One of the most exciting, fulfilling and life changing type of honeymoon you could take would be to visit another country, whether the culture is similar to home, or vastly different. For newlyweds who have traveled abroad extensively, it should be relatively easy to figure out how to pack and the general protocol for ocean-crossing journeys. Regardless of how many frequent flyer miles you may have logged in domestic travels, these will not equip you to do the abroad thing any more than encircling the Mickey D’s drive thru in your car might.

Get Details First

Depending on where you go, it’ll be important to do some homework. Find out specifics pertaining to dress, suitable greetings and even body language, and sorry, but in several other countries, female travelers must be up on all the (yes, chauvinistic but also the law) specifics, including how much must be covered–where and when. If you want your honeymoon in one of these countries to flow well, this will be your responsibility. Actually, the best spot for a honeymoon destination might be based upon how free and unrestricted you’ll feel while there. And find out if you’ll need a visa where you’re headed. If you will, get started on this asap, as the process can be tricky, frustrating and time consuming.

Once You’ve Chosen Where You’re Going, Other Priorities To Cover:

Insure Yourself

When traveling internationally, consider Travel insurance. It’ll cover you for unplanned flight cancellations and is valuable with international flights costing more. It’ll cover other matters, too, depending on the exact policy. If you have medical insurance, contact your provider to discover if and how you’ll be covered when travelling internationally. Not all plans extend to cover medical expenses in foreign countries. Travel insurance will cover these, which should give you and your new spouse great peace of mind.

Don’t Get Taken Abroad

Particularly when traveling abroad for the first time, you can become an unwitting target for thieves and scammers who just know how to spot first-timers. Keep your bags right with you the entire time. Anything you won’t need until you get to where you’re going should be checked. Strive to only keep with you the items you absolutely need during the flight, and keep your wallet, boarding pass and passport together, close to your body and in the front, not a backpack or bag with long straps for carrying.

Copy Everything

Before departing, make sure to get copies of all of your documentation–including your passport, boarding pass, credit cards, medical prescriptions and all your medical insurance info. If you have travel vouchers, copy them. If possible, arrange to have your photo added to the credit cards you plan on taking, as this will make them easier to locate. When photocopying everything, make sure all the account and associated numbers–like expiration dates, etc–are clearly legible and easy to read, so you’ll have everything together.

Money Matters

You’ll need to know the conversion rate in place where you’ll be going, between the U.S. dollar and the destination’s currency. Don’t assume that your credit cards will be accepted where you are going–find out. Establish where you can most easily go to exchange your money for the local currency, like a bank machine or directly into a bank. These can be where you’ll get the best rate because they keep up with rates right as they change. Don’t become a scam victim here. Another option that works best for a lot of foreign travelers is to purchase traveler’s’ checks before you depart for your trip–as they are accepted everywhere.

Plan To Drive?

In most scenarios, your regular driver’s license will not cover you to drive any type of motorized vehicle abroad. This includes cars, trucks, motorcycles and mopeds. Consider beforehand if there’s even a remote possibility that you might want to rent a vehicle during your international honeymoon. Each country has their own laws, which you’ll need to become familiarized with, and you’ll need a legal driving license. You’ll need to obtain a

international driving permit

(IDP,) which will be valid for a year, and is a companion document to use along with your valid U.S. driver’s license. They must be used together. Many governments approve use of an international driving permit by foreign visitors, but only when accompanied by their own country’s issued driver’s license.  Not everyone drives on the left hand side of the road abroad, and as requirements and restrictions can vary from country to country, you might want to spend some of your flight time brushing up on what works where