Officially Closing the Distance and freaking out!

[schwee44]

WE'RE CLOSING THE DISTANCE! FINALLY!
I'm leaving for Australia in a couple months to meet my SO, and needless to say, I'm freaking out and nitpicking the small details of what I need and what to do. So, I figured where better to ask advice? I'm sure this post is going to be random and jumpy, so bear with me

1- going through customs. Uhh.. how does that work? When my dad went to Mexico, he had to get his luggage from the luggage pick up thing, then go through customs. I'm assuming my SO would pick me up at the baggage claim or whatever it's called (sorry, I don't travel much so I'm probably butchering whatever this stuff is called) so.. do I have to go get my bags then go through customs with my SO and our friends around? That seems a bit odd to me.

2- What's an easier option, getting a power adapter or just buying all new stuff (like a curling iron, hair dryer). My aunt told me she had a bad experience in Europe with a power adapter, I guess it still blew her hair dryer up.

3-What the heck should I take on the plane with me? It's a 23 hour trip, with two short layovers, then a 16 hour ride from LA to Melbourne. I scanned the other threads, but I didn't think it would hurt to ask here too

4-I can't assign myself a seat on my longest flight from the website, and it doesn't say whether or not they provide food.. uhh.. pretty lost on that one. Advice?

5- How to convert my currency? I googled that one, and one website said the easiest way was to just take my debit card and use it as normal. That doesn't sound right to me, so I figured I'd talk to my bank about it tomorrow. I'm delaying it though, because the website also told me Traveler's checks weren't as good as just using your debit card (the bank gets more money in fees, I guess?) and I didn't want them to try to talk me into anything xD Does anyone have experience with this?

Okay, I'll leave this here, sorry it's so long D:

[ThePiedPiper]

1. You'll go through customs on your way home. When you go through immigration in Australia, you'll most likely do so before you pick up your luggage from the carosel or see your SO. Going through customs will be on your first layover back in America.

2. I used a power adapter in England with absolutely no problems and did the same in Ireland. However, I didn't use a hair dryer, straightener, etc. only a phone and some other electrical gadgets. Your best bet is going to be reading reviews on plug converters and voltage adapters. Or Google it. Usually you'll find hits from frequent travellers who have pretty good advice, and reviews will tell you when adapters have frequently fried objects. My opinion is go for the adapter and converter, but I've never had issues with them and don't know anyone who has.

3. You'll probably have movies, on a flight like that, and TV, but I would say bring a book, maybe some puzzle/games books, anything you like to do that can be easily packed into a handbag or backpack. I usually bring a few things to read and draw/write with but I mostly end up watching TV and movies.

4. If you bring food, make sure it's sealed. Nothing in a Ziploc baggie, nothing wrapped in foil/plastic/paper, etc. unless you buy it after going through security. I always bring Goldfish with me on my trips, but on a flight that long, you will probably be served lunch/dinner, breakfast and some snacks. I would look at the airline you're flying with and see what they have to say about their long-haul flights. It'll also have information (or should) about long-haul entertainment.

5. You can use your debit card and that's what I did. That way, you're always getting the most up-to-date conversion rates (you win some, you lose some). However, there's a charge each time you use your debit card abroad, so what I would do is take out a week's worth of money at the beginning of each week. That way I could budget while still not incurring too many additional fees. Traveller's cheques are rarely used/accepted anymore, so I would suggest not even going that route. Do let your bank know the dates you will be travelling though, and I would look to see if Australia has limits on PIN numbers. Ireland was restricted to 4-digit PINs and mine was originally 6, so make sure you look into that and change your pin, if necessary, before you go.

[MadMolly]

You'll definitely go through Australian customs on the way in. Australia is REALLY strict about declaring items and stuff (it being an island nation and all) so what will happen is you will go through immigration (get your passport stamped etc) then you'll pick up your bag from the carousel and take it through customs where you'll either declare any food/medication/etc stuff you may have or if you don't have anything to declare you can go through the 'green' line. They'll probably have a dog or two sniffing the bags and stuff. Then you'll walk out of the gates and your SO will be waiting at the arrival gate for you!

[digitalfever]

I don't think I understand the situation fully. Are you moving there for good? I only ask because of the currency question.

If your going for a trip just buy Australian money beforehand and take it with you. If your moving there bring a but of money with you, have the required documents to open a bank account and transfer money in. If you want to switch all your money to Australian (which i don't recommend) I would wait until you get there and see what their banking system is like. I'm in the UK and have still kept all my accounts in Canada.

[mllebamako]

1. Like MadMolly said, you'll probably get your bag, then go through customs, then go out into the waiting area where your SO will be.

2. I've had some bad experiences with cheap/crappy voltage converters, but I've never had a problem with a plug converter. So for example, for my computer and all the stuff where you just have to change the shape of the plug not the voltage--it's been fine. But when I moved to Europe, I just bought a new hair straightener there since that's not too expensive.

3. You'll have movies on your flights. I usually bring my computer with me (to watch movies or whatever when I'm waiting during layovers) and a few books/crossword puzzles. I usually entertain myself during layovers by exploring the whole airport, window shopping, eating, and people watching.

4. You could call the airline about not being able to pick a seat. Sometimes with certain flights, you can't choose your seat until right before. I would call and find out if you are worried about it. As for food, they will definitely feed you on a flight like that! But it never hurts to bring snacks!

5. I usually try to exchange a certain amount of money while still in the States just so I arrive with some local currency. You can do this exchange at your bank. And then I just use my regular American debit card. I've done this in Europe, Africa, and Asia. It's good to know your withdrawal limits ahead of time just to be aware. And find out the withdrawal limits in Australia. For example, my withdrawal limit is something like $2000 a day but the limit here in Mali in only about $500 a day. And call your bank to find out the charges--I get charged $5 every time I withdraw from an ATM abroad.

Congratulations on closing the distance!