Whenever you travel, there are 5 things you should not leave home without! I often take these for granted because I do travel often, but last week I forgot one essential, and I saw the outcomes for other travelers that forgot (or in one case remembered!) the others.
Here are my top 5 items not to forget!
1 – Copy of your passport (or Driver’s license if domestic travel)
You should always carry a copy of your ID and keep it in a separate place from your original documentation. If you have a copy and something happens to the original (lost or stolen) you are in a much better position for a quick resolution.
Case in point, on our cruise last week a guest lost her passport in one of the towns.
Because she had a copy of her original, the concierge on the ship was able to arrange a next day appointment for her at a consulate in Germany. She took the train from the port city to Frankfurt, at her appointment she was able to obtain an emergency passport valid for travel home, and she took the train back to the port city and rejoined the cruise before dinner. If she did not have a copy, she was told it would have been a 24-48 hour process and she likely would have missed at least 1 or possibly 2 more days of the cruise.
2 – Over the counter medications.
Many countries in the world have very different rules regarding over the counter medications. For example, in many parts of Europe, it is almost impossible to purchase over the counter cold medicine or allergy medicine like we have. You won’t walk in to a store and find DayQuil, NyQuil, or whatever your favorite brand is. Typically, I am like a walking pharmaceutical chest when we travel, but this trip I forgot to pack cold medicine and guess what I needed on the last day of the trip – cold medicine!! Another example – you won’t find anti-nausea or diarrhea medication in the gift shop of a cruise ship. If you need it, but don’t have it, off to the ship’s doctor for you!
3 – Prescription Medications
I know this should be a no brainer, but trust me – it happens, and more often than you might think. If you are traveling domestically, this can be dealt with after a couple of phone calls. Internationally, it is not going to happen without a visit to a local physician or clinic.
4 – Credit Cards and Debit Cards
Always, always, always let you bank and credit card company know that you are traveling outside of the US, (or outside of your local spending area if you do not travel or use your cards often) so they do not put a fraud alert on your card and deny all activity. You should also always have a 2nd card available to use in the event a particular merchant has issues with the first card you provide. If you are going to use a debit card, make sure to talk with your local bank and find out which network of machines you need to use to access your account and withdraw local currency when traveling.
We were with a couple last week that discovered upon arrival in Europe that their debit card was not accepted because they had a 5 digit pin number and only 4 digits are accepted in Europe. They had to use a credit card and do a cash advance (and pay the astronomical fees!) to have cash as needed for tips and small purchases.
5 – Contact Information
It is always a good idea to keep a list with you (separate from your phone!!) with emergency contact information. This list should include 1 immediate family member, travel insurance policy number and contact number, your credit card numbers and their customer service numbers. Also you should always carry the hotel or ship contact information for your trip. If your phone is lost or stolen, it does no good to have these numbers just in your phone. If your credit card is lost or stolen, you will need the number to call and you will need to provide them with the lost card number so they can deactivate the card immediately. Imagine getting separated from your tour group and not being able to find your way back to your hotel or ship; if you have the name, phone number and address, any cab can get you there. Thankfully the 2 ladies that got separated last week from our group had the ship contact info and they were able to make their way back to the ship without any stress.
There you have my top 5 items not to forget on your next vacation!
Happy Travels!
Kelley