International / Airline Checklist
International Airline Tips and Checklist
  • Put your contact information on bag identification tags on ALL of your bags as well as inside your bag in case the luggage tag is ripped off.
  • Make sure your name on your ID/passport matches the name on all your tickets and boarding passes.
  • Take a picture of your passport as well as a paper copy.
  • For long flights bring earplugs, headphones, blow-up footrest, neck pillow, sleep mask, face mask (for the coughing lady next to you), sweater, book or magazine, and a couple packaged snacks. 
  • PACKING TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS: You may find yourself in need of these things in some countries: Tissues, toilet seat covers, sanitizer, mask, power bank, universal adapter, electrolytes, water filter, quick-drying towel, reef-safe sunscreen, mesh swimming socks, and mesh hiking shoes.
  • If you are going through customs, make sure you do not bring any home-made food, meat, or produce. If you are unsure about a food item, make sure to declare it.
  • Beat jet-lag: When the plane takes off, set your clock to your destination’s local time and stay awake until an appropriate bedtime. Similarly, when you arrive at your destination, refrain from taking a nap until the sun goes down in order to reset your internal sleep clock. 
  • Do you need nausea medication for the flight? Make sure you have tried it before you leave for your trip and don’t have adverse effects.
  • Bring a small “just in case” first-aid kit. Put Advil, Tylenol, Band-Aids, Neosporin, allergy meds, tampons/pads, aloe gel, Tums, and hydrocortisone cream in it. 
  • Destination Needs: Do you need bug-spray? Reef-safe sunscreen? SPF clothing? Hat? Sunglasses? Folding hand fan (comes in handy in muggy/stuffy areas), Raincoat? Boots? Sandals? Binoculars? Mesh swimming shoes or socks (coral or lava will cut up your feet).
  • Bring a little extra of your prescribed medication in the original bottle, or with an accompanying prescription, and never put it in a checked bag. Vitamins and supplements are generally okay to bring internationally, but avoid CBD products unless you have confirmed that it is legal on all legs of your journey.
  • You can bring a personal item in addition to your carry-on on most flights. This can be a regular-sized backpack. I recommend putting all devices, medications, travel-size liquids (in the quart size bag), first-aid kit, wallet, phone, and flight essentials in this bag because it will be under the seat in front of you for easy reaching.
  • If you can, pack light and travel with a carry-on only. Not only does that prevent the airline from losing your luggage, but traveling with a carry-on also eliminates the need to wait for your bags at the carousel after a long flight. If you miss a connecting flight or wish to catch an earlier one, then you don’t have to worry about arriving to your destination without your checked luggage. 
  • A lot of airlines are going virtual with payment. If you plan on purchasing alcohol or snacks onboard make sure that your credit card is stored online with the airline before you board.
  • It is always good to learn a few basic words in the language of the place you will be visiting. Such as “hello”, “excuse me”, “no”, “yes”, “please”, “help”, and "how much is this?".
  • For international flights, make sure you have acquired a VISA (if required), ETA, and all the necessary paperwork is completed, as well as fees paid well before they are due. Check what you need here
  • Check in for your flights 24 hours ahead of time online, or on the airline app.
  • Notify your bank and credit cards that you will be travelling so that you don't have an interruption of service because they think your cards are stolen! 
  • Do not put ANYTHING important or valuable in a checked bag.
  • Don’t forget: government-issued ID or passport for international trips and cruises (make sure that the expiration is more than 6 months out), mask (if required where you are travelling), proof of travel insurance, and patience.
  • Check on your mobile carrier's international plans. Some include certain countries, and some only charge $10/24 hour period when you use it, so don't feel like you have to sign up for a whole new plan just to take a trip to another country.
  • Arrive at the airport 2 hours early if you are checking bags and 3 hours early for international flights. 
  • Flight Not Going As Planned?? Per the Department of Transportation you are entitled to a swift refund if there is a significant change" in your itinerary: 1) A change in departure or arrival time of more than three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international flights. 2) A change of either arrival or departure airport. 3) An additional connection in the itinerary that wasn’t indicated previously. 4) A downgrade in the class of service previously booked and paid for. You should also know that you can request a hotel and food vouchers  if you are delayed enough to miss your connection, and you need them. Just ask.

