Best International Travel Tips (8 things you MUST know in 2023)

In today’s article, we’ll cover the best international travel tips that you need to best prepare for an international flight. I’ll also cover exactly what you can expect at the airport as well as on the airplane.

Be sure to stick around until the end, as the last point on this list completely caught me by surprise despite having taken hundreds of international flights in the past.

Know The Online “Check In” Window

The first thing to know about international flights is that the check-in window online might be 24 hours before the flight’s scheduled departure, or it might be 48 hours in advance.

This is a very important distinction to know because if you did not purchase a seat while booking your flight ticket, you will usually be able to choose a seat when you check in for the flight online. And if you are one of the first passengers to complete the online check-in, you will have the widest selection of available seats to pick from.

Head to your airline’s website to see when their online check-in opens, and then set a calendar reminder or an alarm so you can be one of those first passengers.

Prepare For Baggage Delays

When flying internationally, you may also want to consider packing some basic toiletries as well as a change of clothes in your carry-on luggage. International travel brings a higher risk that your checked luggage will be delayed or lost. You may also have your bag checked all the way through to your final destination.

But then one of your flights along the way is cancelled, and you have to spend more time than expected in the stopover country. Always keep a set of necessities with you in your carry-on or your hand luggage on the off chance that you do need to go a day or two without your checked bag.

Let us know if you will be traveling with just a carry-on on your next trip by leaving carry-on only in the comments below.

Have Your Documents Ready

Something else that is very important to know for any international flight is that an airline representative is going to be checking all of your documents to make sure that you meet the country’s entry requirements before you board your departure flight.

You will likely need to have all of your documents ready to show as you arrive at the airport and then also often ready to show again as you board the flight.

Stay tuned for next week’s article, where I’ll cover exactly what documents you will need for international travel and what documents are going to be checked before you are allowed to board the flight.

Flights Board 45 Minutes In Advance

Speaking of boarding the flight, it is good to know that international flights are going to board at least 45 minutes before the scheduled departure time, given the increased screening requirements for international travel.

I will always arrive at the airport at least two hours before the boarding time, which is about three hours before the flight’s departure.

Boarding will also close about 15 minutes before the scheduled departure of the flight, so you definitely want to make sure that you are at your gate for the boarding time, not the departure time.

You will be able to find both the boarding time and the flight departure time on your ticket. You can also expect that you will need to fill out some sort of customs, entry, or health declaration form on an international flight before landing.

Bring A Pen

An essential tip is that any form is going to need to be filled out with a pen, not a pencil, so make sure that you do have a pen with you and that it’s easily accessible in your carry-on.

And then, depending on the country that you are traveling to, it’s important to prepare yourself for a situation where the forms that you’re asked to fill out are not in English.

Prepare For Forms

I had a heck of a time trying to figure out what the form was asking me when it was all in Spanish on my arrival in Mexico earlier this year.

You can prepare for this by googling the entry forms in advance and saving an English version of them on your phone to reference later. You could also get Google Translate on your phone. Just make sure you have it available for offline use since you may not be able to connect to the airport wi-fi or have any internet access at all if you are still on the plane.

Have Accommodation Information Ready

Speaking of having things available offline, you will also want to have your accommodation information ready and available on the plane. At least one of the forms that you are presented with on an international flight is going to ask you for your accommodation information.

You’ll often need to fill out the address of where you’re staying as well as a contact phone number. Make sure you are able to access this information without needing the internet by taking a screenshot of your booking confirmation, writing the information out on your notes app, or having a printed copy with you for reference.

And if you are staying in multiple different places throughout your trip, just provide the information for your first night of accommodation.

This next essential piece of information to help prepare for an international flight is still mind-blowing to me, and it’s also very disappointing.

Do not assume that anything is going to be included in your flight ticket. If it’s been a while since you’ve flown internationally, you may have had a rude awakening to realize that all the things you used to get for free are no longer free, like hot meals and drinks. alcohol included baggage headphones the entertainment system.

Airlines are charging for everything these days, even on these long international flights. If you have any of those amenities included in your flight ticket, especially if you’re in economy, then that is a rarity these days.

Double check exactly what your ticket purchase includes on the airline’s website or by calling the airline before you head to the airport so you can prepare by bringing your own food, your own headphones, and potentially even your own entertainment if needed.

Thanks for reading. Safe travels, and I’ll see you back here next week.