Kris and I will make our first trip overseas later this year; her parents are taking us to England and Ireland. We’re excited, but also a little apprehensive. For one thing, the exchange rate isn’t exactly in our favor right now. And how much do we pay our housesitter? Will we be able to prepay all of our bills?
Yesterday I was browsing Ask the Advisor and discovered a list of 27 personal finance tips for traveling overseas.
[People] who travel abroad are caught in situations that can cost them financially. For instance, many overseas travelers do not know to contact their credit card companies or banks about travel plans, nor do they comprehend currency issues that exist at their destinations. Always check the currency exchange rates for your destination country before you travel.
Financial problems are exacerbated if you don’t speak the country’s language and if you don’t understand how to access or use its currency. Most of the following tips will help you to avoid or at least mitigate these issues before you ever leave home, but others will help you maneuver through your trip with ease once you arrive at your destination.
The list is divided into three broad categories, and includes suggestions such as:
- 1. Make two photocopies of any important papers.
- 2. Travel light (clothing-wise) and forget the bling.
- 8. Get phone numbers. You may not realize that 800 numbers work only in the U.S. and Canada. Before you leave, call your bank and credit card companies to get local (non-800) numbers so that you can call them in an emergency.
- 20. Consider a money belt.
- 25. Use cash whenever possible. You’d be hard pressed to find a merchant anywhere (even in the U.S.) who would prefer a credit card over cash. Merchants pay fees to use credit cards, whereas cash-in-hand is fee-free for that merchant. Therefore, you might discover that many overseas merchants won’t accept credit cards. Additionally, you can often find your best bargains at street markets or with merchants who are willing to haggle. You can’t haggle with a credit card, so don’t even try.
I’ve bookmarked this page for reference as we prepare for our trip.
We’ve been watching Rick Steves videos in preparation for the trip. One of his tips is to do currency exchange through ATMs. According to his web site:
Throughout Europe, cash machines (ATMs) are the standard way for travelers to get local currency. European ATMs work like your hometown machine and always have English-language instructions. Using your debit card with an ATM takes dollars directly from your bank account at home and gives you that country’s cash. You’ll pay fees, but you’ll still get a better rate than you would for exchanging traveler’s checks. Ideally, use your debit card to take money out of ATMs. You can use a credit card, but you’ll pay more. Before you go, confirm with your bank that your card will work in Europe and alert them that you’ll be making withdrawals while traveling — otherwise, the bank might freeze your card if it detects unusual spending patterns.
I never knew that planning for vacation would require so much financial preparation!
[Ask the Advisor: 27 personal finance tips for traveling overseas]
This article is about Odds and Ends, Planning, Travel
Another reason to use cash when traveling overseas is that your credit cards often charge a fairly sizable fee to convert currency for you. (despite the fact that currency never changes hands).
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On the clothing point, I suggest that Americans leave their shorts at home. Wearing shorts and white socks are immediate clues to your tourist status and will often result in more hassles.
For my part, when I travel to Italy (which isn’t nearly as often as I like) I make a point of wearing slacks and a summer weight sport coat. The jacket provides pockets that are discouraging to petty thieves (nothing deters professional thieves) and you fit it better with the locals.
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White socks are worn in Italy by Italians with black pants and black shoes. It looks funny.
Anyway, tip 14 is so true . . . even before you leave it might become a problem. I just tried to book a flight from Johannesburg to Kruger National Park within South Africa, and Bank of America deactivated my card, put it on fraud alert, and I had to call and go through all kinds of questions to reactivate it.
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This is actually a good use for your .Mac account: in my (password-protected).Mac Documents folder I keep JPEG scans of all the items in my wallet, a scan of my passport, and a text-only list of emergency numbers for credit cards, etc. (text-only so you can open it on any computer at an Internet café). This wouldn’t do me much good on a hiking expedition in Borneo, but in England or Ireland (and much of Europe) you can find an Internet café pretty easily.
I’ve actually gotten pretty reasonable exchange rates and fees with my credit card when traveling overseas, so I do use it. I have to pay fairly significant fees when withdrawing currency from ATMs overseas but it is usually cheaper than buying travelers checks and sometimes cheaper than exchanging cash at the bank.
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In the UK, use a cash machine in / outside a bank, as they are fee-free (you only have to pay a fee to your own provider).
Don’t worry too much about looking like a tourist as long as you keep a tight hold of your possessions.
