Packing List > Documents

Be sure to check the expiration dates on all your official documentation! Few things deliver the particular combination of embarassment, frustration, and inconvenience that come from a passport, driver's license, credit card, etc. having expired the day before you need it.

passport, visas, vaccination certificates, extra passport photos

Almost all countries will want to see your passport, but many have additional, non-obvious entry requirements. Some will bar you from entry if your passport doesn't have at least six months' validity beyond your planned departure date (consequently, it's a good idea to renew your passport at least six months prior to its expiring, to avoid possible last-minute passport hassles). Some require vaccination certificates if you have previously visited areas where specific diseases are prevalent. Some insist that you show means of support (credit cards, or sufficient cash) while visiting, and/or return or onward air tickets. Many require visas, arranged before you leave home. One country (South Africa) has the rather bizarre requirement that your passport contain at least one completely blank visa page, free of any stamps or other markings! So find out what you need before you go (you'll find some resources for this on the TraveLinks page), to avoid being refused entry, and sent home (at your own expense) on the next flight! Extra photos are useful for visas you might decide to obtain along the way.

copies of important documents

If you should manage to lose your passport, a photocopy of the main page will make replacing it a lot easier. Similarly for prescriptions, driving licenses, charge/ATM card account numbers, transportation/lodging information, traveller's cheque serial numbers, etc. Of course you'll carry the copies separate from the originals, won't you? It's also a good idea to record the special telephone numbers necessary to deal with the loss of any charge/ATM cards you carry; leaving an additional copy of all this information with a trusted friend back home can save you a lot of long distance calls in case of disaster (most toll-free numbers don't work very far from home). And though it's not suggested for government and other official documents, you can inexpensively protect many paper items by laminating them between two pieces of transparent plastic packing/book tape, as shown at left.

Consider using on-line storage for your backup information. One way to do this is by e-mailing document copies to yourself, thus effectively storing them on your mail server. But a much better solution is the use of services such as Box and Xdrive, which offer free/inexpensive Web-accessible storage, so your important information can be accessed from any Web browser. The dramatic rise in the availability of Internet Cafés makes such a Web-enabled backup solution particularly practical (especially given that it effectively addresses the worst-case scenario, that of your losing everything). If you lack the capability to scan necessary documents, inquire at your local copy shop. It's useful to have copies in different formats (PDF, JPEG, Word, etc., as appropriate) to cover a variety of eventualities.

(international?) driver's license, health insurance information

In general, you'll want to leave at home most of those cards you carry around in your wallet; leave the wallet at home too. But there are exceptions. Should you need to drive, your regular driver's license (in conjunction with your passport) will almost certainly be sufficient. In theory, some countries (particularly those with non-Roman alphabets) nominally require "International Driving Permits" (IDPs), which are simply translations of your regular license into ten languages; in practice, most officials have never heard of them. If you're unsure, though, check with a local authority (such as the rental agency you intend to patronize). The "International Driving Licenses" one hears about (especially via the Internet) are essentially a big scam; before sending off your money for one, read this U.S. Federal Trade Commission report, which also has information about to obtain a legitimate IDP.

travel tickets

(i.e., airline tickets, rail & bus passes, hotel reservations, etc.)

charge & ATM cards, cash, traveller's cheques

It used to be that traveller's cheques were the preferred method for carrying money; this is no longer the case. For purchases, use charge cards whenever possible (in much of Europe & Asia, this includes even taxis & fast food outlets); you'll get a much better currency conversion rate (generally 1% over the commercial bank rate) than by any other (legal) means. You'll also postpone the final reckoning. Make sure that your cards have sufficiently high credit limits to cover what you'll need. It's also advisable to call your credit card company prior to travelling far from home, to let them know your plans; this will save you the inconvenience (and possible embarrassment) of having your card refused because the computer doesn't know you're in Bangkok.

Be aware that some charge card issuers (as distinct from the networks, such as Visa and Mastercard, which make their money from the 1% mentioned above) levy extra fees (two to four percent!) for foreign currency conversions. If your card is one of these (find out before you leave), change cards (and let them know why you did). Really. Alas, I don't have any easier way than you (by phoning around) to determine which cards currently levy extra charges. I don't try to keep track, as it changes without notice, and I'd hate to be posting obsolete information.

To obtain local cash, use a bank ATM card (make sure yours is part of of one of the global networks, like Cirrus or Plus); both MasterCard and Visa have Web-based ATM-finding services. It's better not to use credit cards for this, as you'll incur a cash transaction fee and begin accumulating interest immediately. If your bank levies a charge for foreign ATM transactions, don't withdraw $20 at a time. Note that an American Express card also acts as a cheque guarantee card, allowing you to cash a personal cheque at any American Express office (making this the best non-ATM way to transfer money from home).

