Travel Tips
5 Tips for Successful Packing
- Pack an extra tote or duffel bag for packing items you accumulate along the way.
- Packing loosely wastes precious space and causes clothes to wrinkle. If your suitcase isn’t full, fill spaces with bubble wrap; on the way home, use it to wrap delicate souvenirs.
- Pack sealable plastic bags for storing used socks and underwear, as well as toiletries that could leak in your luggage.
- Tuck dryer sheets into your suitcases to keep everything smelling fresh.
- Place plastic dry cleaners’ bag between clothes – they reduce wrinkling better than tissue paper, which flattens out.
Money Makes the World Go Around
- Visit oanda.com which provides current exchange rates for currencies around the world.
- When reserving a hotel room or rental vehicle, consider using a credit card instead of a debit card. Reservations may temporarily restrict funds on the card which will impact your checking account balance if a debit card is used. If desired, check with the company to see if you can use a different card for the reservation than you will use to pay with.
Before You Go…Don’t Forget!
- Notify the bank that you will be traveling to ensure your credit card and debit card work properly while you’re away.
- Ask a friend or neighbor to pick up your mail while you’re away or contact the post office to have it held until you return.
- Leave a copy of your passport and hotel contact numbers with someone at home.
TSA Travel Tips
Before you go…
- Visit tsa.gov for all the latest security policies (including the tips below)
- Pack liquids/gels/aerosols in your checked baggage. For a short trip, follow the 3-1-1 rule
TSA 3-1-1 Poster
- Exceptions to the 3-1-1 rule include: baby formula/breast milk/baby food while traveling with a small child, medications, liquids (to include water, juice or liquid nutrients) or gels for diabetics or other medical needs. All exceptions must be declared to the Security Officer for screening.
- All footwear must be removed for X-ray screening. Wearing footwear that can be easily removed helps.
- Pack valuables such as jewelry, cash, and electronics, as well as fragile items, in your carry-on. This will speed the screening process.
- Avoid wearing accessories that contain metal, which will set off the metal detector.
- Put all undeveloped film in your carry-on bag, because checked baggage screening equipment may damage film.
- If carrying a firearm, please check with you airline for appropriate procedures.
- Leave lighters at home. TSA collects thousands of lighters a day.
After you arrive at the airport…
- Take your quart-size plastic zip-top bag out of your carry-on and place separately in bin.
- Declare all permitted liquid exceptions to the security Officer in front of the checkpoint.
- Take your laptop and video cameras with cassettes out of their cases for screening.
- Remove your outer coat, suit coat, jacket or blazer to place in bin for Xray.
- Place the following items in your carry-on before entering the screening checkpoint: cell phones and personal data assistants, keys, loose change, jewelry and large metal items.