Is your dream of jetting off into the sunset to faraway lands finally becoming a reality? If it is, then as well as itinerary planning and booking lots of tickets, there are a few Pre-Travel Essentials things you should put on your ‘to do’ list. All these tasks should be arranged many weeks before you depart and are critical to having a relaxing trip.
Vaccinations
Depending on where you are going to, there is a fairly good chance that you will need to have travel vaccinations. For countries in Asia, Africa, and South America, this is particularly important. You could also need booster shots of vaccinations that were given during childhood. Vaccinations need to be arranged quite far in advance, as you will need a specialist appointment, and in some cases, they may not have your vaccine available in stock at short notice. Most vaccines also need several weeks to take effect. The general recommendation is to get your travel vaccines about six weeks before you leave. Current travel restrictions in many countries will not allow you to enter without certain vaccinations, and this is commonly being seen at the moment with the Covid-19 virus. You can find out up to date information about travel vaccinations on the World Health Organization website.
Medications
As well as vaccinations, if you have a regular prescription of medicine, you should start to speak to your doctor many weeks before about taking extra medicine away with you. It is a good idea to also get a letter of certificate from your doctor to evidence your prescription, in case you have to answer any questions in customs. While in some countries, up to 90 days’ supply of medicine is permitted, in many places, 30 days is the maximum. It is important to find out what the country you are visiting allows and create a plan for how to top up your supply if you are traveling for longer than this.
Utility bills
If you are selling or renting your property while you are away, it is important to give your utility providers as much warning as possible to avoid being overcharged while out of the house. A simple phone call to tell them the date of your departure, and arrange any relevant meter readings, is normally sufficient.
Whatever you are doing with your property, it might be worth considering getting your mail redirected while you are away. If you have a trusted friend or family member that you want to keep an eye on things for you, then you can ask them to look after your post or even to house sit while you are away!
Storage
While away, it is important to know that your valuables and any furnishings not in use are secure. The best way to ensure this is by putting them into a secure storage unit. This can be arranged online through websites such as storagearea.com where you can locate your nearest storage location and decide on the measured space needed, depending on how much you want to store. This will offer you security and remove any items from your home that you do not want in place while it is being left empty or rented.
Overall, there is a lot to think about before the big trip, but starting with the above priorities, will give you a good starting point.
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