Travel Tips

Having done a lot of traveling  through the years, I  have developed a checklist for my pre-travel preparations. Maybe it will help you get ready for your next trip.

1. Photocopy my driver’s license, medical insurance card and credit cards.  Leave a copy at home or with a friend so that if I need any of these while traveling you can call or email the friend for a copy.
2. Make 3 -4 copies of your passport and put one in each suitcase that you are taking and also leave one at home or with a friend.  I typically scan and email one to a friend so  they can email it to me should I lose my passport while traveling.  It is easier to replace a passport if you have a copy to work from.
3. Buy a cell phone in the country in which you are traveling.  In Guatemala a cheap cell phone can be bought for about $15 which includes about 100 air minutes.  Buy more minutes as you need them.  This is a much cheaper option for calling back to the States than using your cell from home.  And you  have a cell phone with you for emergencies.
4. Before leaving on a trip, I always send myself an email with phone numbers of people at home that I might need while traveling.  I also include website passwords that I might want to access while traveling because I know I won’t be able to remember.
5. Check out travel forums,  such as Lonely Planet, for the country you are heading to so that you can get  your questions answered.  Whether you need to find opinions about a hotel or shuttle or buses,  the travel forums are great!

What are some of my must haves that I always take?

• Antibiotic- in case I get really sick
• Extra memory card for the camera– when one card has a lot of photos on it I swap it out with a new one.  Then if something happens to the camera I still have some photos on one of the cards.
• Purell
• Bible
• few plastic ziploc bags– I am always in need of a plastic bag when traveling
• small flashlight
• charger for cell phone and camera
• copies of passport
• prescriptions, vitamins, aspirin
• ginger candy mints– to quell an uneasy stomach
• Imodium
• sunscreen
• passport
• ATM Card, Credit Card
• Driver’s license
• Traveler’s checks– getting harder to find but I still like to have 2 or 3 in case I lose all my cash and bank cards.
• inflatable travel pillow– because many pillows in small hotels in Guatemala are like tree logs!
• wash cloth, fast drying travel towel

This is my list I always refer to before each trip — add to it, delete from it and make it yours.   Having a list like this reduces a lot of pre-travel stress!