Although international travel is fun, exciting and eye-opening, in some cases it can also be nerve-racking. If you’re headed to a country where you don’t speak the native language, there are a few ways for you to prepare yourself.

LEARN THE BASICS
You don’t have to be fluent, but knowing a handful of usable words and phrases will get you a lot further than you might think. “Please” and “thank you” and other simple greetings will prepare you to be a little more comfortable than going in with zero idea of what you’re doing.

TRANSLATION APPS
Apps like Google Translate, Ultralingua and Yan dex.Translate might not be 100% accurate, but they will certainly get the job done. The best part about these apps is that they work offline as long as you download the language packs to your phone while you have Wi-Fi.

THE POWER OF POINTING
Whether it’s at menus, places on maps or things on your phone, gesturing is often more efficient than trying to speak a language you’re not entirely comfortable with. It’s important to do some research ahead of time on common gestures in the country where you’ll be traveling in order to avoid accidently offending a local.

HAVE A LOCAL SHOW YOU AROUND
Want to find all the under-the-radar sights and restaurants that aren’t in your guidebook? Your FROSCH Travel Consultant can schedule group or private tours with a local-English speaking guide who will take you around and let you experience the country a bit more personally.

PLAN IN ADVANCE
If you get flustered in unfamiliar settings, work with your FROSCH Travel Consultant to chart out as much of your trip as possible before you leave home. That way, scheduling your tours, hotels, transportation, and dinner reservations will all be taken care of – in English! You won’t have to stress about finding someone in the country who can speak your language and help arrange important aspects of your trip. You’ll know you’re in good hands before you even leave home.