Journey Mercies

I'm excited to introduce a new blog series here on Journey Mercies - Travel Tips for Rookies!

Just in case you haven't heard, we're having a baby soon. And for the first time since we moved to Cambodia almost three years ago, my parents are coming to visit us. It's their first trip overseas, besides Mexico and the Virgin Islands. I'm trying to prepare them for the fact that

Asia is very, very different from any of those places.

I've been emailing them tips and ideas about preparing for a trans-Pacific trip and thought it would be great to share those with you. Maybe you have a big trip planned for this summer; or maybe you'll just bookmark this for future reference when your travel dreams come true. Either way, I hope it's useful and helps calm any nerves about traveling. Because, let's face it, traveling to different parts of the world is amazing.

And once you start, it's hard to stop!

Some of the topics I'll cover in the coming weeks are money, how to use your phone overseas, how to buy the best airline ticket and pick the best seat, how to survive that 15-hour flight across the Pacific, how to pack your bags, and more.

Do you have anything you'd like me to cover in the series? Let me know in the comments!

If you don't want to wait, you can also check out the other posts I've written about our travels in Asia, Europe, and elsewhere.

A quick disclaimer: I recommend different companies and products based on my personal experiences with them. But other than the Amazon links, I don't receive any compensation for that. There may be better ones out there; these are just the ones we've had good experiences with.

Also, most of my recent travels have been in Asia. Different countries call for different preparation, so take that into consideration when reading through these tips. Throughout the series, I'll provide specific tips for traveling in Cambodia and Thailand, since those are the two countries I spend most of my time in.

So on to our travel tips!

Anytime you're traveling to a new country, you need to prepare a few things before you get there. Obviously, money is a very important one - how to get it, how to exchange it, and how to make sure you're not getting ripped off in the process.

Dollars or no dollars?

If you're American, don't assume your destination doesn't accept American dollars. There are many countries whose economies function on American cash. In Cambodia, American dollars are accepted everywhere. Anyone who tells you you need to exchange into Cambodian riel is trying to rip you off. However, American coins are not accepted; you will receive Cambodian riel in exchange. The running street exchange rate (as of February 2014) is 4,000 riel = $1 USD.

But of course, always check with an online currency exchange website, as rates can change frequently. One we like to use is XE Currency Converter (they also have a handy smartphone app).

Note: how Cambodians talk about money can be incredibly confusing; check out this post to see why.

Debit Cards

Debit cards can be the cheapest way to withdraw money from an ATM overseas, especially if your bank doesn't charge you a fee and reimburses foreign ATM fees (like ours does). Check with your bank if they allow you to use the card overseas and how much they charge. Sometimes they will charge you more when using it for an actual purchase at a store or restaurant. Our card does, so we never use it to actually buy something, just to get money from an ATM.

ATMs

In many places (especially Asia), ATMs are plentiful and easy to access. However, different bank companies overseas offer different exchange rates. For example, when I withdraw money in Thailand, I have to choose the amount I want in Thai baht from the ATM, not in dollars. The Thai bank will then exchange the currency and tell my US bank how many dollars they gave me. I use this website to check out which bank will give me the most baht for my dollar.

In Cambodia, Canadia Bank does not charge any ATM fees (as of February 2014), so we always withdraw money at their ATMs, which are available throughout the country. Note that in Cambodia, ATMs will give you US dollars, not Cambodian riel.

Credit Cards

There are a LOT of credit cards out there for international travel these days. Most charge ridiculous fees for cash withdrawals from an ATM (i.e. 25%), but charge nothing for purchases. We've used World MasterCard for several years now. They don't charge an annual fee, and they also have a cash back rewards program. We've found that Visas and Mastercards are accepted pretty much everywhere.

On purchasing with a credit card: Most of the time, the credit card company's exchange rate is better than what the store offers you. For example, in Thailand, when I use my card, the store asks if I want to charge in dollars or Thai baht. I always charge in Thai baht, because the store gives me a bad exchange rate. So do a bit of homework first.
Tell them you're traveling: You need to tell your credit or debit card company that you're going overseas before you leave the country. If you don't, they may shut down your account when you try to use it in a foreign country. You don't want to be stuck without a way of getting more cash!

Cash

Carrying loads of cash around with you is dangerous even in America. And theft is much more common overse as (we've been robbed ourselves). We will often take enough cash with us for our first few big expenses, then take out what we need as we go along. Depending on the country, it can be really expensive to exchange dollars at banks because of the exorbitant transaction fees they charge. It's often cheaper to just withdraw from an ATM and pay that fee.

Always count your cash when you get it exchanged at the counter, and ask for a receipt.

We've only had one instance where this was a problem. The clerk miscounted the dollars we'd given him and gave us $20 worth of baht instead of $40 - which was a pretty big error. You need to get a receipt that shows the exchange rate and count your money in front of the clerk before you leave the counter.

Traveller's checks

These seem to be going the way of the dinosaur. We've never used them and never suffered for it. They will not be accepted at many locations.

Those are just a few tips on preparing for your trip overseas.

Do you have any ideas to share? I'm always up for learning something new.

