10 Must Do’s to ensure you have a Worry Free Vacation

10. Check your passport expiration date. Some countries require 3-6 months validity post expected return. Even though your passport is not expired it may not be valid to travel to your destination unless it meets their passport rules.

9. Check the Canadian Travel Reports & Warnings website before you plan any trip. This site  has information on safety and security, local laws and customs, entry requirements, health conditions and other important travel issues.

8. Visit your family physician to ensure that you are medically fit to visit your destination. Some countries require proof of immunizations and your doctor or travel clinic will be able to advise you based on your medical history.

7. Inform your credit card company that you will be travelling and that they can expect activity on your card in other countries. Too many times clients forget to do this and their credit cards get declined in destination because the credit card company considers it suspicious activity when your card is being used in another country.

6. Purchase medical & cancellation insurance to ensure peace of mind while on vacations – especially if going on an active vacation or to places that are remote.
Emergency air lifting to hospitals is expensive but often covered by insurance companies.

5. Make photocopies of your passport and leave with a family member who you will be in contact regularly with.
Just in case you lose your passport, having the passport number and the original information allows the embassy to cancel the old one and speeds up the process of reissuing another so that you are back home with out a lot of hassle.

4. Check visa requirements for your destination based on your passport. If  you are not travelling with a Canadian passport, make sure you point that out to your travel agent so that they can advise what is needed or where to go to find out.

3. If travelling with a young child, make sure that you have signed, notarized permission form from the other parent(s) if not travelling on the same journey or itinerary.

2. Register yourself with the government of Canada. The Registration of Canadians Abroad (ROCA) is a free service that enables you to sign up and be contacted and assisted by government officials in case of an emergency abroad, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or informed about an emergency at home.

1. Book with an agency who has an emergency hot-line in case anything goes wrong – no matter what time, night or day a person will be able to help get you home.