Those who are leaving the country for the first time or haven’t been abroad since college may not know what they’re getting into. Overseas travel presents myriad complications for newbies who don’t do what seasoned vets do to make things easier.

Sharing what she’s learned on a trip gone bad, Kylie — writing at PF Firewall — suggests things travelers can do to avoid her problems. Here are three of her suggestions:

* Make sure your name is on your passport. Kylie forgot to change her passport to her married name, but could have avoided hassles if she had brought her marriage certificate along to prove her identity.

* Tell your bank where you’re headed. When a bank freezes your credit card due on suspicion of fraud, it can leave you stranded with little recourse. Share your travel plans with the bank to make sure the money still flows.

* Be ready to look and smell bad after a long flight. The endurance test brought on by a flight that lasts most of the day can leave you disheveled, so you might want to keep a bag handy with deoderant and whatever else you need to make yourself look and smell presentable before you represent your country in the foreign land.

5 Tips For Overseas Travel [PF Firewall]

Previously: Avoid Credit Card Problems When Traveling Overseas

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