MAKE two photocopies of your passport, visas, airline tickets, driving license, insurance policies and medical certificates, leave one copy with your family or friends or better still SCAN these documents and e-mail them to your own web based e-mail account so that you can access them at any time and from anywhere!
Let family or friends know of your itinerary
You must know what your health and other insurance covers you outside your country
You should have your business/work address on your luggage, not your home address
Leave a copy of the serial numbers of your travelers' checks with a friend or relative at home
Carry your copy with you in a separate place and, as you cash the checks, cross them off the list
Book accommodation before you leave, if you arrive late at night, accommodation may be difficult to find. Remember you will be most vulnerable when you arrive
Make a note of the credit limit on each credit card that you take, and avoid charging over that limit while traveling. You can be arrested abroad for innocently exceeding your credit limit. Ask your credit card company how to report the loss of your card from abroad. 1-800 numbers do not work from abroad, but your company should have a number that you can call while you are overseas
When traveling you must put a piece of paper with local and home contact details on your children
All drugs must be kept in original containers and you may be asked to show prescriptions. Failure to do this could get you in very serious trouble
Pack an extra pair of prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses and/or contact lenses, 2 passport sized photos, all prescription medicine with the instructions and dosage amounts
Take enough money for your trips with back-up funds. The money should be in the form of cash, credit cards and travelers checks. You should know how to replace your credit cards and travelers checks and note down their numbers
Take a copy of your prescriptions (must have generic name), in case you need to replace the eyeglasses or medication
Don't take anything you would hate to lose. Leave at home:
-- Valuable or expensive-looking jewelry
-- Irreplaceable family objects
-- All unnecessary credit cards
-Your Social Security card, library card, and similar items you may routinely carry in your wallet
