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Planning A Trip How To Plan For The Unexpected
ave you ever taken a trip that.
where it seemed that
everything went wrong? What 1. Start planning your trip
should have been a care free, early. Four to six weeks before
relaxing vacation or an efficient you depart is not too early to
business trip quickly turns into start planning. If you are
a stress-filled nightmare. No one purchasing a comprehensive or
likes to dwell on the negative, all-inclusive package, make sure
but the old saying "hope for the you research the agency you are
best, and plan for the worst" has dealing with. Some offer packages
a lot of truth to it. Many things that guarantee no surprise
can go wrong and planning ahead up-charges or add-ons. If you
will help you avoid unwanted don't understand their policies
drama, stress and hassles. Travel or package rates, make them
delays or accidents, hidden fees explain it to you until you do
and costs, lost or delayed understand it. Asking the right
luggage, medical or dental questions beforehand can
emergencies, travel accidents, eliminate disappointment over
rental car damage, potential unrealized expectations. Know
terrorist attack alerts, what you are getting for your
emergency assistance problems, money. Never assume that what you
identity theft and more are think you are hearing is factual
common problems that can, and until it is fully explained and
most likely, will occur on some you see it guaranteed in writing.
occasion during trip taking. In If you are planning a business
hindsight could most of the trip on short notice, use an
hassles on that trip have been agency that you trust, or one
prevented or made more bearable that you consider reputable. If
by planning for the unexpected? short notice trips are normal for
Here are some tips for doing just you, or if you know that travel
could be required on short notice and fully aware of what is
due to an emergency situation, available. In the information
keep a bag packed in your closet age, there are huge amounts of
with the things you consider travel information available on
basic necessities. Include at the World Wide Web. Tickets, and
least one complete change of even permits, in some cases, can
clothes, and necessary be printed on your home computer
toiletries. Also include a small printer from the Internet. Rental
amount of your regular car reservations, hotel
medication, if applicable, and reservations are made easy for
important account numbers and convenient prices and quality
phone numbers. If packing space comparisons on-line.
is at a premium, purchase sample
size toiletries to keep in your 3. Plan for the unexpected:
"short notice" bag. Make sure it Troubles can occur when you least
is of carry-on size for airline anticipate them, so take along
travel. This will take some some peace of mind and protect
stress off in the event that your trip investment by
plans must be made quickly. If purchasing travel insurance. Make
your luggage is lost or delayed, sure the travel insurance you
you will be glad you took the purchase covers job loss or
time to pack your carry-on bag in transfers, uninhabitable
this manner. accommodations, emergency
assistance, travel accidents,
2. Research your trip thoroughly. delays, lost or delayed luggage,
The Internet is a good choice for weather-affected cancellation,
doing this. To get the best deals medical and dental expenses,
and the best accommodations to terrorism, and identity theft. In
suit your preferences, there is addition, plans should offer
no substitute for being informed flexible coverage periods for
pre-existing medical conditions. reservation, prescriptions and
Choose a company that answers all any other important
calls with a live person, not an documentation. Include any
automated attendant. Confirm all emergency phone numbers to call
your purchases and reservations if any of these items are lost or
at a later time either on the Web stolen. Put a copy of this list
or by phone to ensure no glitches in your carry-on, and carry the
have occurred. other one on your person. Have
someone you trust watch your home
4. Make sure you will have all or apartment, or house-sit while
the arrangements and paperwork you are away. Think about the
you'll need- airline tickets, things that need to be done in
passports, visas, maps, rental your absence- watching and
car and hotel reservations, feeding your pets, watering your
permits as well as health and plants, etc. If you don't have a
travel insurance documentation. house/pet-sitter, have a light
Some travel insurance companies left on inside your residence so
like ours provide a confirmation it would appear that someone is
letter and "traveler hotline home at night. If you have
cards" to policy holders with someone checking up on things
critical phone numbers and periodically, have them rotate
contact information. Carry enough the lighting and retrieve your
cash for emergencies, phone calls mail and your newspapers. Another
or unexpected fees. Don't carry option to this is to have your
large amounts of cash. Traveler's newspaper and mail delivery
checks and credit cards are a temporarily suspended. You can
better alternative. Make a list also put your lighting on
of all the pertinent numbers of inexpensive timers, which can
your credit card, driver's closely imitate your normal
license, visas, passport, ticket, lighting routines.
do not report in by a certain
5. Write out an itinerary- before time. This can be especially
you head out the door, give important when traveling in
someone you know and trust a high-risk areas of the world, or
written copy of your trip plans. even anywhere outside the United
This should include: Your States. In some cases, if you
estimated time of departure, mode have a pet and choose to hire a
of transportation (flight numbers reputable pet-sitter or
and/or make, model and license house-sitter, this can be your
plate numbers), the names, contact person.
addresses and phone numbers
(especially cell phone numbers) In short, the quality of your
of all group members traveling, trip depends largely on proper
any relevant medical conditions planning for the unexpected. Most
that may affect you or your of us like to think that things
travelling companions. Also will come off without a hitch,
include your travel insurance but the truth is that even with
policy names, numbers and the best of planning, things can,
beneficiary information, your and will go wrong from time to
hotels' phone number and address time. Planning early, thorough
and expected time of arrival, research, double checking
time of return, and all pertinent arrangements, coverage and
return travel information. Make documentation, and writing out an
arrangements to contact the itinerary may not completely
person holding your itinerary at dispel unexpected problems, but
specific intervals during the it does produce a peace of mind
trip, and then again when your and assurance knowing that there
trip is over. Agree with your is a plan in place to deal with
contact person on a procedure for the unexpected if it does come
contacting the authorities if you about.
About the Author:
This article was written by Rita R. Powers with support from CSA Travel Protection, providers of Travel Insurance and travel assistance services. For information on how travel insurance can add to your travel experience, please visit http://www.csatravelprotection.com. Any reproductions of this article must provide a link back to CSA Travel Protect
Source: www.isnare.com
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