OTTAWA, ON, Aug. 21, 2025 /CNW/ - Travelling outside Canada for the first time, whether you're going by yourself or in a group, can be an exciting, but nerve-racking experience. Visiting new countries and encountering different cultures for the first time can be a challenge, let alone navigating massive international airports on your own.
To help you ease into international travel and stay safe throughout your life as a traveller, remember the 3 Rs: Read up, Register with us and Reach us. To learn more and discover other important advice to keep in mind for every trip, read on!
Read up on your destination
Make the Government of Canada's Travel advice and advisories an essential part of your trip-planning process. Take note of important information for your destination(s), including:
- entry and exit requirements, including whether you need a visa or electronic travel authorization (ETA)
- potential safety risks and scams of which to be mindful
- laws and customs that could impact your experience
- vaccinations or medications that may be required or recommended
- weather trends that could affect your packing list and travel plans
If you plan on renting anything, from a scooter to a car, check to see whether your destination requires that you have an International Driving Permit or whether they will accept your Canadian driver's license.
Don't forget to look into whether your destination is credit-card friendly, cash-dependent or a mix depending on the vendor or service. Take note of currency conversion rates, automated teller machine (ATM) fees and bank charges for a currency exchange to avoid surprises. Be aware of potential money-exchange scams and card skimmers.
You should also find out what kind of adapters you will need for your electronics and whether a voltage converter will be necessary where you are going. Bring power banks for charging on the go and avoid bringing larger electronics if possible.
Planning your trip
Consider what travel documents you will need for your trip. If you haven't yet travelled internationally and need a passport, make sure you submit your application early enough that it will be processed and delivered to you in time for your trip. Remember to allow time for getting visas, if needed. If you already have a passport, check your destination's passport validity requirements to make sure it doesn't expire during that period.
When booking air travel, remember to give yourself plenty of time before your flight and during any layovers so that you have time to go through security screening and any immigration checkpoints, and to find your departure gates. Research carry-on and checked baggage regulations for your airline(s) as well as limits for liquids, aerosols and gels because going over the limit may result in having to leave products behind at the airport or paying for an extra bag.
It is also essential that you get comprehensive travel insurance for the length of your trip and that you understand what it does, and does not, cover. If you like activities such as scuba diving, biking and surfing, or even riskier sports such as mountain climbing or sky diving, make sure your insurance covers adventure tourism and includes helicopter rescue and medical evacuation.
Stay connected
Make sure you register with us through the Registration of Canadians Abroad service before you leave Canada. This way, you'll get important updates from the Government of Canada if something serious happens in your destination country—such as a natural disaster or a large protest—or if something happens back home. Plus, you'll get alerts about any changes to the official travel advice so that you can make safer decisions while travelling.
It is also important to stay in regular contact with your loved ones back home so that they know you are safe. Leave behind a detailed itinerary and make sure you update them if anything changes.
Before using free public Wi-Fi, make sure you understand the associated cyber security risks. Research whether you can and should use a virtual private network (VPN) for secure Internet access and take other measures to protect your information. You may want to consider getting an eSIM (an electronic, rather than a physical, SIM card for your mobile device) with data or adding roaming to your Canadian data plan as an alternative.
Finally, find the Canadian office nearest to your destination(s) and save the contact information somewhere easily accessible. Knowing how to reach us can be crucial if you need assistance while abroad. For emergency assistance while outside of Canada, you can contact the Emergency Watch and Response Centre, which is in Ottawa and available 24/7.
Preparation is key to making your first time abroad safe and enjoyable. For more detailed information and resources, visit Travel.gc.ca.
Related links
- Advice for different types of travellers
- Adventure travel health and safety
- Using data plans outside Canada
- Travelling and money
- Travel health information
- Traveller's checklist for travelling outside Canada
SOURCE Global Affairs Canada
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