Calgarians love to travel. With winter approaching, people are beginning to make travel plans to sneak away from it all as soon as it gets cold. While trips are fun to plan, there is a lot to remember to do. Here are 4 simple things to keep in mind as you make your vacation plans:
1). If you are planing to fly internationally, check your passport to make sure it is updated and has not expired/will not expire during your trip. You don’t want to be caught a week before your trip with no valid passport. To renew a passport, get professional passport photos taken (places such as London Drugs, Superstore, Walmart, etc. offer this service specifically). Print off a renewal form and fill it out at home to save time, then bring all the necessary documents to a passport office. You can pay to get your passport renewed in 9 business days if needed, but it is cheaper to have a little forethought.
2). Book your trip! Remember to budget and plan for the following necessities: flights, lodging, transportation, meals, special events and any other miscellaneous expenses. Check out websites such as Expedia and Kayak for trip packages to find great savings! If you want to live on the wild side, wait until three weeks before your desired travel time and catch some great last minute deals!
3). Take care of business by arranging travellers insurance and setting up a plan for your mobile phone. One of the best places for travellers insurance is AMA. The process is simple to arrange and cost-effective. Most places have very expensive medical care, especially for foreigners, so make sure you have all your bases covered. As for your phone, simply press the airplane button to turn on airplane mode (even when you are not on a plane). This stops data and any roaming charges, but you can still use as much wifi as your heart desires!
4). Get someone to look after your home while you are gone. You can either have someone stay at your house for the duration of your trip, or simply get a neighbour to collect your newspapers and check in on things once a day. Refer to our past articles about how to keep your home safe while you are gone by looking through our blog posts!
Happy travelling!
(Photo via Canva)
Posted by Ken Richter on
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