International Destination – Do You Love Sand, Sun or Snow

First International Destination

Your passport is in your hand . . .  or at least it’s on its way. Now it’s time to plan your first International Destination, which is very exciting!

A Word of Caution

If your dream trip is to drive through the Irish countryside or visit the Taj Mahal, take a gigantic step back.

The good folks in Ireland drive on the wrong side of the road, steer from the wrong side of the car, and they enter round-abouts the wrong way.

Unless you’re some kind of driving wizard, Ireland might be a bit too advanced for your first international trip.

And while I agree that India is a fabulous place, there is a lot of poverty, which might be overwhelming for your first foray outside the US. 

A Note About Regret

That being said . . .

I’m KICKING myself for not visiting Cuba when it was available to US citizens. When Cuba opens back up, it will shoot to the top of my list.

If there’s somewhere you really want to go, or something you really want to see, ignore all of my advice and go see it. You never know when:

• Your favorite church might burn down in a freak electrical (or cigarette) spark fire
• A hurricane or wildfire destroys part of a National Park you’ve always wanted to see
• The US elects a new President and somewhere we could visit suddenly we can’t

For your first trip I suggest you stay on your own continent, close to your own time zone . . . no jet lag!

Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean, we’re coming for you!

Mexico

Forget what you hear on the news. Mexico is an exciting destination to visit and your travels are incomplete if you haven’t been. I’ve visited:

• Tijuana
• Cabo San Lucas
• Mazatlan
• Puerto Vallarta
• Guadalajara
• Guanajuato
• Mexico City
• Monterrey
• Leon
• Cozumel
• Cancun
• Progreso
• Juarez
• Costa Maya
• Playa del Carmen
• Ensenada
• San Sebastian
• Tulum Ruins
• Chichen Itza Ruins
• Teotihuacan Ruins
• Acapulco (only on a turn but I got off the plane and took a picture so it counts!)

Are there dangerous parts in Mexico? Of course, but that shouldn’t stop you from traveling there. Always check the State Department before booking to check CURRENT warnings.

There are plenty of dangerous places in the United States, but that doesn’t keep you from living here.

Here’s My Rule of Thumb: Don’t go to stupid places at stupid times, regardless of where you are in the world.

A Short Story

I was once escorted out of the most amazing cemetery in New Orleans by a stern police officer because, as he stated, “This isn’t a safe place for a girl to be wandering around alone.”

Does that make all of New Orleans unsafe?

Absolutely not. 

Mexico is Fabulous

If you haven’t narrowed down exactly where your first International trip will be and Mexico is on your list, I have some suggestions.

My first international destination was Mazatlan, which is a fun and exciting place to visit.

However I’d recommend Puerto Vallarta as your first Mexican stop.

Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta is beautiful. Getting around is cheap. The locals are friendly and everything you’ll want to see, do or eat is relatively close.

Puerto Vallarta retains its authentic Mexican charm but has everything you need for a week of fun. If you like:

• Mountains
• Oceans
• Scenic strolls along the shore (a mile long paved walkway called the Malecon)
• Water sports
• Sun bathing
• Hiking
• Art
• Botanical Gardens
• Shopping
• VIP movie theaters
• Affordable massages
• Fresh juice
• Amazing tacos (and great food in general, PVR has become a world class food destination)
• Ice cream and Mexican treats

Puerto Vallarta offers all of this to you, and more, and in a very secluded, safe environment.

Other Great Mexico Spots

Most people I know prefer vacationing in Cancun, which is also safe but very touristy . . . Cancun reminds me a bit too much of Florida.

Cabo San Lucas is another hot spot for both Americans and Canadians, but to me Cabo feels like an extension of Southern California.

Mazatlan and Cozumel are also very popular. (Cozumel is fun for a day trip, I’m not sure what you’d do there for a whole week.)

If you’re not into beaches I would recommend both Mexico City and Leon.

Mexico City has one of the best museums I’ve ever explored and one of the most amazing churches I’ve ever seen. It’s inexpensive to visit, the street food is delicious and you could easily fill up an entire week without batting an eye.

A Recommendation I Don’t Want to Make

I’m going to suggest something that I don’t really want to recommend, and I’m only going to recommend it ONCE because it goes against all of my travel beliefs. 

If you are overly anxious about leaving the country, being responsible for all of your transportation, and paranoid about the language barrier, this is the one and only trip I’ll recommend an All-Inclusive Resort.

Flying to Mexico, being ushered onto a pre-arranged shuttle that drops you off at your hotel and then locking yourself within the bounds of that resort is not an inspiring or exciting journey.

It’s also the antithesis of the type of travel I champion. 

You could literally do the same thing at your local Marriott or Hilton for a week.

However, I understand that these huge travel steps might be very difficult and overwhelming for some.

If an all-inclusive hotel in a foreign country is the only way you will actually leave the United States, do it.

Get that stamp in your passport. But please, please, please leave the resort, explore something new and eat something exciting.

Canada, eh?

Our neighbors to the north also have a lot of great destinations that are best visited in the summer and fall. I’ve been to:

• Victoria
• Vancouver
• Calgary
• Edmonton
• Saskatoon
• Winnipeg
• Toronto
• Montreal
• Quebec City
• All around the east coast of Canada . . . Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are especially enchanting. 

