Eric Maryniak - Vacation checklist (English / Engels) - Nostalgia

This is the English version of my nostalgic vacation checklist.
There is also a "Vacation checklist (Dutch / Nederlands) - Nostalgie".

>>> For travels in the present...
>>> use the => up-to-date Vacation checklist (English / Engels) ;-)

English is not my native tongue, so please do not hesitate to send me corrections (e-mail address is below).

This vacation checklist is meant to be as general as possible (better too much than sorry).
There is a small emphasis on backpacking in the tropics.

While not strictly related, my "Verhuis checklist" (Move house checklist) may also come in handy (available in Dutch only).

• Pre-pre-check (insurances etc., always verify details yourself!)
  • Travel insurance (permanent)
    • Module 'Supplementary sickness costs' => [on] 1 day prior to departure
    • Module 'Cancellation insurance' => [on] within 14 days after booking
• Pre-check
  • Triple-check flight departure time on ticket (local departure time)
  • Destination-check
    • https://www.thebasetrip.com/ (The Basetrip - many details!)
    • Visa necessary? If yes, apply for at embassy
    • Vaccinations and cure taking (check at medical centre)
  • Route-check, also for arrival, see e.g.:
    • https://www.ns.nl/ (NS Treinplanner)
    • https://9292.nl/ (9292 OV)
  • Print boarding pass if you received an e-ticket (some airlines: possible 30 hours before departure)
  • Buy tickets beforehand to avoid waiting times at desk
  • Check for departure time delays, but take care: always verify info with tour operator
  • Verify that the carry-on baggage is not too big. Airlines have different maxima.
• For him
  • After-shave (or -cream), gel, brilliantine
  • Electric dry-shaver + adaptor (voltage), or razor blades
  • Xerud
  • Formal wear: dinner jacket ('tux'), sleeve-links, chique socks, belt, tie, tie-howto
• For her
  • Bra's
  • Sanitary towels
  • Pill
  • Tampons
  • Make-up, make-up remover
  • Formal wear: evening gown (dinner dress), jewelry
• First aid and medicine
  • Anti-diarrhoea (Imodium)
  • Anti-malaria (Paludrine or Lariam? Check at medical centre)
  • Anti-mosquito (Anti-M, Jungle Oil), Deet
  • Sunburn lotion (>= factor 8), suncream
  • Aspirin or other painkiller
  • Vaccinations and cure taking (check at medical centre)
  • Iodine of betadine
  • Lipcream
  • Nose drops
  • O.R.S. (Orisel from Nutricia) against dehydration
  • Other medicine (eg. antibioticum cure)
  • Plasters (anti-allergy), tape and anti-blister
  • Safety-pins
  • Vitamin pills
• Toilet and handy things
  • Day-rucksack
  • Deodorant
  • Comb and brush
  • Bicycle map holder (ANWB)
  • Compass
  • LPG adaptor (France) and guide (Germany!)
  • Moneybelt (waterproof)
  • Manicure scissors
  • Mosquito-curtain
  • Ohropax (ear plugs), little sticks with piece of wadding
  • Picknick-cloth
  • Plastic bags, garbage bags (2)
  • Travel alarm-clock
  • Rucksack
  • Shampoo
  • Surfcase (around your neck)
  • Toothbrush, toothpaste, toothpicks, floss
  • Binoculars
  • Clothes-pegs, washing powder, clothes-line
  • Toilet-paper, tissues, wet wipes, kitchen paper, facial tissue, aluminium and plastic folio
  • Pocket knife, pocket lamp or flashlight
  • Soap in plastic box
• Cooking and eating
  • Tinned food and refreshments
  • Burner, lighter, matches
  • Bread, water, waterbottle, waterbags
  • Plates, cutlery (knives, forks, spoons) and other tableware, cheese slicer, cups (plastic), bidon
  • Champagne glasses (plastic), cork-screw
  • Chocolate, sweets, liquorize, lollipop
  • Nuts and raisins
  • Pans, tin-opener
  • Soup (mealsoup) and beef-tea cubes
  • Tea, coffee, sugar, milk-powder
  • Detergent, wash-up brush, tea-cloth
  • Votive lights, gas-lamp, paraffin
  • Salt, pepper, spice
• Photography and Film (Video)
  • Camera
  • Film
  • Spare battery camera
  • Digital video camera (camcorder)
  • Mini-DV tapes (Sony Excellence, DVM60EX3)
  • Spare battery video camera, loader, adaptor
  • Universal power adapter (e.g. UK, US) for other electrical equipment; also check voltage
  • Memory stick (e.g. Compact Flash II, Secure Digital)
  • Camera-stand
  • Pocket-lantern
• Clothes and fitting-out (equipment)
  • Mountain-shoes (Goretex) and mountain-socks
  • Glasses, spare glasses, rope for glasses (around your neck)
  • Diving equipment
  • Goretex trousers, coat and fleece (inner-jacket)
  • Halter-shirts
  • Towels and tea-cloths
