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As a YBP, I know you’re open to other cultures and seeing what the rest of the world has to offer. If you haven’t travelled internationally, I encourage you to step outside the box and visit a different country. Use those hard earned YBP paychecks to see what the world has to offer.

When looking for a place to visit, consider what you would like to get out of the trip. Do you want to visit historical sites? Maybe African American historical sites? Think about any friends or family that you have overseas that you might want to pay a visit.

Once you’ve decided to travel abroad, you must make sure that you have a valid U.S. passport or other proof of citizenship, plus a visa or a tourist card, if required by the country or countries that you will visit. You may also need evidence that you have enough money for your trip and/or have ongoing or return transportation tickets. For your first passport, you must appear in person with a completed Form DS-11, Passport Application , at one of the 13 U.S. passport agencies or at many Federal and state courts, probate courts, at some county/municipal offices, or at U.S. post offices authorized to accept passport applications. The turnaround is usually about 6 weeks, but for an extra fee you can get it expedited and in hand in 2 weeks.

When looking for good travel deals, try sites like Expedia and Travelocity. Sidestep is also a good site for comparing airline prices. Tripadvisor is a great all inclusive site that combines finding airfare, hotels, and restaurants and includes reviews written by consumers about places to go and things to see. The reviews are very useful, especially once you’ve already planned where you want to stay and some activities that you want to do. Other sites to find good hotel deals are Hotels.com, Priceline.com and All-hotels.com. The hotel prices on these sites are almost always cheaper than going to the hotel’s official site, but the downside to that deal is that you probably will have to pay the entire amount upfront instead of when you checkout.

Now that you’re all set with reservations, it’s time to research and plan what you’re going to do once you get there. Doing your homework before you travel to your destination can go a long way toward avoiding cultural blunders and clearing the language barrier, making for a more enjoyable visit. Read as much as possible about the countries in which you plan to travel. Informing yourself about a nation’s history, culture, customs and politics will make your stay more meaningful. Such information can be found in most libraries, bookstores and tourist bureaus. Although English is spoken in many countries, it is a good idea to learn what you can of the language of the country in which you will be traveling. Travel agents can provide brochures and tourist information about the countries that you wish to visit. Most international airlines can supply you with travel brochures about the countries that they serve. Many countries have tourist information offices in main cities in the United States where you can obtain travel brochures and maps. Foreign embassies or consulates in the United States can provide up-to-date information on their countries. Addresses and telephone numbers of the embassies of foreign governments are listed in the Congressional Directory, available at most public libraries. In addition to their embassies, some countries also have consulates in major U.S. cities. Look for their addresses in your local telephone directory, or find them in the publication, Foreign Consular Offices in the United States , available in many public libraries, or on the Internet. Also, make sure you know the climate of the city where you’re going. Even if your planning a trip in the future, you can see what the weather is normally like during that time of year.

Many travel guides include this type of information with their tips and advice. A lot of research can be done online, but an actual book that tells you everything you need to know about your specific destined city and/or country are priceless. Especially for when you finally get over there and are walking around (yes you’ll look like a tourist, but get over it; you are a tourist.) So I’d combine online research with travel guides like Frommers, Fodors, Lonley Planet, or Rick Steves (for travel to Europe). And of course, all of these travel guides have websites that you can use in conjunction with or instead of. Looking for African-American historical or cultural sites? Well, unfortunately that genre of travel guides leaves a lot to be desired (though I foresee in the future there will be more travel resources for us YBPs!). After a lot of digging I managed to find Go Girl!: The Black Woman’s Book of Travel and Adventure and The African-American Travel Guide, but they are limited and mostly talk about domestic travelling. So your best bet to find African American history and sites is to simply to a Google search. I found a lot of great cultural resources in London and Paris just by taking the time to do a search.

If you are going to use electrical appliances while abroad, you need to know what type of electrical voltage is used in the country where you’re traveling and what type of adapter or plug is needed to plug your appliances into the outlet. Most electrical appliances made for use in the U.S. work at 115 volts. While most of North and South America, the Caribbean and Japan also use 110-voltage electricity, most countries in Europe and other parts of the world have 220-volt electrical outlets.Thus, you will need to get a voltage converter and adapter so that you won’t blow up the hotel with your curling iron! Small electronics, razors and non-heating appliances will need a 50-watt converter. Heating appliances such as dryers, irons, coffee makers and other high-power electrical appliances need a 1600-watt converter. You can also purchase combination converters for both types. Check the label on your electrical appliance to find its wattage. An adapter will allow you only to plug your appliance into another type of outlet. It will not change the electrical voltage, so that is why you need both a converter and an adapter. You can get these items online or at Radio Shack, Best Buy, or Circuit City.

Last, but not least, you must pack accordingly. Make sure to stay updated on luggage rules so you don’t have a frustrating moment at the airport. Consider how many days you will be gone, the climate of your destination, and the types of activities in which you will participate (for example, sightseeing, swimming, hiking, dinner at a nice restaurant, etc). Then choose the clothes appropriate for these activities and begin to prepare a packing list. Try to cut down and pack only what you need. There’s nothing wrong with wearing an outfit twice if it means you won’t have as much luggage to tote around. Make sure your luggage is sturdy and not locked (the airline will just break the lock). If your bags weigh more than 50 lbs, you will most likely have to pay a fee or do some unpacking at the ticket counter. Avoid these stresses by keeping it simple. Get to the airport early enough to give yourself peace of mind (the suggested time for international flights is two hours).

So those are my tips for planning an overseas trip. I’m sure there is much more to say on the topic (including health tips), which is why I encourage you to do plenty of research. Happy travels!