By: Larry Westfall

Here are some quick tips to make your travel easier and safer:

Register so the State Department can better assist you in an emergency: Register your travel plans with the State Department through a free online service. This will help them contact you if there is a family emergency in the U.S., or if there is a crisis where you are traveling. In accordance with the Privacy Act, information on your welfare and whereabouts will not be released to others without your express authorization.

Sign your passport, and fill in the emergency information: Make sure you have a signed, valid passport, and a visa, if required, and fill in the emergency information page of your passport.

Leave copies of itinerary and passport data page: Leave copies of your itinerary, passport data page and visas with family or friends, so you can be contacted in case of an emergency.

Check your overseas medical insurance coverage: Ask your medical insurance company if your policy applies overseas, and if it covers emergency expenses such as medical evacuation. If it does not, consider supplemental insurance.

Familiarize yourself with local conditions and laws: While in a foreign country, you are subject to its laws. The State Department web site has useful safety and other information about the countries you will visit.

Take precautions to avoid being a target of crime: To avoid being a target of crime, do not wear conspicuous clothing or jewelry and do not carry excessive amounts of money. Also, do not leave unattended luggage in public areas and do not accept packages from strangers.

Contact your embassy in the event of an emergency: Consular personnel at U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad and in the U.S. are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to provide emergency assistance to U.S. citizens. Contact information for U.S. Embassies and Consulates appears on the Bureau of Consular Affairs. Also note that the Office of Overseas Citizen Services in the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs may be reached for assistance with emergencies at 1-888-407-4747, if calling from the U.S. or Canada, or 202-501-4444, if calling from overseas.

Make a few minor preparations before you travel overseas and it will make your trip a lot smoother and give you peace of mind. Remember, you cannot plan once the emergency happens; you need to do your planning ahead of time.

Larry Westfall is a regular visitor to Thailand and will retire in Khon Kaen but while he is still single he will get drunk on Walking Street
Submitted by: Article Publisher
==========================================

By: thecrossman

If you plan on traveling it is always important to ask about possible fees in advance. Asking can save you from the headache of paying extra for unnecessary services as well as help you plan and prepare for your trip.

Below are ten sneaky hidden fees you may encounter while traveling.

Car Rental Fees

1. Drop-Off Fee
Charged for returning a vehicle to a spot other than the pick-up location, ‘drop-off’ fees are a catch most often associated with one-way rentals. These fees can be pretty costly with some places charging hundreds of dollars per drop-off.

2. Fill the Tank

Upon returning a rented vehicle make sure to refill the gas tank since companies can charge up to double the local price per used gallon of gasoline. Make sure that the tank is full before you leave and ask a rental attendant to fill it up if necessary.

Cruise Fees

3. Go Your Own Way

Your brochure may showcase ship-sponsored tours like scuba diving or swimming with dolphins but these can cost anywhere from $30 to $350 per person. Plus your guide will expect to be tipped 5% in addition to the tour price. To avoid these types of costs, find local tour operators or take the family to the closest beach.

4. Beverage Bummer

Drinks on cruise ships are not free. Despite what you shelled out for your trip you can expect to pay even more each time you take a sip. Everything from alcohol to bottled water will be added to your tab. Also, ordering drinks from a bar comes with an automatic gratuity charge.

Hotel Fees

5. Beware of Resort Fees

Hotels can charge you up to $50 per day for extra facilities. These include tennis courts, gyms and pools. You might also pay a ‘housekeeping fee’ to cover cleaning costs and ‘energy and fuel’ surcharges to cover electricity.

6. Beware of ‘Extra’ Fees

Daily ‘Telephone’ fees can be charged whether you use the phone or not. The same goes for ‘Internet access’ fees. ‘Mini-bar restocking’ fees usually run about $10. Getting a fax may land you a ‘fax’ fee of up to $5 a page. Aside from meals, ‘Bottled water’ fees of up to $5 per drink also apply.

Airline Fees

7. Live Person Convenience Fee

Airlines can charge anywhere from $5 to $20 to book flights in person or over the phone.

8. Recycling Frequent Flyer Miles

You can be charged from $50 to $100 if you trade in your miles then do not use your ticket. The fee covers the supposed cost of sticking the miles back into your account.

9. Not Enough Advance Fee

For frequent flyers, some airlines allow you to book a flight up to the day of departure for free. However airlines such as Continental, Delta and American charge fees up to $100 for insufficient advance notice.

10. Lap Children Fee

Did you know you may have to pay from $10 up to 10 percent of the adult fare (international flights) if you travel with a child on your lap? Also, if there is a fuel surcharge on your flight, you can wind up paying nearly $90 each way for your child.

