DBT Corporate Travel

* Make sure you can access your answer machine from overseas. If you want to stay in touch with your family, keep your telephone answering service on and tell your relatives to leave messages when necessary. Call home every day or two to retrieve and then erase the messages - that way, if there is an emergency at home you will know about it.

* Organise a Phone card or Calling Card a month prior. You can purchase one of these from your DBT Consultant

* Do you need a mobile that works overseas? Check with your phone provider that you have call roaming in the area’s you will be visiting

* Cancel regular incoming emails. You can start them up when you return. Get a hotmail email address so you can access it from anywhere in the world eg Internet cafes or your hotel. It's free and easy to get, just go to hotmail.com and follow the instruction. Your ISP will automatically channel your emails into your hotmail address.

* Arrange for someone to mow the lawns and pick up junk mail. Have someone come in to water the plants and close and open curtains daily.

* Consider having a house sitter - they will do all these things in return for free rent and power. Let your neighbours know you will be away and if you are having a house sitter.

* In some cases home insurance policies are not valid if you are absent for more than two months without telling the company.

* Before leaving, make sure you give your travel itinerary and contact numbers to close family and friends. If anything happens while your travelling they will know where you are and have a better chance of getting hold of you.

* It’s a good idea to leave a copy of your passport and travel documents with family or a close friend in case of emergency or loss of documents

* Access a copy of the Australian Embassies in the areas you will be travelling to by logging onto http://www.dfat.gov.au/missions/

* If you're worried about your house not looking lived in, buy timers for lamps and radios. Set them to turn on in the evening so from the outside it looks like there is someone home. (Don't forget to set the radio to a talk show so it's more talk than music - makes it more real).

* Turn TV, video and anything on standby off at the wall - otherwise they use "phantom power" and will cost you money.

* Compile an address and phone list of people to contact overseas, as well as those you may need to contact at home.

* Use a small digital diary with addresses, pin numbers and credit card details or print and laminate half a dozen credit card size cards with important telephone numbers, insurance policy numbers, flight numbers, travellers' cheque numbers, etc. They can be easily put in wallets, baggage and clothing.

* Put accommodation vouchers, maps and other information in a clear file or document folder. It makes finding things easier and you can add souvenir brochures that you collect on the way.

* Photocopy the pages of travel books relevant to the area you are visiting rather than take entire books - to cut down on weight.

* Always find out the number of the terminal where you will be flying out. Large airports such as Los Angeles have many terminals and the larger airlines are in more than one terminal. In some cases eg Dallas, those terminals are 800m apart.

* If you hope to bring back that special souvenir - a rug, fabric for your house etc. Take small samples of colour from paint store colour charts that match your existing colour schemes, as well as important measurements and carry them with you.

* To avoid airport long stay parking charges, take an airport shuttle and leave your car at home.

* Although you don't have to reconfirm flights, check just in case there has been a time change.

* If you wear glasses or contact lenses, take an extra pair with you.