by Shannon Bradford

Created on: July 21, 2011   Last Updated: July 26, 2011

Travel documents will make or break a trip – without them, you won’t get far. It’s important to have them organized and handy when they’re needed, but it’s equally as important to have them protected. Most travelers have heard of a horror story involving lost or stolen documents, or an underprepared trip that made leaving the country difficult or impossible. Use these tips to ensure your next trip takes you there and back again with all your documents intact.

Know before you go. The first step to organizing your travel documents is to know what documents you’ll need. Domestic trips won’t require a passport, but if you’re leaving the country, check beforehand to make sure you have all the appropriate papers, including any visas. If you’re not sure about what might be needed, check with that country’s embassy before departure.

Document organizers. These handy items make it easy to stow and view your documents all in one place. There are a variety of sizes, shapes and colors depending on how many documents you have. Some protect only passports and boarding passes, while others resemble professional file folders. While these are extremely convenient, it makes it easier for pickpockets to grab up all your most important papers at once, so keep this well-hidden in your travel bag or around your body. These types of organizers can be found in a variety of places, including online stores like Amazon.com.

Make copies and spread them out. It’s important to have the basics, like passports and plane tickets, but it’s even more important to be prepared for the what-ifs of the trip. In case of emergencies, it’s worthwhile to have copies of other important documents from back home, like your birth certificate, driver’s license, or social security card. Keep these with the rest of your documents, but disperse additional copies throughout other areas of your luggage so that if the originals disappear, you still have some on hand. Keeping these documents in an online area – like scanning the originals and sending them to your email – ensures you can access them from almost anywhere in the world.

Itineraries galore. Your loved ones want to know where you are and what you’re doing, but passing out itineraries serves another purpose – if something goes awry, they might be able to help out. Keep an itinerary with you at all times, as well as additional copies in case the original goes missing. If you’ve booked train, bus, or plane tickets online, they will have documentation of this on their website, which makes lost passes easier to recoup. 

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