Just booked your ticket? Well, before you start packing and heading off to the airport you may want to adopt the following resources to give you the smoothest trip possible and have better travel experiences.
International Consulate Directory
Locate your consulate in the U.S. here for visa purposes. If you’re traveling abroad, you can find a US embassy here in case you lose your passport or an emergency situation pops up. If you need to apply for a visa or residence permit upon arrival, be sure to check in with the country’s Foreigners’ Office or Immigrations Bureau.
Au Pair Info
If you’re looking to be an Au Pair, we have some resources for you here.
Salary Visa Requirements Contract Information CEFR
Au Pair/Host Family Matching Agencies
Airline App
It’s common for there to be an app for everything so if you’re flying to want to get the app for your airline in case you get into a time crunch and can’t print out your boarding pass. Also, there are so many things that you can do with the app. I personally fly Delta religiously, I’ve never (by choice) flown anything different, but I know the app allows me to book my flights right then and there, watch flights, check-in, purchase my bags in advance (great if you’re running late) as well as check the status as to where your bag is. If you’re directionally challenged when navigating the airports, they have maps available so you know where your terminal is. You can also find a hotel and even car rental service all in one spot. As any experienced traveler knows, it’s much better to be loyal to one airline, hotel, or car rental service because you can rack up miles/points that could earn you free upgrades or even free flights! Given the more we travel, the more benefits we get later on.
Trainline App
If you’re traveling around Europe in particular, this app makes it easy for you to book your train or bus rides to get where you need to go. Once you book your ticket, all you have to do is open up your app when the conductor asks for your ticket. If you’re someone who likes to have everything planned out beforehand, you have the ability to do so here. You can choose between a first-class or a second-class ticket depending on what you prefer.
If you don’t have this app already, you need to download it right now! People are using this app all around the world because it’s the most universal instant messaging app. You can make calls, video chats, text, organize group chats, and conveniently be able to access your account on your computer. This is extremely helpful because you can call and text your international friends no matter where you are without having to worry about paying for international service from your provider. Another positive aspect of WhatsApp is that you never have to worry about iPhone and Android users clashing with each other since I’ve heard from some iPhone users, their phones only accept iMessage. I’ve also had instances where people will send me photos and they show up in separate text messages. Save yourself the headache and make sure you have this app.
Tours By Locals
I believe this is a good source if you’re traveling into a country you’ve never been to before. This is a great service you want a local to give you a personalized tour around the city based on what you want to see and do. This is great if you’re going on vacation because they have accommodations for however many people are with you, transportation is included, and you get to learn more about the city from a local’s perspective.
SNCF
I found this source while taking a French MOOC (massive open online course) about what you need to know about living in France. The first unit was about efficient public transportation within the country. When you click the button, you’ll find the French site (you can click the flag at the top right corner to change the language settings), but you will be able to book your tickets if you travel by bus, train, even find a hotel and a car. If you’re planning on living in France, you can also find card subscriptions depending on how often you commute. Public transit is a very popular form of transportation in France, so whenever you get the chance to visit this beautiful country, you’ll have this source as a way to get around between cities.
Routes in Groningen
This is a source I found from an online introductory Dutch course I took from the University of Groningen and I found this website that gives you different routes you can take to hike, travel by bike, or take a boat ride. If you have free time while you’re in the Netherlands and you enjoy outdoor activities, make sure you check out this site so you can plan your routes. I will say that this site is in Dutch, but I do know that if you’re using Google Chrome there’s usually a setting that pops up to ask if you’d like to translate the page, and then it should automatically change the language to English if you need to.
Net in Nederlands
I think this is a fantastic website if you’re not only traveling to the Netherlands, but you’re looking to live and/or work there as well. I have the English version of the site linked, and you can find information for just about anything you need to know without any “touristy” information. You can find information about their culture, history, current news, dating, raising children, politics, education, food, and more pertaining to everyday life! If the Netherlands is your destination, I strongly recommend you read some of the articles or watch some of the videos so you know what you’re getting into when you step off the plane.