Key Documents

Passports
Every member of the family, down to your youngest child, should have a valid passport.
Check for expiration dates. I check ours each time I plan a trip. A passport should be valid
for at least six months after your departure date.

Visas
You need to have blank visa pages not endorsement pages for every country you enter.
If you do not have a sufficient number of pages, you will be either stopped before you
board your final international flight or turned back at the border. (This happened to us)!

Another gotcha. Countries that don’t require a visa may still need to stamp your entry and departure on a visa page.

Check before you leave with the appropriate consulate for visa requirements to avoid disappointments. On a recent boating trip down the coast of Turkey, we planned to visit the Greek island of Chios. Although we were told that we didn’t need visas, we were denied entry without them.

Notarized Permission Letter
Because of concerns about illegal transport of children across international borders, if only one parent is traveling with the child, he or she should carry a notarized permission letter from the other parent or relevant custody papers.

Backup Key Documents
Before you leave, make 2 copies of passports, visas, tickets & immunization records. Hide one copy in a suitcase somewhere and leave the other copy at your office or with a friend or relative to hold in case of emergency.