Archive | CHECKLISTS

This post is part 1 of a Travel Checklist series.

You know it, I know it, we all know it: if we don’t follow a travel checklist we’re going to forget something we need to do before that big trip. It doesn’t matter how many times we’ve traveled in the past, how seasoned of traveler we mght be, we are human (and prone to error). Here’s my travel checklist for what to do before you go.

TRAVEL CHECKLIST: 11 MONTHS OUT

□   Book international flights, if using frequent flyer miles

• Award seats typically become available 331 days out
• Remember that most awards programs allow open jaw travel (fly from Point A to Point B to Point C)
• □   Claim your seat, if allowed
  • Check-out best seats on Seatguru
  • If seats are not yet allowed, set-up a tickler for yourself for when they become available

TRAVEL CHECKLIST: 6 TO 11 MONTHS OUT

□   Book international flights if not using miles

• The Frugal Travel Guy provides good instructions on how to find the best fare

□   Book hotels. The best ones fill-up quickly

TRAVEL CHECKLIST: 2 TO 6 MONTHS OUT

□   Order your passport and visa, if necessary

• Go to the U.S. Department of State website for instructions on obtaining a passport, and for a summary of visa requirements by country. While there check the safety warnings (which tend to be much more dire than reality)
• Check the pages in your passport: do you have enough blank ones for plenty of stamps and visas?
• Make sure you have at least two passport photos if you obtain a visa upon arrival

□    Obtain vaccinations and medications (some vaccinations are administered in a series and must be initiated months in advance)

• Go to the Centers for Disease Control website for vaccination and medication recommendations and requirements by country
• Consult with a travel clinic. Go to the Centers for Disease Control website for a list of travel clinics, by state
• Begin vaccination schedule, if applicable

□   Purchase trip insurance, if appropriate

• First contact your insurance provider to determine your existing insurance coverage
• Go to Rick Steve’s website for an overview on travel insurance
• Go to Insure My Trip for a comparison of travel insurance policies, and to request an insurance quote

□   Book your in-country/in-continent destination-to-destination flights

□   Book a driver, if appropriate

□   Schedule your petsitter or nanny (their schedule may fill-up quickly during holidays)

□   Request certificates for hotels booked with points, if necessary (this practice is becoming less common)

This post is part 1 of a  Travel Checklist series.

This post is part 2 of a Travel Checklist series.

TRAVEL CHECKLIST: ONE MONTH OUT

□   Order a hard copy map of your destination at Amazon

□    Confirm flight, ground transportation, accommodation and restaurant reservations

• Print a copy of your confirmations for your carry-on
• If you’ve booked through a travel consolidator, verify your reservation directly with your hotel

TRAVEL CHECKLIST: ONE WEEK OUT

□     Scan your vital passport pages and email the file to yourself and one or two contacts. Print a copy to store in your checked bag

□    Organize your itinerary; email the document to yourself and one or two contacts. It should include:

• Airlines, flight numbers, flight arrival and departure numbers, flight confirmation numbers
• Hotels; arrival and departure dates; addresses, fax numbers, telephone numbers, and email addresses; confirmation numbers; deposits paid and balances due
• Other reservations: destination-to-destination travel arrangements, restaurant reservations, etc.
• Miscellaneous destination-specific research notes (tipping guidelines, recommended restaurants, public transportation instructions, etc.)

□    Notify your credit card companies that you will be traveling to a foreign country

• Two credit cards for the trip should be sufficient (or one credit card and one bank card)
• Safekeep your credit card information (account number and international customer service telephone number) in case your cards or lost or stolen. I save my information in a password-protected app on my iPhone. An alternative is to email the information to yourself

□    Withdraw cash

• I typically withdraw enough cash to last me the trip, so as to avoid hefty credit card cash advance interest and/or fees. I keep the money in an envelope in a hidden compartment in my carry-on bag, which I lock

□    Confirm arrangements with petsitters, nannies, housesitters, post offices, newspaper delivery, etc.

□    Obtain an international driver’s license if you will be renting a car abroad (go to the American Automobile Association for a list of locations to obtain a license). (By the way, you still need to bring your state-issued driver’s license)

□    Register your trip with the U.S. Department of State Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. Recording information on your trip allows the Department of State to assist you in case of an emergency.

□    Plot places that you want to visit (stores, restaurants, museums, etc.) on your hard-copy map

□    Buy evacuation insurance if you are staying in a third-wordl country. I buy mine through Medex

□   Determine your communication strategy. Do you need to buy a SIM card? Does your current service offer international service? Do you have a Skype account? Do you need to add credits to your Skype account?

This post is part 2 of a Travel Checklist series.

This post is part 3 of a Travel Checklist series.

TRAVEL CHECKLIST: TWO NIGHTS OUT

□    Pack

• Go to The Weather Channel for a 10-day forecast
• Don’t wait until the last minute and pack under pressure: allow your subconscious a few days to mull over your choices: you’ll add and remove items, and chances are you’ll pack more appropriately than if you had procrastinated

□    Notify trusted neighbors of your trip

□   Download plenty of podcasts, books, movies and songs

□    Get a manicure, pedicure, wax, etc. Throw a condom into your bag. Who knows who you’re going to meet on this trip?

□    Begin Malarone, if you’ll be entering a mosquito zone in two days

□    Prepare at work

• Save an out-of-office message on your voicemail and email a half-day or day before you leave: You can still reply to important requests, but you’re off-the-hook for having to address non-emergency issues
• Identify someone (with that person’s permission) as your emergency back-up. List that person as your emergency back-up on your out-of-office email message; mention that person on your voicemail message
• Be caught-up on your workload so that you have the entire day prior to your trip to handle emergencies

□    Take a laxative. Exotic food, foreign surroundings, time zone changes, and unfamiliar micro-organisms can wreak havoc on your gastrointestinal system: might as well anticipate it and act prophylactically

□    Familiarize yourself with the currency conversion and tipping etiquette in your destination country

TRAVEL CHECKLIST: ONE NIGHT OUT

□    Double-check what you’ve packed against your packing checklist

□    Call your airlines (or look them up online) to confirm the status of your flight(s) and know your departure terminal. If you can only book your seat 24 hours out, claim your seat

□    Order a taxi to the airport, if appropriate

• Give the company an address near your house: do not give them your address (thereby notifying strangers of a vacant house)

□    Remove and secure unnecessary items (excess credit cards, bank cards, etc.) from your wallet

□    Lock-up valuables (jewelry, credit cards, checkbooks, etc.) if people will enter your premises while you are away

□    Charge your electronics

□    Water plants, fill pet food and water bowls

□    Tag your luggage

• Your address should not be visible as you announce to other travelers that your house is vacant

□    Set your alarm. Double-check it

□    Leave out instructions and payment for petsitters, housesitters, squatters

TRAVEL CHECKLIST: DAY OF TRAVEL

□   Make mental notes when you turn off your appliances and lock your doors so you don’t drive yourself crazy wondering if you did it later

□   Adjust your thermostat

□   Close blinds, shades, etc.

□   Keep your keys in your carry-on!

HAVE A FABULOUS TRIP!

This post is part 3 of a Travel Checklist series.

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