Learn the national holidays before you go - International travel tip

Before departing for a foreign country, be aware of any national holidays that will occur during your trip. Do your best to learn about even the minor ones that aren't widely known.

My husband and I nearly had our honeymoon derailed by a national holiday during our stay in French Polynesia. Most businesses were closed, including restaurants, banks and museums.

We were saved by the tourism office, which offered us a chance to spend the day learning about Tahitian culture on the grounds of a closed museum. Otherwise, we would have wasted an entire day of our trip stuck in an urban area with nothing to do.

[Photos: Flickr | Yandle]

Filed under: Arts and Culture, French Polynesia