Things to Do One Week Before You Travel
1. Reduce the amount of fresh items you buy at the grocery, such as milk, fruit and other perishables you'll need to throw out before you leave.
2. Get out the suitcase and start your packing.
3. Be sure your luggage is marked with identification on the inside and out. I also like to use something bright tied around the handles of my luggage to make them easier to identify on the luggage carousels.
4. Start adjusting your sleeping and eating habits closer to your destination's time zone to help avoid jet lag.
5. Make copies of the credit card numbers and/or traveler's check serial numbers and leave them with a trusted friend or your travel agent. This will make it easier to contact your banks should the unthinkable happen and they are lost or stolen.
6. Make several copies of your passport. Leave one copy with a trusted friend or family member and keep the other with you in case you lose your passport. Do not keep the copies on your person, rather keep a copy in your suitcase and/or give your traveling companion a copy.
7. Check prescriptions for necessary refills; bring a list with the drugs generic name listed since the brand names available can differ in other areas.
