✈️ The Journey Continues! From Colombia to the World.
Expect the Unexpected: Prepare Before You Go
Part 1 of 2 | International Driver Travel Tips From travel insurance and packing strategies to emergency preparedness and flexibility, Wayne and Tamara share practical lessons from their international travels to help you prepare for the unexpected and travel with confidence.
TRAVEL TIPS
International Drivers
11/4/20264 min read
There's something exciting about planning a trip. Choosing destinations, researching hotels, booking flights, and imagining all the experiences ahead. Wayne and I still get excited about it, even after traveling to so many countries!
But here's something we've learned: The best travel experiences often begin long before you board the plane.
After spending extended periods traveling through Africa, South America, Central America, and Europe, we've learned that international travel requires more than a good itinerary.
It requires preparing for things you hope will never happen.
And now, as Fora Travel Advisors, we appreciate even more how thoughtful planning can make the difference between a minor inconvenience and a stressful situation.
Here are a few lessons we've learned along the way.
1. Travel Insurance: Don't Overlook It!
Let's start with something we consider one of the most important parts of travel planning: travel insurance.
Think about it. You've spent months planning your vacation, carefully selecting accommodations, purchasing airline tickets, and perhaps booking that once-in-a-lifetime cruise.
Then something unexpected happens.
Maybe you become ill before departure. Perhaps your flight gets canceled, or an emergency requires you to return home early.
What happens to the money you've already spent?
Wayne and I have reached a point where we evaluate annual travel insurance rather than purchasing a separate policy for every trip. With our travel schedule, that approach can make sense, although it isn't necessarily right for everyone.
Before purchasing a policy, consider:
Trip cancellation and interruption: What circumstances are covered?
Emergency medical coverage: What happens if you need treatment overseas?
Medical evacuation: Is emergency transportation included?
Baggage and travel delays: What expenses may be reimbursed?
Preexisting conditions: Are there exclusions or waiver requirements?
And remember, your regular health insurance may not provide the international coverage you expect.
Our takeaway: Understand your coverage before you need it. The time to discover what's excluded isn't when you're standing in a hospital overseas!
2. Packing: Less Really Can Be More
If there's one thing international travel has taught us, it's that we don't need nearly as much as we think we do!
When you're moving between airports, trains, hotels, and countries, every extra suitcase becomes something else to manage.
As we've embraced slower travel and longer stays, we've become much more intentional about packing.
We think about what we'll actually wear, how often we can do laundry, and whether an item is versatile enough to justify the space it occupies.
Our approach is simple:
Pack for the experiences you're likely to have, not every imaginable scenario.
A few strategies that work for us:
Choose clothing that can be mixed, matched, and layered.
Pack comfortable shoes for extended walking.
Use packing cubes to stay organized.
Keep medications, important documents, and valuables in your carry-on.
Check baggage allowances for every airline on your itinerary.
One lesson worth remembering: Airline baggage restrictions can vary considerably, especially when connecting between international and regional carriers.
For us, packing lighter isn't just about saving money. It's about making travel easier.
3. STEP: A Simple Precaution Many Travelers Miss
Here's a question for our fellow American travelers:
Have you enrolled in STEP?
STEP stands for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, a free service offered by the U.S. Department of State.
It allows U.S. citizens traveling or living abroad to receive important alerts and information from U.S. embassies and consulates.
Why does this matter?
Because circumstances can change quickly.
Natural disasters, civil unrest, security incidents, and other emergencies can affect travelers with little warning.
Enrolling in STEP helps you stay informed and can make it easier for U.S. officials to contact you during an emergency.
We also recommend reviewing destination-specific travel advisories before departure.
You can enroll at step.state.gov.
It's a simple precaution that deserves a place on your travel checklist.
4. The Essentials Beyond Your Suitcase
Packing is important, but some of the most valuable things you bring won't take up any space in your luggage.
Before leaving, we recommend organizing three essentials.
Your documents: Keep secure digital copies of your passport information, relevant visas, flight confirmations, hotel reservations, and travel insurance details. Make important information available offline, and check passport validity and entry requirements well in advance.
Your health preparations: Review medications, destination-specific medical recommendations, and how to access healthcare if needed. Confirm that your prescriptions are permitted in the countries you're visiting, and keep essential medications in your carry-on.
Your financial backup: Travel with more than one payment method, ideally stored separately. Understand foreign transaction fees, ATM policies, and how to contact your bank if a card is lost or blocked.
These preparations aren't particularly glamorous, but they can make an enormous difference when something unexpected happens.
5. Plan Carefully, Then Enjoy Yourself!
Here's something Wayne and I have learned over the years.
Preparation doesn't mean worrying about everything that could possibly go wrong.
Quite the opposite!
It means taking reasonable precautions so you can spend less time worrying and more time enjoying your destination.
As international travelers and Fora Travel Advisors, we believe the best trips balance thoughtful preparation with the freedom to explore.
Travel insurance, smart packing, emergency awareness, and organized documents may not be the most exciting parts of travel planning.
But they're among the most valuable.
And once those preparations are behind you, you can focus on what brought you there in the first place: discovering new places, meeting interesting people, and creating memories.
Because traveling confidently isn't about expecting everything to go perfectly. It's about being prepared when it doesn't.
In Part 2, we'll share why flexibility may be one of the most valuable things you can bring on your journey.
Until then, happy travels!
— International Drivers 🌎❤️