{"id":5310,"date":"2023-08-22T14:49:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-22T18:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/non-classe\/the-best-way-to-prepare-for-your-next-trip-down-south\/"},"modified":"2026-07-22T11:02:56","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T15:02:56","slug":"the-best-way-to-prepare-for-your-next-trip-down-south","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/tips-and-tricks\/the-best-way-to-prepare-for-your-next-trip-down-south\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Way to Prepare for Your Next Trip Down South"},"content":{"rendered":"
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August 22, 2023<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n

Have you booked your fall\/winter vacation in the sun, and is your departure date fast approaching? To make the most of it, proper preparation is essential. Here are some tips to follow to travel with complete peace of mind.<\/p>\n

Verify the Validity of Your Passports<\/h2>\n

All persons traveling with you, including babies, must normally hold a valid passport. Some countries may also require a visa. Others may deny you entry if your passport expires shortly after your planned return date. Consult the embassy of the country you plan to visit or your travel agency to learn about the travel authorization rules that apply to your situation.<\/p>\n

To protect yourself in case of loss or theft of your passport, \u00c9ducaloi recommends keeping photocopies in your luggage, away from the original, and entrusting others to relatives who will remain in Canada.<\/p>\n

Gather Your Travel Documents<\/h2>\n

Electronic airline tickets, hotel and vehicle reservations, vaccination records (if your destination requires them): keep two copies of each of these documents, printed and on your phone. Also keep handy the emergency phone numbers for your airline, your travel insurance, and Canadian consular services.<\/p>\n

Prepare a Budget, Even for an All-Inclusive Trip<\/h2>\n

On vacation, temptations are numerous. Plan a budget for specialty restaurants, excursions, gifts, sports activities not included in your package, and souvenirs.<\/p>\n

Order Local Currency<\/h2>\n

If you plan to visit a local market, it may be impossible to make your purchases using your credit card. Contact your financial institution to order currency a few weeks before your departure. You can obtain it at a branch or perhaps even have it delivered to your home. Also take this opportunity to inform your bank of your departure to prevent your debit or credit card from being blocked abroad, a precaution against fraud.<\/p>\n

Pack Your Luggage Several Days in Advance<\/h2>\n

Waiting until the last minute can lead to unfortunate oversights, like leaving for a week at an all-inclusive resort in Cuba without your sandals! (Well, some oversights are worse than others!)<\/p>\n

Create a “travel list” that includes clothing (including a warm sweater), hats, sunglasses, dress shoes, sports equipment, books, toiletries, over-the-counter medications, a few small games to entertain the children on rainy days, etc.<\/p>\n

A tip: keep your prescription medications, a bathing suit, your phone charger, an adapter (if necessary), and a change of clothes in your carry-on luggage, in case your suitcases arrive at your destination after you do.<\/p>\n

Prepare Your Home for Your Absence<\/h2>\n
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  • Put away all outdoor accessories that could attract the attention of thieves or cause damage in the event of a storm.<\/li>\n
  • Set the thermostat to 15 degrees to prevent your pipes from freezing.<\/li>\n
  • Carefully lock doors, windows, and garage doors.<\/li>\n
  • Place your valuables in a safety deposit box, ideally at your financial institution.<\/li>\n
  • Unplug your electronic devices to protect them against power surges.<\/li>\n
  • Cancel all your deliveries.<\/li>\n
  • Leave some curtains and blinds open, as if you were home, and program the timers on your smart lights.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Also ask a trusted person to collect the mail (Canada Post also offers a mail hold service), shovel your stairs or driveway, or perform other small maintenance tasks to avoid drawing attention to your absence.<\/p>\n

    Verify Your Home Insurance<\/h2>\n

    Leave with peace of mind: contact your insurance broker to confirm that your coverage is still in effect and that it covers the risks you wish to protect yourself against.<\/p>\n

    Also notify your representative if you are leaving your home for more than 30 days.<\/p>\n<\/div> <\/div>\r\n <\/section>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"class_list":["post-5310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips-and-tricks"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5310"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5310\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5312,"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5310\/revisions\/5312"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}