Long-Term Travel Abroad
The sudden freedom that comes with a high school or college graduation, or even retirement, makes those ideal times to spend an extended time exploring the world. When traveling, the length of your stay and the degree of your cultural integration are variables that can have a profound significance on the way you experience your destination. In this guide we'll direct you to resources geared toward helping you live abroad for a while.
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If you're planning to travel abroad you'll need the proper documentation. Different countries have different requires for entrance and residence, and for certain countries it's important to stay abreast of current health and safety issues. Thankfully, the agencies responsible for issuing travel documents and enforcing immigration have Web pages with information to make travel safe and easy.
- On the Web you can research how to obtain the following:
- an appropriate visa, if required
- the necessary vaccinations
- knowledge of local health issues
- a list of banned substances for air or rail travel
- knowledge of what substances can legally enter a country
- an understanding of the political and social issues facing your destination
- travel insurance
- Most embassies and consulates maintain Web sites with useful information relating to the logistics of foreign travel.
- If you have any questions or doubts prior to a trip overseas, contact your embassy abroad for additional information. This may be particularly important if your trip has special circumstances, like an extended stay or business.
For passport and visa info ...
The U.S. Department of State
's travel portal should be your first stop before traveling abroad. Learn how to obtain a passport and visa, locate a U.S. embassy or consulate, access government travel warnings, get travel safety tips, and access foreign embassies' Web pages. This site is particularly useful for questions about documentation and foreign entry requirements.
For an embassy's Web site ...
EmbassyWorld
has a searchable directory of contact information for every diplomatic office in the world.
For health and safety info ...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
's travel department is a great source for reliable, travel-specific health information. Get info on international health concerns, outbreaks, health warnings, and safety advice. Learn about required and recommended vaccinations by region-essential for Third World travel.
TravelGuard
offers a wide array of specialized insurance policies for different kinds of travelers. Choose from coverage for vacation and trip cancellations, travel interruptions, emergency medical and health, lost baggage, and more.
For air travel info ...
The Transportation Security Administration
has info for anyone with air-travel concerns. They address travelers with medical conditions or disabilities, traveling with children, and transporting special items. Keep on top of the ever-changing list of prohibited substances.
For info on countries ...
The CIA's The World Factbook
is a quick-reference resource for facts, stats, and overviews of countries around the world and the online version is updated every two weeks. Get info on geography, population, economy, communications, transportation, and transnational issues.
For foreign exchange rates ...
OANDA.com
is one of the premier providers of foreign currency information on the Web. Their FXConverter provides up-to-date conversions for all world currencies in an extremely user-friendly format.
For packing tips ...
UniversalPackingList
creates custom packing lists to fit your vacation, based on your responses to a brief questionnaire. Questions include anticipated accommodations, activities, transportation, length of stay, and temperature. For the most thorough results, check all the boxes in the "I want to see" section.
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