Hey! It’s Landon here to show you some of the best tips and tricks that Kayla and I have found in our travels. If you are planning a trip overseas, pay attention. They definitely helped make our trip smoother, or would have if we would have done them!
VACCINES
First, traveling is much easier and smoother in Europe, France especially, if you are vaccinated. This is not a plug to be or get vaxxed if you aren’t, but simply stating from our experience. In our months planning this trip, France open and closed a couple of times. When it finally opened it was only for vaccinated travelers or essential travel. When we finally left it was open to everyone if you provided a negative test, but upon arrival in Paris you had to show your vaccine card everywhere. On a couple occasions we saw people asked to leave restaurants for not having a booster. This even happened to Kayla who wasn't eligible for a booster yet. All this to say, traveling is easier with the vaccine.
INTERNATIONAL DRIVER’S LICENSE + PHONE PLAN
Another thing that I recommend when traveling abroad to a country that speaks a different language is to get an International Driver’s License. This was one of the easiest things to do on the front end of our trip. You simply go to AAA with $20, a couple passport photos, and an ID and you will leave knowing that if you get pulled over in another country that you are a little more protected. An International Driver’s License is not required everywhere you go, but if you get pulled over it drastically decreases the fines you might have to pay otherwise. We also rented a car for a portion of our trip so I wanted to have this on hand and it was nice to have another form of ID just in case.
This might be silly, but I always make photo copies of my Driver’s License, passport, and health insurance cards. This is a little over the top, but I want to make sure that I am prepared for the worst.
Phone plan
Kayla and I knew that we were not going to stay in Paris the entire time we were in France and that meant we might not have access to Wifi all the time. I began researching the best ways to make sure that I had access to data with my own cell phone.
The easiest way: Everyone’s phone plan has an International Data package, but can get pretty pricey. I have Verizon Wireless and it would be $100 for a month of International coverage or $10 per day. All you have to do is call your provider and set this up. Can be done in a matter of minutes.
The cheapest way: I knew that I did not want to use Verizon’s International plan while we were in Paris. I made sure that I had my phone unlocked so I could swap out SIM cards when we got to Paris. In the airport we stopped at a local bookshop and I asked for a local SIM card. I was given two options and chose the one that I believed was the best deal. For €40, roughly $45, I was able to use their Orange data package. I simply took my SIM out and tucked it away for our return trip, and put the new one in. I was immediately able to call, text and use data for maps.
The inconvenient way: Just use WiFi whenever you get the chance.
LANGUAGE BARRIER
The language barrier is tougher for some people than others. We found that when we were in a bigger city more people are going to speak English. There isn’t a huge language barrier because of this, but when you venture outside of the city it happens pretty quickly.
The best advice I can give in regards to the language is to learn a few phrases before you go. When you make an attempt to speak the local language people tend to be more willing to help and be friendly.
We found two things to be most helpful since we don’t speak French whatsoever.
First, is the translate app that comes standard on any iPhone. You can simply type what you want to say and the phrase in the local language pops right up. This can be done in reverse as well. If you come across something that you aren’t sure what it says, type it in and it will be translated to English for you.
Secondly is a new feature on iPhones, but when you pull up your camera on text, you are able to translate directly from the camera app. This was helpful while window shopping and at dinner trying to figure out what we were going to be eating that night.
METRO AND RER
You can purchase a one time pass for these trains or you can purchase daily/weekly passes. If you are planning on riding more than once, buying a pass for the number of days you need is the cheapest option. This is how we traveled to the different areas in Paris and then walked around once we reached our destination. They are different train lines so tickets have to be bought for each the Metro and the RER.
OTHER TIPS FOR FRANCE
Prepare to Eat Late
This is a general rule of thumb in Europe, but prepare to eat dinner late. Dinner is also not something that is rushed. In the US, get in and get out is the way everything is treated, but in Europe things move a bit slower. Don’t be in a rush and just enjoy a late dinner.
Tipping
This is not something that is expected to do. Generally it is already included, but if you feel so inclined, then go right ahead.
Sundays
In Paris, things are open more frequently because they thrive off visitors, but once you leave the city things shut down on Sundays. We found this out the hard way. Stores, vineyards, and other places are taking the day off, even major grocery store chains. Make sure that you have planned ahead for this or you will be left hanging out at your Airbnb all day. We found a few restaurants open but serving a limited menu.
COVID TESTING TO COME HOME
Now, I have to admit that I thought I was super prepared for this part of you trip, but realized I wasn’t the night before coming home. In order to board the plane to come back into the US you have to test negative within 24 hours. Kayla and I ordered the COVID tests from the government before we left and brought them with us thinking we could test in our hotel. WRONG! You have to have a test that can be monitored by a doctor over the internet. There are a few tests that have this, but they are quite pricey.
We ended up having to schedule a test and pay for it, without insurance reimbursement, at the airport the morning before we left. If you have to do this, make sure to give yourself plenty of time because the lines can be quite long.
Another option is to test at a local pharmacy, but we didn’t do this and you would have to fork over the money and hope your results come back in time.
I hope you found these tips and tricks helpful. Have fun on your next international travels!