Article Source: http://www.articlebankonline.com

We show travelers how to scorefirst class low cost airline tickets. Visit www.costlytravelmistakes.com for more information and tips.

==========================================

By: Peter Wilson..

For most people the image that springs to mind when you mention holidays abroad is a nice, hot, white sandy beach. The idea of relaxing on an idyllic beach is what most people consider to be their perfect holiday. However, before you go ahead and book your next summer beach holiday, there are various things that you should think about.

Everything You Need to Know About Planning a Beach Holiday

If the most important thing to you is to visit the hottest beaches around, then the main thing you need to consider is that it is likely to be extremely busy. This means that you might not always get to relax the way that you imagined and you could even be fighting for a spot on the beach where you can actually enjoy the sun.

Overcrowding of beaches is a problem in the summer months as it is the time when most people are off work. Now these types of beaches may be ideal for families, but for those looking for something a little more intimate, the number of people around is likely to present a big problem. So it may well be worth considering looking for a more remote beach where you truly can relax.

Generally secluded beaches tend to be the ones which are situated more inland. Now you may not consider inland beaches to be true beaches, but they are just as good, if not better than the beaches found on the coast. You will still benefit from water and sand as well as having most of the beach to yourself. It could be that the inland beach is set near a river or a lake and you can have plenty of fun on them without the hassle and the noise of thousands of other people.

One particular thing that you need to think about on a beach vacation is where will you be staying? Ideally you will want accommodation which is near to the beach. However this will be more expensive and if you are looking for peace and quiet you will not find it at hotels which are situated near the beach. Instead you will have to rent out a villa and hire out a car if you want to keep the peace and quiet as well as be able to have easy access t the beach. Of course if you visit an inland beach you should easily be able to find a villa or an apartment close by to rent.

Overall beach holidays are certainly most people’s idea of the perfect getaway. If you haven’t yet considered visiting an inland beach then now may be the time to think about it. With just as many activities as an ordinary beach on the coast, an inland beach could be the solution for those looking for peace and quiet. You could even organize a little tour to the various inland beaches around the area that you want to visit and that way you will get to see which ones are the best to visit.

Article Source: http://www.articlebankonline.com

Peter Wilson usually makes reports on ideas associated to knowledge for tourists and alicante. His contributions on spain are published on his website .

============================================

By: Michael Harris

Airport security rules have changed drastically in recent years. With air travel increasing greatly around the holidays anyone considering going this route is well advised to familiarize themselves with new rules put in place where they may cause the most delays. Namely airport security checkpoints.

Most passengers may think there is only one security checkpoint, when in reality there are usually three. This may vary from airport to airport but this seems to be the rule for most.

The first checkpoint will be when you register for your seat on the plane. You will need to show at least one proper form of identification. Usually a drivers license or a government issued identification card will suffice. You will then be given your boarding pass.

This is also the time when you will need to hand over the luggage that you will be checking for storage below the plane. These are commonly referred to as checked bags or luggage. To avoid delays you should check with the airline for specific items that may be banned or prohibited. In the past, only a small number of bags were hand checked, but now almost all are.

Many of these checks are quick look-overs, but you may be subject to a random, extensive search. This search often includes the checking of all baggage compartments, as well as the wiping of a cloth, which is looking for powdery substances.

Once through this stage you will encounter the main airport security checkpoint. This is where you will be asked to have your carryon luggage xrayed and you will have to go through a metal detector. Also currently all travelers are being asked to remove their shoes to have them xrayed too. In the past people where picked randomly for this excercise but now the only exception is of those with a disability or hindering medical condition.

Again, by familiarizing yourself with the items that are banned aboard an airplane, including items that are only prohibited from being stored in your carryon luggage, an unnecessary incident can be prevented.

In the event that you are found carrying a prohibited item, certain steps will be taken. Depending on the item in question, you may be required to return the item to you car, discard it, mail it to your home, or turn it over to airport security. Ensuring that you leave all prohibited items at home is the best way to prevent this unnecessary delay, which may cause you to miss your flight or even worse scenarios.

There is one final checkpoint to pass before boarding your flight. When entering the airport terminal, after your airline has granted permission for passengers to board, you will need to present airline officials with the appropriate boarding pass. At this time you may need to show your identification again. However, it is not always necessary.

It is best that you stay calm during all airport checkpoints, including the final boarding stage. Most travelers are easily able to board their airplane, but in the event that you are acting suspicious or drawing unwanted attention to yourself you may be pulled aside. So leave the anxieties at the door.

By being prepared and knowledgeable about what is and is not acceptable before ever entering the airport you will avoid unwanted delays and experience a much more pleasant flight.

Get travel tips and reviews of your favorite destinations at Online Travel Guide

==================================================