In less than two months I will be in Austria for a year abroad. The change can be overwhelming; there is simply so much to do and buy. It can be difficult, especially when there are so many, often subtle, differences in the place you will be living in. Beyond packing up clothing and a few other necessities, there are things that can easily fly below the radar and can be a pain to solve later. Hopefully this list will help you avoid some of the mistakes that have been made by countless travelers before you.
1. Check whether you will be able to get the hygiene products you need.
Not all cultures use the same things! It may become very difficult, costly or altogether impossible to get products you take for granted at home. Try to find local store websites for where you will be staying and see what they sell. Much of Europe does not sell tampons with applicators, and if you do find them they can be pricey. If you can't live without the product, pack your own. Deodorant formulas vary around the world, so plan ahead. Nothing is worse than feeling gross because you couldn't find a soap that you use. More importantly, if you plan on buying your products when you arrive at the destination make sure you know the term for each item in the country's language. Not only will you look a lot less lost, but you will possibly save yourself the embarrassment of getting two conditioners and no shampoo.
2. Pack what you need for your hostel experience.
Depending on your accommodations on excursions you may need to bring a few extra things that you don't need when staying in a hotel. Cheap rates often mean not everything is included.
Pack a flat sheet for your bed, you can save a lot by not having to pay to rent sheets each night.
Have a lock for your locker. You will be staying with strangers, so you will want to be able to lock up your valuables.
Bring a microfiber towel. Again, towels are often an extra charge in hostels. Bring your own to save that money. A microfiber towel dries faster and absorbs more, plus it is far more compact than a regular towel.
3. Figure out your phone plan.
Roaming charges can get pretty costly, but so can international plans. Depending on your needs and time abroad your solution may change. WiFi can be a great way to communicate with family back home. Apps like Line allow free voice calls and text messages. However in a true emergency you may not have WiFi, you don't want to get stuck in a bad situation made worse by the fact that you cannot get the help you need. Contact your phone provider and figure out the pricing for their plans. See if you are able to replace the sim card in your current phone (you need to check if the phone will still work with another providers card in it). Or better yet, buy a cheap international cell phone. You can buy one here for a pretty reasonable price. Hopefully you never find yourself in an emergency, but it is better to be safe than sorry.
4. Check your electronics for voltage requirements.
Countries have different voltages for electricity. This may not pose a problem for some devices, but for others it can be damaging or hazardous. Check the voltage in the places you will be in. Then check the devices or chargers you plan to use. The voltage will be listed next to input as show above. If your device won't work, you will need a voltage converter, however it may be more economical to just buy a cheap international version of the item. Hair dryers and straighteners do not work with inexpensive converters and will likely be cheap to just replace with a counterpart that works with the other voltage. The shape of the plugs can also vary in a different country so check that as well. Plug converters are easy and inexpensive to buy, but may be hard to find if you wait to get it upon arrival.
5. Prepare for pickpockets and potential scams.
You probably have heard the stories of people who have been stolen from. It can be phones, cameras or money that is stolen. Whatever the situation may be, theft can seriously put a damper on your adventure.
Every country is different and the prevalence of such hazards does vary, but it is important to come prepared to not fall prey to pickpockets. I cannot stress the importance of a money belt for your important documents and extra money. Nothing is worse than losing money, except also losing your passport, visa, and credit cards. Depending on the risks in your area you may need RFID items to block credit card information from being stolen. There are special bags to protect against theft and may be worth the investment in places where the risk is higher. If you will be using your phone, buy a strap so it is much harder for it to be grabbed from you. Overall, look into the risks you will face and make the necessary preparations so you will feel comfortable where you are going to be.
6. Make sure you will have access to funds.
This might seem fairly obvious, but it can easily fall through the cracks in the chaos before a big trip. Make sure you will not be stranded with no money. Understand the expected form of payment. If places that accept credit card are few and far between don't arrive with no cash. Know where and when you can exchange money and come prepared. On my trip to Japan I thought I knew which ATMs would work with United States' cards only to find out it had recently changed. This led to a run to the only ATM that we knew would work before the building closed for the weekend.
Make sure to notify your bank of your trip as well as credit card companies. Sudden large transactions in a foreign country may be flagged as fraud, a situation only made worse by limited cell phone availability. Additionally, make sure your card will be usable in your new location; especially for Europe, you need to have a chip in your card or it will be pretty hard to use.
Credit card fees can build up with foreign transactions, to minimize this extra cost look for a card that doesn't have a foreign transaction fee or minimal fees if possible. Three percent may not seem like a lot, but if your stay is long it soon will seem huge.
7. Know the unofficial dress code.
It is important to dress for the weather in your destination, but perhaps equally important to dress culturally appropriately. It may be hot, but shorts aren't always appreciated or even allowed. Know what is acceptable ahead of time so as not to offend and get yourself locked out of an attraction. There are ways to compromise between comfort and cultural respect. Make sure to have clothes which find this balance. The balance varies depending on the culture, so do a little research before you embark on this journey. Your experience will be considerably better if you fit in and clothing can be a huge factor in whether you look like a local or a foreigner.
8. Bring your medication ... unless you can't.
Medications are not always easy to find in a foreign country. Make sure to bring medications you need. For extended stays you need to either get enough for the trip or figure out a process to get more of what you need. Ways of getting medication vary in various places. For some countries a pharmacist has a lot more prescribing power. Even medicine like Advil or cough medicine isn't always easy to come by in other countries, bring some with you.
However laws governing drugs and their legality are not uniform around the globe. It is better to know ahead of time if you can bring certain items. Legal trouble in a foreign country is an easy way to ruin a trip. Don't try to save space by removing prescriptions from their bottles. Prescriptions need to be in their original bottle and it needs to have your name on the bottle. If you think there might be even the slightest problem bring documentation from your doctor about the medication and why you need it.
9. Have a small carry-on bag.
If you are going to be in your destination for a long time like I am, you will be bringing all your clothes and necessities in pretty big bags. That may work for the initial trip where you have no way to avoid checking bags, but for smaller excursions a 28 inch suitcase that can hold half your bedroom isn't practical. Not only will something that big be a pain to carry around in a city, but it can also end up costing you a lot of money. Especially if you plan on flying with a budget airline, checking a bag can be very expensive.
For a weekend trip a carry on will suffice. Budget airlines are only cheap if you can avoid the extremely high fees for extras like checked bags. Make sure you have a bag that can be a carry on; I recommend a backpacking backpack which is flexible. That way it can be easily carried on transportation and throughout cities. It will also be easier to fit in a locker at a hostel. Along with this tip comes having travel sized bottles for shampoo and conditioner. Make sure they are small, but also sturdy to avoid leaks.
