Organising Your Trip--Booking Flights and Hotels
Packing and Luggage Essentials, Passports, Visas and Travel Docs
• Luggage Essentials
• Passports, Visas And Travel Documents
• About Medications
• Bring Your Own Pillow!
• Lighten Up Your Load When You Get Into The US
• 411 For Directory Assitance, 911 For Emergencies By 3-1-1 For Carry On
• Adapt Or Convert-The Power Choice Is Crucial
• Don't Blow It Or Leak It-Zip It!
• Pack A Portable Gym In A Pocket
Checking In, Changing Flights and Getting Bumped
WiFi and Cell Phones and Technology
Transport, Rental Cars, Exploring Your Destination & Food Tips
First, make a list of things you need to take with you-it's organised and once done, can also serve as a way to make an insurance claim if you lose it all! Add to the list as you go. You will probably need to halve it and then halve it again to keep the weight down. The list can also serve as a record of contents if you have to file an insurance report for lost or damaged property.
To prevent leaks and damage, use a variety of Ziplock bags to encase any items that can leak like shampoo, toothpaste, liquids, cremes, deodorant or cosmetics. Wrap smaller items in individual bags and seal them inside larger ones for extra protection. We use small leftover bags for foreign coins too.
Our advice is never to have cash, jewelry, expensive electronics, cameras, fragile items, vital medicines or irreplaceable relics as airlines do not cover loss or damage without a massive amount of paperwork or denial. Carry them on board if possible. One other hot tip is if you are travelling with someone else, have a change of clothes in each other's suitcase in case one gets lost.
Make sure your luggage is not locked when checking it as the US as TSA security people will break locks to inspect bags on connecting flights. You can get TSA approved locks if you need to.
Passports, Visas And Travel Documents
Make sure your passport has at least six months validity from the END of your trip. Be aware that depending on the country, you may need a visa to enter and rules change all the time. Going to the US for a holiday or to attend business meetings or conventions, you do not need a visa. But if you are there to work, earn money or as a band to play in front of public audiences, you absolutely must apply for the relevant US visas which are expensive, take time and lots of paperwork.
If you are flying into the US from Australia and don't require a visa, you simply fill in the green waiver form. Be aware that if you admit to having been arrested or convicted, or if it is found out that you have been without declaring it, you can be refused entry and deported. I know. I had a 37 year old arrest which popped up on the computer and it was a helluva challenge to straighten it out the week before I left.
Before leaving, you should make scans of your passport key pages, any visas in them and your airline tickets pages, driver's license & credit card fronts and backs and any insurance documents. Print them out and carry one copy in your suitcase and one in your carryon. Then make PDFs of the documents or downloadable copies and email them to yourself at a generic email account-such as Hotmail, gmail, MSNmail, etc-so that if your documents are lost or stolen, you have records of the numbers and copies available to replace them quickly. It's easy to print out clear copies from the emails at any hotel or internet cafe.
You should also have your itinerary with flight info, confirmation numbers, hotel dates, addresses and phone numbers as well as any other vital phone numbers in a file that is also printed out and emailed to yourself. I also convert that information to text and email the file to my mobile phone to store in it and load into my iPod as Notes for handy retrieval.
Since I travel with six prescription drugs and have to carry about two months worth for a 30 day trip just in case I get stuck overseas as happened with 9/11, stranded on a Hawaiian island, I carry a note from my doctor listing what medications I am on to show Customs when I come in. I generally carry them onboard or split them between luggage and carry on since they can't be replaced overseas without a prescription from a doctor over there.
They need to be in original packages, not in pill packs or little divider multi-pill devices.. I put mine inside of a Tupperware or plastic container to keep them organised and dry or protected.
If you plan to carry painkillers-like over the counter Panadiene Forte or Mersyndol which contain codeine-be aware they may be seized if you have too much. Carrying them into Turkey for example will get you arrested. Also be aware that Berocca, the fizzy high B & C vitamin used as a hangover cure is not sold in the US over the counter since it is classed as a megavitamin.
You'll sleep better--especially on the plane--as hotel rooms tend to have rubber pillows. I have two goose down pillows which compress to nothing-one for the plane and one for the suitcase-the latter handy for protecting bottles of wine or duty free. Plus it smells like home, the wife, the dogs whatever. Remember to put on loud coloured pillowcases so you won't forget them when you're rushing out of your hotel room. And perhaps use a permanent texta to put your name and address or contact number on the pillow itself.
