It’s pretty obvious there isn’t much international travel going on right now with the Covid-19 pandemic. However, being stuck at home might have you day-dreaming about your next big adventure. There are things you can do now to prepare for a future international trip.

You might not know when your next trip will happen, as each week of the pandemic seems unpredictable right now, but it doesn’t mean you can’t start planning that trip! Quarantine and Covid-19 might have you feeling down, but planning a future trip and having something to look forward to might lift your spirits!

Even if it doesn’t seem financially (or physically) possible right now, setting a goal now of taking a trip in the future gives you time to plan and budget. Even if that trip is planned for 1, 2, or 5 years away, it’s never too early to start a plan.

International travel, specifically, can be a big thing for people. It might require longer term planning than a trip to the next state over. Here are 7 ways to prepare for a future international trip:

Passport. If you are planning on traveling out of the country, you will need a passport. Don’t have a passport yet and wondering how to go about getting one? Check out the State Department’s Travel Website.

At the time of this post, passport applications are temporarily suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic unless it’s an emergency. However, I would still recommend checking out the site to review the process of getting a passport. This will give you a head start on getting a photo and saving up money for your passport. The passport application, prices, and required documentation can all be found on the State Department’s travel website listed above. 

One thing that you CAN do now is get your passport photo completed. Passport photos have certain requirements. We recommend using My Passport Photo to print your passport photo. They make sure that your picture meets the requirements and their prices are affordable.

Be sure to look into the passport and visa requirements for the country you will be visiting. You can find the requirements by searching for the country on this website.

Vaccines. Traveling to another country means potential exposure to illnesses that your body may not be immune to. For example, Yellow Fever is not a major concern in the United States, but if you are going to be traveling to Africa, it’s something you have to think about.

Each country has their own recommendations for vaccines when traveling there. A great resource that I found recently is Passport Health USA. This provides vaccine recommendations or requirements for the country you plan to visit. It’s good to make a list of the vaccines you will need and get up to date on them now. That way it’s out of the way when it comes time for  you to travel.

You may have to find a Travel Clinic in your area for some of the vaccines. Most family practice clinics do not regularly keep vaccines required for other countries on hand. If you ask for a vaccine for Yellow Fever at your next check up with your provider, they will most likely refer you to a travel clinic.

When to travel. Once you know what country you want to travel to, research the best time of year to go. Maybe there is a big event that they have once a year that you want to see. Keep in mind that the country you are visiting will most likely have different weather than where you live. What months are their cold or hot months? When is the peak tourist season in that country? Do they have a rainy season? Site seeing in the rain for most of your trip might not be the most fun. It’s all based on your preferences.

Some people like to go in the off season when there are less people and lower prices, but the trade off might be less than ideal weather. Just some things to think about.

Language. While you don’t have to be fluent in the language of the country you are visiting, it would be smart to know some basic common phrases. This is something you can start working on now to prepare for a future international trip. The app DuoLingo is a great way to learn a new language for free. You may not feel like you have time to learn a new language, but if you commit 10-15 minutes per day on the app, you will be able to have conversations in another language in no time.

Learn about the culture. Take time to educate yourself about the cultures and traditions of the country you are visiting. Certain clothing or body language that is normal in your home country may be offensive to the country you are visiting. Having some basic information about their culture will come in handy.

Create a trip budget. Look into how much flights, lodging, food, and other transportation will cost. Check out our post on how to save money on flights HERE. Make a list of attractions you plan to see there and research if there is an admission fee. Writing out a budget for your trip can help you plan how much money you will need. Don’t forget to budget for souvenirs.

Research Travel Insurance. With all of the possible unknowns in the world right now, travel insurance is definitely something you want. What if another pandemic or global crisis occurs shortly before you are supposed to travel and you have to cancel your trip? Or worse yet, you or a family member become ill before or during the trip. Travel insurance protects the financial investment that you have in your trip.

There will of course be other things to think about the closer you get to your trip such as customs, currency exchange, and what to pack. In the meantime, you can start working on this list of things now to help prepare for your future international trip. Happy planning!!