Top 10 Travel Tips for the Mature Traveler

1. Before booking a trip, look at reviews and check with friends that have been to the location or have taken the tour you are considering. First hand referrals are always the best, you will get the true story.

2. Travel Insurance, in our opinion, is important for all travelers, but especially for senior travelers. The reality is things happen so protect your investment. After all, a few hundred dollars vs. thousands of dollars is a smart investment. We know from actual experience, this saved us nearly a thousand dollars over missed air connections a few years ago. 

3. An important travel tip be sure your passport is up to date. In most cases, you must have at least 6 months left to expiration in order to travel overseas. Also, consider getting Global Entry and Known Traveler Status from Homeland Security for travel out of the country. This saves time and frustration returning to the U.S.  https://www.dhs.gov/keywords/global-entry 

4. Another safety tip is to check the State Department’s International Travel Alerts and let the State Department know of your travel plans.  Here is the link to use.  https://step.state.gov/step/ 

5. Leave copies of all your documents, (i.e.) Passport, credit cards, travel itinerary, hotel contact information with someone at home. Also keep copies on your phone or iPad with a security code in place. We also have hard copies that we keep separate from our passports and devices. (Most hotels have room safes)

6. Be sure you have a power converter that will work in the areas you will be traveling. Here is one we have and it includes 4 USB plugs for electronics. Also check if hair dryers are supplied at your hotels and take your curling iron if you use one. https://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-Universal-Converter-Charging-Worldwide/dp/B01E140XWA/ref=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=daveandkaystr-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=84e94bf971c7fcff25da70d5aaedfff6&creativeASIN=B01E140XWA

7. Medications. Be advised that  you should have your medications in the original packaging, once we arrive we switch to our normal daily dose carrier.  Be sure you take a few extra days’ supply in case you are delayed, better safe than sorry. Also, we always have over the counter items like Aleve and Tums with us. You may want to consult your Doctor about a travelers diarrhea script. We have ours filled and with us just in case.

8. Packing can be a real challenge! Be aware that most international airlines have limits on the number of suitcases and weight limits. Be sure to consult your airline(s) to be sure of your limits. If you are traveling for more than a week we suggest you consider using the laundry service in the hotels. The cost is usually minimal but the convenience is well worth it. We also pack in soft side travel packing cubes and use masking tape for labeling what is in each cube. Here is a sample to look at. https://www.amazon.com/Packing-Organizer-JJ-POWER-included/dp/B06XW86C9N/ref=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=daveandkaystr-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=7c9df5f989098443aa5e901c509d474d&creativeASIN=B06XW86C9N

9. Jet Lag. This can be a real issue if you don’t plan carefully. Most international flights are over night so you are arriving overseas in the morning. Most of us don’t sleep well in airline seats and you will be tempted to head right to bed when you get to your hotel. We strongly suggest that you power through that desire and keep moving until late evening on your first day. This allows you to get adjusted to the local time and will reduce your jet lag considerably. 

10. Money. Most European countries use the Euro;  most African and Asian countries use their own currency. We suggest you take a few hundred dollars worth of local currency with you. You can exchange dollars for most currencies at your local bank or at a Currency Exchange in the airports, both of these charge a fee in addition to the exchange rate. We are members of AAA and they will do an exchange without a fee, just the normal exchange rate. We use a credit card for most transactions when traveling, this gets you the best exchange rate and is secure. When traveling Kay uses a “Travelon Cross Body” purse that is designed for travel security with a shoulder strap that cannot easily be cut or snapped by purse-snatchers. In addition, wallets with RFID protection are a good idea to protect against electric card theft.