Leaving for vacation? Here's the checklist to avoid nasty surprises (and unexpected expenses)

Are you leaving for vacation? allow me as the frequent flyer that I am to share with you my pre-departure checklist, a small 7-point guide that I scroll through before each trip, because even if you are always traveling, it can happen that you show up at the airport with an expired passport, without having applied for an electronic visa, or with the hotel booked in the wrong month or year.

I never move without insurance

When I talk to other travelers I remain stunned by the amount of people who answer me, "Imagine if I spend money on insurance, I go to the beach in Thailand not to Everest" stories like those of the Girl in Bali forced to take up a collection to pay medical bills are the order of the day, and yet we think 118 will come and save us even on the other side of the world. This point for me is the most important

It doesn't matter if you fly to England or Easter Island if something happens you risk paying thousands and thousands of euros in fees out of your own pocket. I have a credit card that includes all possible cover and it is definitely the smartest strategy.

Of course, it is not mandatory to apply for a credit card, and you can also take out ad hoc travel insurance, but the important thing is to travel protected And don't worry about anything.

Document control and entry requirements

I know by heart the number and expiration date of my passport, but I realize that the average Italian is not required to know his or her social security number, let alone the validity of documents.

I always check the state of preservation of documents, which there is sufficient space for any stamps and that the residual validity is sufficient with respect to what are the requirements Of the countries where I will travel.

If you find when you arrive at the airport that you have left your documents at home, it is good to know that some airports have, inside the terminal, the ability to release them "on the fly."

No matter how far in advance you have booked, I a jump on Travel Safe I always do, even when I go to a place I've already been to, because things change and maybe the need to do a seen electronic that was not necessary before. A custom that I use, for example, with theeSTA of the United States or that of Canada or the visas I apply for, is to put the deadlines on my calendar on my cell phone, it doesn't cost anything and it makes life easier.

Checking reservations (flight/hotel/rental)

There is no worse surprise than arriving at the airport and Finding out that you forgot to choose your seat, or to find that due to a car change your assigned seat has been reassigned and you will find yourself sitting in the middle row for 13 hours of the flight.

On my phone I have all the apps of all the airlines, hotel chains that I can use. Sure they take up valuable space, but they are a saving grace with their notifications and the ability to check different reservations in one click.

A couple of weeks before departure, but also a couple of days before checking in, I check flight status, seat assignment, if the airline allows it I pre-order what I will want to eat on board, is not just book the cook in Singapore to offer this service, more and more carriers are allowing people to choose what to eat, if you then have special diets or intolerances the choice of meal on board is a must absolute.

For place selection, before ending up in a window seat (without window) I look up the info on the plane and then I'm going to see on Aerolopa which is the best seat on board.

The same goes for the hotel room and all other reservations such as car rentals and other services such as any shuttles from the accommodations. Needless to say, I happened to find that. I had booked the room for the wrong day. If the app allows me to. I also do online check-in and choose the room, without worrying about losing any free upgrades.

If I travel outside the EU, I buy my eSIMs before I leave

I don't trust airport kiosks, but most of all I like to have the connection as soon as I land at my destination, send a whatsapp home to say "I'm fine, arrived," check that everything is in order and as the plane reaches the gate I can already start posting vacation photos. I recently discovered Jetpac an eSIM provider which also has an extra guarantee, namely the ability to Getting into the lounges for free if the plane is delayed.

I packages start at 1$ for a 1gb to be consumed in 4 days, a perfect package for those who take short trips like me, or for those who want to be sure the service is working properly before making a higher value recharge, via the app and with payment via Apple Pay I can recharge the eSIM and not worry about running out of power.

In addition to national eSIMs, there are regional eSIMs, which are perfect for the on-the-road trips that are often made to many parts of the world. Of course, is present the function that is essential for me, which is the ability to do hotspot and then use the line simultaneously on as many devices as you want. Since I have so many friends thanks to the "introduce a friend" feature, I also have the opportunity to earn 5$ for each friend who signs up and for all TFC readers there is also the discount code FLIGHTCLUB07 Which also allows you to discount the 10%

I plan vacation tickets and events in good time

I don't like wasting time in lines or, even worse, being confronted with a "sold out" sign. Besides that by booking online I can often get extra points from each purchase, which will not happen if you buy at the box office.

For example above I have booked 3 tickets for the Made of the Mist, the boat that takes you under the Niagara Falls via GetYourGuide and I took home 1,184 avios points. Points that I wouldn't have accumulated with the same spending at the box office that I would have had to do anyway and that will allow me to arrive and board without queuing and without stress.

Museums, attractions, and restaurants where I absolutely want to go I block them off in time, especially if I am not traveling alone and I have to consider that I will not be able to move around as I want to.

With VPN, I'm just like home

I also often use several VPNs, Because I often have to "turn out" in Italy for work., because I want to avoid when I'm connected to the wi-fi of bars, restaurants or other public places having my data swiped.

I use Express VPN for almost 10 years and never had a problem again, TFC readers can get discounts and 3 months free Using TFC10 as a discount code. I have recently started using NORDvpn as well, and I must say that I am not finding it bad at all. Right now there is an interesting promotion 53% discount on Family plan - $2.79/month and 50% discount on Premium plan - $1.49/month.

I verify that I have activated all American Express promotions and offers.

In hotel chains, such as IHG, Hilton or Marriott, there are often promotions that allow you to accumulate more points. However, all these offers of bonus points, qualifying double nights and the like have the constraint that they must be activated before checking in (and often it does not count when you are booked), a quick check on the official app and, in the case, with a few clicks I am quiet.

Being a holder of multiple credit cards I check the American Express offers (practically once every 3 days and not only on vacations) the presence of new offers that allow me to accumulate more points, get discounts or cashback. Again, as with hotels, the rule is that the promotion must be activated before I have made the transaction.

In conclusion

There would be many other tips, such as Never post their boarding passes on social media Before departure, check well luggage weights and dimensions allowed by different companies, check that the ATM or credit card has the foreign withdrawal function active, up to Identify the lounges where you will have access over the course of the journey. I could go on for hours writing, but these above are 7 essential points to get off on the right foot.