Essentials for Any Trip Abroad
Especially in our post-covid world, we have to have the right essentials to make our trip as easy and comfortable as possible.
Here are my recommended essentials for any international trip.
Travel essentials for any international trip
1. Emed’s Abbot covid test
It’s easy to order packs of 6 of these tests online, and they ship within 24 hours. It’s a proctored self-test, so all you need is a device with a camera and cell service and testing to get back into the US is a breeze. We’ve now used them three times on international trips and it has worked for our entire group every time.
2. Eco-friendly laundry detergent strips
If you are planning on washing clothes, I highly recommend purchasing some of these strips from Amazon or picking them up at Whole Foods. They weight nothing, are easy to pack, work amazingly well and don’t have any added junk or dyes. I’m very sensitive to fragrances and parabens and have found it impossible to find dye-free detergent overseas.
3. A step-down converter
An actual step-down converter changes the voltage coming out of the wall and going into your device. This is not simply an adapter, but an actual converter and will save you the nightmare of having your electronics burn up in too-high voltage. Also available on Amazon.
4. Travel insurance with covid and medical insurance
This is an essential I never travel internationally without. After a friend shared her horror story about dealing with the hospitals in Italy when her husband was in a freak accident and broke his back, I never leave the country without at least $500,000 in medical coverage and 1 million for medical evacuation. Most hospitals abroad will demand payment for services immediately and no one wants to be stuck spending their life savings on hospital bills or not having the best access to treatment. The medical evacuation is especially important in less developed countries, since the treatment in those hospitals might not be up to the standard of care we expect in the US. I like to use Squaremouth to search policies and find the best deal with the most coverage.
5. Global Entry
Although wait times for appointments are insane at the moment, it’s worth it to make one and get your global entry card. The difference between having to go through customs on your way back into the country versus the 5 minutes it takes to walk up to the global entry machines is night and day. Seriously, get it as soon as you can and you will thank me next time to arrive back into the US and skip the giant line! You can register online and find the closest offices for your interview.