With the holidays coming up, we know a lot of you will be traveling. The key to stress-free holiday travel is organization. Organizing yourself and your family prior to a vacation is stressful, though.
As you book:
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Think carefully about where you are staying. Is it a suitable location for you and your family? Is it safe? If you have young children, you may wish to avoid high-rise apartments, or rooms with balconies to avoid the risk of falls. For me, having a room that is lower to the ground eliminates a ton of stress and anxiety. I literally lie awake at night thinking of the dangers of balconies while traveling.
3 months before:
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Check that all your travel documentation is in order. If you need to order a new passport, do so as soon as you can to avoid problems later on (remember, you cannot fly internationally without a passport!). Be super organized and create a small folder containing all of yours (and your family’s) travel documents. Although travel insurance can be booked close to your departure date, there’s nothing wrong with ticking it off your list now and booking it in advance.
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Check whether you require any malaria tablets or vaccinations and consult your doctor; some vaccinations need to be administered a few weeks before you travel in order for them to be in your system, and others still require a booster shot at a later date in order to be completely effective.
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If you need to sort out a pet sitter, now is probably the time to do it. Make sure you are very clear about how long you are going to be away and the responsibilities looking after your pet will entail to avoid any misunderstandings. If you need to book kennels, start looking around for the best fit for your pet.
1-2 months before:
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Start getting all your things together; go through your wardrobe and work out what you can take, and what you will need to buy. Compile a shopping list and set a designated vacation shop date. Think about any over-the-counter medications you may need, as well as any adaptors you may need or items to make your accommodation safer such as safety covers for plug sockets (if you are traveling with young children).
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Begin to research your destination, its laws and its culture; how are you expected to dress during your stay? What behaviors are acceptable? What’s the country’s staple food? Will you have to remain at your resort unless accompanied by a tour guide, or will you be free to wander? Make sure you understand universal signs for safety before you travel.
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Enlist a friend or a neighbor to check on your house while you are away; ask them to move any mail or leaves that may collect by your door to dissuade potential thieves and ask them to pop in the house and put a light or TV on for a few hours to give the impression that someone is staying in the house. You can also put a hold on your mail until you return.
2 weeks before:
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Start putting everything you have been collecting into bags and suitcases. Compose a list of things you need to pack and carefully tick-off all the things you have – a last minute shopping trip might have to be arranged to grab the things you missed the first time round!
1 week before:
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Tell your neighbors you are going away.
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Inform your cell phone company and get your phone set up to facilitate calls from abroad.
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Inform your bank that you are going away to prevent your cash flow from being stopped.
The day before:
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Secure your home; check all locks, and ensure the alarm is working. Make sure your designated house sitter has all the keys he/she requires.
