When you have a dream holiday to look forward to, you'll find that making your travel preparations is a wonderful part of the anticipation. To help you pack just the right things for your trip, we would like to offer some useful travel tips. We hope you find the following ideas helpful!
When it comes to packing, it's best to bring versatile, "sensible clothes" that work well together and may be layered for additional warmth if needed. In your carry-on bag, pack your passport, travel documents, travelers' checks, money, camera, and other valuables, as well as comfort items like eye drops, slipper socks, and a change of clothes.
One of the great joys of travel is buying fascinating souvenirs along the way. In many countries, bargaining is the rule! To accommodate your purchases, bring along a mesh or light nylon bag you can fold and carry in a purse or jacket pocket until needed.
Many cities and countries have either national or local holidays or special events which may or may not cause some inconveniences during your visit. Often the events are either religious or cultural. We recommend that you call the local chamber of commerce or tourism office, embassy, or consulate to see if there are any holidays during your stay.
If you are traveling outside the U.S., you'll have to exchange your money. The best way to do this is to bring traveler checks in small denominations $10 or $20 - so you can exchange only what you need. There's nothing worse than having lots of foreign cash left over that you end up exchanging at the airport or pier-side at very unfavorable exchange rates. In some places (Latin America, and most Caribbean Islands, for example) U.S. currency is accepted: bring small bills to avoid having to receive change in foreign currency. If you bring credit cards bring, only those you anticipate using. Major credit cards are accepted in most countries throughout the world.
Stock up on prescription medications before you leave. Bring enough for the entire trip, plus a reserve - just in case. All medications should be clearly marked. And you should keep them in your carry-on bag in case your checked through baggage gets lost or delayed.
The U.S. may set the world standard for some things, but electricity isn't one of them. Many countries in Europe and Latin America use 220-volts. If you bring along an electric shaver, hair dryer, or other appliance, bring a voltage converter.
Here is a list of things you should bring on your trip: extra eyeglasses, sunglasses, travel alarm clock, camera & extra film, artificial sweetener, washcloth, shower cap, toiletries in "sample size" containers, plastic bags for laundry & damp towels, travel sewing kit, moist towelettes, sunscreen, swim wear, and binoculars.
Here is a list of some things you should not bring on your trip: knives, weapons, tweezers, scissors, razors, box cutters, aerosol cans, flammable liquids, fireworks, household items, industrial products, glass bottles, illegal narcotics or substances, valuable jewelry, and uncomfortable shoes.
Up-to-date information on the requirements for entering any country can be found at the website for the Bureau of Consular Affairs in the State Department.
The website address is http://travel.state.gov/travel/travel_1744.html.
The rules vary from nation to nation, and they often change, sometimes with little or no notice. When travelers who are residents of the U.S. but not citizens enter another country, the documentation they need depends on both the country whose citizenship they claim and the country they are visiting.
If an airline or cruise ship transports a passenger who does not have the documentation required to enter a country, the airline or cruise line is subject to a fine and must provide return transportation to the passenger.
You the traveler bear the ultimate responsibility for determining and meeting the requirements.
Depending on the country visited, you may need to provide Proof of Citizenship, a Passport, a Visa, and/or a Tourist Card.
Proof of Citizenship
Those traveling on business may need additional documents. Travelers to Canada should also carry proof of citizenship, which is legally required. Depending on your citizenship and destination Acceptable proofs of citizenship include:
1) A valid passport.
2) For those born in the United States, a birth certificate that is certified with the registrar's signature and with a raised, impressed, embossed or multicolored seal along with a state or government issued photo identification card (driver license).
Children 17 and under who are U.S. or Canadian citizens are only required to have proof of citizenship, excluding picture identification. Hospital issued birth certificates are NOT acceptable.
3) For those born abroad, a certificate of naturalization. A driver license, social security card, voting card or draft registration card is not proof of citizenship. A valid passport is always the best proof of citizenship and travelers who possess one should use it. You the traveler bear the ultimate responsibility for determining and meeting the requirements.
Passports
Many countries require foreign visitors to have a valid passport in order to enter the country. Applications for U.S. Passports are available at thousands of post offices and state and federal court buildings, as well as at passport agencies.
For more information, visit the U.S. State Department website at... http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport 1738.html.
Visas
Some countries require visas; some do not. A visa is an endorsement or stamp or separate paper placed in a passport by officials of a foreign government. It specifies the conditions under which the traveler may enter the country. There are different types of visas for different purposes and periods (tourist visa, visitor, student visa, business visa, transit visa).
Tourist Cards
Some countries accept a tourist card for entry instead of requiring a passport.
