My Airfare Secrets                                                               Bookmark It can be a very exciting experience when traveling to another country with its exotic environment, unique culture, rich history, and distinct langage. In order to enjoy your trip abroad, I have listed the top 10 international travel tips to ensure that you thoroughly enjoy your vacation or tour. 1) To ease your way into a country you have never visited, it's a great idea to learn whatever you can of its official language--enough so you can at the very least have a conversation when dealing with hotel clerks, car rental managers, restaurant waiters, etc. You'll experience a lot less frustrations because of misunderstandings. 2) Do some research of the country's culture and its people. It doesn't hurt to learn something about the place you plan of visiting. 3) It's a very practical move to check if there exists any dangerous areas where you are originally planning of visiting. If there are, you must find out what areas are safe to move around in and which areas must be completely avoided. This critical information is extremely vital--it can make the difference between life or death. 4) Reserve a room at a trusted hotel known for tourism. You'll do yourself a favor by sticking with the bigger hotels. Since the smaller out of the way and least known hotels may reside in areas that have thieves who prey on tourists. So your best bet is to use the big hotels with many years of experience with foreign tourists. 5) If possible, make an honest attempt not to look too obvious as a tourist. It's sad but the reality is there are bad people in every country who love to prey on tourists. 6) Be on your guard at all times for pickpockets and any suspicious behavior or cars around you when leaving the airport. 7) Do without the flashy or luxury rental car. Why? A flashy rental car will certainly make you an easy target for thieves. 8) If you hire a taxi, always take with you clear written directions and watch the meter. You really do not want to pay extra for a taxi drive that takes you the long way to your destination. 9) Watch the weather patterns; they may disrupt your travel plans. It's a good measure to know beforehand what kind of weather might develop in the near future along the route you will be taking to your destination overseas. 10) Do bring your ATM card with you. Keep in mind that you'll be charged a transaction fee by your bank for each cash withdrawal at the ATM machine. To avoid paying too much in transaction fees, withdraw bigger amounts. 11) Make sure your passport has not expired. Before leaving, photocopy your passport and flight tickets and keep these copies in a separate and safe place. 12) Always take with you old comfortable footwear. Avoid bringing high heels; often they get stuck in the cobblestones of small villages.   My Airfare Secrets                                                               Bookmark