I have had the opportunity to visit a couple of different countries and I have found that when a little preparation precedes the trip you have a much more enjoyable trip.

A couple of trips to places such as London, Paris and Italy were done by join a tour group managed by a college or a travel company located inside the country. That was great because they managed all the transportation, places to stay, places to eat etc. The other thing that was nice was that they seemed to have made some type of arrangements that we didn’t have to wait for most tourist spots but were able to get in reasonably quickly.

When I went on a college related trips, the university had some presentation on the country in advance to the trip. That way, we were more informed travelers with the history of the country and by seeing slides, we knew what to expect.

When I go somewhere, I should remember to carry a dictionary; it would have helped when I was trying to get help at a camera shop about my camera or for directions to the restroom. If opportunity permits I could also find it useful to learn about the culture to learn what acceptable or unacceptable behavior is.

It was strange when my friends and I traveled with a group, many Americans would eat at American restaurants. I found it more interesting to eat in places that represented the country. Next time I travel somewhere, I need to learn the money system better so that I can know which currency is what so I can pay for something properly and not just ‘trust’ that the native of the country will take the appropriate amount for the bill.

Something that my friend Paul taught me is that if there is an opportunity; try to get as many different types of experiences as possible. On a trip to Hawaii we had a wide range of activities such as one day we went from the lowest point of the island the below the ocean in a submarine to the highest point of the island to walk around an observatory in the snow.

Those are just some ideas to consider when traveling internationally.