Leave a Detailed Itinerary

Give a friend or relative your travel schedule. Include names, addresses, and telephone numbers of persons and places to be visited; your passport number and the date and place it was issued; and credit card, traveler’s check, and airline ticket numbers.

Keep a copy of this information for yourself in a separate place from your purse or wallet. If you change your travel plans—for example, if you miss your return flight or extend your trip—be sure to notify relatives or friends at home.

Don’t Over Program

Allow time to relax and really enjoy yourself. Even if this is your once-in-a-lifetime trip, don’t feel you have to fill every available minute.

What to Pack

Carefully consider the clothing you take. Don’t pack more than you need and end up lugging around heavy suitcases. Wash-and-wear clothing and sturdy walking shoes are good ideas. Consider the climate and season where you'll be visiting and bring an extra outfit for unexpectedly warm or cool weather. A sweater or shawl is always useful for cooler evenings and air-conditioned planes and hotels. Dress conservatively—a wardrobe that is flashy or too casual may attract the attention of thieves or con artists.

Include a change of clothing in your carry-on luggage. Otherwise, if your bags are lost, you could be wearing the same clothes you were traveling in during the entire time it takes to locate your luggage—an average of 72 hours.

Do not pack anything that you would hate to lose such as valuable jewelry, family photographs, or objects of sentimental value.

Trip Insurance

One sure way to ruin a vacation is to lose money because an emergency forces you to postpone or cancel your trip. Except for tickets on regularly scheduled airlines, almost any travel package you purchase will have a penalty for cancellation and some companies will give no refund at all. Regularly scheduled airlines usually give a refund if an illness or death in the family forces you to cancel. Airlines require a note from the doctor or a death certificate. Take careful note of the cancellation penalty for any other large travel purchase you make, such as a tour package, charter flight, or cruise. Unless you can afford to lose the purchase amount, protect yourself by buying trip insurance.

If you invest in trip insurance, make sure your policy covers all reasonable possibilities for having to cancel. For instance, if an emergency with a family member would force you to cancel, insure against that as well.

Some trip insurance policies will give a refund if the company goes out of business or otherwise does not make good on its offering. The best insurance against company default is to choose a reputable company that guarantees a refund if they do not provide the services procured.

However, if you are tempted to purchase a tour at a great bargain price and you can’t find a guarantee of delivery in the fine print, protect yourself by purchasing trip insurance that covers company default.

Shop around for the trip insurance policy that offers the most benefits. Some credit card and traveler’s check companies offer travel protection packages for an additional fee. Benefits may even include accident and illness coverage while traveling.

Medication

If you require medication, bring an ample supply in its original containers. Don’t use pill cases. Bring along copies of your prescriptions and, if possible, carry a letter from your physician explaining your need for the medication. As an extra precaution, carry the generic names of your medications with you.

If you wear eyeglasses, take an extra pair with you. Pack medicines and extra eyeglasses in your hand luggage so they will be available in case your checked luggage is lost. To be extra secure, pack a backup supply of medicines and an additional pair of eyeglasses in your checked luggage.

If you have allergies, reactions to certain medications, foods, or insect bites, or other unique medical problems, consider wearing a “medical alert” bracelet. You may also wish to carry a letter from your physician explaining required treatment should you become ill.

Flying

To avoid the chances of developing a blood clot or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) during a long flight, try, if possible, to exercise during the flight to keep blood flowing to the heart. Another way to help move blood to the heart is to wear compression stockings, which put gentle pressure on the leg muscles. Studies in healthy people have shown that wearing compression stockings minimizes the risk of developing DVT after long flights. These stockings are available at medical supply stores. For information about DVT, please check the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services web site..

Information courtesy U.S. Department of State