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Things You Should Do Before Traveling Abroad

Your Passport is the Key

Having your passport is the main key tip to this post. You need to have a passport to be able to travel abroad. You can go to your local post office to apply for one or even online (Link Here). If you already have your passport, make sure you have a gap of six months from your departure date and the expiration date of your passport. If you have less than six months, you’ll have to apply for a new passport before traveling abroad. 

Visa Countries

Depending on where you are planning to travel to, you might have to apply for a Visa. A visa is an endorsement on a passport indicating that the holder is allowed to enter, leave, or stay for a specified period of time in a country. Some countries such as Canada, Mexico, and the EU don’t require US citizens to apply for a visa when traveling. Whereas a country like China, you’ll need to apply for a visa six months prior to your departure date. Check out this page to know what countries require US citizens to apply for a visa before traveling (Link Here).

Get Vaccinated Prior to Travel

Being sick sucks while being home. Imagine being abroad and need medical attention due to a local virus going around. Make sure your shots are up to date to prevent you from contracting any foreign illnesses. (Food poisoning doesn’t count since the only way to prevent that is to cook your food properly and in a clean environment). If you’re not keen on getting shots or vaccinated, do it out of the curtsey for others that your traveling with. Here is a link from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention on which vaccines you should have depending on where you’ll be traveling to (Link Here). 

Consider Getting Travel Insurence

Depending on where you go and for how long, you should consider investing in travel insurance. From my own personal experience, I never needed to be covered internationally since I wold only travel a week at a time. That is until I study abroad in Rome for two weeks and caught a mild case of bronchitis. It’s nice to have but it’s not a necessary. 

Contact Your Bank

A week before you go overseas, tell your bank that you will be traveling. If you don’t tell them, they might freeze your account or won’t let you withdraw money. While you’re at the bank, learn the conversion rate between the dollar and your destination's currency. As of 20 January 2017, $1 is equal to €0.80, £0.80, JPY 115, and CNY 6.88.

Get Familiar With the Current Events 

In this current state of political turmoil and change, you should know what events and policies the country you’re traveling to just made. When I traveled to Rome this past January, I was prepared to see more homeless people in the streets due to the high influx of refugees fleeing from Syria. But what I didn’t account for was the Italian policy where they are starting to reject refugees or place them in camps outside of major cities. It also just a good habit to get into. 

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Mosaic Floor with  Head of Medusa

Roman, about 115 - 150

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Temple of Saturn by Andrea Tosolini from Rome Reconstructed by Giuliana Coletta (2007)

The Temple of Saturn is one of the oldest religious sanctuaries to have been built in Rome. It dates to around 498 BCE, and was rebuilt in 42 BCE, and again between 360 and 380 CE. It was used as the Roman treasury, and perhaps not just as a secure storage place for treasure - at least some chryselephantine cult images were intentionally decorated with modular gold ornaments, which could be melted down for coin or bullion in times of severe economic hardship, and replaced after the economy recovered.

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Romulus, Remus, and their Nursemaid, by Jacques Laurent Agasse, 1805

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The headquarters of Benito Mussolini’s National Fascist Party in Rome, 1934

via reddit

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Things to Know About Rome

Cobblestone is Everywhere

Literally, every road and the majority of sidewalks are made up of squares of cobblestone. If you didn’t pack durable shoes or have very low rolling luggage, it’s going to be a thorn in your side. When driving, get ready to feel a lot to bumps due to cobblestone. 

Dinner Starts at 8 pm 

Much like in Spain, dinner doesn’t start till much later in the day. Before you get your panties in a knot, know that Americans typically eat around 6 or 7 pm. To fill in the gap of time between lunch and dinner, the Italian's have created an ingenious between meal. Aperitivo is sort of like how we go to happy hour, but without the binge drinking and more appetizers. The place I like to go to has 10€ cocktails and aperitivo is an additional 2€. The pricing depends on the place because I’ve also had aperitivo for 5€ with a 2€ cappuccino. 

