Onsite Visit Checklist - Things to Carry on Onsite Travel - Part 3

Part 1
Part 2

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41. Stay as close as possible to Indian community. Make friends, socialize. You are all alone out there, so better make few friends who can be with you in thick and thin.

42. Ask your friends / colleagues about reliable taxi services / public transportation. if anyone know of any driver who is good, honest and reliable, know him personally.

43. Do not dispose off plastics (bottles / cans etc). Give it back in recycling station and they give you cashback which can be used for buying grocery stores in supermarkets. for eg: if you are travelling to Germany, government there has installed machines that takes back used plastic bottles and recycle / re-use them. Customers are benefited through cashbacks for the plastics given back.

Checkout this video:

44.  Avoid eating outside. You might end up creating a big hole in your wallet. Once in a while is Okay but not too frequently.

45. Do not lend money to anyone. See how much is the saving interest rate in international banks. if you think its not fetching you good returns, better transfer the money in Indian bank account and invest.

46. Keep all the bills with you during your stay. You can show the bills in your company back in India and get reimbursements.

47. Carry your ipad / ipod / kindle if you want to.

48. Carry camera, your choice.

49. Carry phone charger and USB cables

50. Search for Indian / Asian Stores / markets where you can buy household items.

51. Do not carry washing powders / detergents abroad. Washing clothes using common machines is cheap abroad.

52. Carry a diary with you all the time even while travelling to office. Or make notes on your phone (i find diary easy to use and handle)

53. Carry biscuits / snacks only if you want to.

54. Carry your glasses.

55. Carry handkerchiefs

I'll keep adding to to the list. You can help me by adding more items to the list. I look forward to your comments.

I hope you found this 3 post series helpful.

Thanks

Onsite Visit Checklist - Things to Carry on Onsite Travel - Part 2

Part 1 Continued ...

If you have missed any of the 20 points discussed in previous post, please click here.

21. Avoid oil / ghee. Buy Olive oil abroad.

22. Carry or avoid deodrants / perfumes. Your choice.

23. Carry an extra (basic) mobile in case you lose the expensive one or is damaged.

24. Avoid carrying valuable items (like gold, jewelry, diamond or Indian currency etc.). Chances of misplacing them / losing / stealing / robbery / hijacking are high abroad.

25. There's no use of carrying your Indian keys along while travelling abroad. Hand over such items to your relatives before travelling.

26. You can carry dry fruits if you want to.

27. Carry a good size pen drive (USB) or a portable hard disk

28. Carry your own laptop only if your company is not planning to give one for personal use.

29. Carry headphones 

30. Once you are in the country of visit, get a tram / metro card made for yourself and your family. This will help you save few bucks on your daily travel.

31. Do not carry liquid / semi-liquid items. Avoid carrying pickles.

32. If you are travelling to a cold climate country where the temperature is low throughout or most part of the year, better carry woolen wears along. Carry a pair of sweaters / jackets / pullovers whichever you find comfortable and easy to carry. Make sure you check the climate / weather first before travelling. This will help you decide what all clothes you need to pack.

33. Carry hand gloves / muffler (men / women) / cap / socks

34. Carry an iron if you want to. But make sure, it's light weight and portable. Checkout this Philips iron.

35. Do not carry indian notes (currency) / coins abroad.

36. Carry Traveller's card / international credit card / world money card etc. Ask the Forex department.

37. Carry your own debit / credit card as well.

38. Avail VOIP calling services for calling back to India. Rebtel / Friing are pretty popular services abroad and available at cheap rates. Whatsapp / Skype works best in this case.

39. Read about the country online or in groups before travel. This will give you an idea of what what one expect while visiting any country.

40. Drinking water in few countries is too hard for indian stomach. So you might have to buy water from supermarkets.

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Onsite Visit Checklist - Things to Carry on Onsite Travel

Through this post, I would like to share some of my experience about stuff one must carry along if he / she is travelling abroad (onsite) for first time.

Here's a Snapshot of items every individual must carry along (multiply the quantity based on family members accompanying):

1. Carry toiletries - atleast 1-2 toothbrushes, tooth paste, shampoo, soaps . This will buy you time to settle down and then explore market to buy items locally.

2. Shaving kit (Carry Gillette razor that can be used repeatedly instead of carrying too many use & throw blades). Carry 2-3 shaving creams (each will last for atleast 3-4 months if you shave twice weekly). Make sure you carry extra shaving sticks just incase you lose one or if it breaks.

3. if you are travelling alone or with family for long term, it's better to carry kitchen items such as cooker (for eg. 3 ltr.), kadaai, patila, chai ketley, chai filter along. Do not carry tea powder / sugar.Keep big / small spoons as well alongwith glass & katori(s).

if you are provided with accommodation, than it may not be necessary to carry above kitchen items as that'll be already there for you. for eg: Dinner set, crockery, bowls etc. Or check out prices of these kitchen items in country of visit. if you are getting it cheap, it's better buy from there rather than carrying it from India.

Note: Check with your flight CC if you can carry blades, knives, scissors or nail cutters in international travel.

4. Carry Maggi, ready to eat food, if you think you'll be staying alone for time being and needs instant food now & then. This is when you are travelling for short visit.

5. Do not carry books with you. It's like putting unnecessary weight to your luggage. Better buy Kindle or load books on your smart phone.

6. Carry slippers / chappals (extra pair)

7. Carry Sport shoes

8. if you are travelling in a cold climate country, better carry multiple set of inner wears.

Countries like UK, Germany can be quite freezing at times. Study temperature / climate conditions for the month you wish to travel. You might want to add a sweater or jacket in your bag.

Get in touch with locals on Social Media groups and gather information or ask people who has already traveled before.

9. Carry dal (lentils), pulses only if you have enough free space. Add good quantity if you really can.

10. Carry rice in quantity if possible. Or ask your colleagues travelling in nearby time to carry few kgs of it if he's travelling with minimal load. Rice abroad in few countries is quite expensive.

11. Do not carry sweets, chocolates, cakes etc. These are perishable items, May not even survive travel. Or carry energy bars just to keep your stomach full during transit. Sometimes long journeys can be quite hectic.

12. Do not carry ketchup, jam bottles. Chances of breakage in transit due to air pressure is very high.

13. Do not carry bread or similar perishable items.

14. Carry Masala packs if possible. for eg: Everest / MDH Masala.

15. Check the electric switch / plug system in country of visit. Not every country has plus / switch like we have it in India. Indian cable plugs are not universal to fit all country switches.

So you need a universal plug which works in every country. Check online for universal Switch and make sure you buy atleast 2 if one breaks or is lost.

16. Carry your basic medicines that you think you need now and then. Because not all Indian medicines are available all across the world. So it's better to carry your own medicine with considerable expiry period and avoid having alternatives abroad.

17. Get Medical Insurance once you step into the country.

18. Keep your passport, documents very safe with you while travelling.

19. Guys, please carry a suit(s) to attend official meetings / formal parties in country of visit. Carry a spare tie matching with the suit.

20. Avoid carrying / wearing gold

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