TRAVEL TIPS FOR WHEN YOU PLAN YOUR NEXT VACATION

  • Plan ahead, six months or more in advance
  • Get connected to the experienced travel professionals and agents - they know the best deals in advance and the latest travel trends
  • Pick a destination that will suit all family members' individual needs: beach destination, resort, cruise or all inclusive destinations
  • Never travel without travel insurance
  • All airlines, hotels, resorts, land transportation, car rentals, transfers, tours, driving directions, and maps are all ready with print outs handy, and at the same time - electronic copies on your mobile devices
  • Visas and passports are all arranged and are not expiring within a year (to be safe)
  • Cash, money exchange funds, ATM access, and credit cards that have zero foreign transaction fees should be ready
  • Research all the online reviews of each destination months in advance with questions and answers about overall safety
  • Light packing for every member of the family, easy to manage, easy to move around
  • Designate who will be in charge of your toddler and who will have fun each day - communication is the key to any harmonious relationships
  • Create your Itinerary (day to day activities, adventure and reservations) with the help of experienced travel professionals/your favorite travel agent to save time, money and less stress for the whole trip
  • Test all the gadgets few weeks before your travel departure: action cameras, still cameras, accessories, memory sticks, batteries and all the small stuff, to be sure that all memories and adventures will be captured and preserved safely and smoothly
  • First aid, medications, any allergy pills, your toddler's vital prescriptions, and also the other family members meds (e.g. grandma's insulin and your spouse's special needs). You are in charge of all your needy family members' checklist (pun intended again)
  • Mindset is everything! Positive attitude - be mindful and vigilant, and balance it with optimism, hands-on experience, expect the unexpected, lighten up, smile, and savor each moment! Knowledge is always powerful, study hard and travel often!!
TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
Passport

Your passport is the most important important item to remember for an international trip. Be sure to bring along your passport, which must be valid for another six months before you depart for international travel.

Visa

Travelers are required to have a visa before traveling to certain countries where visas are required for entry. Passport index provides a great exploratory visa/passport tool that can assist you in what the requirements are for traveling based on the origin of your passport. https://www.passportindex.org/

Vaccination/Health Insurance

There are some vaccine requirements and certain health precautions to be taken note of when traveling internationally. You can usually get any necessary vaccinations at your local health clinic, though specialist travel health clinics can also be found in major cities around the world.  A major part of travel insurance is health insurance. Don't assume your coverage in your home country will apply when you are traveling abroad.

Travel Documents

Ensure to pack your passport as well as your visa, boarding pass, tickets and confirmation receipts (Airline/train/boat/bus tickets, hotel booking confirmation, etc.) Travel insurance provides a cushion for trip interruption, baggage delay or trip cancellation and can help protect your travel investment should your trip get disrupted. Most of these documents can be accessed and stored on your phone. However, you can take hard copies of these as an additional safety measure.


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Foreign cash

Be sure to carry debit/credit cards. Visa is accepted in most countries. An extra wallet may also be necessary for additional cash in times of emergency. Also, foreign currency, if required.