Things to Think About Before Travelling

This is me panicking on the gondola ride up Mount Etna...I have a real fear of heights.

Over in the world of Wordpress (another blogging site) I started following Jen at Wander One Day.  Her blog today contained a list of, as she called it, Crisis Containment Plans.  I thought it was a good list and one that should be shared, so here it is (with a few comments from me between the ***):

Crisis Containment Plans:

•   Have a list of emergency contacts and their phone numbers.
(written on paper in case you are unconscious, someone else can access them) ***I would also keep them in your phone***

•   Have a form of health insurance in place that will cover you while traveling.
(even if they bill you up front, having it in place will allow you to get reimbursed) ***Emergency care is free in Italy, but beyond that you have to pay***

•   Be aware of emergency resources in foreign countries.
(what is the equivalent of 911?) ***In Italy it is 112***

•   Be aware of your surroundings.
(don’t wander around with your headphones on, oblivious to the world – keep an eye out for suspicious things around you) ***And in Italy, crazy drivers***

•   Know where your country’s embassies are located.
(if a war breaks out or even if you just lose your passport, your embassy can help you get home – don’t forget to email yourself a digital copy of your passport for this purpose) ***Closest Canadian consulate to Sicily is in Naples - not sure about other consulates***

•   Have prearranged meeting locations if you are traveling with others.
(if you get separated, arrange to meet up at a specific hotel, restaurant, or other easily found public place – also have a photo of the others in your group in case you need to provide it to authorities if the other person gets lost)

•   Don’t keep all of your money and important documents in one place.
(keep spare money hidden somewhere it can’t be pickpocketed, keep a copy of your passports in an email account, etc)

•   And this one is more minor, but equally as important: Alert your bank in advance that you will be traveling in certain countries.
(you don’t want to run out of money and have your credit and debit cards to be frozen on a weekend when you can’t call your bank to unlock the accounts)

***This last suggestion is mine - Use a travel agent rather than buying your tickets online and keep his/her phone number and email handy. Besides the fact that your TA often gets better deals than the ones online, if there is some emergency and you need to quickly change your flights, a quick email or phone call to your TA will usually get you the help you need.***

Many of you are experienced travelers, solo and in groups. Do you have anything to add to the list?

Thanks to Jen for giving me permission to reblog her list!!!