With summer quickly approaching, many of us will be packing our bags and hitting the road. Before you put in for your vacation days with your boss, make sure you think about a few key points.

Documents, documents. Read all about it!

Before you book your trip, make sure your travel documents are in and up-to-date. Some countries require a travel visa, even if your stay is less than 90 days. Most require that your passport be valid for 3-6 months after your scheduled return. Make sure you bring these documents, as well as copies.

You can check out more travel requirements by country, here, but be sure to contact the correct parties to confirm BEFORE making reservations.

On the road

If you’re driving, make sure to bring your car in for a checkup. Tires, breaks and oil are always to blame for road trips gone wrong.

Is there a doctor in the house?

Of course you’ll need any daily prescriptions, but make sure you have enough to last you, and then some, just in case your travels don’t go according to plan. You can always bring any extra back, but you don’t want to run out while you’re riding camels in Morocco, strutting the Walk of Fame, or flamenco dancing in Spanish caves.

Consider where you are traveling to. Do you have allergies? Will you need special vaccinations? It might be worth scheduling an appointment with your doctor before you go so you don’t spend the entire trip in bed.

Ring, ring

Going to another country? Make sure you contact your phone carrier about international rates. In some cases you can even get them to unlock your phone so you can buy a local SIM card while on your trip. You don’t want to come back to a wild phone bill.

Cash money

If you want to get a fair price on the conversion rate, you can order foreign currency through your bank before you go. You’ll also want to make sure you set travel alerts on your cards so your bank doesn’t freeze your account for suspicious activity. To avoid fees, ask your bank about sister institutions.

The list doesn’t stop here. From what to pack, how to book and figuring out what to do once you arrive at your destination, I’ll have you covered all summer long. Stay tuned!