Tips on Foriegn Travel

Additional Paperwork:
Make sure your passport is valid for 6 months after return from your trip - this is a requirement for traveling to many countries.

Carry a copy of any important papers (passport, birth certificate, drivers license, prescriptions, etc) in a separate place from the originals in case of theft or lost baggage.

Double check at least 6 weeks prior to foreign travel for required documents, vaccinations and hazards. Things change quickly in this world.

Always give a travel agent or airline reservation agent your name as it appears on your passport and/or drivers license. For most airlines, only a matching first and last name is necessary. For many other things, such as rail passes, visa, etc, an exact match with the passport is required for use.

Foreign Travel:
If traveling with a child to Mexico and the US Caribbean, make sure to have a certified copied of the child's birth certificate - this is the copy with the raised seal.

A single parent is traveling with a child to Mexico must have a notarized letter of approval from the other parent, a copy of custodial papers or a copy of their spouse's death certificate. This rule is sometimes enforced in a way that makes problems for parents and children traveling together if the parents' and children's surnames are not identical. Similar restrictions exist in Brazil, Chile, Colombia and the Dominican Republic, just to name a few.

If you are using a birth certificate and picture ID for entrance to Mexico and the Caribbean and the last names don't match, a copy of the marriage license or name change documents is required. I recommend traveling with a passport, especially those with multiple marriage history!

When driving a car in Mexico, make sure you have an adequate amount of cash/travelers checks on hand. Should an auto accident occur and you are deemed responsible, you will be required to post a cash bond before being allowed to leave the country. This policy is enforced even if you are injured.

Check with your auto insurance company before renting a car in Mexico to see if any additional items need to be added. Make sure to mention you are renting in Mexico!

When renting a car in Mexico, you must take out the offered insurance and the rider on the deductible. US insurance will NOT cover Mexico rentals and the deductible in an accident can be as much as 80% of the car's value.

When filling out the Tourist card and customs declaration, make sure to sign everywhere that's necessary - especially the back (2 places). This will save you from getting bumped to the back of the line.

Save your Tourist Card stub in a safe place for easy retrieval when leaving the country. This is a very important piece of paper - it shows you were legally in the country and should be allowed to leave.

The preferred credit cards are Mastercard and Visa, with Amex coming in third. Skip trying out your Discover and Diners, they won't get you very far.

When getting cash, the best exchange will come from a bank. Next is a Casas de Cambio. Did you know that hotels can make up their own exchange rates? Wonder whose favor they are in?

If you think you are going to be using your ATM card, check with your bank before you leave about their out of country usage fees.

The only public phone in Mexico you should you is a TelMex phone - it is the safest and least expensive. They only take debt cards, which can be purchased almost everywhere. The best debit phone card is the Lodatel card.

If you need to make a call home, have the hotel operator connect you with a US operator (approx fee of $5), then have them connect you using a credit card or phone card. Never dial direct from a hotel - it could cost you an arm and a leg. And never give the hotel operator your phone card or credit card number - only give that to a US operator.

In Mexico City avoid the Gypsy cab drivers. Have the hotel or restaurant (or where your destination is) flag a legal cab for you. If you are out wandering, go into the nearest establishment and have them help you out. Gypsy cab drivers can be very dangerous to tourists, even savvy ones.