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Money belt. Absolutely. Let it become a part of you for however many weeks you’re gone – and it will solve so many difficulties. I’ve worn one in a dozen countries spread across 4 continents over 10 years and have never had a problem – even in places known for incredibly high crime and where things like my coloring make me unmistakable as a tourist.
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I forgot to mention that if you do use an Internet cafe to get to your .Mac account, be sure to clear the browser’s cache after you’re done so nobody can find your password. And to be doubly secure, if you have the full version of Acrobat you might want to put those images into a password-protected PDF document to add another layer of protection…it’s always better to play it safe!
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JD — The first tip is to worry about all this BEFORE you leave — but the minute your trip starts don’t let yourself be so fixated on things like safety and money rob you of your enjoyment of the trip!
–Get yourself a good money belt — if you are really worried about theft (and it’s good to worry about theft as it presents a more real threat to you than any sort of bodily harm abroad) then there are money belts with a wire in them that really deter them being cut off you unsuspectingly. (and the money belt is hidden, it’s not your fanny pack
. )
–Throw a pre-paid international calling card into your money belt while you are at it. Make sure it works for international calls though.
–Plan on a few different ways of getting access to money — credit card, a couple of travellers checks, and cash plus the means to wire yourself money if all else fails.
–Leave home with a small amount of money already in your destination’s currency. Also avoid exchanging currency at the airport where you’ll get a lousy exchange rate.
–I’ve also seen socks that have a little zipper pouch for joggers — a pair or two of those could be handy.
–Keep your passport on you, don’t leave it at the hotel. But keep it safe and hidden!
–TravelSmith has good stuff for travellers’ unique wardrobe needs. I’m going to reiterate the wisdom of avoiding shorts and opting for pants. I will add to that that it’s usually best to leave your jeans at home and opt for khakis — jeans add a lot of travel weight and bulk and are slow to dry if you get caught in rain or need to wash clothes.
Also Kris should bring a simple skirt — there remains more formality in European dress than American.
Also don’t forget weather gear (plan for rain) and pack to dress in layers!
–Further tips on packing. a) pack as light as you can and plan on rewashing clothes in your hotel room. b) Limit the number of suitcases and pack tight — my goal is always to stick to a single carryon backpack (that I can easily carry) per person plus my purse/tote. You’ll appreciate this when you are moving from place to place and don’t have to worry so much about toting your stuff around. (I’ve gone on two-week trips abroad with nothing but an expandible carryon-sized backpack that I got at REI). Keep a lock on your backpack/luggage.
–Diligently plan for and carry any medicines you need.
We lived in Germany for three years when I was a kid — Europe is great and it’s not like you’ll be remote or someplace where there is a huge language issue.
DB
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I freakin’ LOVE Rick Steves.
That is all.
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I travel to Europe semi-frequently and have lived there for a time back before the turn of the century.
-Don’t worry about looking like a tourist too much. If you are in a bigger city, nobody will really notice you, and if you are in a smaller town, there is nothing you can do to avoid looking like a tourist. Use common sense like you would if you were visiting a different city or state in the US.
-Don’t rely solely on cash. I’ve never had a problem using credit cards (mastercard, visa) in Europe. Definitely bring some cash in the local currency if possible, but don’t stock up.
-Also, don’t ever exchange your currency more than once if you can help it. You’ll lose money for sure on the multiple exchanges. Look for people who just came back from where you’re going on craigslist or elsewhere and see if you can make a deal. They’ll probably be happy to get rid of excess currency at a 1:1 exchange rate.
-Money belts make you look like a tourist. So do passport wallets you hang around your neck. I never saw the need for either of these things in Europe. If you are staying in a decent hotel, you should be able to leave your valuables in the room safe or at the front desk. I always carry my passport in my front jeans pocket, and wallet in the other, but my wife always just left her passport and some cash in the hotel safe. Neither of us had any problems so far.
-I guarantee you if you go when it is hot out, the locals (at least the men) will be wearing shorts. Probably not at night, mind you, but definitely during the day. If you are going to see the sights, feel free to wear shorts when its hot out, because the only people there are going to be tourists anyway.
-If you are bringing a digital camera, consider bringing your ipod and getting the attachment that lets you upload your photos directly from the camera instead of lugging your laptop. Also consider getting a battery pack for the ipod.
-Guidebooks are your friend, but more like a friend from college that you hardly ever talk to anymore and your tastes have since diverged. I recommend Fodor’s, but some of the information is incomplete or outdated, so always back it up with local sources if you can.
