The door’s locked and you’re headed toward the car…have you remembered everything? Will the house be safe while you’re gone? With this Florida travel checklist, you’ll be sure to have all your ducks in a row for a fun, stress-free and rewarding family holiday.

• If you’re flying to Florida, complete your airline check-in. You may be asked by the airline to provide vaccination documentation or a COVID-19 test result. Or, you may be asked for these things at the airport, which brings me to the next suggestion.
• Have a copy of all of your COVID-19 documentation printed and organized, even if you also have a copy in your phone. Print out documentation for vaccination as well as your test restuls, if required.
• Email yourself photos of your passports and leave a photocopy of them at home in a safe place.  Valid passports are required for travel to the United States, whether arriving by air or by car.
• If your travel party includes children without their parents, or if one parent is staying home, you will likely be asked to provide a consent letter at the U.S. border. You can find a template to use for this, here. I’ve traveled to the U.S. with my son before, and had the letter notarized in my local municipality. Although I was never asked to show it, because I had that letter prepared, I wasn’t worried about taking my son across the border without my husband.
• Do NOT sign your child’s passport. This can render the passport invalid.
• If you have insurance coverage from your employer or credit card company, call the company to ensure you understand the coverage.  It is highly recommended that you have appropriate levels of out of province medical insurance and/or trip cancellation coverage. In most cases, it is appropriate to supplement credit card and employment-provided insurance with additional purchased policies. 
• If you are driving to Florida or renting a car, call your insurance company to confirm your policy covers your road trip or car rental. Don’t forget to pack a copy of your automobile policy and your CAA card if you have one.
• Although there is complimentary Wi-Fi all across the Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort and most hotels around the world, it is a good idea to contact your wireless provider to understand the extra charges that could apply while you are travelling out of country. Sometimes you’ll need to add on a travel pack to allow roaming within your existing plan, for example.
• Contact your credit card company or bank to tell them that you are travelling. You don’t want them to put a temporary hold on your bank or credit card if they notice irregular charges. Some banks don’t require this, but at least you’ll find out what the policy is once you make that initial call.
• Don’t forget important medications, medical devices, identification and valuables should be packed in your carry-on luggage to ensure they are available when needed.
• All liquid items in carry-on baggage must be in containers that are 100 ml or less and should be placed in one clear resealable bag no larger than one litre in size. A large ziploc bag works well for this purpose.
• Check the weather so you can pack appropriately!
• Adjust the thermostat in your home according to the temperature and requirements of the home while you’re away.
• Arrange for a friend or neighbour to care for, feed, or check on your pets and plants.
• Ask someone to keep an eye on your home, collect your mail and put out the trash in your absence.

What other tasks do you like to take care of before heading to Florida with your family? Is anything important missing from this travel checklist? Leave a comment!