4 Apr 2013

PST: D is for ...documents!



Documents...probably not what you are thinking but something I am pretty anal about....let me explain...please!

Documents


I don't mean visa's or passports (lets file them under the 'V' post) but I mean self-made documents. Whats that you say? What the 'eck am I talking about?

As a paranoid solo traveller I have a lot of print outs and these are my compass on my trips and what are they? Print outs of room bookings, printouts of tour bookings, printouts of pre-booked tickets, printouts of boarding passes.- I am seriously anal about this, I keep them all in my document wallet that matches my passport cover (oh dear, someone stop me!) and they have to be in the order that they will be needed. As I use one it goes to the bottom of the pile! I wouldn't cope without doing this. I just know it.

How do I know? I booked a hotel in Paris on my return from Marrakech and I forgot this vital piece of information and accompanying map. What happened was I got lost searching for the hotel that was five mniutes from the station, I asked someone who said this way, got lost again asked someone, who said this way, got lost again and this continued as I roamed the streets of Paris from 10.30pm until midnight with my suitcase and no Hotel information other than its name and a mobile phone with a flat battery!

I was very fortunate to meet a lady walking her dog, she was quintessentially French in every way and offered to drive me to my hotel in her mini, she ran up to her apartment to put her dog in and picked me up and we found the hotel. She told me if I was a male she wouldn't have taken me in her car! lol I was very lucky that she found me and she spoke english and was so kind,I was extra lucky because the night before it had been pouring with rain.

So it is very important to have hard copies because you never know when you battery will be dead, and you might not be in a wi-fi area.

What documents do you take? Are you OCD about anything when travelling?


8 comments:

  1. I do the exact same thing! Every little printout, the confirmations, the confirmation emails, the regular monthly check confirmations, the postal letters, everything goes in a plastic zip pouch! Dining reservation confirmations, the confirmation emails, cancellation verifications, redos, the list is endless. I have very rarely needed to access any of these documents, but better safe than sorry! I also keep them after the trip and they go in my "box" of that particular trips memories, along with all the other paper trails I managed to pick up while there!

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    1. Haha....I can't breathe for laughing! We are not exactly the same madam keebs....I wish we were...you are super super organised, I am just organised enough! lol x

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  2. I have to admit to being completely the opposite. Of course, I don't do much traveling.

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    Replies
    1. Haha! I'm trying to find a happy medium. Thanks for stopping by and commenting :D

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  3. This is me to a T!
    I suffer from horrible anxiety but still want to go in the world and explore. In order to do this in comfort and ease, I plan plan plan and make sure I have everything I need, on me and in my head as to make the experience as stress free as possible.

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    Replies
    1. Ironically the stress comes with the planning but better that than it ruin your trip!

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  4. Good call! Spoken like a professional and something we always used to tell our passengers!

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