Dokumente 0/10
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To fly or sail to the USA without a visa, you need an approved ESTA if your country is in the Visa Waiver Program. Apply only on the official US government website, ideally 72 hours before departure.
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Your flight booking or e-ticket. Keep it on your phone and as a printout or screenshot.
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Required for driving and for renting a car. Check that it is valid and whether you also need an international permit.
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Your health insurance card, which in the EU usually includes the EHIC on the back. Outside the EU you also need travel health insurance.
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EU citizens can use their ID card within Schengen; everyone else, and anyone travelling beyond it, needs a passport. Check it is valid for six months after your return.
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Rent a car with insurance in destination.
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International Driving Permit Please remember: many countries do not recognize a non-international driver's license.
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Phone numbers of family, accommodation, embassy and your bank's card blocking line, also on paper in case your phone fails.
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Travel insurance for cancellation, health abroad or luggage. Keep the policy number and emergency phone number with you.
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Pays off if you visit several national parks: in the USA the America the Beautiful pass, in Canada the Parks Canada Discovery Pass. Buy it online or at the first park entrance.
Geld 0/4
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Some cash for the first hours, small purchases and places that do not take cards.
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Take two different cards in case one is blocked or lost, keep them separately and check the expiry dates.
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Some local currency for arrival, taxis and tips if your destination does not use the euro.
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A shared cash box or an app for splitting costs saves arguments about who paid what. Agree how to split before you leave.
Kleidung 0/15
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Shirts or T-shirts for every day. Count roughly one per day, or fewer if you can wash on the way.
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Long trousers for evenings, cooler weather and places with a dress code. One light and one sturdier pair cover most trips.
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A jacket suited to the weather at your destination: light for spring, warm and windproof for winter.
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Beige, khaki or olive clothes attract fewer insects and disturb animals less on safari.
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A warm layer for cool evenings, air-conditioned rooms and flights.
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Waterproof jacket and trousers for rainy days. Light, packable versions fit in any bag.
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Comfortable clothes for sleeping, also handy in shared rooms and on night trains.
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Wool socks are recommended for hiking
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Underwear for every day plus a spare. Quick-drying fabrics can be washed on the way.
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Sturdy boots with ankle support and a good tread for mountain trails. Break them in before the trip.
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A warm middle layer that dries quickly and still warms when damp.
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Quick-drying shirts that wick sweat away and keep you warm when you stop.
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A light jacket for wind and cool mornings, easy to stuff into a backpack.
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Comfortable, light shoes for walks and easy trails.
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Padded, quick-drying socks prevent blisters on long walks. Avoid cotton.
Hygiene 0/4
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Daily dental care. A travel case keeps the brush clean, and a small tube is enough for a week.
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Easy to buy almost anywhere. Take a small size or a solid stick if you only travel with hand luggage.
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A resealable clear bag of up to one litre for liquids in hand luggage, each container usually 100 ml at most.
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A wash bag keeps toiletries together. One with a hook can hang in small bathrooms.
Gesundheit & Reiseapotheke 0/6
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Special plasters that cushion blisters and help them heal.
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Plasters, disinfectant, pain relief, diarrhoea remedy and your personal medicines. In the evening or abroad a pharmacy is not always close.
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Your regular medicines for the whole trip plus a few days' reserve, in hand luggage, with a prescription or doctor's note if needed.
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A first aid kit for the car is compulsory in Germany, Austria and other countries. Check the expiry date.
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Spray or lotion against mosquitoes and ticks for days outdoors; treated clothing helps on long tours.
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In summer, midges and mosquitoes can come in clouds in the north. A light head net over your hat saves your evenings outdoors.
Technik 0/5
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Your phone holds tickets, maps and contacts. Do not forget the charger and cable.
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Lets you plug your chargers into foreign sockets. Check the plug type of your destination before you go.
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Keeps the navigation in view. Holding the phone while driving is forbidden.
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Charges your phone while driving, so the navigation does not run out of battery.
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Keeps your phone charged on long days out. Power banks belong in hand luggage, not in checked bags.
Reisezubehör 0/3
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A daypack for excursions, beach and city. It can double as hand luggage.
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Your house keys, and car keys if you leave the car at the station or airport. Leave a spare with someone you trust.
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Refillable bottles for water on the go. Bring enough for everyone on longer tours.
Ausrüstung 0/7
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Keeps your hands free in the tent, on the trail and at the campsite. Take spare batteries.
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Set it up well behind the car after a breakdown or accident. Compulsory in most European countries.
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A high-visibility vest for breakdowns. In many European countries it is compulsory in the car, often one for each person.
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Carry bear spray on hikes in bear country and learn how to use it. It is not allowed in your flight luggage, so buy it locally.
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For wildlife, birds and views. A compact pair fits in any daypack.
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Cloth and fluid for clean lenses on binoculars and scope.
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A rain cover keeps your backpack and its contents dry.
Lesen & Spielen 0/2
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Helps you identify birds, whales or other animals on the spot. Download apps and offline data before you go.
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A travel guide for the United States in your language.
Essen & Trinken 0/2
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Nuts, bars or dried fruit for quick energy on the way.
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Keeps drinks hot in the cold or cold in the heat for hours.
Vor der Abreise 0/7
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Weather Security Health Traffic
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Tickets Hotel reservations
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Use up or give away perishable food so nothing goes off while you are away.
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Take out the rubbish and organic waste before you leave so nothing smells or attracts pests.
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Book a parking space at the airport in advance: it is usually cheaper than paying on the day.
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Ask someone to water your plants, or use self-watering pots for shorter trips.
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Wasserleitung / Wasser abstellen
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