Tips to Help Make Your Next Business Trip Safer

Whether your next business trip takes you to another province, a conference down south, or even overseas, there are a number of things you can do before leaving home to help make sure you feel confident while on your trip.

• Keep credit cards and travellers cheques, passports and other identification in several different places and make two photocopies of the main information page of your passport—one for someone staying at home and the other for you to keep separately from your passport.
  
  
• Use pockets or purses only for items you'll need frequently. Be sure to use a money belt or take advantage of hotel safety deposit boxes so that you won't be left without identification or money if your wallet is lost or stolen. If travelling overseas and you lose your passport, call the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate immediately as well as local authorities.
  
  
• With airfares creeping up again, more travellers will likely opt for less expensive, non-refundable tickets. Don't risk losing your entire travel investment should something unexpected happen. Purchase trip cancellation and interruption insurance to help protect your investment in case you have to cancel your trip, come home early, or stay later at your destination.
  
  
• If you have prepaid for any non-refundable travel arrangements such as a flight, hotel or tour, we recommend that you purchase trip cancellation and interruption insurance at the same time you book your trip. This way, should one of the covered risks occur between the time you book your trip to the time you leave for your trip, and cause you to cancel your trip, you are covered.
  
  
• Airports are reporting longer waiting times for travellers as the result of new security measures. Go early to give yourself plenty of time to make your flight and avoid that stressful last-minute dash to the gate.
  
  
• Remember that medical treatment outside of Canada can be very expensive and your government health insurance plan, company benefits plan, or insurance offered with your credit card may cover only a limited portion of these costs. Find out exactly what you're covered for before you leave, and purchase travel insurance to fill in any coverage gaps.
  
  

• Make sure your passport is current. Some countries require that passports be valid six months beyond expected departure dates. Make sure you're aware of the individual requirements of the country you are visiting, including whether you will need a visa or be required to pay entry fees.
  
  
• Be sure to carry your travel insurance policy with you, along with the phone numbers you need to call in the event of an emergency. Leave a copy of this information at home with family or friends as well.
  
  
• Make sure you're up-to-date on all your immunizations. Contact your doctor well in advance of your trip to see if you need any specific medication or immunizations. To find out more about medical issues related to international travel, visit the Public Health Agency of Canada's website (www.TravelHealth.gc.ca ).
  
  
• Medication that is legal in Canada may not necessarily be legal in the country you are visiting. If you're bringing prescription pills, check to make sure they are allowed in the country you are visiting and be sure to bring a copy of your prescription.
  
  
• Check to see if any travel advisories or warnings have been issued for your destination.
  
  
• Provide your family and friends with a copy of your itinerary and keep them informed of any changes. Be sure to give them your daily contact information, copies of the identification page of your passport, and travel insurance information.
  
  

Purchasing your travel insurance is easy.

At RBC Insurance^®, you can purchase travel insurance in a way that's most convenient for you:

1) Also available for the spouse, child, step-child, or adopted child of the client. Client must also be a Canadian resident and be covered by a government health insurance plan for the entire duration of his or her trip. RBC clients include customers of any company under RBC.