Tips Before You Travel

Saturday, August 23rd, 2008

Are you going to travel for the holidays? The following are a few tips before you travel.

First, you should study about your destination. You can do this by a guide book or using the internet. It’s worth learning about the place you’re going to stay, even if you are traveling there on business. You are able to find out about leisure activities while you are there, a list of ‘must do’ or ‘must see’ items. Whenever you’re traveling outside America or Europe, it’s also worth checking out any local customs in order to make sure you don’t unexpectedly offend anyone in your destination area.

Check whether or not the country you’re visiting needs you to acquire a travel visa before you can enter the country, if you’re traveling abroad.
Take two photocopies of the page of your passport that has your photo and other personal details. Leave one copy with a trusted person at home and carry the other one separately from your passport so that if you lose your passport you can quickly get the necessary information.

Retain details of all your credit and debit cards together with their contact numbers (if you’re traveling abroad, be sure that you can actually dial the number from abroad as some phone numbers only work in your home country).

Bring more than one credit card on your trip, if possible. Credit card companies are getting increasingly worried about fraud and if they see an unusual pattern of purchases on your card they may ‘block’ it just to be on the safe side. If you expect to be making an unusual pattern of purchases, perhaps it’s worth calling your credit card company so that they are well aware of the situation.

Do not leave your luggage unattended. If you are flying, don’t make jokes with the check-in staff about drugs, bombs or any other security issue. They have to consider all such comments seriously, which could delay your flight or even prevent you from traveling.

Some US states and some countries have strict rules about carrying fruit and vegetables in. Make sure that you’re aware of these rules – even a seemingly innocent apple or banana in your lunch box could break these rules!

You must double check your packing. Although you will almost surely be able to purchase replacement items such as toothpaste or a toothbrush, it is not the best thing to be doing when you arrive at your destination. A few people find it convenient to list down their items and use this as an additional memory aid.

Bring two sets of prescription medicines that you must take and bundle them in different locations, if you use any, just in case one bag gets lost. Also bring a copy of your written prescriptions, including those for glasses and contact lenses.

Finally, bring a small carry-on bag with an extra set of clothes. If the worst should happen and your bag is lost, you’ll have a change of clothes until your bag finally arrives. Bring a two-day supply with you in the carry-on bag, if you must take daily medication.

photo credit: Stuck in Customs

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