Essential Paperwork For Your Travels

Travel should be a joyous activity, but if you don’t have some essential documents or paperwork with you it can make life difficult. So what should you take along with you, which might be a lifesaver while you’re away from home? Top of our list is a day-by-day itinerary, especially if you have a busy schedule, or you are travelling to multiple destinations using different types of transport. Be sure to include flight numbers, departure times, and reservation numbers including addresses for hotels as it will save you time overall. Also include any membership numbers for frequent flyer programs or hotel loyalty programs in case you lose your cards, or just to save time. Printing out a copy of your itinerary, as well as keeping a digital copy if possible, is very important along with copies of airline tickets, boarding passes, and details of any hotel bookings or car hire reservations. If you are travelling in a group, make sure you have copies of essentials for all parties.

Your passport should be valid for at least six months before you travel, but keep in mind that some airlines will insist on six months’ validity from the date you return home instead. In case of loss or any problems, be sure to make copies of all key pages including any visas you need for your trip, or take photos of them using a smart phone. If you take prescription medications on a regular basis, take the prescription with you as proof of medical authorisation in case your bags go missing, and because some medications are banned or restricted in certain countries. The same goes for any specialist medical equipment you may need to travel with; play safe and get a letter from your doctor confirming that you need to use it and why. And finally, it can be useful to carry emergency numbers for your bank or credit card issuer in case your cards are lost or stolen. Make sure to list the international telephone numbers, and your card numbers, for convenience.