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Travelling to new or familiar destinations, you always seem to come home with a new energy, inspiration and a renewed sense of self.

When you travel you are constantly adapting to your surroundings and you have to try new things that you usually wouldn’t try. You realize how flexible and spontaneous you can be when you’re out of your regular routine and your comfort zone. I think travel makes you more open with others and more importantly, with yourself.

But before heading out on your vacation, you want to be sure you can travel with peace of mind. I don’t want to worry about anything other than having a good time when I’m traveling.

Here are some important things to remember for travel with peace of mind. How do you prepare for a trip so that you have peace of mind?

Research your destination

Do your research before booking your trip. Use sites like Trip Advisor, Hotels.com, Booking.com to get real reviews of hotels and restaurants. You want to ensure you’ve done the grunt work and research before leaving home so that hopefully there are no surprises. The last thing anyone wants is for something to go terribly wrong, to end up in a horrible place or hotel.

Have your documents up to date and accessible

Make sure your passport will be valid for six months after your trip. If you’re leaving the country with your children but without your spouse, make sure to have a letter of consent with you. Also make sure to leave a copy of travel documents and itinerary with a family member; scan copies and email them to yourself as well.

Make sure you’re covered

We always book travel insurance ahead of time, at least for medical and emergency. You don’t want to think that something could happen or a family member could become ill while on vacation but you need to be covered just in case. Even if it’s a simple visit to the emergency for a child’s ear infection, not having travel insurance could cost you thousands of dollars. Trip cancellation coverage is also something to consider.

Buy a cell phone data plan

Look into purchasing a data/roaming and long distance plan with your cell phone provider before traveling. I have heard stories of people coming back from vacation to a cell phone bill costing thousands of dollars. Do your research before leaving on your trip. Does the hotel offer free WiFi in your room? How much data will you need? It might be worth purchasing long distance and texts in your travel package too, rather than calling from the hotel.

Read the fine print

When booking your travel or activities at your destination, always check the fine print. If the vacation package looks too good to be true, it very well may be! Make sure to research the area you’re planning to travel – a 5-star might actually be a 2-star to your standards! Also, if you’re going to participate in any adventure or extreme sports such as scuba diving or zip-lining, check that the operators and instructors have legitimate qualifications and a good safety record first.

Are you driving?

Driving abroad? Make sure to familiarize yourself with the driving laws of the country you plan to visit. Will you need documentation? You may need International Driving Permit, Will you need additional insurance? Do your research because every country may have different rules and regulations.

Bring your MasterCard

MasterCard is accepted in 210+ countries and territories, which is more than any other card. I’d much rather carry a credit card that is secure and safe rather than carrying large bills. Here are some more tips for money and travel.

Use the hotel safe for valuables such as you passport and ID cards, don’t carry them all with you. In case you lose your wallet or in the event someone pick pockets you (it can happen!), at least you’ll have your valuables back at the hotel. Keep the phone number of the credit card company (both local and international phone numbers) with you so that in case your credit card is stolen, you can call right away to freeze the account.

Carry small bills with you – rely on your credit card for larger purchases knowing that it is secure and safe. Remember to call the credit card company before traveling so they don’t freeze your account when making purchases.

Having a MasterCard in your wallet is your best bet when traveling abroad or staying close to home. Your card is your travel partner because it’s convenient and gives you peace of mind whether you’re visiting a remote island or enjoying a staycation.

How do you travel with peace of mind?

Disclosure: I’m working with MasterCard to talk about traveling with peace of mind.

I love traveling – being in new places, exploring and discovering new sites, learning about the history of a town, its people and traditions. Whether it’s halfway across the globe or a small town two hours away from home or even a “staycation” in my own city, there is something exciting and adventurous about seeing new landscapes, meeting people and having new experiences.

When traveling abroad, I’d rather become “one” with the people rather than stick out as a tourist. When you look like a tourist in a foreign country, you can often be a target for theft too.

So when I’m traveling, I prefer using a credit card over carrying large sums of money. Having cash for small purchases and giving tips is the best option, but I only like to carry a little bit of cash with me anywhere I go – whether it’s a short trip away or a family vacation via airplane. I’m always paranoid that I’m going to lose money so I’d rather not carry large bills with me when we’re traveling.

Using a credit card for larger purchases like hotel, rental cars, restaurants, local attractions and shopping, is safer and secure. ATM machines are not always available in some places too so I’d much rather play it safe by charging my purchases to a credit card rather than looking for a debit machine. There have been several times when my debit card chip wasn’t working, I didn’t have enough cash and my credit card came to the rescue. There is also the convenience of being able to make purchases quickly with a swipe or a quick tap and go.

Whether you’re traveling to a remote location or a large city, a foreign country or across the border, or even when you’re taking a short trip in your own country, it’s best to carry a credit card that is widely accepted everywhere – for your peace of mind.

Need some more money tips for travel? Watch this video and keep reading!

Here are 4 money tips for travel:

Carry some small bills.

You may want to exchange a little bit of money in advance if you’re traveling to a foreign country. There’s nothing worse than traveling somewhere and you don’t have any small change to tip a taxi driver or buy a bottle of water!

Skip the Traveler’s Checks

Travelers checks are no longer widely accepted and cannot easily be cashed, even at the banks that issue them. Don’t bother – just bring a credit card.

Don’t Use Currency Exchange Desks

Credit cards offer better rates than the currency exchange desks and you’ll be paying more in fees. You can use your credit card just as you would at home. Card issuers usually add currency-conversion fees of 2 to 3 percent for international transactions but you’ll get the best exchange rate and fees that are lower than those associated with exchanging cash.

Use a MasterCard

MasterCard is accepted in 210+ countries and territories, which is more than any other card. The PayPass locator app helps you find merchants/ATM’s worldwide.

Using a MasterCard is convenient enough to use instead of cash wherever possible. Credit cards are a safe, easy and convenient way to pay when traveling and there are many travel benefits built right into your credit card, including:

Accepted at more places than any other card
Acceptance every time you swipe or tap
Purchase Protection
Emergency Card replacement
Ability to track spending and FX via online banking
Built-in benefits such as insurance
Safest and most seamless tool for cross-border travel
Real-time offers and rewards
Partner perks
Safe & secure round trip (fraud detection and Zero Liability policy)
24/7 Toll-free emergency services operators worldwide

Disclosure: I’m working with MasterCard on this fabulous travel campaign.

How to Travel with Peace of Mind