Travel Preparation

Travel Preparation

There is no doubt: You are about to start a journey, one that may change the way you live and think forever. It is important to do travel preparation at home so that you can confidently step into the unknown and enjoy every second of it.

The following section will help you through doing small things at home, pre-packing, and organizing so you do not have to worry while you are gone.

PREPARING FOR TRAVEL

You will want to be as self-sufficient as possible while you are gone. This includes taking care of your own emergencies if needed.

Consider Starting a Travel Blog

A great alternative to sending mass emails is to keep a travel blog. A blog is an online journal of your experiences that others can read. They are free to start, and you will love going back and reading it yourself one day.

If you have the know-how, consider building a homepage about your travels. You can host your own blog, pictures, and whatever else you want without anyone else’s ads. Have a look at my vagabonding blog as an example. GoDaddy.com is great for cheap domain names but HostGator will give you more personalize support and hosting.

Domain names are like online real-estate — once a name is taken, it is gone. Even if you do not have plans to build a website now, you might want to consider registering your name just to hold for later; it is worth the $12 per year.

TRAVEL PREPARATION PAPERWORK

Create a folder or binder for your family, roommate, or whoever you trust to look after your business at home while you are gone. Inside, put important documents like your flight itinerary, travel insurance policy, account numbers, blank checks, etc. This will enable them to have everything in one place in case you have a request or emergency. At the very least, include a tentative list of countries you will be visiting and embassy contact info for each.

Things to put inside your travel binder

• Your flight itinerary
• Numbers for embassies for all the countries you might be visiting  (you can find them easy on thiswebsite)
• Copies of your credit cards that you are carrying, front and back
• Serial numbers for any traveler’s checks that you are carrying
• A couple of signed, blank checks for unexpected bills that come while you are away
• Your travel insurance policy and information
• A copy of your passport ID page
• Your vaccinations records
• Phone number for your usual vetrinary if you have any pets
• Any misc instructions to handle affairs while you are gone

Leave the binder at home with a VERY trustworthy person that you can contact during an emergency.

TRAVEL PREPARATION FOR YOURSELF

• Make copies of your travel insurance contact information, passport, and credit cards (front and back). Alternatively, you can take digital photos of cards and other numbers that you may need — just hide the files well in a secure place!

• Put a copy of your passport somewhere (in your backpack, etc) in case your actual passport gets lost or stolen. On the back of the copy, write the embassy phone numbers for all your destinations. Record the numbers and customer support number of any traveler’s checks that you decide to carry as well.

• Make several copies of your passport and carry them with you to give out whenever someone wants to keep your real passport for whatever reason. (i.e., guesthouses, motorbike rental agencies, etc).

• Put in a forwarding order or hold order for your mail at the post office if necessary. It may take a few days to go through, but in the U.S. they last for up to one year.

TRAVEL PREPARATION: SETTING UP FINANCES

Credit Cards

• Visa and Mastercard are more widely accepted than the other cards. Don’t plan on making this your main source of cash because many vendors will charge you a hefty commission for using plastic — if they even have the ability to accept charge cards. Plan to use your cards mainly for booking flights and emergencies. Remember: you may need the same card that you used to book your flight when you check in at the airport.

• Contact the customer support for any debit and credit cards that you intend to carry and tell them to put on record that you will be traveling abroad. This will keep them from suspending the card because they see suspicious charges popping up on the other side of the planet! Ask if there are any additional exchange fees for using them abroad.

• Ask them for international contact numbers (you may not be able to dial 1-800 numbers while overseas). If the card gets lost or stolen, you will need these to cancel it as soon as possible.

• Set up online bill paying for your cards so that you can manage your accounts online while you are gone.

• If possible, set up automatic billing for any regular monthly bills you receive. Have them billed directly to a credit card that you can manage and pay online. Not only will you accumulate points for freebies later, it eliminates the need for someone to write checks for you.

See an updated article on how to carry money while traveling.

ATM Cards

ATM/debit cards are the best way to get local currency in almost every country. You will get the current exchange rate usually with a very small currency exchange fee (such as 1%) added on. Try to take an ATM card that is not also a “check card” which allows use without a PIN number. If you choose to take one, you may be safer opening a new bank account specifically for travel that is not tied to your other accounts (opt out of overdraft protection).

Traveler’s checks

Traveler’s checks are a good option if you need to carry a large amount of backup cash, don’t have a credit card, or just want to diversify your finances a little. I found myself on an island with no cash because the network link to all the ATMs was down for three days! Traveler’s checks came to the rescue. If you decide to take them, buy larger denominations ($50) because you are charged a fee for every check that you cash. Record the serial numbers and keep them somewhere safe (e.g., in a hidden email) in case they are lost or stolen.

MAKING PHONE CALLS

You will most likely want to call home at some point to check up on things. If not just for the sound of a familiar and friendly voice, then to make sure the zombies haven’t won yet.

If done incorrectly, making international calls can get expensive. Here are some suggestions for doing it right.

• Read all about calling home from abroad.

OTHER TRAVEL PREPARATIONS

• Make arrangements to park your car long term while you are gone. If you will be gone during hot weather, it may be worth buying a sun visor to put in the window to lower the temperature inside. It is best to park the vehicle with a full tank of gas and to add fuel stabilizer (available at any auto store) to the tank if you will be gone over a month.

• Contact your auto insurance and give them a date to put your policy into “park” mode. This will greatly reduce your premiums on a vehicle that is not being driven. In some U.S. states you need to contact the local government to tell them that you will be suspending insurance on a vehicle, otherwise they may think that you are driving it without coverage.

• Contact your mobile phone carrier to see if they can put your plan into a suspended mode. If you keep the phone, be smart and don’t change your voice mail bragging that you will be “out of the country for months” — not good if you are leaving a car or place behind.

• If someone is looking after your pets, start making visits to get the animals comfortable with the new person, and the new person familiar with what makes the animals happy.

SAFETY

If you are American and happen to be traveling to a place with political unrest, a history of violence (past or recent), or just want to play it safe, go register your trip with the US State Department. It only takes a few minutes and lets them have a general idea of who they would need to evacuate if something unexpected did go down in one of the countries you were visiting.

• https://travelregistration.state.gov

Record the numbers of the embassies in different places that you are going.  Keep them someplace safe or in a hidden email deep in some folder.