Travel Guide - Photocopies and notable numbers
You need a trusted person at home (especially useful if you can remember their phone number!), a photocopy and scanner(optional), your passports, the emergency numbers for your ATM/Credit Cards, your travel Insurance Document and emergency numbers.
Photocopy your passport - if you're travelling with someone, get a copy with both passports on the same piece of paper. Leave a copy with your trusted friend/family at home - next, have one each in an accessible place - you will be asked to for passport details on checking into many hostels and hotels - you don't want to be rummaging around under your clothes every time - the only people that need to see your identification are border guards and police (and if you get asked by police, go to the police station with them, do not hand over passports on the street - common street scam). Finally, for extra security you can scan a copy of your passport and email it to your self, in the event of losing everything.
Copy down all the emergency telephone numbers for your credit/ATM cards onto two pieces of paper, one for your underclothes wallet, one for a trusted person at home. Also email a copy to your on-line web mail account. In the event of a robbery, it is crucial that you contact these numbers as quickly as possible to avoid being liable for any losses to your accounts.
Get two copies of your travel insurance document, one for your underclothes wallet, and one for your trusted home person.
http://www.hotelharjaspalace.com
Friday, January 23, 2009
Travel Guide - Passports and Visas
Travel Guide - Passports and Visas
There are lots of things to do before you travel - by being prepared your journey will go more smoothly, and in the event of an emergency you will have a fall-back.
Visit (links to government sites): US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland all have travel advice sites. (TBA)
Passports and Visas
For every country you want to visit - find out if you need a visa. For a list of embassy and consulate websites, visaproject.com is a site that can help you. Check it out.
Examples: European Union - citizens of member countries can travel around freely, no visas required. Americans can travel to the European Union without visas - be aware that not all of Europe is part of the European Union - Ukraine is not a member and many nationalities need a visa. Europeans need a visa for visiting Australia!
Before applying for a visa, check out your passport, how long is it valid for ? If it is not valid for more than 6 months after the expected end of your travels - get it renewed - many countries require you to have a period of validity on your passport of 6 months beyond your entry, for example Australia.
TravelTIP: Look after your passport - on the road it is one of your two most important possessions, the other being your money/atm/credit card. Do not let these get damaged or stolen. Get an under-clothes wallet, and a watertight plastic bag that is slightly larger than your passport - a zip locking freezer bag is suitable, with a piece of rigid (but thin plastic) that is the same size - place your atm card, credit card, rigid plastic and passport inside the water tight bag, and place all this in your under-clothes wallet. Keep some of your money, a photocopy of your passport in a more accessible place, as you'll be asked for your passport details quite often for administrative purposes, such as checking in to hostels and hotels - so use the photocopy instead.
http://www.hotelharjaspalace.com
There are lots of things to do before you travel - by being prepared your journey will go more smoothly, and in the event of an emergency you will have a fall-back.
Visit (links to government sites): US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland all have travel advice sites. (TBA)
Passports and Visas
For every country you want to visit - find out if you need a visa. For a list of embassy and consulate websites, visaproject.com is a site that can help you. Check it out.
Examples: European Union - citizens of member countries can travel around freely, no visas required. Americans can travel to the European Union without visas - be aware that not all of Europe is part of the European Union - Ukraine is not a member and many nationalities need a visa. Europeans need a visa for visiting Australia!
Before applying for a visa, check out your passport, how long is it valid for ? If it is not valid for more than 6 months after the expected end of your travels - get it renewed - many countries require you to have a period of validity on your passport of 6 months beyond your entry, for example Australia.
TravelTIP: Look after your passport - on the road it is one of your two most important possessions, the other being your money/atm/credit card. Do not let these get damaged or stolen. Get an under-clothes wallet, and a watertight plastic bag that is slightly larger than your passport - a zip locking freezer bag is suitable, with a piece of rigid (but thin plastic) that is the same size - place your atm card, credit card, rigid plastic and passport inside the water tight bag, and place all this in your under-clothes wallet. Keep some of your money, a photocopy of your passport in a more accessible place, as you'll be asked for your passport details quite often for administrative purposes, such as checking in to hostels and hotels - so use the photocopy instead.
http://www.hotelharjaspalace.com
Travel Guide - Money
Travel Guide - Money
Where is your money going to come from on the road? Experienced travellers usually have a variety of sources. Hard currency - US Dollars, Euros, GBP ( Pounds Sterling) in that order are the most readily exchangeable (nearer Europe swap the Euro and dollars position) - it's recommended that you have about enough cash for a week of survival (lodgings, food) in your destination. Avoid using this money - you'll lose out on exchange rates trying to get it back later.
