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Taking The Stress Out Of Spring Break Travel

Taking The Stress Out Of Spring Break Travel
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Travel and trouble are two words you definitely don't want to see in the same sentence. TD Insurance recently conducted a survey and found that for most people the top three travel stress factors are: falling ill while away, losing something important like a wallet or travel documents and lastly losing a valuable personal items like a camera or mobile phone. With two in five Canadians planning to travel during March Break, that's a lot of potential worrying! In this post, I thought I would offer up some tips for ensuring a stress-free trip.

Check entry/exit requirements including visas, safety warnings and travel advisories. The Canadian Government's website is a great place to learn detailed information about each county's entry, exit and visa requirements for Canadians. You can also find the most up-to-date warnings and alerts about countries throughout the world and register your trip so that the government can contact you in case of an emergency.

Check weather conditions and flight status. If you're flying, you should do this the morning of your flight or four to eight hours prior. You don't want to leave early for the airport only to find out your flight has been delayed.

Be sure you have adequate insurance. TD Insurance's survey also found that a major cause of stress for travelers was the potential of falling ill while away, but only 39 per cent of the people surveyed said that they regularly buy travel insurance. You should never leave home without medical insurance but for additional peace of mind; consider trip cancellation insurance to protect your trip investment. Travel can be expensive, and if your trip is cancelled or interrupted for a covered cause, having the associated costs reimbursed, will save you both money and stress.

Make sure all of your travel documents are in order. Do you need a visa? A notarized letter because only one parent is traveling with kids? Is your passport valid? Keep in mind many countries require visitors' passports to be valid for at least six months after the scheduled departure from their country. Check all of this in advance.

Make copies of all your travel documents in case they are lost or stolen. You should also leave a copy with a friend or relative at home. In addition, I recommend keeping copies in password protected Adobe PDF files on your smartphone and tablet, plus another copy stored on the cloud.

Put together a basic travel medical kit. This should include basic first-aid supplies such as alcohol wipes, bandages, antiseptic creams and medications for pain, fever, cold and allergies.

Make sure your prescriptions have been filled. You should also ensure that you have more than enough for the duration of your trip. Don't forget to pack them in your carry-on luggage to keep them easily accessible at all times.

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