-Even if you ignore all of what I’ve written so far, please please please remember this: internet cafe’s are NOT to be trusted. If you absolutely must use an internet cafe, you MUST MUST MUST assume somebody has keyloggers installed. Either change your passwords before and after you leave, or better yet do not access any account that contains any sensitive information whatsoever. If you are away for a short time, consider not accessing the internet at all until you get home. If you are going longer, consider bringing your own laptop and using free or for-fee wireless (although this too has security implications). There are also graphical password systems where you click images on a page instead of typing. Consider looking into one of those.
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Oh also, when packing: Lay out everything you think you are going to need next to your suitcase, ready to pack, then take away a third of it. You aren’t going to need that bit.
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A seasoned traveler knows the one basic rule: “Estimate what bare necessities you need for the trip. Then take half as much clothes, and twice as much money.” The theory is that in an emergency, you could always buy new clothing, and money is easier to carry than clothes.
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One other thought: why pay a housesitter? You may be able to find someone to stay at your place for free. I had a friend in Boston who house-sat year round for free; he didn’t want to pay rent so was happy to house-sit. You have a beautiful place in the country that would be a great getaway for a city-bound couple in Portland; you might want to ask around and see if anyone you know would like to stay in your place while you’re gone and take care of the cat etc.
And icup is right about Internet cafes…maybe it’s just too risky.
Also I’ve traveled in the UK and Ireland about 15 times so far and I’ve never had a money belt; I really don’t think it’s necessary unless you’re carrying heaps of cash (which you shouldn’t need to do anyway)
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I don’t like to advertise, but get a CapitalOne credit card. NO FEES ANYWHERE OVERSEAS. I just got back from a month in Europe, and without any credit card/VISA/conversion fees. I also used Capitalone’s direct banking to get an ATM card that made getting money pretty easy, while earning 5%.
Again, I don’t like to advertise, but they even eat the 1% fee that normally pays to VISA.
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If your traveling somewhere where the average standard of living is significantly lower than the states (i.e. most places outside of Western Europe) than it’s important to have multiple ways to get to your money (some US cash, an atm card, and traveler checks as a last resort), and a money belt is *essential*.
For those who don’t know, a money belt is worn underneath your clothing, and serves to make your passport and other valuables impervious to pick pockets. It also insures you won’t lose said valuables, by say, leaving them in a backpack somewhere.
Depending on where your going and the quality of the hotel your staying at, it can sometimes be safer to leave your valuables in the hotel safe, but if your frugal about your lodging options, this is frequently not the case.
However, if your traveling to a first world country, while it’s still important to use common sense, you don’t represent quite the target you do in other parts of the world and it’s not as important so be so cautious.
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Here is my number one thing I can add to everything else and, if you’ve ever needed this, it’s a big one: Don’t content yourself with making copies of your passport numbers, etc. but also post them on your Yahoo (or similar) account. In the event that your room gets burgled while you are taking a swim or something, you can get back the info you need by checking your account.
For added security, encode the numbers of the accounts that you put on Yahoo.
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I second the need for having your 800′s converted into real numbers. Even calling 411 from overseas yielded me a useless 800 number.
I also found that the ATM keypads in Europe don’t have the familiar ABC-DEF designations above the numbers. And some of them are upside down from the way you may be used to accessing them. It helps to memorize the #’s if you are used to spelling it out on the keypad, so you don’t end up locked out of the ATM.
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Another reason to use cash when traveling overseas is that your credit cards often charge a fairly sizable fee to convert currency for you.
That’s true, but even so you’ll still save over exchanging cash at the (typically terrible) tourist rates. And you won’t have the risk, or the worries about the risk, of traveling with a huge wad of cash.
A lot of this advice is very general. But JD isn’t going to some financial backwater; he’s going to the UK. ATMs are everywhere, pretty much all shops take credit cards, and we’re not big on haggling.
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I’ve travelled most places and I’ve never used a money belt. But I’m awkward like that. If you would use one in New York (non-New Yorkers) then use one in London, otherwise don’t bother, just use the same precautions you would elsewhere for pickpockets.
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Actually I’d like to disagree with the USE CASH suggestion.
I just returned from a trip to France. Generally speaking there is about a $0.10 +/- mark-up when converting CASH. For example, if the exchange rate is $1.30US per Euro you’re likely to pay $1.40US per Euro.
