• > Calvin's Travel Guide
  • Europe
    • UK
      • London

• About
• Safety
• Money
  • Cash
  • Credit Cards
• SIM Card
• Power adapters
• Medicines
• Jet Lag

Hi friend, I've been fortunate enough to have traveled to a few places in the world. I've learned a few things along the way and I'd like to share them with you. I'll be adding more places as I go. Lmk if you see anything that's wrong or out of date. Keep in mind that these are the places I like to visit, you may have different tastes.

Read every node in the path to the place you're visiting. For example, if you're visiting London, you should read: Calvin's Travel Guide + Europe + UK + London

Simple: don't talk to anyone who approaches you on the street even if they appear nice. Walk like you have somewhere to be and they'll leave you alone.

I always carry some local cash when I travel even though sometimes I don't end up using much of it. You Never know when you might see a food stand that's cash only or a taxi that doesn't take credit cards.

I usually get my cash from Vancouver Bullion & Currency Exchange, they have multiple locations in and around Vancouver. They have the best rates around, you just go up to the counter and ask for the currency you want. Even some banks in Vancouver will tell you to go there because they don't usually have foreign currency on hand and have to order it in. You'll get much better rates here than at the airport or at an ATM in the country you're visiting.

If you absolutely need to get foreign cash at an ATM, please watch this video first so you don't get ripped off. (The TLDR is the ATM will try very hard to steer you towards taking out a large amount of cash using a terrible rate they set.)

Most Canadian credit cards have a 2.5% foreign transaction fee. The ones that don't charge the 2.5% usually have an annual fee.

The good news is they usually have a deal for the first year where they waive the annual fee. So you can sign up for the card, use it for your trip, and then cancel it after you get back. Avoid Brim, they don't have automatic payments. You have to manually pay your bill every month like a caveman.

If you buy a lot of stuff on Amazon.ca, consider getting a Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard, they give you back the 2.5% in Amazon.ca gift cards. (I have one of these and use it for all my Amazon.ca purchases.) Be aware that it doesn't support Google Pay at the time of writing.

All new devices in Canada must be sold after December 1, 2017 are unlocked. You can put any sim card in them and they'll work. If you have an older device, you can ask your carrier to unlock it for you for free.

If your phone supports eSIM, you can find a eSIM provider on esimdb for the places you're visiting. An eSIM is a virtual sim card you download on to your phone. You'll get much better rates than roaming on a Canadian carrier. At the time of writing I'm seeing 30GB/30 days for C$30-C$40 for use in Europe. In contrast Rogers charges C$15/day for "Roam Like Home". Keep in mind that most of these eSIMs are data only, so you won't be able to make calls or send texts, you may need to use a hotel phone to make reservations.

You can also get a physical SIM card from the airport when you arrive. Bring a sim card ejection tool. Check the carrier's website for prices, some airport sim cards shops will charge you a premium, you may be able to get a better deal if you go to a carrier's store in the city.

Check what kind of power outlets the country you're visiting uses and bring a travel adapter. Most of your chargers will work with any voltage and frequency. Most devices that don't work with other voltages/frequencies have motors or heating elements. (Hair dryers, plug-in electric shavers, etc.) Weirdly my electric toothbrush charger doesn't work with 220V for some reason. Check the label on your charger to see what voltages/frequencies it supports.

Bring some basic medicines with you. You don't want to be trying to find a pharmacy if you're sick. In some places you'll even need to speak to a pharmacist to get anything more than band-aids. I usually bring band-aids, acetaminophen (aka Tylenol) and Diphenhydramine (aka ZzzQuil, Sleep-Eze, Benadryl).

My strategy for dealing with jet lag when I get to my destination is taking 25mg Diphenhydramine at night to help me sleep and drink a can of Red Bull in the morning to help me wake up. I usually only need to do this for the first day or two.