When travelling, it's good to have a few coins of the realm. -- Photo by Eric Gaillard, FILE PHOTO

Is there foreign travel in your future? Do the following before you go and you'll have a safer and saner trip: - Check the expiry date on your passport. Some countries may prevent you from entering if it's within six months of running out. If you don't have a passport, get one; it's the best travel ID you can have.

- Make a couple of photocopies of Page 2 of your passport, the one containing your passport number, information on when and where it was issued, and that mug shot that looks like it was taken in a police lineup. Leave one copy with someone at home. Put the other in your carry-on bag. Having it will help should you lose the original.

- Do the same thing with your major credit card.

- Visit your bank branch and make sure your debit card has a four-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) so it will work in foreign ATMs.

- If, like me, your PIN is based on a four-letter word or name, memorize the numerical equivalent. Not all foreign keypads have letters on them, a problem I discovered when I tried to use an ATM in Vienna.

- Transfer enough money into your checking account so it won't run dry while you're travelling.

- Phone your credit card provider and tell them where you'll be travelling and when. That way, their security people won't think something's fishy and freeze your card when they see transactions that don't match your normal charging patterns.

- If you're going to Europe, buy euro and/or British pound coins from a local currency exchange. You'll avoid the problem of trying to tip someone over there the equivalent of $2 and discovering the smallest note you have is worth $12.

- Go through your purse or wallet, remove any card, document or piece of paper you won't need overseas. Be sure to remove your birth certificate and Social Insurance card and leave them in a safe place at home. I wish I'd done that before travelling to Italy last spring, where my wallet was stolen.

A column I wrote on that incident prompted this comment from reader Carolyn Hepburn: "One of the things I learned, as a victim of identity fraud, was that your S.I.N. should never be in your wallet or anywhere else on your person, for that matter. If lost or stolen, this piece of information could leave you extremely vulnerable. To replace any of the cards we routinely carry ... is a time-consuming, frustrating experience. To be the victim of identity fraud carries those experiences to the extreme."

- Put a bright ribbon or sticker on your checked luggage to distinguish it from all the other similar ones -- usually black -- coming along the airport conveyor belt.

- Write your name, home address and telephone number on a piece of paper and put it inside your checked luggage. Should the outside name tag fall off, or should someone else claim the bag is theirs, you'll be able to prove ownership.

INSIDER'S TIPS: Five things to consider when booking a rental car abroad, provided by an executive at Auto Europe: How many people who will be in the car? How many doors do you need? Will it be manual or automatic transmission (remembering that manual is cheaper)? Do you need a trunk or a hatchback (a trunk is more secure)? Do you need air-conditioning?

MONEY-SAVER: The Carimar Beach Club on the tiny Caribbean island of Anguilla will take Canadian dollars at par with U.S. for Canadian travellers for stays April 1-30. Visit Carimar.com. To reach the Anguilla Tourist Board of Canada, call 1-877-462-6484 or visit go-anguilla.com.