  • SECURITY, CUSTOMS, AND BOOKING TIPS
  • To avoid missing flights: Try to have at least an hour in between flights (layover to transfer to next gate), have the least amount of stops on your flight possible, take the earliest flight of the day, and arrive well before you think you need to be there.
  • If you have TSA pre-check in the USA you won't need as much time. Go here to sign up: https://www.tsa.gov/precheck 
  • If you travel internationally four or more times a year, consider enrolling in Global Entry. Global Entry provides expedited U.S. customs screening for international air travelers when entering the United States. Global Entry members also receive TSA Pre-Check® benefits as part of their membership. Visit: https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry While Global Entry’s goal is to speed travelers through the process, members may still be selected for further examination when entering the United States. Any violation of the program’s terms and conditions will result in the appropriate enforcement action and termination of the traveler’s membership privileges. 
  • Did you leave something in the security checkpoint? TSA Lost Items
  • Put all liquids that are travel-sized in a quart size Ziploc in your carry-on.
  • Put all non-travel-sized liquids in Ziploc bags in your checked bag.
  • Bring an EMPTY re-fillable water bottle. Airports have free filtered water stations once you get through security.
  • Be prepared to remove your shoes and jacket, take large devices out of cases, and pull out your travel-size liquid bag as you go through security, if required. They do not need the cords.
  • United States Border Protection and Customs information for international travel found here: https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/know-before-you-go
  • Sign up for low-cost flight alerts for your destination from Going
  • Track your belongings by tossing an AirTag/Tile inside checked luggage.
  • I use the Chase United Explorer Plus credit card for everything travel. Get airline miles you can use any time, free checked bags, free passes to the United Club, Priority boarding, reimbursement for Global Entry fees, and more! Use this link: Apply for the Chase Explorer card here
  • Get the latest news from TSA here: https://www.tsa.gov/
  • Remember you can always message or call Becky at Experience Joy Travel Company at 1-833-TRIP JOY if you are confused or don’t know what to do. Always here for you! Much love to you!
Cruising Checklist
Cruising Tips and Checklist
  • Make sure your name on your passport matches the name on your boarding pass. I do not recommend passport cards, ID cards or birth certificates for boarding a cruise ship. If something happens and you need to fly home from another country you will not be able to use those items to fly home. A passport is priceless in these circumstances.
  • Take a picture of your passport with your phone, just in case you lose it.
  • Pick a later embarkation time. It is less stressful and the lines are way shorter.
  • Put your contact information on bag-tags on ALL of your bags.
  • Attach stateroom number tags to the suitcases you will give to the porter at embarkation, if available. 
  • Do not put ANYTHING important or valuable in a checked bag. 
  • It is generally a nice gesture to give the porters who take your suitcases to your room a tip such as $5-10 per bag.
  • Bring a small tote bag or backpack at embarkation if you are arriving before 2pm and put your swimsuit, empty water bottle, phone, medication and anything else you need before 2pm in it as you may not be able to access your room or your luggage until then.
  • You can access your cruise app to look at ship maps, see what is going on for entertainment, see where you can get food or drinks, sign up for Wi-Fi, and more.
  • When you board the ship you should have access to food and drinks immediately. The shops on board and the casino are generally not available until you are out to sea (in international waters)
  • Make sure you do your safety check-in (muster) as soon as you can and get it out of the way. The ship cannot leave the port until every person onboard has done the muster. This will include information such as where your lifejackets are and where to meet in an emergency.
  • Bring an empty thermal re-fillable water bottle. You can fill it at the water station with ice and water in the morning before you get off the ship at each port.