You’ll do much better if you charge it with a card that DOES NOT charge a FOREIGN EXCHANGE FEE–such as the Captiol One cards or my PSECU Visa. With those, you’ll get the true exchange rate.
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Watch out when using ATMs overseas: your bank may charge you extra fees on top of the additional out-of-network fee, PLUS screw you on the exchange rate.
I would take a bit of cash in US dollars (say $100), convert it at the airport on arrival, then put everything on a CapitalOne card and save the cash for when it’s absolutely necessary.
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I’ve been to the UK, France, Mexico, Japan and China. China was the only country where merchants did NOT accept my credit card, but I know that this has changed in the last 2 years. Obviously street vendors will always require cash. It used to be the best way to travel, since you could get the interbank exchange rates. Most cards & banks tack on fees now. A fee-refunded debit card sounds like your best bet.
I’ll add a non-money-related plug: Space Bags. LOVE them! Find at your local “Bed, Bath & Linen Things” outlet. You put your clothes in a giant ziplock bag then roll it up, squeezing the air out the other end. They easily DOUBLE the size of your suitcase and are great for organizing stuff like clean vs. dirty and keeping wet bathing suits away from dry clothes. They don’t wrinkle your clothes any more than normal packing would.
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The ONLY time I ever used a money belt overseas, I must have fumbled around getting stuff out of it, dropped my debit card, and it immediately got picked up by someone and used all over Italy. So I’ve never used one before or after again.
Also, I recommend roboform2go on a flashdrive for internet cafes — then you can have your passwords with no risk of logging.
http://www.u3.com/smartdrives/
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If you plan to use ATMs overseas, be sure you have a four-digit PIN. Most overseas ATMs only recognize 4-digit PINs.
To maximize space in your suitcase, roll your clothes, don’t fold them.
If you’re not sure if you’ve packed too much, take your suitcases, etc. and walk around the block with them. If you return home tired and sweaty and otherwise uncomfortable, you’ve packed too much.
Do try to dress to fit in with the host culture, and act like you know what you’re doing. This will help minimize pickpocketing.
Instead of bringing an entire guidebook with you, remove or copy only the sections you’ll need.
Make a pocket-sized copy of maps you’ll need and keep them handy in your wallet or purse, so you won’t have to stand in the middle of sidewalks and unfold large, unwieldy maps.
If your hotel or other lodging has a reliable safe (and security), leave your passport there and only take a copy with you. If you get mugged or otherwise lose your passport, you’ll have a mess to deal with.
Though some people in other countries have embraced shorts, baseball caps, sneakers, and legible clothing (with slogans, etc.), this is not the case in most places. It may be okay to wear such things in some places, but realize that you will stand out, and many locals will assume that you’re muggable or an otherwise clueless traveller.
Remember that in most places, architecturally interesting churches and cathedrals are still places of worship. Please respect them.
Consider getting some of the local currency before you get to the country. Many people wait until they get to the airport to exchange money, but if you exchange some money ahead of time, you’ll avoid costly currency exchange booths and ATMs, and you’ll also avoid long waits at these places.
Beware of ruses that people may create in order to mug you–women coming up to you with children, people spilling condiments on you, etc.
Don’t assume that most interpersonal contact is a sign of something suspicious. People in other countries are often simply friendly, and their sense of personal space is very different from ours.
Find out about airport ground transportation, subways, etc. before you arrive at the country. This can be one of the most confusing aspects of travelling, so download info and maps, and have change ready.
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Ok I’m a totally psycho travel planner (I obessively read everything possible about where I’m going on TripAdvisor, in guidebooks, etc. before I go) so I completely understand the need to know what you’re getting yourself into. But this seems a little intense to me.
Perhaps it’s because I live in New York City and the thought of walking outside with a money belt every day (which tourists would certainly do here) is kind of comical. Just use common sense: Unless it’s a fairly unstable place, you have to remember, People Live there. People who aren’t all your mental picture of hardened city-dwellers. A lot of us are normal people (maybe from a small town like me!) who use common sense. I like to compare walking around a city to defensive driving: As long as you’re aware of your surroundings, you’ll be fine.
Of course there are always pickpockets and bad guys. But it’s not so much about how you dress (ok, yes sometimes it is incredibly obvious someone’s a tourist based on their outfit) but more about whether you look scared and uncomfortable. That you can spot a mile away, and it will make you an easy target, money belt or not.