  • Jackets (chique, casual or thick)
  • Short trousers (Hema cotton)
  • Long trousers (warm or airy), perhaps zip-off
  • Mat (to lie on, sleeping mat)
  • Motor-helmet, boots, jacket and glasses, leather jacket
  • Underwear (perhaps isothermic), ca. 1/day!
  • Ear-muffs, hairband, gloves and shawl
  • Shirts and blouses
  • Old clothes for hiking through mud etc.
  • Hat, cap
  • Rainponcho
  • Safari-hat with flap over neck
  • Shoes and slippers, Chinese moccasins
  • Sleeping bag, pillow, (alu-)blanket, neck-cushion
  • Socks
  • Jeans
  • T-shirts, also long-sleeved, ca. 1/1-3 days
  • Jerseys and sweaters
  • Walking shoes (light) and Teva sandals
  • Washing-gloves
  • Pocket-handkerchiefs (paper)
  • Sunglasses and ropes, eclips-glasses (mylar, aluminium-cothing)
  • Sweat-band and spunge
  • Swimming-trousers (him), bikini/swimsuit (her), swimming shoes (plastic)
• Travel documents
  • ANWB papers
  • Euro-pas and eurocheques
  • Load up chipper or chipknip card enough (EUR 50) for phone calls
  • Credit card (Mastercard, Visa, Am. Express)
  • Dive pass, dive log book
  • E-mail addresses and scan (jpeg) of important papers (passport, driving license, cheque and card numbers) sent to your web-mail address, so you can print out all your important stuff in an Internet cafe, in case you got stripped or robbed.
  • Photocopies of important papers, list of (card-)numbers and phone numbers to call in case of theft to block account
  • Money, foreign (got some left from a previous holiday?) and NL
  • Proof of vaccinations and "yellow" passport
  • NS Year, OV- or discount card
  • OV-chipcard ('OV-chipknip') or 45-strip-card
  • Passport (valid!) and copy (keep separately), visa
  • Driving license (valid!) and copy (keep separately) and other driving licenses and diploma's (bus, bike, truck)
  • Phone card
  • Traveller cheques and copy of acquisition slip (keep separately)
  • Insurance papers (illness, car, green card)
  • Private Pilot License (PPL), medical certificate and ICAO or FAA equivalence
  • Flight-tickets, car and hotel-vouchers
• Other papers, electronic devices and household stuff
  • Agenda, address-list (on stickers) and visit/business cards
  • Computer (laptop etc.), disks (floppy, CD, DVD), spare batteries, USB sticks and disks
  • PDA: Palm Vx, cradle/loader, keyboard
  • GPS (Global Positioning System - Garmin etc.)
  • Navigation apps: update offline maps and caches
  • E-mail addresses, tokens, SecureIDs and PGP fingerprints
  • Handbook and Lonely Planet
  • House-key
  • Mobile phone (GSM), spare batteries, loader and check best local provider
  • Note-book and pen, adhesive tape
  • Navigation equipment and maps (TomTom, Garmin, GPS, etc.)
  • Maps, country and hiking maps
  • Map of the city of arrival
  • Itinerary and destinations, also for the stay-at-homers
• Leisure
  • Books to read and study
  • Cassette-tapes, CD's, walkman, CD-man, MP3-player, iPod, minidisk-player
  • Headset or ear-phone (for airplane)
  • Games, backgammon suitcase
  • Drawing stuff, paint, brushes, easel
  • Magazines and articles
  • Field guides to birds etc. (mammals, insects, etc.)
• Home
  • Switch CV (central heating) off
  • Close gas-tap
  • Electronic equipment (hifi etc.): switch off and cover
  • PC and WiFi: switch off and remove plugs from power-point
  • Close and lock windows and doors
  • Put copy of itinerary and destinations at home for the stay-at-homers
  • Dish-washing machine: ready and close drain-pipe
  • Lighting: set on automatic with programmed clock
  • Washing-machine: close drain-pipe
• Final check (departure)
  • Money, cheques, credit card
  • Passport, driving license, visa, (flight-)tickets and vouchers
  • Mobile phone (GSM), spare batteries and loader
  • Tooth-brush, glasses, towel, underwear
  • Triple-check flight departure time on ticket (local departure time)
• Arrival
  • Rental car: check carefully on damages and verify that the tires, including the spare tire (!), are in good shape; thus, especially the profile --- take your time!
  • Put watch, other clocks and electronic devices (PDA (Palm), digital camera (exif info!), digital video, etc.) on local time (with daylightsaving correction if necessary)
• Last but not least
  • Present for foreign friends (Delft blue wooden shoe with tulip)
  • Pens, pencils and eraser present (Africa)
  • Good mood and good spirit
  • A :-) on your face
  • Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  • Your towel

