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Home > LITS > Library Research & Collections > Research Help & Tools > Travel Resources Guide > Essential Travel Resources
Essential Travel Resources
Preparing to Travel
International Student Identity Card (ISIC): Information from the U.S. Department of State about discount cards that may be purchased for a fee. Also available at Mount Holyoke's Career Development Center.
Packing: Information from the U.S. Department of State Students Abroad and Packing Tips from the Transportation Security Administration.
Passports: Information on obtaining or renewing a passport from the U.S. Department of State, find where to get a passport with the Passport Acceptance Facility Search Page, and look at Frequently Asked Questions on Applying for U.S. Passports.
Study Abroad Student Handbook / Pre-Depature Planning: From the Center for Global Education, a handbook with traveling tips.
Visas: Find out if the country you are traveling to requires a visa by checking the Entry/Exit Requirements for your country from the U.S. Department of State's Country Specific Information.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Travel Section: Find information on registering items before you leave the U.S., clearing customs and publications, such as, the Traveler's Checklist and Know Before You Go.
In Country
Climate and Time
National Weather Service: International weather conditions for the past 24 hours from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Weather: From the U.S. Weather Channel Service with international weather updates.
World Clock Tme Zones: Current local times around the world
Sunrise and Sunset Calculator: From the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, sunrise and sunset times for over twenty international cities.
Sunrise and Sunset Times: Daily report on the sunrise and sunset times for cities around the world.
Culture
Countries and Their Cultures: an encyclopedia available to current Mount Holyoke College students, faculty, and staff. To access this resource, you must go through the library's E-Resources A-Z page and login with your MHC username and password after you select the Gale Virtual Reference Library. Then select Nation and World and Countries and Their Cultures will appear in the list.
Culture Matters: A workbook on culture from the Peace Corps.
Culture Shock: Tips on dealing with culture shock from DiversityAbroad.
Destination Guides: From OAG Travel Solutions, with information on over two hundred cities around the world with restaurants, museums, and things to do around town.
Resources for Study Abroad County and Culture Info: From the Center for Global Education, links to culture resources at the University of North Texas and the University of Northern Iowa.
What's Up with Culture: An online cultural training resource for study abroad from the University of the Pacific.
World Heritage List: See if the country you are visiting has a world heritage site; these are nominated by the World Heritage Committe for having outstanding universal value.
Language
Mount Holyoke College Resources
Yahoo Babel Fish: Translate text or a web page.
Google Language Tools: Search phrases in your own language to easily find pages in another language and translate text or a web page.
Language Learning and Information: From the Center for Global Education, links to language websites.
YourDictionary: Find information from 2,500 dictionaries and grammars in over 300 languages.
Maps
CIA World Factbook Reference Maps: Maps of the world in JPG and PDF.
Google Earth: View satellite imagery, maps, terrain, and 3D buildings with this free software.
Google Maps: Maps and directions with street views, traffic information and more.
Green Map System: Offers maps of local natural, social, and cultural resources in over 50 countries.
Microsoft Live Search Maps: Maps and directions with street views, traffic information and more.
National Geographic Map Machine: Search by country or a specific address and view satellite images or road maps.
Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection: Offers political, topographic, and thematic maps of the world (majority PDF).
United Nations Cartographic Section: Offers more than 100 general maps of countries of the world (all PDF).
* Maps may be in PDF (Portable Document Format) and will require Adobe Reader, which you may download for free.
Money
AAAdir: A directory of banks around the world with websites and phone numbers.
ATM Locator: A directory of ATM's worldwide from VISA.
FX Cheat Sheet: Travelers Currency Cheat Sheet: Create and print a currency converter table for your trip.
MasterCard Global ATM Directory: A directory of ATM's worldwide from MasterCard.
Universal Currency Converter: Provides immediate currency and foreign exchange rate calculations for every known currency (180 countries).
Travel Guides
Conde Nast Traveler: Rankings with lists and polls about various travel spots and tips and strategies for getting the most out of your trip.
Frommers Travel Guides: Research a destination and find tips and tools for planning your trip.
Let's Go: Travel guides written entirely by students and updated every year. Check the Five College Catalog for the libraries that own these guides and request them.
Lonely Planet Travel Guides and Travel Information: Travel advice, tips, and destination information.
Rough Guides: Resources on hundreds of destinations worldwide with information on everything from flights to food to accommodations and more.
Tourism Offices Worldwide: Guide to official tourist information sources: government tourism offices, convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, and similar organizations that provide free, accurate, and unbiased travel information to the public. Businesses such as travel agents, tour operators, and hotels are not included.
Ultimate Travel Library: A list of travel books organized by region from National Geographic.
WikiTravel: A Wiki for travelers with over 20,000 destination guides.
Transportation
Airport Directory: List of airport websites by country from OAG Travel Solutions.
Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT): Information for travelers about roads and risks with Road Travel Reports (note: there is a fee) and Taxi and Bus Passenger Safety Checklist and Pedestrian Safety Checklist.
Eurail: Information on traveling by train through Europe.
FAA Travelers: From the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration features airport status and delay information, preparing to fly information with baggage size requirements, safety, and frequently asked questions from passengers.
Road Safety: From the U.S. Department of State information on international road safety, including how to apply for an international driving permit.
Travel Tips & Preparations: From the U.S. Aviation Consumer Protection Division, offers information on airline consumer contacts, fly rights, and passengers with disabilities.
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