RESOURCES

• Get your passport early. At the US Department of State online, you can search by zip code for a passport office in your area. Follow the DOS's recommendations regarding deadlines and procedures for applying for passports and visas.
• Schedule checkups with your physician, ophthalmologist, and dentist well in advance so you will have adequate time to fill prescriptions and complete dental work before you leave.
• If traveling with a laptop, consult your documentation or contact technical support for recommendations on care, connectivity, and security. Shop early for adapters, batteries, jacks, or other mobile equipment you will need on your trip, particularly if you must wait for delivery.
• There are wonderfully detailed airport maps and directories available on the internet. Do a search on the names of your departing, connecting, and destination airports. Most major airports and many travel groups provide free downloadable information, some in a number of languages. Know before you leave home where to find entrances, departure gates, bus service, parking lots, members' lounges, rental car pickup, rest rooms, duty free shops, and nearby hotels.

Travel By Siv can be your most valuable resource in planning a trip. We can provide you with the inside scoop on travel options, accommodations and attractions.

• You've heard it before: travel light. Depending on where you're going, much of what you may need can be purchased or rented when you arrive—and then tossed or returned when you leave.
• Put your name and contact information inside and outside your bags. This precaution is recommended by the airlines and the Department of Transportation. It's also a good idea to put a copy of your flight information and itinerary inside your bags, in case the airline has to find you.
• Take an inventory of what you pack. It will help if you have to file a claim.
• Remove old tags. You don't want your bags heading to the in-laws in Cincinnati when you're on your way to Stockholm.
• Keep the things you must have with you. Passports, cash, cameras, jewelry, medication, eyeglasses, and keys are best kept in your purse or carry-on luggage. Ditto, anything that could break or spill in transit.
• Lock your luggage. Although very few bags get pilfered, it doesn't hurt to add a layer of discouragement.

• If you will be traveling with children, take a photograph or digital camera of each one on the day of departure—when they're wearing the outfits and hairstyles they will be traveling in. Keep the photos on you. If a child becomes seperated from the family, a photo as he/she looks that day will help airport personnel or police locate him/her more easily. (To avoid worrying younger children, these photos can be explained simply as "mementos of the big day.")
• If you are traveling by air, expect enhanced security and longer check-in times. Both your travel agent and your airline can advise you on how to prepare, when to arrive, and what you may bring on board. At holiday time, when more people are traveling and roads to the airport may be congested, give yourself a little extra time to allow for delays. Some airlines won't guarantee that your bags will be on your flight if you check in after the cutoff time—another incentive to arrive early! The transportation Security Administration (TSA) offers an excellent list of travel tips and guidelines for consumer travel safety at http://www.tsa.gov
• Make sure check-in personnel apply the correct luggage tags for your final destination. Check the three-letter airport code against your ticket. If you have any questions, get them cleared up before you board the plane.

US Department of State
An indispensable resource for Americans traveling abroad. This site is comprehensive, easy to navigate, and constantly updated.

Center for Disease Control
The CDC is not just for those heading to high-risk destinations. Their site offers an A to Z listing of all kinds of health-related topics including information for travelers with special needs; camping, adventure, and fitness vacations; and child passenger safety.