As soon as you have fixed your budget, dates and particulars of your trip you are now ready to book your tour. You can book your trip through the hotel concierge, travel booking sites or through travel agents. If you do not like to book at a travel agency, it is still worth checking out so you can get some brochures to read and to see if they have any alternative offers. If your tour overseas is to attend a wedding, or some important event, do not hesitate to ask the bride and groom or the event manager
for any noteworthy venues, as big events often get group discounts or special rates for the function. If you have any relatives or friends working in the hospitality trade, this is the perfect time to contact them and see if they care enough for you to get you a good travel deal.When booking your trip, check your schedule to find out if you can get a leave from work to set up all the details and formalities for your tour. Confirm and reconfirm your flight and accommodation bookings since these, especially the travel bookings, should be nailed down once and for all. Make sure you have reserved exactly what you wanted, if not you may not check-in on time.
See to it that your passport is updated and in order to prevent any last-minute panics and hours in queue to have it fixed. Passports commonly take three weeks to renew in the mail; rush passport and emergency processing can be done, however, they are often a great fuss and you could be better off not having to do this if only you prepared sooner. Passport panics may even result in missing out on your last-minute shopping. Also inquire with the travel office upon booking if you
need any visas or vaccinations to ensure safety. Vaccines are normally recommended when you are going to more exotic areas.Check if you have availed travel insurance that will cover you for unforeseen emergencies overseas. You do not want to encounter troubles upon arrival. Arrange these matters prior to departure. Be sure that you avail annual coverage so you are protected for all your little health issues abroad. Before purchasing travel insurance inquire first to see if you have it already, since several credit card companies offer travel insurance in their membership packages.
Photocopy your passport and set aside a copy, together with your tour itinerary, with your family or a trusted person as an emergency contact. This may seem overcautious, but in case you misplace your passport, somebody can provide you with all the specifics you need to speed-up your departure.
Know the social situation. Be aware of the latest news abut the country you wish to visit if it is safe for tourists. Check travel advisories. Unless you intend to do a heroic act, never visit war zones. Find out if the weather forecast in that country would permit you to go around and enjoy the sites. If the area recently encountered an earthquake or flood, it's useless going there even if the travel rate is slashed by ninety percent.
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