• Acquire your passport six months in advance of departure dates.


• Keep a photocopy of your passport separately from your travel documents in case you need to have your passport replaced.


• Pack a small first aid kit which includes an elastic bandage for sprains and twists.


• Take a small journal along for recording thoughts, impressions, memorable experiences and a record of photographs taken. Don't forget a pen or pencil!


• Keep a photocopy with you of the front and back sides of all credit cards you take along on the trip.


• Pack a light sweater or jacket in your carry-on bag. Temperatures vary and can change between your departure and arrival, in waiting areas, on the plane, or on motor coaches.


• Your luggage may not be lost, but it could be delayed, so never put the following into a bag you plan to check into the cargo compartment:
  
  
  1. Small valuables: cash, credit cards, jewelry, cameras
  
  
  2. Critical items: medicine, eyeglasses, keys, passport, tour vouchers, business papers
  
  
  3. Irreplaceable items: manuscripts, heirlooms, souvenirs from your trip
  
  
  
• Always check with the individual airline for checked and carry-on baggage size and weight limits and additional baggage handling fees as these vary from airline to airline.

The following links leave the Travelogue Site and open a new window or tab. M L Kinsel & Associates, Inc. Companies are not responsible for contents, information or services of external Internet sites. They are offered only to assist you in becoming a more informed travel consumer.

What to Know Before I Go:TSA Permitted and Prohibited Items (This government publication is also available in .pdf form to print out and carry with you.)

Fly-Rights: A Consumer Guide to Air Travel (government publication)