By Jeffrey Miller

There has been a great amount of discussion with regard to security and what travelers can do to protect themselves when traveling.

While travel insurance might not be necessary if you are driving to your destination, it can certainly be important if airline tickets and non-refundable hotel stays are involved. Your local AAA office offers travel insurance, which is provided by some of the leading insurance carriers in the world.

As part of your travel planning, we recommend that you leave your itinerary, including information with regard to hotels and transportation, with at least one person at home. You should also leave a list of your American Express® Travelers Cheques numbers with someone at home and have a list of the numbers with you, kept separately from the checks.

It is prudent to photocopy the first page of your automobile insurance policy and keep it in your rental car to have as confirmation of insurance in the event there is an accident. While most insurance companies provide a wallet sized card indicating coverage, the first page of the policy includes more information with regard to the policy, if necessary.

A power of attorney, either general or limited, should be given to a responsible party in the event of an emergency. You should make that individual aware of where a will or a living will and a current list of your life insurance policies, bank accounts and investments are kept so the information is available, if necessary.

You should keep a list of your credit card numbers and the phone number for each credit card issuer (separate from your wallet) in the event your wallet or purse is stolen or lost. We do not recommend that you put your name anywhere on the piece of paper containing the credit card numbers.

There are thousands of accidents, medical emergencies, and thefts of credit cards every year while people are vacationing. You don’t want your vacation to be ruined by one of these events. Utilizing these basic safeguards will put your mind at ease, knowing you are prepared to protect your family in the event of a vacation emergency.

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