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Travel Tips
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Escorted Tours
Preparing For Your Trip
Packing
Airport Security
Excerpted from the
September/October, 2007 issue of EnCompass magazine.
Escorted tours have an
unflattering image for some. In large part, that image can
be traced to the 1969 film If It’s Tuesday, It Must Be
Belgium, about vacationers on a whirlwind tour of
Europe. Nearly 40 years later, a fresh look at escorted
tours is long overdue.
Myth: You’ll only get a
superficial overview of the destination.
Reality: A good tour
operator knows the destination far better than a first time
visitor possibly can, and delivers a more in-depth
experience than most people could arrange on their own. They
can arrange cultural experiences that aren’t available to
the average traveler.
Myth: There’s no free
time.
Reality: Today’s escorted
packages are moderately paced and typically feature
multiple-night stays in key locations. Most allow time to
explore on your own.
Myth: Cheap, cramped
buses.
Reality: Many modes of
transportation are used, from luxury riverboats to private
trains. If motorcoaches are used, they typically have plush
seats, video monitors, onboard washrooms and more.
Compiled from
many sources and personal experiences.
PASSPORT
If traveling outside the United
States you are required to have a passport valid for six
months after your return date. The State Department recently
reported it has worked through a massive backlog and
processing times are back to normal. Waiting period for a
standard application is six to eight weeks and three weeks
for expedited service. To apply go to a U.S. post office,
federal or state courthouse, or the State Department
Passport Agency at least six months before you plan to
travel.
GUARD YOUR PASSPORT
Don’t hand it over to
unauthorized persons or pack it in your luggage. Keep a
record of your passport number and the date and place of its
issue. Have a photocopy of the first page, plus two extra
passport sized photos packed separately from your passport.
If it’s lost or stolen, immediately notify local police and
the nearest American embassy or consulate. They will issue a
temporary passport.
CARRY COPIES OF EVERYTHING
Take two copies of all important
documents and travel aids, including your passport, tickets,
traveler’s checks, birth certificate, credit cards and
visas. Keep one with you, and store the other in a safe
place.
TAKE BACK UPS
Carry back ups of eyeglasses,
contacts, dentures and prescription medications. Ask your
doctor or pharmacist for the generic name of your
prescription. Carry a copy of the prescription for your
eyeglasses.
TRAVEL WITH YOUR MEDICAL HISTORY
If you have any special health
problems, ask your doctor to prepare your medical history
for use by another doctor if medical attention becomes
necessary while you are traveling. It should include your
name and address, Social Security number, insurance company
data, emergency contact, blood type, medical history,
current medications and dosages (generic names), list of
drug allergies, reasons for prior hospitalizations, and a
list of immunizations and dates.
SPECIAL NEEDS: NOTIFY YOUR TOUR
OPERATOR
If you have special dietary
needs or have limitations related to a physical disability,
notify your tour operator in advance. If you are diabetic,
see your physician or diabetes professional before you
travel. This is especially important if you are recently
diagnosed or if you are an infrequent traveler. You need to
plan ahead and be prepared.
BULKHEAD SEATS FOR PHYSICALLY
DISABLED
Airlines often save bulkhead
seats for the physically disabled. To request bulkhead
seating, get a letter from your physician and carry a copy
with you to present at check-in. Be aware the airline cannot
guarantee the seat assignment prior to check-in.
PACK LIGHTLY
Lay out everything you think you
will need, then take just half. Casual attire will always be
appropriate for activities included in tours I lead unless
specifically noted otherwise. Coordinate your wardrobe
around a single color so you can mix and match. Consider
doing a load of laundry midway through the tour to reduce
the amount of clothes needed. Lightweight (canvas or nylon)
luggage is the most practical.
PACK IT FULL
Filling the bag completely will
keep the contents from sliding around. Stuff socks into the
toes of your shoes. Roll up sweaters and underwear and pack
them on the bottom, followed by layers of clothing that
wrinkle more easily.
WEATHER CHANGES: BE PREPARED
Guide books and tour companies
provide accurate historical weather information for the area
you will visit. You can check travel and weather websites,
The Weather Channel and newspaper for forecasts a week prior
to departure. But you still need to anticipate the
unexpected. Use the “layering” technique. For instance, wear
a sweater on top of a shirt on top of a turtleneck, since
these can be added or removed. A collapsible umbrella and
lightweight poncho require little space and may come in
handy.
PACK SOME WITH TRAVELING
COMPANION
Pack some of your traveling
companion’s clothes in your bag, and vice versa. You’ll each
have a change of clothing if one bag is lost. You may also
want to include a change of clothes in your carry-on bag.
SPACE FOR PURCHASES
Take along a nylon or canvas bag
which can be folded or rolled until needed. An alternative
way to create space is to pack some clothes you are ready to
discard, then leave them behind as the trip progresses.
Always keep in mind weight limitations and luggage handling
restrictions.
BRING ONLY WHAT YOU WILL USE
Consider buying sample sizes of
such items as shampoo and creams. Or transfer appropriate
amounts of toiletries to smaller plastic containers. To be
safe, place liquid and cream containers in plastic bags.
Don’t rely on hotels for your only toiletries supply.
EXPENSIVE OR IRREPLACEABLE:
LEAVE IT AT HOME
Expensive jewelry and special
keepsake items that cannot be replaced should be left at
home or in safe storage. Don’t run the risk of needless
worry about where you left your grandmother’s necklace.
CLEARLY LABEL YOUR BAGGAGE
Remove old tags, and attach your
name, address and tour group on the outside and inside of
each piece of luggage. The outside tag should show only your
name and tour group; print your address on the reverse
(concealed) side. Tape your name, address and tour group in
a prominent place on the inside of each piece. Enclose a
copy of your itinerary in each bag. Your tour company will
also provide identifying tags for you.
FOLLOW A PACKING LIST
If you have a computer, make a
file of all the items you will need and print out the list
for each trip. As you pack, check the item off your list.
Click
here for a packing check
list
The Transportation Security
Administration (TSA) screens every piece of checked luggage
at U. S. commercial airports. Agents may require access to
the contents of your luggage and will break locks as
required. Unless you have TSA approved locks which agents
can open, DO NOT lock your bags when checking in for
flights.
Liquids and creams are NOT
allowed in carry-on bags. The only exception is small
containers (3 oz or less). These need to be placed in a one
quart clear plastic zip lock bag. There is a limit of one
bag per person. When you go through airport screening you
will need to remove the plastic bag from your carry-on items
and place it in a screening bin on the conveyor.
You are allowed to carry-on
reasonable amounts of medications in their original
containers. They do not need to be in a plastic bag.
There are other restrictions.
Requirements change. For suggestions from TSA, visit their
website at
www.tsa.gov.
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