  • Some people like to bring magnetic hooks to hang things on the metal walls.
  • Bring a “pop-up” hamper and dry laundry soap sheets. You will be glad to have this. You can do laundry onboard or have the crew do it for you. If you have a suite or preferred status sometimes laundry service is included in the price.
  • Some people like to bring big clips to hold their towels onto their lounge chairs in the wind. Do not pack towels for your cruise. They provide nice big towels for you to use and you can exchange them as many times as you want for dry ones.
  • I recommend bringing electrolyte drink mix packets. These come in handy if you have had too much alcohol or you have become dehydrated due to heat. They can be a lifesaver.
  • You might want to bring a small fan and a small power strip (no surge protector allowed)
  • Do you need nausea medication for your flight and cruise? Make sure you have tried it before you leave for your trip and don’t have adverse effects. I usually just bring ginger chews. Ginger chews also work great for motion sickness.
  • Pack a small “just in case” first-aid kit. Put Advil, Tylenol, Band-Aids, Neosporin, allergy meds, tampons/pads, aloe gel, and hydrocortisone cream in it. If you forget something or you need medical care there is a hospital onboard the ship, but it is not free.
  • Destination Items: Do you need bug-spray? Sunscreen? Hat? Sunglasses? Reading glasses? Raincoat? Boots? Sandals? Binoculars? Bring what you think you might need, because you don’t want to end up paying triple for something generic once onboard.
  • When you get off the ship the crew will scan your ID and keep a log of who has gotten off. When you come back to the ship they will scan you back in and you will go through security and put everything through an x-ray machine. DON’T bring leftover food (or home-made food), drugs, alcohol, weapons, or anything else prohibited back onto the ship. Packaged food and drinks are usually ok. Unopened alcohol may be kept in a locker for you until the end of your cruise on some cruise lines. Read the policies for your cruise line or ask a crew member.
  • When you get off the ship in port remember to go by “ship time”. This will be in the app on your phone that you download for your cruise. This time can be different from the local time! This will make sure that you get back to the dock before your ship leaves. 
  • If you are part of an excursion through the cruise company the ship will wait for you to come back even if you are delayed. If you are not part of an excursion through the cruise line at the time of the ship departure and you do not come back to the pier in time you may be left behind. DON’T be a “pier runner”! Get back to your ship with time to spare and you can enjoy your vacation without stress.
  • It is always good to learn a few basic words in the language of the places you will be visiting. Such as “hello”, “excuse me”, “no”, “yes”, “please”, “help”, and "how much is this?". 
  • Sometimes the ship cannot visit a port that is on your itinerary for a variety of reasons, or they must take a completely different route because of weather. Be patient and relax. They will reimburse you for the excursions you paid for and they always try to make things up to you by taking you to a different port and sometimes give you discounts on your cruise.
  • If you are doing an activity on the water, invest in a waterproof phone case with a lanyard. Most of them allow you to use your phone through the plastic.
  • Check on your mobile carrier's international plans. Some only charge $10/24 hour period when you use it, so don't feel like you have to sign up for a whole new plan just to take a trip to another country.
  • Try to enjoy the entertainment provided onboard as much as possible. This gives you the opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and participate in a game or activity that you haven’t done before. This is a great way to make friends and have a good time.
  • Don’t forget: device chargers, passport (make sure the expiration is not within 6 months of departure), mask (if required where you are travelling), proof of travel insurance, boarding passes, and patience.
  • Remember you can always message or call Becky at Experience Joy Travel Company if you are confused or don’t know what to do. Always here for you! Much love to you!
Tips to Avoid Pickpockets, Scams and Tourist Traps While Abroad

