TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Must Do Two Steps Before Going To Sxm!

TAKE A COPY OF ALL CREDIT CARDS,LICENCE,PASSPORTS AND KEEP ALL INFO WERE YOU CAN ACCESS IT. GET TRAVEL INSURANCE AS SOON AS YOU PAID FOR YOUR TRIP. ENJOY.[I AM SHOUTING OUT BECAUSE YOU NEED TO DO THIS BEFORE YOU GO TO SXM] <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

You should do that before any trip outside your country. We leave copies with our adult children at home in case we need it. Something can happen anywhere. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> just my opinion.

Ditto, we do the same!

These are only two of the many things you need to do before you do any international travel. The most important thing is to make sure your passport is not soon to expire. A valid passport is absolutely essential before you leave the country!

Exactly! More than once (and within the last 2 weeks or so) people realize just prior to a trip their passport could be a problem.

I also email the copies to myself so I can can retrieve them if needed!

I would add just one thing....call your credit card company and tell them you're gong to SXM.

More & more CC companies allow you to notify them ONLINE before travel. I would recommend doing it that way instead of speaking with a rep on the phone. Citibank (I think) was having an issue with increased fraud when travel notices were called in.

We had a problem also when we notified Citibank that we would be out of town..

We always use the online travel notification with Capitol One.

After many years of never notifying anyone (and never having a problem with using or fraud on our cards) I learned I should notify. Three different times I notified Citi and three different times we had issues when we got home with huge charges made on our cards in other parts of the world. I stopped notifying and using my citicards down here and leave them at home in the safe. We've never had a problem with Cap One. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Our credit card companies informed us we no longer need to notify them when travelling. They have determined that notification encourages fraud! We have never had a problem but know others who have. Since this policy came into effect, fewer people have been having problems.

And that's exactly the way it used to be. For the first thirty years we came down here we never notified anyone, but I guess cc fraud also wasn't such a major problem back then. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

I have noticed many times that people suggest copying credit cards and emailing them to themselves so that they can be retrieved easily while traveling.

As a computer professional, I would point out that one of the easiest things to hack is your email. And then the hacker has access not to just one of your account numbers, but a whole batch of them.

I never email account numbers or any other type of sensitive information.

Just my humble opinion.

Ted

Why Travel Insurance? It is so expensive. And some policies are riddled with exclusions.

We know a man who just returned from wintering in Florida he spent 4 days in ICU & 1 in heart unit & came back to Canada with a pacemaker. It was great for them to have had travel insurance. You hope not to need it but boy if you ever do you are grateful!!

I agree. For about 10 bucks, get a software app that you can use on your phone, tablet and computer, which keeps the information secure. I use Password Plus, enter all the CC info in, so I have it in case of need. One password to remember. And, American Express told me 2-3 years ago that it was not necessary to notify them any more.

Our credit card company doesn't require travel notification anymore-they say that they are aware when people travel-I have no idea how but we don't need to call.

Absolutely not! It depends on what you're insuring, but I do not find it expensive at all! Some policies are in fact quite CHEAP, like the policies that you can get from most any airline right when you book the ticket. For just trip cancellation and interruption, it may not be that good a deal, but the medical insurance parts and medical evac--which normally costs up to $50,000 , I personally consider medical evac insurance a NECCESSITY. I know that I personally don't have $50,000 hanging around to use on that if necessary.. And you can use something like TTOL sponsor Insure My Trip to compare insurance policies side by side to see the exclusions.

Speaking of travel insurance----

One year booked Grand Case Beach Club. Since they charge 3 day prior to arrival and it snowed a lot that year we decided to get insurance that covered us for the hotel because you can always re book with an airline within a year's time.

Looked at several firms online then went to AAA and was told since we did not book with them they couldn't sell us insurance but they offered to give us the name of the company they use. Called them (didn't go online since I'd already looked at their offerings) and took an $84 policy that covered only me but one of the things covered was hotel price. This firm was in VA. Right after booking my cc company called me about fraud, changed card # just before we left. Upon return found all those fraud charges took place in VA. Told card company .

So I was afraid of giving card# online and got "taken" anyway. They charged $1400 in less than one hour. Fortunately, I did;t have to pay.

I also take pictures of the documents and have them in a file on my smart phone. If I loose the phone hackers must break my personal pin or fingerprint. I guard my smart phone with care but pictures are secure to my knowledge