- Make sure you re- confirm your flight departure time by calling the 1-800 number for your airline or tour operator 24 hours before your scheduled flight. There can be last minute changes.
- Don’t forget to take your passport and it is a good idea to make a photocopy of it to leave with a family member at home or hide it in another part of your luggage. If you lose your passport or someone steals it, having a copy of it makes it much easier to replace with the nearest Canadian Embassy or Consulate.
- Review the airline website before heading to the airport to check rules for checked baggage restrictions, size & weight of carry on permitted, any additional fees for checked baggage (most US airlines charge for even 1 checked bag), restricted items, seat selection options & fees. Sometimes you are able to check in online and print your boarding pass from home 24 hours in advance of your flight departure.
- Health Matters: Check with your doctor or a travel health clinic about travel immunizations and the type of medications you may need to travel to your destination. Physicians usually recommend that you have hepatitis shots (such as TwinRix is an approved vaccine against Hep A & B for adults 18 yrs +).
- Traveler’s diarrhea can be a problem for anyone from the difference in food, drinks, water that we are not accustomed. Take Imodium, pepto bismal, Tums etc with you or obtain a stronger medication from your doctor if you are concerned about this.
- Travel Health Insurance: confirm that you have travel insurance protection for out of country medical bills under your benefits plan with your employer or purchase this insurance. I can easily arrange for a policy on your behalf before you go with RBC Insurance. New law passed in Cuba in 2010 that every tourist entering Cuba must show proof of travel health insurance coverage. Trip cancellation & trip interruption are other benefits of travel insurance that I recommend as most credit cards do not offer this type of protection. RBC Insurance is great to deal with; a simple phone call to their claims department is all that is needed and they will guide you through any unexpected problem. For medical coverage you do not pay any money up front to doctors or hospitals. Everything is taken care of immediately with RBC Insurance.
- There is an excellent website www.voyage.gc.ca Dept of Foreign Affairs & International Trade Canada. It has up to date Government travel reports & warnings, if any, for every country. This website has a lot of helpful information.
