Grand Explorations Travel
  • Home
  • About
  • Travel Services
    • Travel With Me >
      • Antarctica 2023
  • Blog
  • Contact

International Travel Documents - What to Bring and How to Keep Them Safe

3/15/2018

0 Comments

 
Planning for your dream vacation can be so exciting — where you’re going to stay, what you’ll see, the shows you’ll take in, all the amazing food you’ll eat. 
 
But what about all your travel documents? Are they all in order?
Picture
Here’s a list of everything you need, plus practical tips on how to keep everything organized, safe, and accessible.
  • Your passport. This is the big one. Make sure it hasn't expired and is within six months of being expired. And don’t forget passports for your kid(s)!
  • Any visas that can be acquired in advance, including those for countries you’ll only be traveling through. If you can’t get a visa in advance, bring the letter from the consulate stating that your visa will be granted upon your arrival (the UAE and Oman are two countries that don’t issue visas outside their countries, for example).
  • A copy of the picture page of your passport, and extra passport photos.
Picture
  • Your airline miles card
  • A copy of your itinerary
  • Originals and paper copies of your tickets (plane, train, bus, etc.) and confirmation numbers (hotel reservations, car rental, etc.) and all contact info for these companies.
  • Travel insurance card and accompanying information
  • Guidebook for the countries you are visiting and maps of your driving route — plus discreet city maps if you’ll be exploring a new city
Picture
  • Your international driver’s license if you plan to drive
  • If you use traveler’s checks, bring a copy of your check register. (Tip: 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 cashing traveler’s checks.)
  • 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. All these numbers can be stored in your phone, as well — simply designate a consistent label for them (like “France 2017”) for easy access, and they can be easily deleted when your trip is done.
  • Copies — front and back — of any credit cards you’ll be taking with you.
  • Your Yellow (Immunization) Card
Picture
When you’ve assembled all the essential documents/copies, the first thing you should do is check to make sure 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, scan the papers and send them in an email to yourself and to your emergency contact(s).

In addition, you can carry a USB card with encrypted copies of all these images — so even if it gets stolen, no one could access the documents without the master password. You can keep this USB card in a tiny, discreet pocket, along with some extra cash — an absolute last resort in the extremely rare event that you lose everything.
 
Choose a family member or close friend who will be your representative while you’re away and who can have access to major accounts if needed. This way, you have a trustworthy contact available any time, and 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 and 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 waterproof carrier that can be worn under your clothing.
 
Once you get all this info in order, you can travel with confidence, knowing you’re covered in the event of the unexpected. 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!
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    January 2023
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    August 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    September 2015

    Categories

    All
    All Inclusive
    All-Inclusive
    Bucket List
    Client Of The Month
    Dublin
    Florence
    Florida
    Food
    France
    G Adventures
    Galapagos
    Grenada
    Guest Post
    Honeymoon
    Hosted Trip
    Hurricane Matthew
    Iceland
    Ireland
    Italy
    Jamaica
    Mexico
    Misc
    Montego Bay
    Morocco
    Paris
    Q&A
    Reviews
    Riviera Maya
    Sandals Regency La Toc
    Sandals Resorts
    Spain
    Sri Lanka
    St Lucia
    Travel Tips
    Video

    RSS Feed

      Let's keep in touch!

    Subscribe to Newsletter
    Tweets by @grandexplor
CALIFORNIA SELLER OF TRAVEL #2132575-40, FLORIDA SELLER OF TRAVEL REF NO. ST42071
GRAND EXPLORATIONS, LLC  IS AN INDEPENDENT AFFILIATE OF GIFTED TRAVEL NETWORK, ​A VIRTUOSO® MEMBER AGENCY
Picture
Picture
Picture
Photo used under Creative Commons from Patty Mooney
  • Home
  • About
  • Travel Services
    • Travel With Me >
      • Antarctica 2023
  • Blog
  • Contact