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In my experience you will always get screwed exchanging cash for cash. I usually take out large sums of cash from an ATM upon arrival. Applicable fees will vary from bank to bank, but since you have to call your bank anyway to make sure they don’t put a fraud alert on your card while you’re gone, you can ask them about their fees then.
I made purchases with my Citibank credit card and pulled money out of an ATM with my B of A debit card and via both methods I ended up getting the bank exchange rate minus about 3% of the amount in fees. Not great, but better than exchanging cash at the airport.
Also, once you get to the UK and figure out that each pound costs about two dollars, but each pound has the spending power of about *one* dollar, you will be much less concerned about that 3%. My mantra while I was in the UK, seeing prices in pounds? “Don’t convert, don’t convert…”
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To the person fumbling in their money belt –
I don’t use the money belt for the money I need THAT DAY — I use it for carrying reserves as well as ID that I don’t expect to need to access but don’t want to be separated from.
I keep the amount of money that I need to use that day in a wallet, preferably in a zipped pocket that I can feel. (the suggestion of keeping a photocopy of your passport is a good one, although if I can’t keep your passport in a hotel safe I’d rather carry it with me.
Perhaps I’m paranoid, I don’t know. I just know that I feel safer with redundant money storage.
But I agree that what you don’t want is to look scared and uncomfortable. You also want to avoid “ugly American” syndrome. Don’t forget though that the minute you open your mouth they will know you’re from North America.
DB
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I think people here are using two definitions of a “money belt.” To me, a money belt really is a belt; you wear it around your waist like any other leather belt; it just has a long, hidden zipper compartment on the inside into which you can slip folded cash or travelers’ checks. To get money out of a money belt you have to take it off and hope your trousers don’t fall down (oh yeah, and J.D. there’s another tip for England: “pants” are underpants and “trousers” are what Americans call pants. You can cause some embarrassment if you admire someone’s trousers and tell him (or her, even worse): “Love your pants!”
The thing that hangs around your neck and slips inside your shirt isn’t a money belt; at least I’ve never heard it called that. Usually it’s called a passport wallet, a travel pouch, or a travel wallet.
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Agree with 4. I just e-mail myself copies of my tickets. I can pop into any net cafe if I need to.
Also another tip at internet cafes. I send myself a list of all my important websites. Credit card sites, banking sites, webmail, and frequently used logins. Should there be a keylogger on that public PC they’ll record the password, but have no idea what site it’s for as I’ve copied and pasted it into the browser from my list.
Also don’t forget to call your credit cards and banks before leaving so they won’t place any fraud restrictions on your card…
Also pack light! Big cities sell toothpaste and any sundries you need. Popping into a local establishment to do laundry or get a haircut gives you an opportunity to do mundane things everyone else does – giving you a closer insight to the city itself
james.. http://www.futuregringo.com
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Hey JD,
Thanks for the post–this is some very good information to know going forward. I plan to make an overseas trip myself soon.
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Wow, I agree with the person who said that a lot of these postings are rather intense. And paranoid. You are going to England and Ireland. It’s not exactly Iran or India or Columbia (though I wouldn’t be excessively worried about those places either). London and Dublin are like being in US cities (but with some European cultural aspects) and everywhere else is like being in small-town America (but, again, different culture). You don’t need to bolt down your possession or treat your money differently than you do in the US. And while it’s nice to plan how you will convert currency or budget, it’s probably not worth obsessing over to save 1-2%.
Just have fun. And hopefully this will be the start of you leaving the US on at least an annual basis! It’s tragic not to.
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And another thing, if you’re using one of those bags that go around your waist, under no circumstances whatsoever in the UK should you refer to it as a fanny pack. That has completely different connotations, and whilst most Brits are aware that Americans call trousers, pants, they are not aware that what we call a bumbag you call something else.
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I have to agree with RJ about 4 digit pins on ATM cards. I’ve been burned by that in the past, so that change was one of the things my wife and I did in preparation for moving to Germany last year.
Most restaurants and hotels will take credit cards, but other places we take for granted don’t. I’ve gotten in the habit of asking everywhere.
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If you do decide to go with the security wallet, here’s a recent Washington Post roundup of your options:
http://snipurl.com/wapo_tw
I second the caution regarding internet cafes. Not from personal experience, but just common sense.
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The only catch about using ATMs overseas is what happens if you lose the card?
When I was 14, my parents took me to Europe on vacation. Somewhere in England, an ATM on the side of a bank ate our credit/debit card. On a Sunday. Thankfully, we were going to be in the area the next day and turns out the card had gotten jammed.
