Passport safety tips

Passport safety tips

by | Apr 25, 2021 | 0 comments

Our passports are a rite of passage, figuratively and literally.  It is a must-have to travel to an international destination, but also having it means you have taken the first step to international travel.  A passport is an important document, and we should treat it as such at all times.  Here are some ideas to care for your passport.

Make sure to make a copy of your passport.  As a traveler, I have kept copies at home in an easy-to-find place, in the inner pockets of my luggage, and my purses while traveling.  You should secure your actual passport in a secure place in the hotel room, like a safe if provided or in a locked bag if you leave it in a vacation rental to keep your passport secure. Try never to tour or sightsee with your actual passport.  Carry another form of identification, even if not local. It will suffice to let people know who you are in unfortunate circumstances.

The most important information on your passport is the issue date, issuing agency, passport number, and expiration date.  In case you have misplaced or lost your actual passport, this information is vital to replacing or renewing your passport.

Getting a replacement or new passport is not always an easy process, and it can be even more challenging when you are not in your home country.  Please store your country’s embassy or consulate information in the same place you keep copies of your passport.  For more passports safety tips, you can find helpful information on STEP, The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program before you travel if you should need embassy or consulate services.

Try to keep your passport in a passport holder. Some newer passports have an RFID chip, and people looking for that information with a scanner can get your passport information without touching you or your passport.  Therefore, don’t just get a pretty case, but get one with RFID protection similar to what some wallets now have for credit cards. Additionally, if your passport is damaged or defaced, such as if it is dropped accidentally in water, it will not be accepted or acknowledged as a valid form of ID.

Passports are a vital piece of information when you travel internationally, and you should treat them as such.  Have you ever misplaced your passport while traveling? Do you have any other passport safety tips? I’d like to know.

5 Covid friendly hotel stay tips.

5 Covid friendly hotel stay tips.

by | Dec 16, 2020 | 0 comments

Having flown as a career for over 20 years I have stayed in many hotel rooms and so the experience has taught me a lot about what to look out for in terms of cleanliness.

1. Check the hotel sheets. No one wants to sleep on possible dirty covid sheets. I can’t tell you how many different times I have gone into a hotel room just dying to shower and get into bed and found that the sheets have not been changed. If you do this when you first get into the hotel room, there is plenty of opportunity for the hotel to fix the issue before you are ready to go to bed.

2. Make sure the sheets are visibly dirty before you check out of the hotel and prevent any possible Covid spread. I think it’s just a matter of kindness to the next guest and just plain hygienic. Don’t feel bad as the hotel should automatically be doing this anyhow. I always wiped the bottom of my shoe across the sheets before I checked out.

3.Place a face towel or hand towel on the bathroom counter to place all your items on. Especially in this time of covid you do not want to transfer any germs to your face or hands. It’s also a visual reminder of anything placed on the counter and it helps in not forgetting items like jewelry in the bathroom.

4. Take an extra washcloth and wipe the toilet seats down. I think we all assume that the hotel room has been cleaned thoroughly but my experience has shown that the toilet seat is often overlooked.

5. Treat hotel room floors like airplane bathrooms and never assume it’s just water. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve passed through hotel corridors and seen the remains of a hotel room party gone wild. Let’s face it, the hotel does not have the manpower or capability to thoroughly clean hotel room floors, nor do they often have time between checkouts. Covid can be easily spread through bodily fluids.

I hope my tips have been helpful, check back in for more of my lived travel experience.

5 must have items that stay in my carry-on.

5 must have items that stay in my carry-on.

by | Dec 10, 2020 | 0 comments

As an avid world traveler who has done this both professionally and personally, my carry-on is always semi-packed. Here are my tips and advice on the 5 items I consider must-haves and should always be in my carry on.

1. A lingerie organizer bag (details on another blog post). The one I use has two sides, one for clean underwear and the other for dirty. You never want to get them confused!

2. An electronic organizer bag (blog post coming). With people being so connected it is so inconvenient to lose connectivity and most hotels do not provide enough power outlets for the technology we use in our daily lives.

3. A toothbrush which in my opinion is even more needed than the electronic organizer. Many people pack this in their suitcase but with the chances of your luggage being lost, I like to always have this at hand.

4. A medicine bag with items like Tums, ibuprofen, cold medicine, etc. I tend to also have eye masks, face masks, prescription medications, band-aids, Neosporin, alcohol pads, and such (more on another post).

5. Finally I always have a small makeup bag with the basics like mascara, lip moisturizer, lipstick, makeup remover cloths, toner, and face moisturizer. These are always found at beauty supply stores and pharmacies in travel sizes.

You make have other priorities for your carry-on. If so, what are they? I’d love to find out.

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