Essential Checklist - 10 Things You Don't Want To Forget On Your Latin American Vacation

It’s time for your Latin America vacation! Perhaps you’ll be checking out turtles in Costa Rica, or trekking in Patagonia. However you’re spending your vacation, there’s some things that just have to be done. With the useful ten point checklist below, make sure that you’ve remembered to cover the essentials and try and get through the list as soon as possible to avoid any nasty last minute surprises!

[  ] Check the local news for any problems to avoid in your destination country
[  ] Purchase travel insurance that as a minimum covers cancellation, medical costs and repatriation
[  ] Check visa requirements for your destination and any additional paperwork that you may need
[  ] Get a credit or debit card with low overseas withdrawal rates - ask your bank for options
[  ] Purchase local currency in cash - buy a small amount to be covered when you first arrive
[  ] Check airline baggage rules and allowances to avoid big surcharges
[  ] Check vaccination requirements for your destination with your doctor or Travel Clinic
[  ] Purchase a portable phrasebook and learn a few key words before you leave
[  ] Confirm your flights two days before departure to ensure there have been no changes
[  ] Bring different forms of personal identification (and make sure you have copies)

Bonus tip - do your destination research!
Remember that you’ll get as much out of your vacation as you choose to put in. All the above are essentials that will help you avoid problems when you leave home but it doesn’t mean you’ll be any wiser about how to get the most out of your destination.

Check out a website with a good selection of country-specific travel tips, like Escaped to Latin America’s “Travel Info” or "Destinations" sections and put a bit of time into researching the history and customs of your tour destination. Latin America is an incredibly varied place - what works for you in Guatemala may not be very useful in Chile!

Are there any other useful ways that you can prepare for your Latin America vacation? Can you recommend any other good sources of information for vacationers heading to Latin America?

Author: Gary Sargent - Escaped to Peru / Escaped to Latin America