Take a Train Ride

One great Canadian journey would be their Trans-Country train. Schedule a two week trip for a train ride that’ll take you from one side of Canada to the other. Reviews of this trip overwhelmingly declare the scenery is out of this world.

I’d love to take this journey, it sounds like a great adventure!

Cruising Around Canada

I’ve taken a couple of cruises around the east coast of Canada in the fall. The changing leaves are spectacular and it’s a cruise I’d strongly recommend.

Caution: The Weather

That being said, the coldest place I’ve ever been is Saskatoon in February (-32F) .

The second coldest place I’ve ever been was Winnipeg in January (-31F).

Both times I literally thought I might freeze to death.

Aside from the intense cold, Canada offers almost no culture shock. If you have an affinity for fries covered in cheese and gravy and love multi-flavored donut holes (I’m talking to you, Tim Horton fans) visit Canada in the summer or early fall. You won’t regret it.

Caribbean

 The Caribbean has plenty of amazing places to explore . . . and it’s not all islands.

In addition to the well known Caribbean Islands, there are several mainland countries that have long blue Caribbean coasts. In recent memory I’ve visited:

• Puerto Rico
• Belize
• Honduras
• Columbia
• Bermuda
• Costa Rica
• Cozumel
• Curacao
• Aruba
• British Virgin Islands
• US Virgin Islands
• Panama 

The Caribbean covers a huge area and each island has its own unique culture, food and flavor.

If you’re not sure where to start I’d recommend booking a couple of different Caribbean cruises that stop at multiple islands. As you explore you’ll get a feel for each island before committing a full week to that one exotic local that speaks to you.

If you’re not a cruise person but would like to explore the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Columbia and Costa Rica could each easily fill an entire week. (I have yet to meet a person who doesn’t LOVE Costa Rica.)

Cruises

This first international trip is a great opportunity to take a cruise! Now that you have your passport, a whole world of cruising opportunities has opened up to you. You can check out this section on Cruising for more information.

Cruises From California

If you’re really not sure about cruising but live near Los Angeles, I’d recommend you book a cheap three or four-night cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada. We did this “redneck” cruise a few years ago with realistic expectations and had a great time.

This type of cruise is about as plain-vanilla of an experience as you can get. It’s a cheap and easy way to see if cruising is your thing.

There are also longer cruises that leave Los Angeles (and sometimes San Diego) that stop in Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta. We’ve taken this cruise twice in December and it’s a dream.

You unpack once and get to eat tacos in three great Mexican beach cities? Sign me up again!

I’d Pick New Orleans over Florida or Houston

Florida offers endless cruising opportunities throughout the Caribbean . . . and the southern Florida ports have cruising down to a science.

Want to be herded into your cruise ship quickly and efficiently? Head to Miami or Fort Lauderdale.

Personally I’d skip busy Florida and cruise out of New Orleans. You get to eat beignets, cruise down the mighty Mississippi and get dumped into the Gulf of Mexico. Heck yeah!

The cruises from New Orleans usually stop in Belize, Cancun, Cozumel and Costa Maya. The New Orleans cruise terminal is right downtown so it’s easy to find and surrounded by fun.

Similar cruises leave Houston/Galveston, but I love cruising the twists and turns of the Mighty Mississippi. I also prefer to visit New Orleans over Houston.

Hurricane Season

Be mindful of when you book these south-heading cruises if you’re traveling during hurricane season (July thru November). Cruises during this time of year are usually a little cheaper, but that cheap price comes with some risk.

Hurricane’s are unpredictable and hurricane season cruises can cancel, reschedule or change ports. 

Our last cruise through the Caribbean was in August and we got very lucky. The week after our cruise a hurricane blew through every island we visited. 

Canada Cruising

Cruising around eastern Canada is also a good option, especially in September and October.

Cruise lines have put together “Fall Colors Canada Cruises”. These ships leave from New York or Boston and go up around the beautiful eastern coast of Canada. These trips are either round trip or one way, usually ending in Quebec City.

We’ve rented cars at all of our port stops and explored the Canadian cities on our own. Driving in Canada is very simple and not much different than driving in the US. Canadians drive on the same side of the road and their road signs are super cute.

Other Recommendations

For your first International trip I recommend that you don’t go more than three hours outside your time zone. There’s no need for jet lag on this trip.

If you visit Canada, Mexico, most Caribbean islands or Costa Rica your culture shock should be minimal. 

If you visit Mexico you might leave with a deeper and better appreciation for our neighbors to the south, although I don’t recommend visiting most parts of Mexico during the summer unless you enjoy sweating to death. 

Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean all have a lot of world class destinations to visit, and I’m pretty sure you’ll be less culturally overwhelmed on your own continent.

In fact, it’s okay to take your travel-time and dip your toes in each of their waters before making the big jump Across the Pond. 

If you have a friend or family member who’d like to visit an international destination, but they aren’t sure where to start, I encourage you to send them this information. In fact let’s encourage everyone to step out of their comfort zone and experience new things!

Thanks for Reading

Please feel free to share your questions or comments below. If you see any typos, let me know!

I encourage you to share my tribal knowledge with someone who loves or would love to travel.

The Art of Travel (TAOT) ~ Written by Kylie, a huge thanks to Alex helping with photos.