Next - your credit card and your ATM card - make sure that they don't expire mid trip! Get replacements if this is the case. Some people recommend splitting the locations of cards between your pack and your person - the logic being - if you are robbed and your stash is discovered, then at least you'll have some money/ATM card elsewhere. I keep my cards on my person and hide some of my cash in my pack My logic is "if I'm robbed - my pack is the most likely thing that would be taken, from the top of a bus or when sleeping on a train, so why lose something as important as an ATM card ?"
http://www.hotelharjaspalace.com
Where is your money going to come from on the road? Experienced travellers usually have a variety of sources. Hard currency - US Dollars, Euros, GBP ( Pounds Sterling) in that order are the most readily exchangeable (nearer Europe swap the Euro and dollars position) - it's recommended that you have about enough cash for a week of survival (lodgings, food) in your destination. Avoid using this money - you'll lose out on exchange rates trying to get it back later.
Next - your credit card and your ATM card - make sure that they don't expire mid trip! Get replacements if this is the case. Some people recommend splitting the locations of cards between your pack and your person - the logic being - if you are robbed and your stash is discovered, then at least you'll have some money/ATM card elsewhere. I keep my cards on my person and hide some of my cash in my pack My logic is "if I'm robbed - my pack is the most likely thing that would be taken, from the top of a bus or when sleeping on a train, so why lose something as important as an ATM card ?"
http://www.hotelharjaspalace.com
Travel Guide - Medical Kit
Travel Guide - Medical Kit
Always carry a small medical kit, which should include: bandages, pain killers, antiseptic wipes, antiseptic cream, plasters, scissors, throat soothing tablets, iodine, diarrhea tablets, etc. Put this in your backpack, not your daypack (carry on luggage), when flying - to avoid problems with airport security.
http://www.hotelharjaspalace.com
Always carry a small medical kit, which should include: bandages, pain killers, antiseptic wipes, antiseptic cream, plasters, scissors, throat soothing tablets, iodine, diarrhea tablets, etc. Put this in your backpack, not your daypack (carry on luggage), when flying - to avoid problems with airport security.
http://www.hotelharjaspalace.com
Travel Guide - Medical Kit
Travel Guide - Medical Kit
Always carry a small medical kit, which should include: bandages, pain killers, antiseptic wipes, antiseptic cream, plasters, scissors, throat soothing tablets, iodine, diarrhea tablets, etc. Put this in your backpack, not your daypack (carry on luggage), when flying - to avoid problems with airport security.
http://www.hotelharjaspalace.com
Always carry a small medical kit, which should include: bandages, pain killers, antiseptic wipes, antiseptic cream, plasters, scissors, throat soothing tablets, iodine, diarrhea tablets, etc. Put this in your backpack, not your daypack (carry on luggage), when flying - to avoid problems with airport security.
http://www.hotelharjaspalace.com
Travel Guide - How to Pack
Travel Guide - How to Pack
Right, so you have all this stuff and you have to get it into this now much smaller backpack. Packing will become second nature to you after months on the road, but for now it's all new. How do you do it ?
Simple tips: keep the heavy things towards the bottom of your pack, put the lighter stuff and things you'll need soonest nearer the top, not forgetting to make guide books easily accessible.
http://www.hotelharjaspalace.com
Right, so you have all this stuff and you have to get it into this now much smaller backpack. Packing will become second nature to you after months on the road, but for now it's all new. How do you do it ?
Simple tips: keep the heavy things towards the bottom of your pack, put the lighter stuff and things you'll need soonest nearer the top, not forgetting to make guide books easily accessible.
http://www.hotelharjaspalace.com
Travel Guide - How to Pack
Travel Guide - How to Pack
Right, so you have all this stuff and you have to get it into this now much smaller backpack. Packing will become second nature to you after months on the road, but for now it's all new. How do you do it ?
Simple tips: keep the heavy things towards the bottom of your pack, put the lighter stuff and things you'll need soonest nearer the top, not forgetting to make guide books easily accessible.
http://www.hotelharjaspalace.com
Right, so you have all this stuff and you have to get it into this now much smaller backpack. Packing will become second nature to you after months on the road, but for now it's all new. How do you do it ?
Simple tips: keep the heavy things towards the bottom of your pack, put the lighter stuff and things you'll need soonest nearer the top, not forgetting to make guide books easily accessible.
http://www.hotelharjaspalace.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)