Travel Tips
Travel Checklist
The guiding principal is that your trip will be
easier and more pleasant if you are able to travel light. The more
intermediate steps you have and the more transfers with your luggage you
have to make, the more important this principal is. The next time you
travel, take a look at the business travelers and the airline personnel.
You will be amazed at how small their personal luggage is.
Gil's rule is "all you really need is money
and your ticket." That's an exaggeration, of course, meant to calm me
when I'm going out the door and saying "What have I forgotten!?"
But for most travel there's a lot of truth to it. You really can buy
toothpaste in California, or even in France. Of course, for foreign
travel, you also need your passport or other acceptable documentation of
citizenship. For a business trip, your first priority is to ensure that
you have everything you need for the work to be done.
On the other hand, Judy's rule is you'll be a
happier traveler if you don't leave behind the things that make your life
comfortable. That might be your walkman, the wherewithal to make coffee in
your room, a book to read, or your favorite sunglasses.
Use this checklist to help remember those things
you do want to take. You aren't supposed to take it all! It's up to you to
balance the weight and inconvenience of bulky heavy luggage with your own
comfort at having your things with you. Clearly you take different things
to go on a ski vacation than to an all-inclusive in Jamaica or a cruise.
In addition, you need more on some trips. One usually needs little
for a beach vacation. You need specialty clothes for a ski vacation, a
wide selection of clothing for most cruises, a variety of clothes in
changeable weather, and professional clothes and other materials for a
business trip.
Start packing or start making a list well ahead
of time. As you go through your daily routine, take note of what you use
and make sure that type of item is in your suitcase or cosmetic bag or on
your list.
Have you made all the travel arrangements
you need to? Have you arranged for your hotel? A rental car? If
you're planning a business trip, have you considered extending the trip
through the weekend as a short vacation? Often, if you stay over a
Saturday night, your flight is less expensive. As your travel agent, we
are happy to help you with these additional arrangements at no cost to
you.
Set aside your ticket and other necessary
documents such as a photo ID (for airport identification),
passport, and visa. You might want to consider lightening your wallet of
some of your credit cards and other materials -- not so much for
consideration of weight, but to ease your burden if you were to lose your
wallet or have it stolen. Check before you leave with your employer,
insurance agent, or credit card company to find out whether you need the
additional expensive CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) insurance. You should
carry with you important items such as important telephone numbers, your
eyeglass prescription, and any important medical information.
Obtain any cash and/or travelers checks
that you're likely to need. When traveling to a foreign country,
its best to arrive with a little local currency, especially if your
arrival time is outside of normal business hours. It is getting easier and
easier to use credit and ATM cards worldwide and you get excellent
exchange rates, but we take some traveler's checks just in case.
Choose clothes that can serve double duty
and can be mixed and matched. Ladies especially tend to feel we
need to bring lots of clothes. If you aren't seeing the same people every
day, you don't need a different outfit every day. If you are seeing
the same people every day, then your challenge is to mix and match so
they'll not notice repetitions.
On long trips, plan to wash out your
clothes. Bring some liquid detergent in a shampoo bottle for this
purpose (or in a pinch, use shampoo or bar soap). To make life easier,
choose clothes that dry easily, or, better yet, clothes that won't show
soil and are wrinkle-resistant.
For protection against the weather,
choose lightweight compressible materials. Layering can be
efficient. Bring a lightweight jacket and a sweater to wear together or a
jacket with a liner in case the weather changes. If it's likely to be
rainy, consider investing in a folding umbrella. (Of course, if you bring
it, you won't need it, and if you leave it at home, you'll end up
purchasing another because it rains all the time.)
Pack your toothbrush, toothpaste, comb
and brush, deodorant, cosmetics, medicine in a lightweight waterproof bag.
Use small convenient containers that won't leak. If you have any doubt
about leaking, pack bottles in ziplock plastic bags. Remember, the luggage
compartment is not fully pressurized and containers may leak there that
normally wouldn't. If you travel frequently, you may want to keep your
cosmetic bag packed with small containers of your necessities including
specially designed travel items such as a travel toothbrush. Ladies, if
you want to make sure you have a washcloth, take one with you (and a
plastic bag to store it in)
And don't forget your alarm clock and an
extra pair of glasses if you need them.
Be sure to take comfortable shoes.
Vacations are a good time to take those long walks you never get a chance
to take. Touring cities is no fun in uncomfortable shoes. Even on a
business trip, you may find you do a lot of city walking. And don't forget
to break in your walking shoes before you go so you know they're
comfortable.
Don't take your expensive jewelry.
Be satisfied with inexpensive costume jewelry and you'll worry less.
Lightweight accessories can add variety.
Do you really need those electrical
appliances? If you plan to take them out of the US, make sure the
voltage is 120 or you'll need a converter. The power may also be 50 cycle
rather than 60 cycle, but that doesn't matter for things like hair dryers
and shavers.
Now what about those pounds of guidebooks
that you purchased? There are several options: memorize them, take notes,
lug them all, Xerox the pages you think are important, or rip out the
pages you want to take. Don't forget your local library for travel
information!
Put an ID tag on the outside and inside
of each piece of luggage. In addition, to make sure they aren't
likely to pop open, use luggage straps, or, in a pinch, tape.
Carry medicine, cash, jewelry, business
papers, cameras, and other valuables on board with you. You are
unlikely to lose your luggage, either temporarily or permanently, but you
can minimize the impact if it does happen.
Is your baggage within your allowance?
Some flights allow a certain number of checked bags (usually two) and a
certain number of carryons. Other flights, normally non-US, specify a
maximum weight for checked baggage and may have more restrictive carryon
rules. Be careful that you note any change of rules during your trip. For
example, your transatlantic flight may go by the piece method but internal
flights within Europe may go by the weight method. Cruise lines and tour
operators may also limit the amount of luggage that they recommend.
Extras: Do you want to take an
inflatable pillow for the airplane? A portable reading light for the
hotel? Coil heater, cup, and instant coffee for the hotel room? Portable
radio? We take reading material for the flight that we leave behind when
we're finished, like magazines or cheap paperbacks.
Traveling with children? Take
along a quiet toy or a book. Its fun to follow your route on the map (on
airplanes, you should find in the pocket in front of your seat).
Consider joining the frequent flyer
program for the airline you're traveling on. Note, you can join
at the airport and get credit for that day's flight.
Give a copy of your itinerary and contact
telephone numbers to those you leave home.
If your house will be
uninhabited while you're away, you'll probably want to do some things so
it isn't an obvious target. First, have someone pick up your newspapers
and mail or have the post office hold your mail and notify the newspapers
not to deliver. Put some strategic lights on timers so the house looks
inhabited. If you have some lights on timers all the time, whether you're
home or away, the house appears much the same all the time. Don't say that
you're away in your telephone answering machine message. If you have a
security system, notify the company of your absence.
If you want to shop on your trip,
you may want to leave some space in your luggage for your souvenirs or
take along a collapsible bag. If there is good shopping at your
destination, you might plan to take less than you need and supplement your
clothes with the new ones that you purchase. This can be particularly
suitable at resorts with good shopping opportunities.
There are some additional techniques for long
trips. Some people take old clothes and leave them behind along the way.
It is also possible to mail some of your property (new or old) home. If
you're traveling a lot on a long trip, you can wear the same clothes over
and over, washing them when necessary.
After you've made your preparations and you're on
your way to the airport or heading out in your car, it's time to forget
about what you have forgotten and concentrate on the trip ahead. We hope
that your trip, whether for business or pleasure, is pleasant and
memorable, and we'll do our best to help you make it so.
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