Italy is NOT a Tipping Country

Unlike in the US where it’s standard to tip 15-20% of the bill. In Italy, the tip is already accounted into the bill so there is no need to leave a tip. It is okay to leave a few Euros at a family restaurant if you had a great time, but don’t feel pressure to tip everywhere you go. 

There are Seven Hills in Rome

Get prepared to walk up and down hills and roads. There are a few times where I was walking up a hill where my calfs started to cry, but man I thanked that I had comfortable shoes. There are times when you’ll walk down a slight hill to get somewhere and when you walk back up it, it’s killer. It’s very European to walk everywhere, but don’t feel like you can’t call a taxi if you need to get back somewhere. 

Cash is King

Using a card is pretty standard in the US but it’s not as prevalent in Italy. Because of the poor internet connection and the growing elderly population, using cash is the easiest way to make a transaction. If you run out of cash and are in a pinch, you can use a card that has a pin. Some places only take credit cards and allow you to swipe your card, but most shops require you to have a chip in your card and a pin. Either way, it never hurts to have some cash on hand. (Also know that single Euros and two Euros are coins.)

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Facts about the Pantheon

The Pantheon is the best-preserved ancient Roman building in Rome, largely because the Pantheon was turned into a church, it was kept remarkably well-preserved. In fact, you can still experience the building much as the ancient Romans would have.

The Oculus which is the opening of the dome and the source of light for the Pantheon is 8.8 metres in diameter.

The rotunda of the Pantheon is a perfect hemisphere which measures 43.2 m in diameter which is exactly the maximum height of the dome.

The bronze decoration of the Pantheon has been gradually stripped away over the centuries for use elsewhere. In 1631 Pope Urban VIII Barberini famously and controversially stripped the bronze from the inside of the portico to make cannons for Castel Sant’ Angelo giving rise to the saying “quod non fecerunt barbari, fecerunt Barberini” (what the barbarians didn’t do, the barberini did).

The tombs of the first two kings of the unified Kingdom of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto I can both be found in the Pantheon, along with the tomb of Umberto’s wife, Queen Margherita (yes, the pizza queen)

The inscription indicates that the Pantheon was built by Marcus Agrippa at the time of his third consulate (27 BC).  However, Agrippa’s original Pantheon burned down in 80 AD and was followed by another two later versions which were also destroyed. The present structure was in fact built during the reign of Emperor Hadrian and dates from between 119-128 AD.

It took the ancient Roman’s 4-5 years to build the walls of the Rotunda and another 4-5 years to build the dome itself.

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The streets of Rome after dark

A fresco painting of game players in a tavern on the Via di Mercurio in Pompeii

Rome was a place of narrow alleyways, a labyrinth of lanes and passageways. There was no street lighting, nowhere to throw your excrement and no police force.

The real city was the backstreets and they should be avoided after the lights went out or you risked being mugged and robbed by any group of thugs that came along.

Most rich people avoided going out after dark unless they were accompanied by private security team of slaves or their “long retinue of attendants”. The only public protection you could hope for was the paramilitary force of the night watch, the vigiles.

Exactly what these watchmen did and how effective they were is unclear. They were split into battalions across the city and their main duty was to look out for fires breaking out.

If you were a crime victim, you had no other option than to defend yourself. One particularly tricky case discussed in an ancient handbook on Roman law proves the line between crime and self-defense was very thim. The case concerns a shop-keeper who kept his business open at night and left a lamp on the counter, which faced onto the street. A man came down the street and pinched the lamp, and the man in the shop went after him, and a brawl ensued. The thief was carrying a weapon – a piece of rope with a lump of metal at the end – and he coshed the shop-keeper, who retaliated and knocked out the eye of the thief.

This presented Roman lawyers with a tricky question: was the shopkeeper liable for the injury?

Still, night-time Rome wasn’t just dangerous. There was also fun to be had in the clubs, taverns and bars late at night, if you dared to go out that is.

