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thread: Advice for First-Time International Travellers

  1. #19
    2014 BellyBelly RAK Recipient.

    Mar 2008
    Vic
    4,806

    Carry your passport, money, keys and ID in a bum bag hidden under your clothes.

    Move around as much as you can on the flights. I found just standing up for a while in the emergency exit areas made me feel good.

    I'll echo travel insurance. When we were in Rome my grandfather passed away and we needed to get home fast. Without travel insurance, we were quoted $10,000 for us to get new flights home (week before Christmas), with the insurance we got home for our $500 excess.

    Get a good travel agent. Ours was in her office at 10pm trying to get us home.

    Be aware of your conversion rates if you're just using a credit/debit card. Money can disappear very quickly!

    Do your research on where you're going. Learn basic local language if you can. It might mean the difference between someone wanting to help you, or someone totally ignoring you (as we found in Paris). I've heard that you need to prepare for the high altitude in Machu Picchu.

    Be realistic with your timeframe. We went to London (4 days) Paris (6 days) Florence (1 day) Venice (3 days) and Rome (8 days). It was minimal flight times once we were there and the three weeks was nowhere near long enough. You've got long distances to cover, so maybe work out what your absolute must see places are.

    ETA - talk to people who have been to places you're going and learn about what to watch out for. We learned that Rome had a scam of 'flying babies'. Someone would throw a doll and someone else would start screaming to catch their baby. While you're trying to catch the baby, your pockets are being emptied! In Paris, street sellers ask you to put out your arm and they'll decorate it with a bracelet....and then demand big dollars for doing it. When you refuse, a few of their large buddies turn up to encourage you to pay. We came across these guys near the Sacre Coeur. Learn to say NO in your biggest voice, lol!

    Good luck and have fun!

  2. #20
    Registered User

    Oct 2007
    Perth,WA
    2,942

    Scams! Be careful of people. My DH got held hostage in china (I know you aren't going there, but still) and he is a very frequent traveller. Thought he was invincible and could trust people. Be really careful! especially Paris.

    Also, sometimes travel insurance is covered with the credit card you book with.

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