Some Stuff to Do Before We Leave

Hi all....it is getting close!! We have a couple things we wanted to mention.

This is all probably overkill, but figure better safe than sorry....as they say, plan for the worst, but expect the best :)

1. To the left under attachments is a document (Hotels) that you each should print out and carry with you. This lists the name of the Hotel, the address, and the phone number as well as the dates we will be staying at each hotel. This is just in case someone gets lost - figure it is easiest to just all get to the hotel. So, if you get lost on June 13 - ask a policeman to help you get to the Hotel-Pension Marthaus in Bern.
2. They say you should bring a copy of your passport because it makes it easier to replace if it is lost. We are also scanning ours and emailing to ourselves. We have gmail so could access it at any computer if we need to replace it. If anyone wants to send us theirs, we will keep them all on gmail to access if need be. They also say to leave a copy with family back home.
3. They also say you should register your trip with the US Embassy. Especially if you will be there for a month or longer. We won't be, so I don't know if you want to or not. This is just in case something like the hotel hostage situation that happened in India last year happens, they will then look for you. Of course, we are going to Switzerland, not India. So, it is up to you. If you want to, click here http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/registration/registration_1186.html. I did go and register just cuz I wanted to see what all it entailed. You need your passport to fill out some of the info. Since I have now registered, I can just add all of you as parties on my trip, but I need your passport information to do that. So, if you want me to, please email me your passport number, issue date, expiration date, and full name (including middle).
4. On your passport make sure you fill out the emergency contact info. You should use PENCIL for this.
5. We will do the same with our birth certificates, just in case.
6. Don't forget to call your health insurance and see what it covers and how it works. We have BCBSMT for the state and they cover "emergencies." We asked if strep throat would be considered an emergency. They said it would be covered. However, we would have to pay up front and get reimbursed.
7. Call your credit card company and let them know you will be in Switzerland so they don't put a hold on your card if they see unusual activity.
8. Call your bank and let them know you will be in Switzerland so they don't put a hold on your ATM if they see unusual activity.
9. Since we have elderly pets, we call our vet and make arrangements for someone else to make decisions regarding the pet in case of emergency. Our vet just requires that we let them know and leave a letter with them and the person advising that they can make decisions and that we will pay the bill when we return. Some of you may want to do the same.
10. We will not have a cell phone. Most US cell phones don't work in Europe because they run on a different platform. We did look into renting a phone or buying one that works there. It would be cheapest to buy one and you can get them online. The cheapest was $40 with $5 of airtime - you can buy additional airtime. We finally decided against it, but if others feel differently, let us know and we can show you the site and we can discuss it some more. We really did go back and forth because it is not expensive. Our reason for wanting one was to decrease the chance of #1 above from happening. But, you have to get SIM cards for the minutes and we just finally decided we probably did not need one.
11. Linda also brought up that there is the possibility that the plane could be diverted to a different country for some reason, so you do want to have some cash with you in case that happens - not a lot, of course.
12. Of course, then we also have to be prepared for the worst...you don't want to bring this stuff with you, but you want to make sure you have a living will signed and current. If all the people who are beneficiaries in your regular will are on the plane, you may want to make sure there are alternates listed as beneficiaries. We plan on having both of these in envelopes where someone can easily find them if need be.
13. Make sure someone at home as your detailed itnerary....just give them the link to this blog.

I think that is it along those lines! Next posts will be on happier notes :)