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I went to university in the UK for several years and never had any problems. It is shockingly similar to the US. Don’t do anything there that you wouldn’t do here and you’ll be fine. The ATMs are great- no fees. Just let your bank and CC companies know where you will be.
You don’t need a money belt. Make sure the girls keep an eye on their purses (which I’m sure they do anyway). The biggest threat is the same as in the states- people leaving wallets or purses in stores or restaurants.
I don’t recommend traveler’s checks- its a pain to find a place to exchange them…when my boyfriend came to visit me he didn’t take that advice and it was a nightmare…
If you were going anywhere east of Budapest, you’d need to be more concerned…as it is, just have fun!
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On our trips to Europe (before the common euro currency) we came up with the idea of topping off the gas (or petrol) tank with our remaining foreign currency before leaving a country. You can even get rid of coins that way, which are impossible to exchange.
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Third world tips:
Don’t assume that even the largest airport in the capital city is open 24 hours. I got in after midnight once and spent 2:30 AM to 6:00 AM outside on a bench in Manilla, Philippines. Hot and a little worrisome.
If the bank guard with the machine gun tells you not to use your cell phone while in the bank – don’t
If you are taking some large bills with you, don’t automatically assume your average suburban bank branch will have enough on hand. You might call first just to be sure and not leave this preparation to the last minute.
Obviously, don’t carry “contraband”. Where I travel, there are rules against some of the things I do. E.g.: you are supposed to register at the airport if you bring in more than $1000 of foreign currency. I can just imagine standing in line to declare this. In any case, if you intend to flout a rule for some reason, best to know what they are. Google is your friend. You will also find out tips like whether there are airport taxes/fees you need to pay (with your last stash of local currency) to leave the country!
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[...] — since JD over at GetRichSlowly announced his imminent travel plans, I’ve been thinking a lot about travelling lightly. So I was really happy when I tripped [...]
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You might be interesting in our little series on holiday planning at http://www.foreignperspectives.com/category/holiday-planning/ which covers all the money aspects among other things
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Don’t forget that Ireland uses the Euro, the UK uses pounds. One thing to avoid is to convert dollars to pounds then convert those to euros. Very expensive!
Also, the current restrictions on carrying liquids or pastes. As a result of this, they’ll take pretty much all cosmetics and suchlike off you at airport security.
I wouldn’t get too hung up about being identified as a tourist in the UK or Ireland. If you just dress as you normally do, you won’t.
You can spend dollars in some of the larger shops but the exchange rate isn’t great.
Don’t forget the different electricity! It’s 220V in Europe, not 110V. Some things (eg laptops) are multi-voltage but many things aren’t.
We get a lot of American/Canadian guests and have run up a FAQ to help: http://www.pyreneesthemes.com/faq . It’s for France, but nearly everything mentioned applies across Europe (including the UK & Ireland).
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[...] is about. I encourage you to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!Kris and I are deep in preparation for our upcoming trip to England and Ireland. We’ve spent the past two months researching [...]
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My husband’s Irish, but he’s been in the US for about 15 years, so his tendencies are different. He never wore shorts until he got here, and he’d never wear shorts when he’s back there. Keep in mind that it rains all year. December and July…the only difference is that in July, it’s sunny and warm and beautiful until the sky opens and it pours for like 10 minutes, then it’s sunny and warm and beautiful again. Get used to unexpected rain.
As for credit cards, the economy’s doing excellent. Don’t expect bargains. Everyone takes credit cards, but when you see the price, you might not want to use it. Expect a wonderful experience with great people who embrace the fact that you’re a tourist.
If you’re going to travel a lot within the country, travel as light as possible. When we travel (e.g., China, Europe, South America), we each have a carry-on with wheels. It’s tight, but it just makes moving every couple of days easier. Quick dry clothes from travel stores are great and you don’t need a lot of them. I wouldn’t bother with the underwear though unless you actually find them comfortable, which we didn’t. If you’re uncomfortable, then nothing else matters. Just make sure you’ve got a comfortable pair of walking shoes. If you’ll be in one place for a long time, don’t get too caught up in packing light because you might give up on comfort…it’s a balance. Either way, be sure to take at least 1 nice outfit just in case.
And remember, if you forget anything or need to get something, you’ll have everything you need there. You might even prefer some stuff there
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[...] has written about how to save for an overseas trip and how to have a vacation on a budget, but if you have time on your hands and like the idea of living in another culture, [...]
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