66 Proceedings Fall 2024 required for official travel by clicking the “Special Issuance Agency” tab. This is normally more accu- rate than the Foreign Clearance Guide. 5 Download offline maps. You are in a strange place. You do not want to seek out cafes to get on a public Wi-Fi connection. Have your maps preloaded with pins of the sights you want to see, safe havens, your hotel, etc. Even with good cellphone reception, some- times maps will not load when you need them most. 6 Enroll in the Department of State’s STEP program. You can also get email alerts from the U.K.’s foreign travel advice website. Follow the news before the trip and monitor it while you are traveling. The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP, is a free service that allows U.S. citizens and nationals traveling and living abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. In Transit 1 Use the local tourist industry to your advantage. The American dollar still goes a long way and hospitality services are far more accessible abroad. Hiring a car service, a translator, a tour guide, or other assistance is common and easy. Want to see the Cave Church in Cairo but afraid you will not be able to get an Uber to trek through the trash-sorting “Garbage City” district to pick you up? Pay the driver to stay. 2 In U.S. airports, check-in counters are almost always open. Internationally, the check-in counter may not be open (or even assigned). European discount car- riers usually open two hours prior to departure and may not have a permanent check-in counter. Regardless, show up three hours in advance for international flights. Waiting in the lounge is better than stressing about the length of the security line. 3 Pack with security screening in mind. Leave your liquids and bring bar soap, travel wipes, or bar shampoo/conditioner. Have slip-on shoes. Leave excessive electronics at home. 4 When flying, bring compression leg sleeves or socks for long flights to help blood circulation and avoid blood clots building up over time. Food, Beverage, & Medicine 1 So, you decided to drink the water. What could go wrong? Ice cubes, washed veggies, ill-prepared food, and more can all result in foodborne illness. Consider using filtered or boiled water for brushing your teeth. While single-use plastics are terrible for the environment, bottled water is common abroad and safer. 2 Try local cuisines. Just because it looks different doesn’t mean it doesn’t taste great. Did you come all this way to eat food you can eat at home? Probably not. However, look around to see if the restaurant is clean. If in doubt, fried foods may be the safest bet. Unwashed veggies or “catch of the week” fish can lead to illness. 3 Bring anti-diarrheal meds. Maybe that restaurant wasn’t clean after all. It happens. Be prepared with medication for upset stomachs. If you start taking over-the-counter meds, tell your travel companions so they can look out for you and be aware if they also develop symptoms. Fortunately, food poisoning is more fun with friends. 4 Restaurant culture may be different. That waiter is not rude. In Europe, they get paid a living wage and work at a modest pace. Simple eye-contact and a wave is enough to get their attention. Yes, it takes longer, but enjoy the atmosphere. The waiter doesn’t have the pressure to increase throughput to maxi- mize their tips. 5 Taking malaria pills with food and/or at night may help to avoid a queasy stomach during work hours. However, as many of us have found, they may liven up your dreams if taken at night. Regardless, you should always take the medications as prescribed. Money 1 Haggling is common in many countries. Don’t com- pare the item to what you’d pay in the United States. If you agree to the first price offered, you are often paying an exorbitant price. Have fun bargaining. 2 The United States’ tipping culture is not replicated abroad. In Europe, a euro or two is normal. In other places, 10% is generous. Some places do not tip at all, in fact, overtipping is rude in some cultures. Do your research or you’ll be Googling this question while waiting for the check to arrive. 3 Get a credit card with travel rewards. You will not regret having access to airport lounges during those long layovers nor the ability to pay for stuff if your government travel card fails you. Different cards have different perks, such as rideshare credits, airline credits, gold status on hotels, lounge access, and more. 4 If you have extra local currency at the end of your trip, instead of exchanging it at the airport at a terrible exchange rate, pay down your hotel bill at check-out with the local currency before using your card.
