Having our bank card blocked by a vigilant banker, convinced that it had been hacked when I had just bought a carpet in Türkiye.
Finding myself with a new biometric passport issued by mistake in my married name and a plane ticket of course bearing my married name. Since it was impossible to change the name on the ticket, it was necessary to redo and receive a biometric passport in 4 days (Thanks again to the brilliant employee of the Prefecture who accomplished this feat).
Arriving at the Moroccan border with my son's passport that had expired 2 days ago. I had only checked mine since we had made our 3 passports on the same date... except that a minor's passport is only valid for 5 years.
Getting checked on returning from a 4-month road trip in Northern Europe with an insurance certificate that expired... 2 days ago.
These are some of our bad travel memories.
So that my struggles may be a little useful to others, here is a checklist of points to check and things to do before a trip abroad.
Points to check
at least 2 months before your departure taking into account the deadlines for certain formalities:
The necessary papers for your destination:
* ID card or passport? biometric or not?
* visa, and if so for how long after return?
* country entry certificate to be downloaded in advance (USA for example)?
* validity period of your passport required after return? (3 or 6 months for certain destinations)
* requirement for repatriation insurance?
* vaccination certification?
* Territorial validity of your car insurance for your destination and for the duration of your stay (PLEASE NOTE that the extent of your guarantees may be restricted depending on the country)
Information about your passport and those of people traveling with you:
* passport validity,
* correspondence between name on passport and name on plane ticket (memory of a trip to the USA with a new biometric passport made in my maiden name by mistake of the town hall and plane ticket in my married name impossible to change. In 3 days (July 14 included) it was necessary to redo a new passport)
* possession of a passport for each child (ATTENTION obligation since 2009 to have a passport in one's name for any minor child, even a baby, and this is only valid for 5 years)