Fodor's How to Pack by Fodor's

Author:Fodor's [Fodor's]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781400018598
Publisher: Fodor's Travel Publications
Published: 2006-11-14T05:00:00+00:00

Get Busy—Go Shopping

Now that you’ve laid the groundwork, it’s time to start implementing your plans. If you don’t have travel kits already compiled and at the ready, hop to it (see below). Pay special attention to your personal documents kit, which involves quite a bit of legwork.

Start shopping for useful and essential items—make the rounds of your local merchants and study mail-order catalogs and travel-specialist Web sites to acquire any travel aids you think might be useful. If your luggage is shot, read Chapter 1 and start looking around.

BUY GUIDEBOOKS AND MAPS They’ll help you make decisions about what to take and help you finesse your itinerary.

WORK ON YOUR WARDROBE Does your wardrobe plan require a comfortable pair of oxford-style shoes that will take you to the city sights by day and the theater at night? A dressy blouse that will turn your suit skirt into a dinner outfit? A special wrinkleproof black travel outfit or nifty multipocketed vest from a mail-order catalog? Get them now.

Go through your own clothes and decide what will need to be washed, dry-cleaned, and hemmed—and get it done.

Do a test wash on new clothing you plan to launder en route, to make sure it comes out well and dries easily.

TRY ON CLOTHES

If you’re traveling with children, ask your youngsters to put on their vacation clothing in advance. If they have outgrown key items, don’t wait until the night before the trip to replace them.

HANDLE MONEY MATTERS Now’s the time to request a second ATM card as backup, in case yours is demagnetized. While you’re at it, if you’re traveling abroad, where ATMs usually take PIN numbers with only four digits, go to the bank and get a four-digit PIN number. Also, if your PIN number is alphabetical, make sure that you figure out its numerical translation, because on some keypads abroad, numbers are all you’ll find.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH Make an appointment with your doctor to get the shots you need. Do this early: some shots must be administered over a period of weeks, and others take time to become active. If you’re traveling to countries where health advisories apply, speak with your doctor about malaria pills or other preventive medicine.

If you plan to be on the road for more than a couple of weeks, visit the dentist if you’re due.

HIT THE DRUGSTORE While you’re at it, make sure you have enough of any prescription medication and/or vitamins you need to take—count out enough doses to last you for the length of your trip plus a few days beyond, in case you are unavoidably detained. Replace any medications that have expired as well as any old sunscreen. If seasickness is a problem or you think it may be, look into seasickness remedies such as Dramamine or Sea Bands, which work by acupressure.

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