Minors under 18 NOT traveling with BOTH parents require consent to travel. We strongly advise all single, divorcees and grandparents that you obtain a notarized statement from the court or the other parent(s) giving you authorization to travel outside the united States with these children, (even if you have been awarded custody).
Due to always changing immigration and territory laws, it is your responsibility to check with the National Tourist Office or Embassy of the country in which you are traveling to.
Airline Tickets
When your cruise fare includes air transportation, the cruise line decides the air carrier and flight times. The exact flight times, flight numbers and the airline carrier are generally not available until 15 days prior to your cruise. We do not have access to this information until the cruise line arranges your air itinerary and mails the cruise documents to our offices.
If you accept the airline tickets as issued, you are treated as a priority customer by the airlines, and your flight schedule is monitored by the ship; and if the flight is delayed, the ship may delay its departure. However, if you make any changes to the original airline tickets, you are on your own. The cruise line can't keep track of changes in your flight arrangements and the cruise line will not be responsible for delays, cancelled flights, etc..
Starting January 24, 2012, the US Department of Transportation will enforce new rules intended to protect travelers who fly from what some regard as deceptive pricing for airline tickets and services.
The new rules include:
What do you think of these and other rules recently implemented by the DOT?
Full rules follow...
New regulations going into effect this week will help ensure that consumers are treated fairly when they travel by air, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said today. Among the new provisions, part of the airline consumer rule issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation in April 2011, are requirements that airlines and ticket agents include all mandatory taxes and fees in published airfares and that they disclose baggage fees to consumers buying tickets.
“Airline passengers have rights, and they should be able to expect fair and reasonable treatment when booking a trip and when they fly,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. “The new passenger protections taking effect this week are a continuation of our effort to help air travelers receive the respect they deserve.”
Also beginning this week, passengers will be able to hold a reservation without payment, or cancel a booking without penalty, for 24 hours after the reservation is made, if they make the reservation one week or more prior to a flight’s departure date. In addition, airlines will be required to promptly notify passengers of flight delays of over 30 minutes, as well as flight cancellations and diversions, and they will generally be prohibited from increasing the price of passengers’ ticket after it is bought.
The new rules also will make it easier for passengers to determine the full price they will have to pay for air transportation prior to travel. Currently, airlines and ticket agents are allowed to publish ads that list government-imposed taxes and fees separately from the advertised fare, as long as these taxes and fees are assessed on a per-passenger basis. However, sometimes the notice of these taxes and fees is not obvious to consumers. Under the new requirements, all mandatory taxes and fees must be included together in the advertised fare. The advertising provision takes effect Jan. 26, 2012 while all of the other consumer protections go into effect on Jan. 24 of this year.
In addition, airlines and ticket agents will be required to disclose baggage fees to consumers when they book a flight online. The first screen containing a fare quotation for a specific itinerary must show if there will be additional baggage fees, and inform consumers where they can go to see these fees. Information on baggage fees also must be included on all e-ticket confirmations, and for most trips the same baggage allowances and fees must apply throughout a passenger’s journey.
The new requirements are the final provisions to become effective from the Department’s most recent airline consumer rule. A number of new measures required by the rule took effect on Aug. 23, 2011, including requirements that airlines refund baggage fees if bags are lost and provide increased compensation to passengers bumped from oversold flights.
Also beginning last August, the Department set a four-hour time limit on tarmac delays for all international flights at U.S. airports, and extended the three-hour tarmac delay limit for domestic flights to smaller airports. It also required additional airlines to report their lengthy tarmac delays to DOT.
The Department is looking at other airline consumer protection measures for a possible future rulemaking, including requiring that all airline optional fees be disclosed wherever consumers can book a flight, strengthening disclosure of code-share flights, and requiring additional carriers to file on-time performance reports.
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As a result of enhanced security requirements, more documentation is required today than in the past whether you are traveling by air, land or sea outside of the United States.
If traveling alone, your passport is usually the only document required to prove your identity. If traveling with your family and minor children we recommend the following for each member of your party.
Required and Recommended Forms of Identification:
Updated information regarding obtaining or renewing your passport is available here: http://travel.state.gov/index.html
You must apply for a new U.S. Passport in person if:
Additonal information on renewing your passport is available here: http://travel.state.gov/passport/renew/renew_833.html
From Inside the United States:
To renew your U.S. Passport by mail, you must submit Form DS-82, Application for a U.S. Passport by Mail. Locate Form DS-82 and step-by-step instructions at Form DS-82: Application for a U.S. Passport by Mail.
How long will it take to process your passport application?
IMPORTANT NOTES:
From Outside the United States:
You should make an appointment to be seen at a Regional Passport Agency only if:
Contact the National Passport Information Center to make an appointment or locate a Passport Agency.