Travel Planning

Tag: Passport

  • International Travel Documents: What You Need To Know

    Planning for your dream vacation can be so exciting!

    • Where you’re going to stay
    • What you’ll see
    • What shows you’ll take in
    • What amazing food you’ll try

    But, what about all your travel documents?

    Are they all in order? How to you safeguard your documents?

    Presenting – International travel documents: what you need to know

    international travel documents - Photo by Raychan on Unsplash
    international travel documents – Photo by Raychan on Unsplash

    Here’s a list of everything you need. Plus practical tips on how to keep International Travel Documents organized, safe, and accessible.

    • Your passport. This is the big one.
      • Make sure it is NOT expired, and
      • Also make sure it is MORE than six months to expiration. And don’t forget passports for your children!
    • Any visas that can acquire in advance, including those for countries you’ll only be traveling through. If you can’t get a visa in advance, bring a letter from the consulate stating that you can get your visa upon your arrival. (Example, UAE and Oman are two countries that don’t issue visas outside their countries.)
    • A copy of the picture page of your passport, and extra passport photos.   Please do email the picture page to yourselves and a family member and/or a trusted adviser.
    • Your airline miles card
    • A copy of your itinerary. If you plan your trips with me, they include my downloadable smartphone app with your itinerary and travel vouchers.
    • Originals and paper copies of your tickets (plane, train, bus, etc.)
    • Confirmation numbers (hotel reservations, car rental, etc.) and all contact info for these companies.
    • Travel insurance policy with policy number and emergency contact numbers (include a local US telephone number)
    • Guidebook for the countries you are visiting and maps of your driving route
    • Your international driver’s license if you plan to drive
    • Your US based debit card.  Ask your bank if you can use your US debit card at cash machines in the country you are visiting.  In some cases, withdrawing cash may be easier and less expensive than visiting currency exchange providers.)
    • Contact info for all the people you would want/need to contact in case of an emergency (including me!). Don’t forget the numbers of the consulates where you’ll be staying. Store all these numbers in your phone. Designate a consistent label for them (like “France 2017”) for easy access, and then you can delete them upon your return home.
    • Copies — front and back — of any credit cards you’ll be taking with you.
    • Your Yellow (Immunization) Card

    When you’ve assembled all the essential documents/copies, ensure your name appears the same on all documents. This may seem like a small thing, but it can be a big hassle during travel if your names don’t match.

    Next step to protect Your International Travel Documents

    international travel documents - Photo by Francesca Tirico on Unsplash
    international travel documents – Photo by Francesca Tirico on Unsplash

    Scan the papers and send them in an email to yourself and to your emergency contact(s).

    Also, you can carry a USB drive with encrypted copies of all these images. If the drive is stolen, no one can access the documents without the master password. You can stash this USB drive, along with some extra cash.

    Next, choose a family member or close friend who can have access to major accounts if needed. This way, you have a trustworthy contact available any time. Also, there is someone who always knows where you are.

    Store copies of your major travel documents (passports, tickets, reservations, etc.) in a waterproof plastic zip bag. Keep the bag in a separate piece of luggage from the originals. It’s stressful enough to have your passport stolen — but having it stolen from the same bag where all the copies are is even worse. When you’re out sightseeing, always carry the essential documents on your person, ideally in a wearable waterproof carrier.

    Now that you have your International Travel Documents in order, you can travel with confidence. And — bonus! — you’ll have laid the groundwork for future trips.

    To start planning your trip today, contact me by clicking here. I look forward to hearing from you!   And, don’t leave until you read about how we can plan a multi-city trip together!

  • Warning: Is Your Passport OK?

    Quick question, and a warning: is your passport OK?

    Are you planning a trip with me?  Planning elsewhere?  Either way, please check your passport NOW!  I recently had a couple greatly looking forward to a quick 4 Night escape to Bermuda.  The day prior to leaving, the husband realized that his passport was expired.  (Please carefully read my invoices for important passport/visa information.)

    Is your Passport OK
    Is your Passport OK Photo by Spencer Davis on Unsplash

    Fast forward, the Bermuda-bound (hopefully) couple wound up going to Philadelphia for a same day passport appointment.  I canceled their original flight as there was simply no way to make it.  They would up getting a one-way evening flight from New York to Bermuda on the same day as their original departure. But, our passport story does not end with the canceled outbound flight.

     

    Is your Passport OK
    Is your Passport OK Photo by Jenny Marvin on Unsplash

    By NOT showing up for the outbound flight meant that their return flight home from Bermuda would be canceled!! In general, If you miss your outbound flight, your return flights are CANCELED. We re-booked them on the SAME return-flight one-way; it was either that, or pay a “change-fee” for the privilege of staying on the same flight.

    This situation became hugely time-consuming for all parties.  While these clients had trip protection insurance, not having an up-to-day passport is not a covered reason for a claim.

    So, is your passport OK? Please check your passport as soon as possible!

    One more suggestion: you may provide me with your passport data and I’ll let you know when it will expire – in advance.  Learn more about your travel adviser HERE.

    I look forward to helping you with your next trip.

