List of Things to Do When You Arrive in a New Country

Stuff

We've been traveling for quite some time and came up with our handy list of things to do when you're traveling to a new place.

Please note many of them should be done at the airport when you arrive.

  1. Log in to the free Wi-Fi at the airport while it's available. They are known to be flaky, expire quickly and then suddenly disappear.
  2. Have directions to where your place is from the airport or train station. (It's also a good idea to take a screen shot of what your place looks like and any check-in directions so you know you've arrived at the right place.)
  3. Purchase a SIM card at the airport or know where you can find one once you get to your place. (In order to use a local sim, your phone may need to be unlocked in your home country before you leave.)
  4. Know the name of the local currency and what the conversion rate is to your main currency. This can be found at xe.com.
  5. Get local cash at the ATM in the airport, or exchange some of your currency at a Currency Exchange desk so you can take a taxi, bus or train to start your voyage. Cash is King and many transit options won't accept credit/debit cards. 
  6. Download the offline Google map for the area. This will come in very handy especially if you don't have that SIM right away.

We hope these tips help you as much as they've helped us when first arriving to a new town/country!