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The Oath of the Horatii by Jacques-Louis David, 1784. Louvre, Paris.

This painting depicts an episode from Rome’s early history in which the war against the city of Alba Longa was desided by a battle between the Horatii and Curatii families. Two Horatian brothers fell, but the third killed all his opponents and ensured the dominance of Rome. With this representation of the heroic oath to fight to the death, Jacques-Louis David is referring allegorically to the French revolutionaries’ zeal.  

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First Time Flyer’s Guide

If you’ve never flown before, here are a few tips, as a frequent flyer, to know before you take off. 

Your Seat Matters

If you’re the type of person that gets motion sick, I highly suggest you sit by a window (typically A & F seats). If you need a lot of space for your legs or want some extra legroom, consider sitting in the Exit Row (depending on the plane middle, it will most like be int he middle of the plane) or the aisle seat (typically C and D seats). 

Carry On Vs. Checking Bags

When you fly, there are two options for how you travel with your bags. You can either carry on your bag, where you bring you bring your suitcase onto the plane with you.  If you’re planning on carrying on your bags, make sure that they are less than 9 inches x 14 inches x 22 inches (22 cm x 35 cm x 56 cm). You can also only carry on liquids in containers that are less than 3.4 oz (100 milliliters). I personally love to carry my bags on since it’s free. 

If your suitcase is bigger than the size restrictions or you absolutely need to bring more than 3.4 oz per, then your going to have to check your suitcase at the check in desk. At the desk, the flight agent will weigh your bag then place your luggage onto a conveyor belt to your flight. Depending on the airline, you might have to pay an extra charge to check your bag. More than often if your bag is over 50lb (23 kg) either the airline won’t take your bag or they will add an additional to your luggage. 

Bring a Government Issued ID 

No, your high school ID won’t get you through TSA Security. You'll need either a State ID, Passport, or Driver's License. Please for the love of God, be smart and remember this or you can’t even make into the line for security. 

3 is the Magic Number

Fluid containers that are over 3.4 oz will be confiscated if you carry on your luggage. You can only have 3 items on your person when you board your flight: 1 carry on suitcase (optional), 1 purse or backpack, and 1 personal item. 

There Are Lines for Everything

Checking into your flight? Checking your bags? Going through security? Waiting to get McDonald's? There’s a 99.9% chance you’ll have to wait in a line. So be patient and know that yelling at TSA agents won’t make the line go faster. I typically have my phone and headphones within grabbing distance so I suggest listening to some music while you wait. 

The Internet is Not Infinite 

Yes, your phone has LTE, 3G, and 4G service. But the moment your plane takes off, you won’t have cell service,  LTE, 3G, or 4G service till you reach land again. (That is if your plane doesn't have complimentary Wifi. And the if it does, you’ll probably have to pay $10 for 3 hours of okay internet.) My tip to save money and keep yourself from going insane is to download all the music you currently love to your phone, find some interesting podcasts and download a few episodes to listen to or even bring a book. If you’re more a person that has to be active on a flight, there is no shame in buying puzzle/ coloring books beforehand to do on the plane. 

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San Paolo, Roma, Lazio

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The famed Belvedere Torso in the Vatican Museums.

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Spanish Steps - Rome - Italy (by Wenjie, Zhang | A Certain Slant of Light)

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Agesandro, Atanodoro e Polidoro, Laocoonte e i suoi figli, 1st century AD VS Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Estasi di Santa Teresa, Cappella Cornaro, Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vittoria, Roma, 1647–1652

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Piazza della Repubblica

Roma - Lazio - Italia

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Colosseo (MacPherson, 1865)

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Chapel of Zeno - Santa Prassede, Rome (9th century)

Mosaics were ordered from byzantine masters by pope Paschal and they are said to be among the finest in Rome. Can´t argue with that, since they are really beautiful.

Rome, July 2007

[btw right click to see a bigger photo ;-) ]