Practical Tips: Before you go
What do I need to do before I travel?
We all want to be safe and secure when travelling and here are a few things we have learned along the way:
Physical Health
- We walk often when touring new places and need the right shoes for the weather. I always take running shoes and closed-toed sandals.
- Book a Travel Clinic appointment for recommendations. For example, when we moved to Vietnam in 2017-2019 we received many vaccinations; a few we had never heard of! Our trip to Brazil required proof of the yellow fever vaccination. They also prescribed a small amount of antibiotics to combat potential gastrointestinal issues. We keep this in our first aid kit. The advice at the travel clinic has been invaluable.
- Get the most up-to-date flu and COVID shots. We have also received pneumonia and shingles vaccines. The last thing we want to do is to miss out on a tour or experience because of illness.
- In our 50s, we would never leave home without health and travel cancellation insurance. We have great travel health and trip insurance included in our health coverage plan. As a retired educator, we purchase RTIP (Retired Teachers Insurance Plan) services. It includes health, travel and trip cancellation options.
Financial Safety
- Live in Ontario? Book from a tour agent or site that is registered with the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) (https://www.tico.ca/) like Expedia.ca
- create a digital photo album of ID and credit cards so if lost/stolen it will be easier to replace/cancel them.
- Download important booking and flight documents to phones and use Google Drive for easy access.
- Keep passport and other important documents locked in hotel room safes. If possible avoid taking them out when exploring a new place.
- Leave valuables at home.
- Arrange a weekly check of your home by friends/family or join a housesitting service. We like Trustedhousesitters.com See our post about it here
- We don’t post live about trips! We share our trip details once we are home.
I took my first flight at 6 months of age and I have continued to plan trips and travel to more than 50 countries. Now as a middle age traveler we have learned some travel hacks and budget saving ideas that we are happy to share. Follow our posts for ideas and tips to stretch your travel budget in your gogo years!