Educate and Protect Yourself
Prepare To Travel
- Gather your Travel documents and ID – passport, vouchers, contact information, travel insurance information, international driver’s license, credit card(s), cash
- Fill prescriptions for all travelers to ensure you have enough while traveling and in case of delays returning home
- Inform your credit card company of ALL of your travel plans
- Check with your cell provider about using your cell phone in your destination
- You may want to purchase an international plan and know what it covers
- Download and become familiar with an app like WhatsApp for international and in-country calling and texting
- Pay bills that will be due while you are traveling
- Leave your itinerary with your emergency contact
- Download apps for your airlines and set up or allow alerts
- Note pre-departure check-in times for your domestic and international flights
- Contact your airlines to provide:
- Passport information as needed
- Select seats and/or pay for upgrades
- Verify your luggage meets their size restrictions
- Verify the batteries in your electronics are allowed on the flights, check here
- Reserve your airport parking spot, if necessary, or arrange your rides to and from the airport
Prepare Your Home
- Inform your home security system monitoring company of your plans
- Tell a trusted neighbor you will be away from home
- Hold your mail and/or newspaper
- Clean out your refrigerator / Eat, give away or throw out perishable food
- Secure outdoor items
- If you worry about leaving the stove on, etc., take pictures so you can check later
- Close your garage door and/or lock your house
- Day(s) Before Departure – Confirm any reservations and travel arrangements per the supplier documentation
- Day Before Departure – Check-in for your flights