International Travel Pre-Trip Checklist

​by Marcia Simon, APR, CTA

Traveling internationally? Whether it’s your first trip abroad or you’re a seasoned frequent traveler who needs a reminder checklist so you don’t forget anything, here are 10 pre-trip things to do to assure a smooth journey:

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1. Check your passport for the expiration date. You should have at least 6 months left from the date of your trip. If you need to renew your passport, do it well in advance of your next trip.
2. If you are booking a trip several months ahead of time and you have school-aged children or a frail elder parent for whom a situation may arise and cause you to cancel or interrupt your trip, consider trip insurance. It also covers lost luggage, significantly delayed flights, medical assistance, theft, and other terrible things that hopefully won’t but can happen. If you fly more than four times a year, it probably makes sense to get annual coverage, which can save you time and money. Ask your travel advisor/agent.
3. If you’re renting a car, check your home auto insurance and your credit card to see if either covers liability, theft and collision on rental cars. If you have a credit card that covers these, make sure you use that card to reserve the vehicle in order for coverage to kick in.
4. Contact your credit card company to alert them of your travel dates and the countries where you’ll be if you plan to use their credit card overseas. This way your purchases won’t get blocked as fraud.
5. Many countries do not accept foreign debit cards, but credit cards are widely used. Get a credit card that does not charge fees for international currency conversion or foreign transactions.
6. Clean out your wallet/purse/backpack of items you won’t need on vacation – checkbook, additional credit cards and other items that would be a drag to replace if your wallet or bag gets lost or stolen.
7. Call your mobile phone company to see what kind of temporary international plans the company offers for voice, text and data. Data includes sending photos back home, using GPS for directions, and Internet for social media, email and overall searches. Savvy travelers do this over Wi-Fi as much as possible, so choose hotels that have free Wi-Fi access. Pre-trip planning for mobile device usage can save you a lot of money.
8. There’s a good chance you’ll have to change the network and roaming settings on your phone BEFORE you leave your home network area. Ask your phone carrier how to do this if you’re not sure.
9. Make a copy of your passport page containing your photo ID and leave it, with a copy of your itinerary, for a family member or close friend – just in case. Take a phone photo of your passport ID page so you’ll have that in your phone image gallery should you need it. Send the image to your travel companion.
10. Wear comfortable shoes that slip on and off easily. There’s a good chance you’ll need to remove your shoes at airport security. It can also be a long walk to passport control, baggage claim and customs – and between gates if you have a connecting flight. If you have a tight connection, you may need to walk briskly. Comfort is key.

 
Marcia Simon, APR, CTA is principal of friendlygrouptravel.com and MSE Public Relations. She’s also a writer with special interest in travel, health, wellness and technology. Connect at marcia@mseusa.com, facebook.com/friendlygrouptravel or  @marciasimon on Twitter.