Time to Serve at the Global Level

General Travel Tips

• Purchase a waterproof hip-pack or neck-wallet (a chain with a small pouch you can hang around your neck). Place important items in the hip-pack (money, passport, etc.). The hip-pack should never leave your body or close vicinity.
• When packing clothes for your trip, set out everything you plan to take and then take half! Pack clothing you can _mix and match. This will minimize the amount of items you take while providing the best selection of outfits. Also remember to pack the essentials such as jeans, khakis, shorts and t-shirts, a sweatshirt or light jacket, a bathing suit, etc. For a more thorough list please see Packing Lists. Keep in mind that certain countries and tourist attractions have customs and rules regarding proper attire. You should know these rules and customs prior to your departure so that you will not be excluded from the action, feel self-conscious or worse yet, look like a tourist!
• Leave expensive jewelry or anything you would be heartbroken to lose at home.
• Wear an inexpensive, waterproof watch.
• Pack a simple first aid kit containing such items as Band-aids, first aid cream, pain relievers and some gauze or cotton balls. For a more thorough list please see Packing Lists. For anything more than a minor injury, tell the tour director or chaperone immediately.
• Bring disposable cameras. If you lose or break them, you’ve only lost a memory, not an expensive camera.
• Pack an extra pair of prescription glasses and/or contact lens in case of loss or damage.
• Use Travelers Checks rather than carrying around large amounts of cash. If your cash is lost or stolen it cannot be replaced, but Travelers Checks can! Remember to carry proper identification matching your Travelers Checks so you can use them or replace them if they are lost or stolen. Keep a list of the Check numbers in your luggage and give a copy to your trip leader or travel companion so that if your bag is lost or stolen you will still have the numbers.
• Use a credit card to pay for larger purchases. Notify your credit card company, prior to your departure, of the countries you will visit so they can authorize your card for use in foreign countries. ATM machines can also be used abroad to get cash in the local currency. Find out from your bank which system their cash card is on (Star, Cirrus, NYCE, etc.) and ask if they have ATM locations in the country you are visiting. Look for that symbol on the ATM machine before using it.
• Bring a photocopy of all current prescriptions (medication, eyeglass/contact lens prescriptions, etc.) so these items can be replaced if lost. If possible scan a copy of these documents before you leave and email them to your personal email address so you will be able to access a copy of them from a computer.
• Do not forget to pack any prescription medication you might be taking and keep it on you at all times (or give it to your trip leader). Alert your trip leader or travel companion of any medication you might be on (they can help remind you to take it, arrange refrigeration, etc.).
• Find out if your family’s health care plan will cover you abroad. If not, ask the tour company about purchasing travel insurance (which also covers you in case of luggage theft and more). Most travelers insurance is inexpensive and well worth the minimal expense!