Advice on navigating a foreign country
Travelling the world is amazing and everyone should experience it at least once. By visiting a foreign land you get to meet new people, learn interesting cultures and get some perspective on your own life. It’s one of those things you can’t compare to anything else.
But landing in a foreign country isn’t just fun and games. You need to prepare for anything and everything that could go wrong.
Learn key phrases
Whether you’re cruising through 5-star hotels in Italy or backpacking through Japan, if you don’t speak the language, you need to learn a few key phrases. What you need to know ranges from asking where the bathroom is to asking for help in an emergency. While you can order dinner by pointing to the menu, there are certain things you’ll have to say out loud. It’s also considered rude not to learn a few polite phrases and greetings in the native languages of the place you’re visiting.
Do a quick search on etiquette
Different countries have different cultures and what may be considered well-mannered in your home town could cause offense somewhere else. It doesn’t take much to find out about basic etiquette in the country you’re travelling to. Simply spend an hour or two on Google and you’ll have most of the information you need. You don’t want to offend your host on your very first day. Learning about new cultures is exciting so don’t be afraid to embrace them.
Keep your necessities on you at all time
While you may want to keep your passport and visa safely tucked away at the place where you’re staying, you should carry digital copies with you at all times. You never know what might happen and you don’t want to end up having to look for legal advice in a foreign country without having the necessary documents.
Know the basic layout of where you’re going
Before your plane takes off, even before you pack your bags, take a look at the location of your accommodation. See where it’s situated and what amenities are close by. It’s important you have a vague idea of the area, even though you probably won’t be able to find your way without a map when you actually get there.
Landing in a foreign country is exciting but it can also be scary at the same time. So, make an effort to learn some basic things about where you’re going and make sure you’re prepared for anything.
