1. Schedule flights and cities. Travelocity.com is a great place to check scheduling information. Make sure contacts will be around in the places you are visiting. I always choose the schedules (because flights are not always available) and, then make sure people are around, and then plan the details.
2. Select hotels. Call major chains for travel agent educational rates first. Fax out travel agent letters for bids on other hotels. Google.com to get details on the hotels. Keep list of reservation confirmation numbers.
3. Visas when necessary; allow enough lead time for your passport to make the rounds of the various embassies. Use priority mail and the telephone to speed things along here.
4. Cellphone rental. Make sure you know how to use it and get your voicemail. Take instructions with you.
5. Arrange air tickets; confirm seats, meals and frequent flyer points.
6. Arrange airport transfers and sightseeing; know where Internet and laundry will be.
7. Make sure all items on packing list are available and that luggage is in good condition. Check with the FAA for what you can and can't carry on the airlines.
8. Get climate information and dress code information. Radio frequencies for BBC & VOA (if you will not be in a hotel that has satellite TV); these days you can count on having CNN and/or BBC World Television in any good hotel.
9. Pack for as many days between the longest laundry and plan outfits accordingly. Get shirts folded for easy packing. But remember that you will never wear as much clothes as you think you will.
10. Confirm all appointments and guarantee all reservations.
11. Write Vital Statistics to carry on trip with contact numbers and emergency information:
credit card numbers, passport number, medical insurance information, doctor contact information, travel agent number, telecard access numbers and cellphone instructions, all local numbers of people you will call in a particular city on one page to carry around with reserved appointments listed; names, addresses and tel. #s of hotels and airlines and flight numbers to reconfirm flights; radio frequencies, hotel reservations.
12. Advise people on e-mail list you will be out; update voicemail and answering machines or call-forwarding; change passwords if necessary to keep people out of programs that could disrupt you if they are invaded such as e-mail. Suspend e-mail lists that create clutter.
13. Advise credit cards of your absence; suspend newspapers and magazines; arrange for mail pickup and prepay bills that must be paid while you are gone (ie: rent, estimated taxes); prepay credit card balances to have sufficient credit lines open.
14. Get: Haircut. Medicines. Film. Camera Batteries Laundry.
15. Let family and office know where you will be; make sure emergency transition instructions are current.
16. NEVER let your passport out of your sight. It's THE most important item you ever have overseas.
17. Make notes in your diary planner of things you have to do when you come back so you can forget about them while you're away!
Michael Carter Realtor Greenville, SC (864) 640-3035
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