International Travel: ProfHacker Style

One of my favorite parts of life as an academic is the occasional opportunity to travel and see the world, whether a conference in Italy or a research trip to an archive in England.

But the downside of these possibilities is that international travel can stress an already fraught budget and that it can be difficult to keep track of ever-changing rules and regulations about luggage and security, etc. What’s a traveler to do?

First, make sure that you have your passport, you know where it is, and that it is not about to expire. As of this moment (10 March 2010, 8:00PM), the State Department estimates that it will take between 4-6 weeks to process an application. Expedited service is available, but it is expensive and still takes 2-3 weeks. Also, the State Department suggests that you renew your passport nine-months before expiration.

Once you have your passport squared away, the next step is figuring out how to get to where you’re going. This article from the NY Times has lots of suggestions about how to save money booking your plane ticket. There are several search engines that you might consult: Sidestep, Kayak, Yahoo, Bing, Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz. . . . and if you have time, it is worth checking more than one of these. It is also worth making sure that you are comparing apples to apples, rather than say, apples to mangos. Put another way, make sure that you are comparing like terms. Some of the sites only quote airfare while others include fees and taxes in their prices. And if your head isn’t spinning by now, Sidestep and Kayak both with run concurrent searches with up to 4 other search engines to insure maximum information overload. It is also worth checking Student Universe, a travel site that offers special fares and deals for students and faculty of accredited colleges and universities. You do need to register with Student Universe, however, and they will verify your status. In a recent search for flights to Dublin (my international destination of choice), Vayama led me to Booking Buddy which led me to a flight that was substantially less expensive than the other options I found ($580 vs $1065). The same search on Student Universe led to a $740 fare, which was less expensive than most options, but it was not the least expensive fare. The moral of the story: actually there are two. 1) It can pay to shop around. 2) When you find a great deal, book it. You could spend days if not weeks searching for the ideal fare. Don’t let this consume your life. When you find an itinerary that works for both your calendar and your wallet, stop.

If you are travelling to a conference, you might decide to stay at the conference hotel. If you aren’t going to a conference or opt to stay elsewhere, be sure to do your due diligence on location. You might read reviews at Hotels.com or Travelocity to make sure that you are staying somewhere that suits you. Sometimes reference libraries will provide visitors with information about travel or nearby accommodations. Also, if you are travelling to do research, be sure to check the requirements for accessing the materials. Some libraries like the Bodleian require a letter of recommendation, while others like the National Library of Ireland require an application, current identification, and two passport photographs.

I’m going to save packing for another post because that is a topic to itself. For now, suffice it to say that wherever you are going and whenever you are travelling, be sure to check with your airline and with TSA a few days before your scheduled departure. These days it seems like every airline has a different baggage allowance and fee structure. International flights used to be immune from these fees, but that is no longer the case. Be sure that you know how many bags you can check, and how much they can weigh before you get charged a penalty. Some airlines will waive these fees for passengers with elite status in their frequent flier programs, and some will offer discounts if you pay the baggage fees online rather than at the airport. But each airline has its own policy and allowances, so be sure to check your airline in the days before you travel.

Lastly, if you are lucky enough to have some or all of your expenses reimbursed by your college or university, be sure to save your receipts!

Bon voyage!

But before you go, please share tips and tricks for international travel in the comments section.

[Photo by Flickr user jondoeforty1 and licensed through Creative Commons.]