It does not matter if it is the first time you travel abroad or if you are an expert globetrotter, the uncertainty of what we find in our destination can cause us doubts before arriving. What should I do before traveling abroad? When is it better to change money? What should my travel insurance include? Each country is different and it is likely that for each of them you should prepare your trip focusing on some aspects. Even so, there are general recommendations that will help us prepare our getaway and that will be very useful for us.
Find out about your destination
The first advisable step is to inform oneself widely about the country of destination: to inquire about its customs and local legislation. For this, you can consult the Travel Recommendations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They are the main source of information about the country that you are going to visit, since in each one of them you will be able to find updated information about the requirements for the entrance in the country, the documentation and the necessary visas to travel, the security conditions, the health situation, vaccines, currencies and the main telephones of interest.
Check the necessary documentation
Find out what documentation you need to access the country. The basic travel document is the passport, although in Europe you can usually travel with the National Identity Document (DNI). Make sure all of them are in force. If that is not the case, you must renew them. There are countries that require a minimum validity of the documentation to enter, so it is advisable that you also look at these details.
In addition to having travel documentation, many states require a visa. To obtain it, you must inform yourself at the Consulate or Consular Section of the Embassy of the country of destination accredited in Spain. You have to bear in mind that visa processing may require additional documentation and that the concession period is determined by the country, so it is convenient to process the visa well in advance.
The international driver’s license will be necessary if you are planning to drive a vehicle while traveling abroad. In this post we explain how to obtain the international driving license and in which countries you need it.
As we told you in the past, even if you have all the documentation in order, including the visa, entering a foreign country is not a right, so it may happen that you are denied entry to it. It is not a frequent situation, but it is necessary to know what can happen.
Get medical and travel insurance
Many people regret not having taken out insurance before their trip when they have to face an emergency abroad. And is that when we travel outside of Spain, medical and travel expenses are at our expense and can be very high.
In general, health care abroad is not covered by the Spanish Social Security or by private health insurance in Spain or by the policy that is signed when buying a plane ticket with a credit card. So, to avoid unforeseen events, we strongly recommend you to take out insurance that has ample medical and travel coverage that covers the possible corresponding expenses. It is important to confirm that the insurance contracted covers all the activities that you are going to carry out during the trip. In addition, if you are going to visit several countries, check that the insurance is covered in all of them, even at stopovers and short stays.
However, remember that in the European Economic Area and Switzerland the Spanish, thanks to the European Health Card (for this you must apply), have access to Public Health under the same conditions as the nationals of those countries.
Define the budget and payment methods
It is advisable that you calculate the expenses of the trip and that, in addition, your budget pull upwards, since it must include a host of unforeseen problems that arise in travel, such as problems with transportation, currency exchanges, possible accidents and extras that never They take into account. To be able to face these unexpected expenses we advise you to take sufficient means of payment. It is recommended to always carry enough money to travel, ideally combining different means of payment: country currency, euro and card. We can not tell you which is the best card to travel abroad, since that depends on your bank and the conditions of your accounts, but also the country you are traveling to and the companies that are most present there. On the other hand, you can study your situation to discover the bank where the lowest fees are charged to get money. But first of all you should check that in the country of destination it is possible to use credit cards.
Another issue to consider is when and how to change currencies. There are several options: change money in your country before the trip, at the airport of arrival or once you are visiting your destination. You must evaluate these three options and choose the one that is most comfortable for you.
Enroll in the Travelers Registry
Provide a family member or friend with the details of the trip you are going to make, including the dates and places of stay and register in the Travelers Registry (click here). This information can be used by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation so that the registered traveler can be contacted in case of an emergency at the place of his stay abroad.
Other recommendations
Before your trip abroad you will have to take into account other issues, such as checking the conditions of your mobile rate abroad, if you need vaccines to access the country or consult the weather forecast.
The best way to travel safely is to prepare the trip well in advance. Be proactive and plan any aspect of our trip so that no unforeseen surprise. Whatever the reason for moving abroad, informing yourself in advance and having clear steps is essential to avoid problems and even emergency situations. Traveling informed is traveling safer. Organizing the trip and having everything under control will allow us to enjoy more, like knowing that our car is guarded 24 hours a day at WePark.
