Today's pre trip preparations include financial matters. On a broad scope everyone should have their financial world in order because as we well know things can change in an instant. Leaving for an extended trip to an exotic locale is all the more reason to update wills, trusts and talk to loved ones. Fortunately, I took the time years ago to get everything organized. Lately, I have been educating those not joining me on this trip exactly what to do if life takes a turn in the wrong direction with me involved. And now that that unpleasant but necessary discussion has taken place I turn my attention to daily life issues like paying bills, credit cards needed and other incidentals. I'll be gone almost 3 weeks, so I took the time to set all my bills to autopay, that way I won't need to worry about being in a place with accessible wi-fi or waking up in the middle of the night trying to remember if its Thursday or Friday and if the electric bill is due. I then sat and reviewed the benefits of my many credit cards to determine which will accompany me on the trip.
I decided on two Chase Sapphire Reserve and American Express Premier Gold. Neither have foreign transaction fees and Chase Sapphire Reserve offers primary car insurance (I'm renting a car in South Africa) - bell goes off in head...I forgot to check if I needed an international drivers license (whew, I don't). This is why I start thinking about my trip two/three weeks before departure.
Back to the car rental insurance...if my rental is involved in a collision or is involved in a theft I'm covered for up to $75k without needing to go thru my private auto insurance carrier first. Both myself as the cardholder and my additional driver are covered. This is a huge benefit. I printed the section on the Collision Damage Waiver to take with me.
My Reserve card also comes with a $300 travel credit (I did a double dip with this card, still kicking myself that I missed out on the triple dip) meaning up to $300 in travel expenses will be reimbursed in the form of a statement credit. I used the first $300 credit when I signed up for the card to pay for airline fees on booking my award tickets. When I return from Africa the $450 credit card fee is due, so I'll just cancel the card. My $600 in travel credits more than covered the annual fee.
The Reserve card will also allow me and my travel companion to enter Priority Pass lounges for free in the varies cities we will be flying in and out of. Several credit cards come with Priority Pass membership, but very few allow a guest to accompany the card holder without a fee. I have a list of all the airport lounges added to my important paper pile. I applied for this card specifically with this trip in mind since so many benefits were available. I'll also be covered for trip cancellation insurance and baggage loss if necessary.
With regards to cash, in Zimbabwe only American dollars can be used for currency. The local currency is worthless and the acceptance of credit cards is almost unheard of so I'll need to have cash in small denominations. Withdrawing from an ATM is not ideal. Fortunately, cash is only needed for small incidentals since everything has been prepaid. Once I'm out of Zimbabwe I'll switch back to using credit cards for activities and food. Everything else was previously paid ahead of time.
I have made copies of my passport, drivers license, medical card and credit cards, one copy goes with me another stays at home. This way if anything is stolen I'll have access to telephone numbers, my passport number etc. Copies of our itinerary have been produced and given to loved ones not traveling - these itineraries contain very detailed information so they can track our whereabouts in the event we cannot communicate with regularity. Lastly, the trip has been registered with STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program) thru the State Department web site. This information is provided to the US Embassies of Harare, Johannesburg and Cape Town so they know our whereabouts. It's an exhaustive process but makes for a much smother time away.
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