When Traveling to a Foreign Country

What you should know

Check the airfares
Recommended Packing List
What to do when you get to Korea
What you need to know when you get there!

Although most families prefer the escort option, many have chosen to make the trip to Korea to get their children first hand. If that's for you -- you're in for the trip of a lifetime. You'll have the opportunity to see the orphanage and meet the staff where your child was first born or brought, visit with your child's foster parents, and see a few of the many beautiful sights and sounds Seoul has to offer. Here are a few sites to check out while you're making plans:

American Embassy in Seoul - There is a lot of interesting information. Make sure to check out the adoption section (See Korean language infomation at http://www.usavisas.org/
Korean Embassy The first place to go for up-to-date travel information.
Adoption Travel A good resource for general, international adoption travel-related information. There is a nice selection of links.
Don't speak Korean? Be sure to check out Travel Language. Learn the basics with audio pronunciations!

Check the airfares!

Travel to Seoul isn't cheap, especially if you get "the call" and have to make plans in a hurry. Check the fares at these sites to see what works best for you:

Pack Light for Trip

To pack light, take a carry on suit case or back pack, fill it with everything you need, then remove half of it.

1) A carry-on suit case that can double as a back pack, if needed.
2) 1 coat or parka, preferably Gore Tex. especially for winter in China or in Korea
3) 1 pair good walking shoes and keep 1 pair in the bag
4) 3 wash and wear slacks or skirts
5) 3 shirts or blouses
6) 3 pair underwear and socks (pantyhose for skirts)
7) Small bottle of Woolite
8) Zip Lock freezer bags
9) A piece of rope to hang clothes in the bathroom
10) Swiss Army Knife
11) Toilet paper
12) Toiletries in small travel sizes - shampoo, toothpaste, etc. (add a small hair dryer with the right attachment for Korean electric outlets.)
14) A brief case or some type of carry bag
15) Towel and wash cloth (1)
16) A small portable Short Wave radio from Radio Shack, when you tired of TV
13) Small Mag Lite with extra batteries
14) Extra Pair of glasses
15) A sense of humor
16) Small Korean phrase book
17) Leave the suits, shirts and ties and dry clean stuff at home, unless you been invited to have dinner with the US Ambassador at his or her residence
18) Leave your good jewelry at home.

About Laundry - Bring bottle of Woolite, put in a plastic bag, shake and rinse. In Korea, it's cheap to send out your laundry, and it's same day service. They even send back your socks and underwear ironed and folded. So you may want to take advantage!

What to do when you get there!

What you need to know when you get there!

Check out the sites. The many countries have beautiful places to visit.
Adapt to the culture. Visit the local shops and restuarants.
Visit the Korean Ties Web Page. The Ties Program helps adopting families visit their child's birth country. They help the family visit the sights, experience the culture and reconnect with significant people who aid them in the adoption process.