A Guide to Avoid Pickpockets, Scams and Tourist Traps Abroad

Who wants the hassle of replacing a passport, credit cards and other valuables during a trip that was supposed to be the “trip of a lifetime”? Not me. Who wants to get halfway across the world to see that thing you’ve been wanting to see your whole life and not be able to thoroughly enjoy it? Not me either. If you take these precautions, you will likely not be the target of one of these less than desirable people, (or a tourist scam), and have an amazing time.

Pickpockets

These people are usually young, well-dressed, and work in groups. They understand English well and are trained to take advantage of tourists, especially in “touristy areas” of big cities like Paris, Barcelona, London, Rome, and others. Don’t expect that you won’t be targeted in smaller cities though!

Tip #1: If someone, (even a young and pretty girl), approaches you and asks you to sign a petition or learn about a charity, say “NO” firmly and walk on. Do not try to be polite. They have 2 or 3 others that will come up to you in the crowd while you are distracted and reach into your pockets. The same goes for someone spilling something on you or bumping you while walking. They will apologize and try to touch you to “clean it up” or “make amends”, thereby distracting you to have their friends free to grab something. Just back away quickly if this happens. This happened to me in Florence, but I was firm and got away.

Tip#2: Wear a cross-body purse with the purse in front of you, keep your phone and wallet in a hidden money belt, or around your neck on a lanyard. NEVER wear a backpack. When you sit down at a café or restaurant you will be a sitting duck, especially outside. Attach your valuables and shopping bags to your body with a lanyard or a carabiner. (I have found this helps me not to forget my bag too!) NEVER put your phone or purse down on the table beside your plate. Someone could easily snatch it without your even feeling a breeze.

Tip#3: You will likely take public transportation. Don’t stand there holding your phone and scrolling. This is the time to be vigilant because this is where many people have things stolen, especially their phones. DON’T stand next to the door on a subway holding your phone. Someone could basically take it from your hand and run out the closing door at the last minute. Goodbye! If you are distracted by your phone, you might have someone reach into your bag and take something as well, and you wouldn’t even feel it.

Scams

There is another kind of person that likes trusting tourists almost as much as pickpockets do. Scammers. Some of these people just want a few bucks, but some will straight up steal your credit card info when you hand it to them, so watch out!

Tip#1: Watch out for someone who tries to give you a gift and says, “This is for the pretty lady”, or “Have a wonderful time today”, or something similar. Don’t take it. Be ADAMANT that you do not give permission for them to give it to you or your wife or kids. Teach your family not to take anything “free”. This is what will happen: They will come back. They will keep coming back until you give them money. This is very frustrating because they lean on your kindness by saying things to make you feel guilty so you will give them money for the nice gift they gave you. Ugh. I saw this happen to people in Vatican City with little bracelets.

Tip#2: A very friendly person across from you at the café or at the museum offers to take you to a local place where you can have a great time. NO. Just no. They will likely, in fact, do one of several things with you that will NOT be a great time. They will often take you to a club and bring you a drink without even asking you if you want it. Then when the bill comes the drink is some outrageous price. Sometimes they will just charge you the massive amount and move on, but sometimes they take it a step further and get you drunk, make you pay for their drink too, steal your stuff, or take your credit card.

Tip#3: 

Watch out for people selling things laying out on the street, especially art. In the hustle and bustle you could accidentally step on the corner of a cheap poster and be told that it is actually worth a great deal of money, and that you ruined it. I saw this happen to a lady outside of the Accademia in Florence. What do they expect if they lay these things all over the middle of the road? Exactly.

Tourist Traps

You are on vacation in a foreign country to hopefully experience the authentic culture of the destination. You didn’t come to Rome for a hamburger or to Barcelona for Taco Bell, or get stuck looking at a monument just because everyone else is there looking at it. Why then, do so many tourists fall into these traps? I think it is because they don’t know any better, and that is why I am teaching you about these.

Tip#1: If you are in Florence and starting to feel hungry, don’t pick the closest restaurant to the tourist attraction you are visiting that says “EAT HERE” in English with pictures of the food on a big billboard. Stroll around the corner and see what you can find. You will, hands down, have the best meal if you find that “hole in the wall” place that has been there 150 years with the menu all in Italian. Don’t worry, you can Google whatever words you need to figure out what to order. Better yet, research what kinds of foods you think you will like ahead of time and order like a pro! The best raviolis I had in Rome were at this little restaurant I stopped at that had no one there. I felt like I was being served by a local family.

TIP#2: Try to find local stores to shop for souvenirs that do not have things they ordered off TEMU for sale to unsuspecting tourists. This can be hard to do in some areas. Often, I will simply stick to the museum stores and local grocery stores for this reason. When you do find an amazing, authentic souvenir store you will have such a great time looking at everything. My two favorite memories of this are in Gothenburg where I found Pippi Longstocking (Pipi Langstrump), and at a gift store in Tivoli Gardens where I found Little Mermaid items (Referring to the one written by Hans Christian Andersen), in Copenhagen.

TIP#3: Go to the desired country in the off-season or visit your desired attractions during a less-busy time of day. This will allow you to really take it in without feeling like a harried tourist. Stroll lazily down a street in no hurry, or particular direction, and pop into a small café or store to see what they have going on. Sit and watch people in a “non-tourist part of town” and watch them interact. Sometimes you will find the most beautiful fountain all by yourself, or some people playing a game. These are the moments that you will cherish forever. Yes, you will never forget when you first saw the Eiffel Tower… but take a breath and take it ALL in where you are, and you will not regret it.

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