Driving in a Foreign Country

When it comes to travelling, unless you are going to take an organized tour at your destination, you need to figure out transportation.  You can take busses, cabs and subways at your destination but these can add up quickly.  You can walk, but depending on where all you are going, and what you want to see, walking may not be feasible.  For this reason, you may want to consider renting a vehicle.

English: (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But, renting a vehicle is not as easy as just going to the rental agency.  There are some considerations that you need to check into before you leave home.

International Driver’s License

The first question is, can you drive on your current license or do you need to get an international one?  If you need an international one, check with your local licensing agency to find out what you need to do.  One of my coworkers went to New Zealand a few years ago and she had to get one but I do not remember what all was involved but I know it was not difficult.  A friend is planning a trip to Ireland and she is able to drive on her regular license.

Comfort

By comfort, I don’t mean the amenities within the car, although that may be a consideration.  But more so, will you be comfortable driving somewhere you are not familiar with and potentially on the other side of the road?   If you are already a driver who does not like to drive outside of their comfort zone, driving in another country may not be a good option.

Insurance

Don’t forget to make sure that you have adequate insurance.  What is enough is up to you.  You likely can get insurance with your rental.  But look at what your credit card may offer if you have a card that has benefits and perks on it.  Usually if you pay a few, it has some sort of rewards program.

Whenever you are travelling, you need to be able to get around.  If you want to drive, check out the official government website to find out the requirements.  But there is nothing wrong with walking and using public transport.  You never know who you will meet or where you may end up!

What Not to Do Before You Leave

We tend to talk about the things you should do when you travel, go with your gut, be safe, but there are some things that you should think about and not do.

Tell Everyone on Social Media   

International Prohibition Symbol (Photo credits: www.mysafetylabels.

I am amazed at all the people that post on social media that they are going on holidays.  Whether they are going to the lake for the weekend, on a tropical holiday or out of town to visit family, you know about it.   While chances are you trust most of the people on your social media lists, I know that there are a lot of people on my list that I do not know personally.  And they likely do not know where I live, but once you find out a person’s first and last name, you can find out a lot about them on the Internet.  Why set yourself up for this?   Just keep it quiet that you will be out of town and you can post all about it when you’re home.  This is especially important if you have young people who post on social media as they do not think to sensor what they say.

Take Everything You Own

If you are going to the lake for two days, chances are you aren’t going to need your fancy evening outfit unless you know you are going to be doing something that requires it.  Pack for the circumstances and keep yourself to one suitcase.  If you are going to be gone for more than a week, there is a good chance you can find laundry facilities somewhere to keep you going.  I remember a trip my family took when I was young and finding a Laundromat somewhere (maybe Seattle?) and going shopping in a little thrift stop next door while we waited.  Laundry can almost be fun!

Be Obvious

Chances are you know this one, but don’t make it obvious you aren’t home.  Make plans with your neighbours to take in your mail and clear your driveway of snow.  If you will be gone a while, have them mow the lawn or any other chores that might need to be done outside.  If you have a driveway or parking spot and your car is gone, get someone else to park there if possible.  Lights on timers are handy as well.  It’s likely your neighbours will realize you are gone but to a casual observer, it shouldn’t be so obvious.

While it can be difficult to keep your excitement to yourself when you go on a holiday, it can be beneficial to protect yourself and your belongings.    You will also have less to worry about when you are gone and won’t have to come home early to deal with problems.

Kuranda - Part 2

From there, we took a train trip up and then a gondola ride down.   This post is a lot of scenery which really speaks for itself.

You can see part of the train here.

More of the scenery

Kuranda

Before I left Australia, I traveled north from Cairns to Kuranda.  I went on a day tour to took us around the area.  Such gorgeous scenery!

Can you see something hiding in the bank?

One of the "trains" that goes across the water, we got to ride in one  :)

This guy was hanging out on our "train"

Such scenery!

Glass Bottomed Boat Tour

While at the Platform on the Barrier Reef, I went on a glass bottomed boat.  Here are a variety of pictures from the trip.  They were taking with a camera above water so the colour is not the greatest.