How to Organise Travel Documents …

Going on holidays and travelling is a great way to see the world and escape from everyday life. So, if you’re lucky enough to get away, it’s important to have all your information and travel documents well organised so you can access them quickly and easily. Nothing’s worse than having to dig around in your bag looking for airline tickets and passports when you’re trying to check in at the airport or hotel or, worse still, losing some important document.

I usually carry a large bag or backpack when I travel so I can store everything I need in a single place … room for my wallet, camera, jumper, water bottle and travel documents. I have always used a travel wallet of some kind but a couple of years ago, I tried out a B5 sized expanding file. These are somewhat larger than a wallet with loads of dividers, and for me, they have proved to be the perfect solution … lots of space and an easy way to separate everything. Every couple of years I buy a new one and I picked one up just this week from Officeworks for only $2 … what a bargain! They come in 4 different colours (purple, orange, blue and green).

We’re heading off on a cruise at the end of the year, so in preparation, here’s a list of how I’ve labelled the 12 separate dividers:

• Passports

• Itinerary

• Airline Tickets

• Duty Free (Receipts to claim at the Airport for GST refund)

• Hotel/Accommodation Vouchers

• Car Rental

• Bus/Train Tickets

• Sightseeing/Tours/Event Tickets

• Travel Insurance Documents

• Airport Parking Details/Receipts

• Receipts for shopping

• Miscellaneous

This list should work for most trips but you can label the dividers to suit yourself and your own circumstances. This is a simple and cheap solution that gets everything organised and puts all your travel documents easily at your fingertips. It’s also a great way to keep a “hard copy” of all your documents. Even though most information is sent electronically these days, it’s a good idea to carry a “hard copy” of everything in case your mobile device gets lost or stolen or you simply don’t have internet or mobile access.

So tell me, are you looking forward to the Christmas holidays? Are you travelling to visit family and friends or travelling to a new destination? If so, where are you going?