And let me know if you have any travel questions you'd like answered in this series in the comments below!

Click here to view all Travel Tips for Rookies blog posts.

In our past two years in Cambodia, we have learned a lot of lessons about traveling. One that we've learned the hard way is pack light.

We were notorious, in our first year here, for overpacking huge bags for week-long trips, then realizing it wouldn't fit in the taxi or that we had to drag it up four flights of stairs at a hotel without an elevator. Not fun.

Last week, I packed up our bags for a month in America. I've learned that packing takes strategy. If you spend 15 minutes planning out your outfits and how to put some of your clothes on double-duty, it will save you from carrying clothes you don't end up wearing or not bringing enough of a certain item. This time, I wanted to see if I could fit everything in a carry-on suitcase. Although I didn't have to limit myself to one carry-on of clothes, shoes, toiletries, etc. for this trip, I thought it would be a fun challenge. And if it helps you with packing for your upcoming trip, all the better!

First, think about outfits.

I used to just think, ok just grab 5 shirts, two pants and go!

And then I'd end up with a shirt that only went with one pair of pants, or no back-up plan for an unplanned dinner out. If I pack three items that can be made into 5 outfits, that will save me space.

Next, I pull out everything from my closet I think I want to take.

And then, I put some back. I always pull out way more than I think I need. So after my clothes are laid out, I look at everything and put back anything that I have multiples of or really don't need. Last year for home leave, I took a whole regular-size suitcase of clothes home - then realized most of them were too lightweight for October weather and I had a bunch of winter clothes still in storage. Even if I'm going for 4 weeks, I don't need to take 28 different outfits. I tried to take enough clothing for 10 days, with a few extra "nice" outfits tossed in.

My initial outlay looked like this:

Shoes: 3 pair flats, 2 pair sandals, 1 pair tennis shoes (plus 1 pair sandals not shown)

Dresses: 1 maxi dress, 1 maxi skirt, 2 short skirts

Pants: 2 pairs of jeans, 1 pair of skinny grey pants, 1 pair cotton shorts (not shown)

Shirts: 9 casual shirts, 4 nice shirts, 3 tank tops, 3 cardigans

Accessories: 1 scarf, 5 belts, 7 necklaces, 7 pairs earrings

"Unmentionables"

Exercise clothes: swimsuit, 3 shirts, 2 shorts, 1 pair yoga pants

Total number of items: 58

Wow, 58 seems pretty excessive. I was shooting for 30 items so I could do a "30x30" wardrobe, but obvs, that didn't happen. That can be blamed on my love of skirts, excessive shoes and jewelry, and including exercise clothes (which really shouldn't count).

After going through that list, I swapped out a few things, replacing one cardigan with a pair of jeans and another scarf. The sweater was too bulky, and I do love my jeans. But basically the number remained the same. I also think about what I want to wear during my travel days. If I can wear the bulkiest/heaviest tops and pants on the plane, all the better for space and for staying cozy warm in those freezing airplanes.

Now for the suitcase...this very beaten-up, barely functioning carry-on.

A note on luggage: if you travel frequently, buy high-quality luggage.

Yes, you can buy a 7-piece set from Sears or Wal-Mart for under $100 and feel good about your "bargain". But I guarantee those bags will have ripped seams, holes, and broken handles and wheels within two international flights. Baggage handlers are not kind to bags, and you can easily drag your carry-on several miles through airports during layovers. The few pieces I spent good money on (, , ) are the ones that still have all their functioning parts intact and don't look like they were made in the '70's.

Don't be cheap about luggage!

Unfortunately, this piece of luggage falls more in the "upper range of cheap" and will soon be retired. But it was perfect for illustrating these packing principals.

Now, how do I actually get it in the suitcase?

First, rolling is key for space.

If I don't have that many things, I like to keep them folded. But if I'm worried about space, rolling everything makes it all fit better. Flats and belts go in the front pocket. Shoes line the bottom and sides of the suitcase (which also helps keep the soles from dirtying your clothes). Heavy/bulky items go on the bottom, such as jeans and dresses. I use "unmentionables" to fill up any gaps or holes. Then shirts, scarves, and everything else gets rolled and put in layers. On top goes my bathroom bag, cosmetic bag, small jewelry bag, and hair straightener. One note on bathroom stuff: because of frequent travel, I have of all my toiletries.

I even buy stuff from Clinique when we're on home leave so I can get the gift-with-purchase travel size toiletries and cosmetic kits (okay, that's actually a lame excuse, but I use it any way). Again, when you're gone one out of every four weeks of the month, any little thing helps.

So...did it all fit?

Voila!

Amazingly, with the expander zipper open, the suitcase shut without any problem.

Confession: this sucker is heavy. I don't think I'd get away with actually carrying it on the plane. But it's nice to know I don't have a huge suitcase to drag through the airport once I arrive in America.

So to recap, here are my top packing tips:

1. Plan your outfits & take less than you think you'll need.

2. Buy high-quality luggage.

3. Roll your clothes to pack.

4. Buy travel-size toiletries.

Happy travels!

Check out my other travel tip posts here!

Note: Affiliate links used.