Experts give advice on what to do to prepare for a spring break trip by Lindsey St. Clair
Two months before:
Get your passport
Passports take about eight weeks to process and are required on all cruises and flights outside the United States, including those to Mexico and Canada
So if you don't already have yours, you may be S.O.L. To obtain a passport, you need a birth certificate (a certified copy)
from the state, not the hospital,
passport photos and a driver's
license, says Pam Brown at
the Lawrence post office, 645
Vermont St. Passports cost $97
and are valid for 10 years. You
can have passport photos taken
at the post office for$ 15.
WEE JAYPLAY 03.08.2007
Two to four weeks before:
Get vaccinated
if you're traveling outside the U.S. plan at least two to four weeks ahead of time to be vaccinated, says DeeAnne Schoenfeld of the Douglas County Health Department.
Country
If you're traveling to sub-
Saharan Africa or tropical
South America, a yellow fever
vaccine (581) is required. If
you're traveling to Africa,
Asia, the Mediterranean basin,
Eastern Europe, the Middle
East, Mexico, parts of the
Caribbean, Central America or South America, a Hepatitis A vaccine (S33) is recommended. If you're traveling to Asia, Africa the Caribbean, Central America or South America, a typhoid vaccine (S52) is recommended. If you're traveling to the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe or South America, you might want to have your doctor prescribe tablets to prevent malaria (S50).
At least a week before:
Request time off work
Request time off work as soon as possible — the earlier the better — says Scott McDonald, manager at Zig & Mac's Bar and Grill, 1540 Wakarusa Drive. The first day McDonald brought in the 2007 calendar, employees were requesting time off for spring break, he says.
spring break, he says. However, he says, a request off is just that — a request "College kids don't realize a business doesn't close over spring break," he says. McDonald said he had to hire staff for spring break, so there will be fewer shifts available when students return.
Make sure you have extra contact lenses
If you wear contacts or glasses, make sure you have a backup, pair so your eyesight won't be the reason your vacation is blurry. Some stores may have contacts in stock but
others will have to order them, which can take up to a week, says John Harvat, optometrist at Eye Doctors Optometrists, 2600 Iowa St. Also, airlines will only let you carry a bottle of solution 4 ounces or smaller on board, which you can get from your optometrist.
Start packing a week before your trip, because you're going to discover a spot on your favorite blouse or a hem that needs to be sewn, says Marybeth Bond, author of 50 Best Girlfriend Getaways in North America.
Start packing
You should also allow yourself time to get to the drugsstore to buy travel-sized shampoo and other products. Wear the same pants more than once during your trip, bring clothes that can be washed and wear your heaviest shoes on the plane, Bond says.
Also, be aware of new carry-on restrictions, including a 4-ounce limit on liquids, she says.
Four days before:
Buy new makeup
Because you're likely to get a few shades darker on vacation, anticipate the change in skin color and buy a new foundation one to two shades darker, says Kathyleen Ellsworth, beauty consultant at Weaver's, 901 Massachusetts St. If you don't wear foundation, try a darker powder or bronzer. Make sure to test your makeup before you leave so your skin doesn't break out, she says.