travel tips

It is your responsibility to make sure you have all the travel documents you need such as: passport, visas and travel insurance. If you don't have the right documentation you could be barred from getting on the plane and may not be entitled to a refund or travel on a future flight.

You should have:

• Two photocopies of your passport
• Two photocopies of your relevant tourist visa stamps*
• Two photocopies of your travel insurance policy
• Two photocopies of your vaccination certificates*

* (if required for your destination)

One copy should be left at home with a friend or relative, in case you lose or damage the originals. The other copy should be kept on you, and separate to the originals. Where possible, you should put the originals in a hotel safe, but should carry the photocopies with you for identification. If you need to take the originals with you on the expedition, you should keep them in a sealable plastic bag to protect them from damp.

passport

Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the end of your expedition. If it isn't, you may be refused entry into the country you are visiting. If you need to renew your passport, please allow at least six weeks to do so, and try to avoid applying just before peak travel times such as summer, Easter and Christmas. Don't forget to enter your next of kin details into the back of your passport. For more info on applying for a British Passport and to request an application form please visit www.ukpa.gov.uk or call 0870 521 0410. If you want to find out more about passport application fees click here.

visa

You should obtain the necessary Tourist Visa prior to your trip. Not all countries require British citizens to obtain a visa so please check the Fact File for your tour to find out. You should not rely on obtaining a visa on arrival, as you may not be allowed entry into the country. Apply for your Tourist Visa in plenty of time before departure to avoid a last-minute panic, but remember that some visas become valid from the time they are issued. Therefore, if you apply for a three-month visa six months before the expedition, it will have run out before you get there! For the very latest visa requirements, you should check with the relevant embassy & ensure you are aware of their business hours & any international festivals that may mean the embassy is closed. For further assistance on obtaining your visa please contact Zierer Visa Service on www.visaservice.co.uk  

insurance

You must take out insurance with Charity Challenge even if you have your own annual policy. These challenges are specialist expeditions and you may only be part paying for the costs. The charity that you are supporting may be paying up to £1,000 towards the cost of your expedition, so we have to ensure that the charity is protected financially in case you are forced to cancel. The policy we recommend uniquely protects both you and your nominated charity. In addition, the expedition leader knows that if needed in an emergency, there is just ONE 24hour evacuation phone number to call for the entire group & they are provided with the individual policy number of each participant. You should take the original of the travel insurance schedule with you, and make sure that you have the 24hr contact number in case of an emergency. If you anticipate an insurance claim upon your return, be sure to document as accurately as possible any accident, injury or loss. Doctors' notes or police reports will be required to support any claims. Please make sure you complete the relevant forms or reports at the time of the incident. Also, please read the policy wording carefully in particular the exclusions.

flight tickets

You will receive your flight tickets at the airport when you meet our Charity Challenge representative at the designated time & meeting point specified in your ticket letter. This ticket letter is usually sent out two to three weeks before departure. Once you receive the tickets, please check that they match the flight schedule as detailed in the ticket letter. Check that your name is correctly spelt (the name on your ticket must match the name as it appears in your passport), that the airports mentioned are correct and that the dates of travel are as you have been advised. If there is any discrepancy, please inform the Charity Challenge representative immediately.

luggage tags

Please do not write your home address on your luggage tags UNTIL you are on your homeward journey. Otherwise, anyone coming into contact with the bags will know that you are away and that your home may be empty. Put your name and address INSIDE your bag also, just in case the luggage tags get pulled off or destroyed. Lost baggage should be handled by the airline at the airport where it has not arrived, make sure you fill in a PIR (Property Irregularity Report) available from the airport, to track your luggage and aid any subsequent insurance claims.