Florida Guide > Planning your Trip
Checklist for Travellers
I always like a list for when we’re going on holiday – hopefully you might find this useful.
At least a few weeks before you travel. . .
Passports – Make sure that you don’t need a visa and that your passport is valid for at least the duration of your trip. Some airlines will only carry you if you have 6 months remaining on your passport but this is not a requirement of US immigration. We always photocopy the details page of our passports and leave a copy at home and take a copy with us.
Insurance – Make sure you have comprehensive medical insurance – medical charges in the US are incredibly expensive.
Medicine – Make sure you have sufficient supplies of any prescription medications and also check that your medication is legal in the US. Medication that you take with you must be in the original packets.
If you have pets and use kennels be warned that during peak holiday dates they can get very booked up.
Make sure all bills are paid.
If you’re going to be leaving your home empty, then make sure you have cancelled any regular deliveries, set up time switches for lights and radios. We also always let our immediate neighbours know we’re going away and give them the telephone number of our key holder.
What to have in your hand baggage …. .
Passports
Travel documents
Car hire Voucher
Directions to your villa and details of how to gain entry as well as any other information your villa owner has given you.
Park tickets
Details of any dinner reservations
Mobile phone – remember to switch it off before you get on the plane and also before you arrive in the immigration hall.
Money and credit/debit cards – Make sure you have enough cash to cover emergencies. If you are taking travelers cheques, keep a record of the numbers and their use completely separate to the cheques. It’s a good idea to let your credit card company know that you are traveling abroad and intend to use your card, sometimes companies will block cards if they spot what they think is an unusual spending pattern.
It’s also a good idea to keep emergency phone numbers for lost cards separate to your wallet/purse.
Don’t let one person carry all the cash and cards – try and split it between your party. Use a money belt and if the home you’re staying in has a safe, use it.
Use a money belt or something similar and leave your spare money safely locked away in your villa’s safe.
Medication
If you are travelling with babies make sure you have sufficient food, milk nappies and clothes etc not only for the planned journey but also allow for delays.
Hold baggage
Make sure you have your name, address and phone number written inside your suitcases.
We always take a couple of holdalls that fit inside our suitcases so that we have plenty of room for al the goodies we bring home from Florida.
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