How to Prepare Your Money Before Travelling Overseas
How to sort your cards, cash and banking before you travel overseas, from checking each country to paying in the local currency.
Practical advice for every stage of your journey.
From planning and packing to the unexpected and everyday moments in between, our practical guides help you travel with confidence and make the most of every experience.
How to sort your cards, cash and banking before you travel overseas, from checking each country to paying in the local currency.
A checklist of international travel documents: passports, visas, proof of onward travel, doctor’s letters for medication, insurance, and documents for children.
Five pet care options to weigh up before you travel, including boarding kennels, house sitters and family help, with tips for dogs, cats and small pets.
The simple system we’ve used for over 25 years, so there’s always money there for the next trip.
What ETIAS is, which European countries require it, who needs approval and who doesn’t, how to apply, and what happens if you travel without it.
How we plan trips with friends and family: agreeing must-dos, sharing costs, time apart and knowing when to say no.
How to plan, pay for and navigate public transport overseas, from metros and buses to ferries, with lessons from our trips.
What you need before hiring a car overseas: age rules, choosing a company, costs and insurance, pick-up and return checks, and driving rules in another country.
9 tips for flying in cold weather: planning for delays and cancellations, dressing and packing for winter, looking after your health and keeping devices charged.
When an airport lounge is worth paying for on a 4 to 8 hour layover, what to check before you buy a pass, and when you’re better off staying in the terminal.
Five simple tips for getting through airport security faster, learned from my own travel mistakes, including clip seal bags for liquids and easy-off shoes.
The habits that help us find our way in a new city, even when one of us has no sense of direction at all.
Practical etiquette for visiting temples, mosques and churches, covering dos and don’ts, what to wear and when you can take photos, from years of visiting sacred sites.
Cancelled flights, closed attractions, strikes and storms. Real examples from our travels, including the 2010 Iceland volcano, and how staying flexible helps.
Why a travel tradition adds meaning to every trip. Ours include a key ring from every place we visit and one special restaurant dinner in each country.
What travel adapter do you need? How to find the right plug type for each country, what 220 V vs 110 V means, and universal vs country-specific adapters.
What an eSIM is, why I use Holafly alongside Vodafone roaming, how the costs compare, and Holafly’s plan options, pros and cons for international travel.
10 packing tips for overseas travel learned over 35+ countries: choosing luggage, using packing cubes, what goes in your carry-on, footwear and laundry.
Yes, but only in your carry-on. How big, how many, and why you can no longer use it on most flights.
Base, mid and outer layers, and how we use them on cold trips from Tromsø and Abisko to Canada and New Zealand.
Simple skin care for travellers over 50 in cold destinations, based on travel in temperatures down to -35°C: a daily routine, packing list and what not to do.
Practical sun protection tips for travellers over 50: what to pack, daily habits that work and how to protect your skin in any climate.
11 practical tips for handling menopause while travelling, from dressing in layers and packing a menopause kit to beating brain fog, from someone who has been there.
11 practical tips for travelling with a weak bladder, from planning toilet stops and choosing your transport to what to wear and finding bathrooms in busy cities.
Seven practical tips for travelling with medication overseas, including checking local rules, carrying a doctor’s letter and keeping it in your carry-on.
Five foot care tips for travelling, including shoes and socks, blisters and a foot care pack, based on managing my own foot injury while we travel.
The five items I always add to my travel first aid kit, including blister pads, motion sickness tablets and electrolytes, and when I’ve needed them.
How to stay safe before, during and after a trip, from securing your home and digital life to common scams, protecting your bags and post-trip safety checks.
Is it safe to travel in 2026? A practical look at the risks that matter most, from scams and digital threats to disruptions, and simple habits to reduce them.
15 common travel scams, from fake booking sites to ATM skimming and distraction tricks, with simple habits to avoid them before, during and after your trip.
The eight public Wi-Fi safety tips we follow every time we travel, including password managers, two-factor authentication, VPNs and turning off sharing.
The nine-step routine we run through before every trip to secure our home, covering locks, deliveries, mail, insurance, valuables and security systems.
Should you use a VPN overseas? What a VPN does, how it protects you on public Wi-Fi and how to set one up, from a former forensic accountant who travels with one.
Are animal cafés ethical? A quick checklist, the welfare concerns behind them and kinder alternatives, from nine years on an animal welfare board.
14 practical ways to tell if an animal encounter is ethical, from nine years on an animal welfare board. Spot red flags and choose experiences wisely.
What ethical animal tourism really means, and the one question we ask before any wildlife experience.
A life shaped by curiosity, connection and the moments that quietly change us.
Until next time… keep wandering.
JOIN THE JOURNEY
Receive our latest stories, travel tips and inspiration straight to your inbox.
No spam. Just meaningful travel.