Trip Preparations Timeline
4 MONTHS TO 1 YEAR AHEAD
1.) ITINERARY
- Develop Itinerary.
- Determine length of time available for trip.
- Determine routing, with possible alternatives.
- Determine team. (make sure everyone knows what travel documents are needed, tickets to start point, visas, passports, etc.)
2.) RESERVATIONS
- Make reservations for most popular destinations that risk being fully booked. (try not to make any reservations that you can’t cancel for a refund at this point.)
3.) ACTIVITIES & MUST-SEES
- Determine side-trips, activities and must-see sites.
4.) BUDGET
- Develop rough budget. (for basic costs like accommodation, transport, activities, etc.)
5.) RESEARCH
- Obtain state and/or local “official” tourist guidebooks as well as online info about locations.
6.) VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
- Schedule any major repairs you’ll need to make before your road trip.
7.) NEW EQUIPMENT
- Look for sales and research purchases.
3 TO 4 MONTHS AHEAD
1.) TEAM
- Finalize team
- Finalize route and departure date
- Organize passports.
- Obtain visas.
- Check to see if any inoculations are required for travel.
- Start getting in shape.
2.) BACKCOUNTRY PLANNING
- Outline backcountry travel routes
- Call Backcountry Office for information on trails, campsite etc.
- Call or write for reservations or permits for campsites
- Check permit regulations
3.) CLOTHES
- Buy any new clothes, shoes or accessories.
- Break in new shoes and make sure walking or climbing gear is comfortable.
- Begin breaking in new boots
1 TO 3 MONTHS AHEAD
1.) CLOTHING
- Purchase any new clothing.
2.) FINALIZE ITINERARY
- Develop a firm list of places and activities; research hours and programs available during travel timeframe.
3.) CAMERA EQUPIMENT
- Verify cameras and equipment, and determine if anything needs to be replaced. If there is any new equipment, begin learning to use it.
- Verify/budget and obtain adequate quantity of memory cards, video tapes, batteries.
- Back up existing imagery to harddrives, clean/erase memory cards.
4.) VEHICLE PREP/TESTING
- Add anything new, and road test it.
- Make a test drive with vehicle to confirm condition, note anything that needs attention from mechanic.
6.) CAMP EQUIPMENT
- Confirm group gear with team partners
- Go over checklist of backpacking gear
- Make sure gear works and/or replace or repair
7.) FOOD
- Start to plan menus and food/grocery needs
8.) TEAM
- Arrange travel to/from the airport (bus, limo, friend).
2 WEEKS TO 1 MONTH AHEAD
1.) MINOR VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
- Perform any minor maintenance on vehicle as needed.
- Check tires.
- Get oil changed and fluids checked/topped off.
- Check the hoses/belts/windshield wipers, etc.
- Make sure vehicle inspection sticker will remain current for duration of trip.
- Tune up the vehicle.
2.) BUY ANY ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT OR CLOTHING
- Purchase any needed gear or clothing.
3.) MAKE ALL NEEDED RESERVATIONS
- Unless dependent on travel, make all reservations and confirm any long existing reservations.
4.) PACKING LIST
- Make detailed packing lists for clothing, equipment, food, medicine, and personal grooming items.
5.) HOME BASE
- Make arrangements for care/maintenance at home.
- Arrange for someone to mow the lawn and water the plants.
- Give a neighbor emergency contact information and ask them check on the house from time to time.
- Request a vacation stop of the mail and newspaper.
4 DAYS TO 2 WEEKS AHEAD
1.) LAUNDRY
- Wash the clothes.
2.) PACKING
- Begin packing all items that don’t need to be used before departure. (make sure to use packing checklists)
3.) MENU PLAN
- Plan any menus, and prepare shopping list for food items.
- Purchase and re-package (if necessary) food staples and non-food kitchen supplies (like paper towels, wet-wipes, etc).
4.) HOME BASE
- Set up hold for mail and newspapers.
- Remind friends and neighbors of departure and length of trip.
- Remind service providers who will be caring for home of travel dates and schedule maintenance service, as well as set up plan for payment.
- Notify Neighbor, Police, Security, or Emergency Services who to call in case of emergency.
5.) HAIRCUTS
- Get haircuts, if necessary…
6. ) HEALTH
- Confirm health insurance/travel insurance.
- Get prescriptions refilled.
- Make sure everyone has any necessary vaccinations or Immunizations.
- Make copies of any important medical prescriptions for someone else to hold that might be needed if lost.
7.) COMMUNICATIONS
- Check with cell phone provider to see if there is coverage in trip locations.
- Write down and input emergency phone #s into cell phone of the travel locations, hotel phone #, tour group phone #, car rental phone # & the airlines 800 # incase of flight changes, embassies, police, hospitals & doctor.
1 TO 3 DAYS AHEAD
1.) ITINERARY
- Verify departure plans with team partners
- Give a copy of itinerary and return time to a friend or relative
- Confirm all reservations.
- Write down Confirmation numbers and put Flights, Rental Cars, Hotels & Tours phone and confirmation numbers into cell phone.
- Make sure everyone in group is aware of all the travel plans and Itinerary.
2.) LAUNDRY
- Wash all remaining clothes.
3.) LAST-MINUTE PACKING
- Do the last-minute packing of clothing and other “last-minute” items. (make sure to use the packing checklists)
4.) LOAD VEHICLE
- Load the vehicle ahead to be sure everything fits. If there is a problem, take out a few items and re-pack.
5.) BANK
- Get cash and make any necessary balance transfers.
- Pay bills and credit cards that will come due during trip.
- Make sure to take 2 credit cards and some cash.
- Get list of ATM locations/bank locations, and have pin #s.
6.) DOCUMENTS
- Make sure to have all credit cards, debit cards, annual passes, medical and auto insurance cards.
- Make sure to have airline tickets or e-ticket receipts, passports, visas, birth certificates, etc.
- Make sure everyone has a photo ID ( 2 ID’s are better: drivers license and valid passport.)
- Make photo copies of all documents front and back, for someone to hold so they can be accessed in an emergency (drivers license, passport, birth certificate copy & medical needs)
- Write down credit cards numbers with the banks 800 number in case they’re lost or stolen.
7.)HOME
- Get rid of any food in the refrigerator that will spoil while you’re gone.
- Straighten up the house so it won’t be a mess when you get back.
- Return all DVD’s to Blockbuster and all books to the library.
- Set the auto-reply message on your e-mail and update your voice message.
- Be sure to take the call-in number and password for your home answering machine so you can access it if necessary.
8.) GET A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP, SHOWER, SHAVE, DRESS TO GO…
LAST MINUTE
1.) MEDICATION
- Take any daily vitamins and/or medication and pack the rest.
2.) HOME
- Purge the fridge of any perishables.
- Take out the trash.
- Tidy up the house.
- Water the plants.
- Turn the thermostat down to 55 degrees F (13 C) in winter.
- Close curtains and blinds.
- Turn on lights that you want on; or put them on timers, and turn all lights and appliances off that you want off.
- Call anyone you need to call to say “goodbye.”
- Do a “last tour” of the house, to make sure you didn’t leave anything important behind.
3.) FOOD
- Add perishable foods to the food bag and load the ice chest, if any.
4.) VEHICLE
- Put car keys in safe place.
- Give duplicate keys to team member
4.) DEPARTURE
- Bon Voyage…