is to call the Bank before we travel and ask them to raise our ATM withdrawal daily limit.  That way if you are paying any fees you can take out more funds the first time.  You want to avoid taking out smaller amounts if possible.  

3- Order foreign currency from your U.S. financial institution.   Many of the larger U.S. financial institutions keep foreign currency on hand for situations where their customer's might need it.  In our experience this involves fees so we have not opted for this method.   This option typically involves waiting for the money to arrive from another location so be sure you place the order with your financial institution well ahead of time. 

When you travel internationally, large metropolitan areas will have WiFi available in many locations.  Most restaurants will provide WiFi for free if you are a customer.  Almost all hotels and and Airbnb locations have WiFi included.  

When you travel abroad be sure to turn off your cellular service to avoid the risk of incurring international roaming charges.  If we aren't using an international hot spot or if we aren't intentionally connecting to international roaming we keep our phone in airplane mode and turn on WiFi and Bluetooth. 

Using your wireless carrier's international plan is one of the most convenient ways to stay connected while you are traveling.  All of the U.S. carriers listed below have plans for international use.  

Be aware that not all countries are included in all options.  Below we are including links to the 4 major carrier international plans/FAQs. 

Verizon TravelPass 

 https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/travelpass-faqs

AT&T Day Pass/Passport/or Pay-Per-User 

 https://www.att.com/offers/international-plans/europe-caribbean-country-more.html

T-Mobile One 

 https://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/roaming

Sprint - Global Roaming and Speed Passes  

https://www.sprint.com/en/support/solutions/international/faqs-about-sprint-global-roaming.html

If you prefer not to pay for your individual carrier's international service, another option is to use a global international hot spot.   

We recommend GlocalMe for this.  We have included them in our travel essentials section.  The rates are reasonable, you can share the hot spot with up to 5 devices, and the coverage is consistently good (in those areas they service)