It may be hard to believe, but just over a century ago most people did not travel abroad . Most people spent their entire life within a mere few hundred miles of the exact spot where they were born. Traveling to far flung corners of the earth, whether for business, education, or pleasure was a luxury only the "rich and famous" could afford. Times have changed!

Have you ever traveled to a far-away destination for a vacation? If you have been to "the islands" did you enjoy the sun, sea, and sand? Imagine going on a tour of European castles or of archeological sites of ancient civilizations in Mexico? How fascinating that would be!It may be hard to believe, but just over a century ago most people did not take regular vacations . The vast majority of people spent their entire life within a mere few hundred miles of the exact spot where they were born. Traveling to far flung corners of the earth, whether for business, education, or pleasure was a luxury only the "rich and famous" could afford.

Fast forward to the 21st century! What a difference 100 years make! Today hundreds of thousands of travelers and vacationers venture off to the most exotic corners of the earth. Business executives zip around the globe in their private jets. Students venture off to foreign lands for study abroad programs, and for vacationers"¦the entire world is their backyard.

Traveling to a new place where people speak a foreign language, spend a fancy currency, travel with different methods of transportation, is a very exciting adventure. There is so much to anticipate, dream about, ponder and prepare for, that for some travelers it might seem a bit overwhelming. However, by following a few foreign travel tips, the journey can be smooth, exciting and everything dreams are made of.

The most important foreign travel tip is to research the country that is being visited on the vacation. It is very important to seek out books, online resources and friends to make sure that not one detail is overlooked. An excellent way to visit a foreign land is to actually mingle with the locals and see what the real culture is all about. Often times people travel is small tour groups or visit resorts; both options provide for great vacations but do not allow the opportunity to really get involved with the local citizens.

A valuable foreign travel tip is to find time to mingle with the citizens of the foreign countries visited it is the only way to truly absorb the true flavor of the land and it's people. This experience will stay in the heart of the traveler forever.

From Dream to Reality, The Value of a Travel Plan OutlineOnce it is determined which foreign country is to be visited and the key points of interest have been identified and reviewed, it is now time to create a travel plan outline. The creation of a travel plan outline helps to realistically determine the timeline of the vacation. The travel plan outline is a fundamental foreign travel tip that is priceless. Using a travel plan outline allows for the identification of travel needs, hotel needs, locations to visit, points of interest and financial expenses.

The travel plan outlines the entire vacation and assists in bringing the dream a bit closer to a reality. When discussing foreign travel, it is also important to mention a valuable financial foreign travel tip, which is to visit a local financial establishment to obtain currency for the foreign country that is to be visited while on vacation. Familiarity with the foreign currency will make it a much easier transition from U.S. citizen to foreign traveler as well as it is also a good idea to have a few dollars to pay for a coffee, taxi fare of other incidentals without having to immediately trying to convert from United States currency to a new, unfamiliar currency.

Just about every country in the world has entered the tourism market, and each country has something that a tourist or vacationer would enjoy seeing or experiencing. Just follow the foreign travel tips mentioned above and you are bound to have the vacation of a lifetime.