Be aware that 4-digit Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) are standard in most countries; if you have a 6-digit PIN, you might want to have it changed. Better yet is to check the current requirements in the countries you are visiting; in China, for example, 6-digit PINs are commonly required, although there are 4-digit-friendly machines in Beijing and Shanghai. Should you get stuck with a 4-digit PIN at a 6-digit-only ATM, a technique that often works is to simply add a pair of zeros preceding or following your number. If you have two bank accounts, consider carrying both a 6- and a 4-digit card.

Yet another solution allows you to bypass most of the charges that are sometimes attached to the use of ATMs. This is the so-called stored value card, available from Visa and also AAA. It's sort of like a telephone card: you load it with money and can then collect that money from ATMs along your way, paying only the local dispenser fee.

If you do use traveller's cheques, bring more than you think you'll need, in both large and small denominations (some currency exchange places charge by the monetary amount of the transaction, some by the number of cheques converted). Stick with "major labels" (e.g., American Express or Thomas Cook). As a rule, banks (and American Express offices) will give you a better deal than the many late-night bureaux de change you will encounter (the "no commission" signs merely indicate that their cut is built into the exchange rate; conversely, good exchange rates imply high commissions). Keep some cash handy for essentials, but any significant amount safely stored (see "security pouch" below).

Pay attention to your money. Understand all charges included in any transaction (ask to have bills itemized). Particularly in highly touristed areas, assume that you'll be shortchanged; always ask how much, do your own arithmetic, and don't let yourself be hurried. Be friendly, but vigilant.

If you're travelling in third world countries (where traveller's cheques and charge cards are largely useless), carry lots of American one-dollar bills; hegemonist issues aside, you will find them to be the closest approximation to a universal currency. A couple of hundred bills will not fit comfortably in your security pouch, so you will have to secrete most of them in various places about your pack (don't fret excessively about this; the loss of your pack will prove more of a disaster than the loss of a couple of hundred dollars).

2 personal cheques

You may not use these, but they take almost no space, help establish credibility, and just might prove invaluable. Bring more on longer trips, should you plan to use them to transfer money from home (as mentioned under "charge & ATM cards", above).

security pouch

I can't overemphasize the necessity of this; it may be the single most important item on this list. Street crime is rampant in most densely populated parts of the world; to compound the problem, you will (in foreign countries) find it next to impossible to avoid looking like a tourist (read "target"). So never, ever, put any of the items (except document copies) from this section of the list anywhere but in a security pouch, worn under your clothes (and not accessed in any public place).

These pouches come in a variety of styles; the safest are those worn around the waist. The type that loops around your belt (assuming that you're wearing one) and hangs down inside your pant leg, is almost as safe, and somewhat more convenient and comfortable. There are also around-the-neck and "shoulder holster" versions. Look for light weight, comfortable-against-the-skin fabric, and sufficient dimensions to hold what's necessary. Mine (Easy Going's exemplary "World Class Security Wallet", pictured at right) even has thin aircraft cable sewn into its belt loop and waist strap to foil the thief who would cut it off (though you should wear it under your clothes anyway). Get one of these, and get used to wearing it; it's the cheapest insurance you'll find.

If you need a little more incentive to use a security pouch, you might read Terry Jones' illuminating Street Scams of Barcelona. Not to be viewed as an indictment of Barcelona, it's typical of the sort of activity that abounds at many heavily touristed areas around the world (some are much worse!). And to reiterate, it's not that places like Barcelona are any more evil than other major world cities: it's that unless you live there, you will be easily identifiable as a tourist, and thus more likely to attract the attention of those you would prefer to avoid.

Those who can't bring themselves to wear an under-the-clothing pouch can consider an alternative solution. Many travel wear manufacturers — Tilley is particularly noteworthy in this regard — produce articles of clothing (jackets, shirts, slips, etc.) that have secret pockets sewn into them. These are not always sufficiently large to hold all of the items you should be protecting (i.e., everything on this page), so bear this in mind when choosing a design. As for me, I prefer a real security pouch.

Finally, in these days of increased airport security, with official/officious folks checking our identification/tickets/receipts/whatever at every turn, some travellers have found it helpful to wear a handy neck pouch to hold all of these, making them instantly available when necessary (and recalling days in kindergarten when you wore a name tag around your neck). These are not the equivalent of a proper security pouch — and should not be used as such — but they can reduce one's stress level when en route via air. Easy TravelAir makes a very nice version of this device.

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A one-page checklist version is available here.