Please don't hesitate to mail additions to this list to me!
And yes, I know there is such a beastie called a table, but I like to keep my pages as standard and minimalist as possible ("standard" being 2.0 and only 3.2 thingies like background and such). You'll be surprised at the number of pre 2.7 Lynx and Netscape pre 4 users passing by on the web servers I've maintained the last five years.

These phone numbers from the Netherlands may be handy (Dutch); always verify if they are up-to-date prior to your journey:

o  ANWB Alarmcentrale                   o  Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken
   tel: (088) 269 28 88 (in NL)            tel: +31 70 3486486
   tel: +31 70 3141414  (to NL)

o  Eurocheques, bankpassen, Chipknip    o  Giropassen, Postbankcards, Chipper
   tel: (0800) 0313                        tel: +31 58 2126000

o  Credit cards                         o  Travellers cheques
   Am. Express: +31 20 5048666             Am. Express: (0800) 022 01 00
   Diners Club: +31 20 5573407             Thomas Cook: (0800) 022 86 30
   Visa       : +31 20 6600611             Visa       : (0800) 022 54 84
   Euro/Master: +31 20 2835555

International phone numbers (Dutch, a very subjective list ;-)
For an up-to-date list, see Telefoonboek.nl - Landnummer.
Calling To the Netherlands (NL=31) from a country, and
calling From the Netherlands to a country:

Country                To NL    From NL
-------------------    -----    -------
America                01131    001
Antilles               0031     00599
Aruba                  0031     00297
Austria                0031     0043
Bonaire                0031     00599
Canada                 01131    001
Costa Rica             0031     00506
Curacao                0031     00599
Egypt                  0031     0020
England                0031     0044
Finland                0031     00358
France                 0031     0033
Gambia                 0031     00220
Germany                0031     0049
Great-Brittain         0031     0044
Greece                 0031     0030
India                  0031     0091
Ireland                0031     00353
Irish Republic         0031     00353
Italy                  0031     0039
Norway                 0031     0047
Poland                 0031     0048
Portugal               0031     00351
Scotland               0031     0044
Spain                  0031     0034
Sweden                 00931    0046
Switserland            0031     0041
United Kingdom         0031     0044
United States          01131    001

Other checklists on internet:

• Checklist.com (Travel).
• Checklists.com (Travel).

There's no page like home page.