  • International Air Travel Tips and Advice

    Here are some international air travel tips and guidelines that can make the international air portion of your trip more enjoyable. Once again, thanks to Mr. Tom Ogg of the Travel Professional Community for the content of this article and his great contributions to our industry.

    Baggage claim
    Baggage claim (Photo credit: gorbould)

    Planning Your Trip:

    1. Always use a Travel Professional! If you run into problems such as a delayed or cancelled flight, overbooked hotels, medical emergency, or other situations, your travel professional can act as your backstop to make things right and get you back on track. This is just one of the reasons that using a travel professional is the way to plan international travel.
    2. Plan on arriving in your destination at least a day before you need to be there. Arriving the day you intend to begin a cruise, could get risky should your flight be delayed or cancelled.
    3. Reconfirm everything before you depart on your vacation. If you are traveling over the International Dateline, make sure that the arrival dates are correct. Ditto for overnight flights with connections.

    Packing For Your Trip:

    1. Be sure to carry your passport, medication, medical emergency data, contact information, and othercritical information with you at all times. Never pack your important documents and medication in your suitcase
    2. Pack your itinerary, travel professional’s contact information, and your contact information while traveling in each piece of luggage.  (If you have purchased Travel Guard Insurance, be sure to attach their “BAG TRACK” labels on your luggage.)
    3. Also, pack one carry-on bag with everything that is absolutely necessary to still enjoy your vacation should your luggage get delayed or lost. Pack items that are not readily available in stores at the destination and that you deem mandatory to the success of your trip.

    At The Airport:

    1. Make sure to reconfirm your flight 24-hours in advance before going to the airport.
    2. Arrive at the airport with plenty of time to relax after checking in for your flight. Allow [up to 3 hours] prior to your departure time.
    3. Upon check-in for your flight you will need

      Boarding pass
      Boarding pass (Photo credit: Simon Aughton)

       

      • Your Passport and any Visas required for your final destination in your passport
      • All necessary documents for minors traveling with you (make sure that your travel professional has all of the details so that they can advise you of exactly what you need).
      • Your flight confirmation
      • Proof of immunization (if required by the country that you are visiting)
      • Personally check in each piece of luggage with the counter agent and confirm that they are checked through to their final destination or if you have to claim them along the way and recheck them. Do not allow anyone else to check them for you.
      • Present the necessary documents for your flight(s) and reconfirm the boarding passes with the counter agent making sure that you have received all  boarding passes for your flight.
      • If you are boarding in a country outside of the United States, you will need to clear immigrations on the way to the departure gates. You will need to present your passport and boarding passes. In some countries you may be required to go through an interview with immigration officials, or if you are singled out for a secondary inspection, as well.  This is just a precaution.
      • Once you have your luggage receipts and boarding passes returned by immigration, proceed to the security check point and be prepared to present your passport, and boarding pass to be processed through the security checkpoint. Again, you may be singled out for a secondary search that may include being manually searched and your carry-ons completely inspected.
      • NEVER act in a defensive or aggressive manner during any of the above processes. NEVER joke or give any of the people in charge of the processes a reason to single you out.

    Arriving At Your Destination:

    1. Once you arrive at your destination you will be get routed into Immigration. You will need to present your passport to enter the country.
    2. You will then proceed to luggage claim where you can then claim your luggage. Make sure that your luggage has not been tampered with and if you have placed anything of value in your luggage, be sure that it is still there.
    3. You will then be required to go through customs to exit the baggage claim area. You will be provided with a customs declaration form on your flight. You will be required to submit this form to the customs official.
    4. NEVER try to take undeclared items through customs. If you are singled out for a secondary search and they are found you may be deported right then and there, or worse.

    Staying Safe:

    1. Once you enter the main terminal at your destination, do not respond to people asking if you need a taxi, transfer, tour guide or any other service. If you are being met for a transfer to your hotel, follow the instruction on your transfer voucher/documents.  NEVER respond to someone offering you a service after approaching you.
    2. LEAVE Your Expensive JEWELRY at HOME! Unless you absolutely need your jewelry for some reason essential to your trip, leave it at home.
    3. Only carry what is absolutely necessary while traveling.  Your “travel wallet” should contain a copy of your passport and driver’s license, an ATM card, your insurance information, your contact information and some cash. Most important is to carry an “In Case of Emergency Contact” card with critical contact information on it.
    4. Be aware of your surroundings at all times and remember that as a tourist, you make the most desirable target for crime that there is. By not wearing or carrying anything valuable worth stealing, you have mitigated the risk.

    Important Links for International Travelers:

    http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/survival-guide.htm – Great information on staying healthy and safe while traveling internationally.

    http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/tips_1232.html – Tips for Traveling Abroad is an excellent site for preparing for your vacation.

    http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html – This is the State Departments travel warnings site. Be sure to visit this site right before your vacation to see if anything has changed that might affect your trip.

    http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/vaccinations.htm – Center for Disease Control list of vaccinations needed by country.

    http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list.htm – Detailed information regarding health and disease information by country for more than 200 countries. This will help you understand what you should prepare for.

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