As the days draw nearer to your departure date, things can get a little hectic – you realize there’s still so much prep to be done.

To help you avoid last-minute rushing around, here are 10 things to do before you travel.

  1. Find travel companions

Travel is more fun with company, so see if any likeminded friends want to tag along. Alternatively, if you’re set on traveling solo, use apps and discussion boards to connect with fellow travelers and arrange meetups.

  1. Plan your trip

Before you jet off, it’s worth deciding on the key places you’d like to visit and what activities you want to do most, so you can get straight to it once you arrive. However, you should leave some room for flexibility too.

  1. Check visa requirements

You’ll need a visa in order to travel to certain countries, so make sure you find out the entry requirements well in advance. You can find this info on the travel advisories section of the US Department of State website.

  1. Take photos of travel docs

Before you jet off, take photos of key travel documents such as your passport, visa, and insurance, and save them to the cloud. This way, you’ll be able to access them from anywhere in case they get lost or stolen and replacing them should be easier.

  1. Buy travel insurance

If you’re traveling outside of your home country, you’ll need to find travel insurance. You should opt for a plan that covers you for multiple things – emergency medical care, lost luggage, trip cancellation. Also, if you travel regularly, it might work out cheaper to buy multi-trip insurance.

  1. Install some apps

 There are loads of apps out there that make life easier for travelers. So do some research on the apps you might need for travel. Think about apps that help you talk with family and friends back home, book tickets, find your way around, etc.

  1. Check luggage restrictions

When it comes to luggage policies, every airline is different and they’re always changing the rules. So take the time to read your airline’s policy in full in order to avoid any airport dramas.

  1. Pre-book your parking

Unless you’re rolling in it, pre-booking your airport parking is a must. In doing so, you’ll likely benefit from a big discount. So whether you’re flying from Ontario, Orlando or any other US airport, head to a parking comparison site such as Looking4.com to bag yourself an early bird deal.

  1. Charge your electronics

Before you leave for the airport, make sure electronic devices such as your phone and tablet are fully charged, so that you have plenty of power for the journey ahead. It could be quite a while before you have access to a power source again.

  1. Notify your bank

Don’t forget to let your bank know that you’re going abroad so they can put an alert on your account. If you don’t, their fraud department might view your overseas spending as suspicious and cancel your card, leaving you penniless.

That’s our list! Share your thoughts in the comments section.

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