Trips for before you travel

DAYDREAM ACHIEVER

Zac Wilson is a Certified Travel Advisor, ASTA Verified Travel Advisor, CLIA Master Cruise Counselor, and owner of Daydream Vacations Travel Agency in Granbury. www.DaydreamVacations.com

Here are 10 Travel Tips to help you prepare for your vacation. No one likes last-minute surprises, especially surprises that could ruin your vacation. These Before You Travel Tips will help bring you peace of mind before and during your trip.

PET BOARDING

As soon as you book your trip, arrange your pet boarding. During peak travel season, many pet boarding facilities will sell out. Making reservations is a must-do for your upcoming trip. Your pet will need to be up to date on their vaccinations and have a good bill of health from your veterinarian. Be sure to provide enough food when you drop them off for their stay.

TURN OFF WATER MAIN

If you travel in the winter, you could come home to a broken pipe. If your water main is not turned off at the street, you will arrive to a flooded house. The water main also helps against hot water heater failure and neighborhood water issues.

CHANGE THERMOSTAT

Most thermostats have a vacation mode. Save money by reducing your heating and cooling while you're away.

HOLD MAIL

A mailbox overflowing with mail is a signal to thieves that you’re not home. Also, important bills can become lost or damaged by wind and rain with an overfilled mailbox.

THROW AWAY FOOD

Check your refrigerator for food that will spoil while you’re away. Avoid coming home to a smelly, moldy refrigerator.\

USING CELL PHONE ABROAD

Call your phone company and find out how to use your phone while you’re abroad. I use Verizon, and they have a plan called the Travel Pass that allows me to use my phone as normal while traveling.

EXCHANGE CURRENCY

I learned this one the hard way. I waited until the week of my trip to exchange currency. I discovered my bank requires three weeks to provide euros for dollars. So, I traveled to Budapest with dollars. When I arrived, there were plenty of exchange locations, but they all charged high fees. Worse than that, they charged me twice! They are required to exchange the dollars to the local currency, and then the local currency to euros.

PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION

Make sure you have more than enough of your prescription medications for your trip. Also, I recommend traveling with copies of your prescription orders for refills. It’s recommended to travel with your pills in their original bottles with pharmacy labels to avoid issues at TSA and Customs.

CHECK YOUR PASSPORTS

Confirm your passports are valid. Your expiration date must be at least 6 months after your planned return for most countries. Also, any damage can invalidate your passport. Don’t forget your passports!

TRAVEL INSURANCE

The two reasons I recommend travel insurance are Medical Coverage and Emergency Evacuation. Your regular health insurance may not cover you in foreign countries. Additional coverage is helpful. Emergency Evacuation coverage is important! For example, if you are visiting Skagway, Alaska, during your Alaskan Cruise and you need to go to a hospital, you will need to fly to the hospital by float plane or helicopter. These flights can cost $50,000 to $70,000. It’s better if insurance pays that bill.

Zac@DaydreamVacations.com | 817-559-7150