Within 2 weeks of registering for the tour
- get trip cancellation and travel health insurance or send back insurance waiver
6 to 3 months before departure
90 to 30 days before departure
- read a book on your destination
- check foreign ATM withdrawal fees charged by your bank (they change frequently)
- start a "don't forget to take." list
One week before departure
- go over the packing list and decide what to take, get items that you're missing
- advise family/friends of the trip's itinerary
- advise a neighbor to watch house
- arrange lodging for pets
- stop newspaper delivery
- make 2 photocopies of your passport, credit cards and driver's license (one set goes in your checked luggage, the other stays at home)
- inform bank and credit card companies that you will be using the cards in your destination
- verify check-in/carry-on rules for your airline
- see if you can reserve seats for your flight
- check weather forecast for your destination
- pack your bags
- clean/set refrigerator, throw away items that won't last until you return
- have post office hold mail
- water plants
- unplug major appliances
- change message on answering machine, set up email auto responder
- leave key with a friend/neighbor
- set heat/air-conditioning, set timers and lights
- recheck your bags
- before you leave the house, stop for 10 minutes to think about your trip and remind yourself why you're going and what you're most looking forward to
- identification documents
- itinerary
- tickets
- cash
- car and house keys
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