Lighten Up Your Load When You Get Into The US
If you are flying into Los Angeles or New York let's say, or any other city, and plan to spend some time travelling but would prefer to offload some luggage and have it shipped to another destination, us Fed Ex Ground for this. I routinely fly to LAX and allow myself a couple of weeks before I have to be t a convention in Austin each year so the material that need to go there I simply have in one suitcase which I carry to the nearby Fed Ex Ground facility to be weighed, taped and shipped to my destination hotel. It usually takes three or four days anywhere in the US and is surprisingly cheap. If you make arrangements with your hotel to store it for your arrival, you can track the shipment online to determine its progress.
411 For Directory Assitance, 911 For Emergencies By 3-1-1 For Carry On
There is still confusion as rules change over what sort of liquids, cosmetics, lipsticks or other items are allowed in hand luggage. The 3-1-1 formula is the TSA security rule in the US and many other countries. You are only allowed liquids in 3 oz containers (just under 100 ml) that can fit in quart (about a liter) clear plastic zip lock bag with one bag per flier) This means that larger containers of fluids such as moisturisers, perfumes, wine, alcohol or other beverages, toothpaste and other liquids or pastes will have to be dumped, delaying the traveller and those behind them. This also means that they must be zip lock bags, not dark or coloured and only the size approved-i.e. not half gallon or two litre bags. If you're in doubt, put any other liquids into your suitcase and carry only what is necessary for your flight.
Adapt Or Convert-The Power Choice Is Crucial
It's usually Yanks that suffer burnout when their 110 volt appliances fry simply using an adapter to plug them into 220-240 volt power supplies when they travel overseas. They should have used a converter or a transformer that steps down power to a level that protects their appliances instead of an adapter that simply changes prongs. But what's the difference between plug adapters, plug in converters and power transformers.
Converters should only be used with 'electric' appliances such as simple motor driven, mechanical heating or other devices such as hair driers, electric toothbrushes, lamps, small fans and water boilers. Converters should only be used for three hours maximum. They are light and transistorised.
Transformers are heavier, using wound wire to step up or wown voltages and are used with 'electronic' appliances that have a chip or circuit. These inclulde CD players, shavers, battery rechargers, printers and other electronic devices. They can also be used for electrical equipment but weigh more and cost more.
Adapters do not convert electricity can be used for dual voltage (110/220-240 Volt) laptops and chargers and there are ten different configurations available. But in some cases if your hair dryer or other motor driven appliance doesn't work well on North American, Japanese, many island nations or other countries' 110 volt current, you can get a small step-up transformer to increase voltage to 220.
Anyone who has bought a 110 volt appliance overseas and blown it out when getting it back home or finding it doesn't work right due to the difference between 50 and 60 hertz supplies, knows why it pays to understand power adapters and converters. A handy site for seeing plug configurations and power variances by country is http://www.travelproducts.com/electricity_guide.htm and you may also want to consider taking a surge protector with you from home.
If you need an adapter only for foreign country to Aussie three prong, best to buy it here, at an electrical supplier or hobby store instead of overseas and it's also generally cheaper than at the airport where the adapters are always available but at a much higher price. If you need the step up transformer, you can get these at travel stores and electrical suppliers.
Don't Blow It Or Leak It-Zip It!
Taking along a variety of ziplock bags can be a lifesaver. If you are packing liquid toiletries such as shampoos, bath gels, moisturisers, etc; putting each item in it's own smaller ziplock and putting them all in a larger one gives double protection from the contents expanding and leaking over clothers or other valuables. It's a good idea to squeeze some of the air from bottles of liquids before packing to give them room to expand when the air pressure is reduced in the baggage hold at high altitudes-the same with trains or cars going through mountain areas. You can use the snack size to collect loose change from countries into one place to use on return or to keep those Euros and US shrapnel organised.
Pack A Portable Gym In A Pocket
You know you'll never go to a gym while on holiday and exercising can be a challenge. But to keep those kilos from packing on and to get your body charged, consider getting jump rope a few weeks before your trip. Get used to using it and pick up speed and endurance on it so when you are in a foreign city, you can easily have some skipping time in your room, on a hotel roof overlooking the city or a private spot in a park. Not only is it cheap, it's light, packs easily and can be used to tie up your suitcase if the lock breaks or hinges fall apart.