Trip Insurance, Passports & Visa's, OH MY! What you need to have before you travel abroad.

We all get excited when we begin booking a trip to another country, but getting there and back sometimes requires careful planning. In prep for my own upcoming travels I just finished checking passport expiration, empty page counts and obtaining visa's for China, India and multiple entry visa for Jordan. For Egypt we will be able to buy a visa upon arrival and do not need one for England, Spain or Israel. After all this I thought it would be helpful to pull all this information together here in one place for anyone else planning their own around the planet journey.

PASSPORT CAVEATS

Your passport is indeed your ticket to the world, and all US citizens, including children, are required to obtain a passport in their own names to travel abroad and for re-entry into the US.

The state department has developed a cheaper alternative to the traditional passport called the passport card. It is not valid for international air travel, but may be used instead of a passport for land and sea travel between the US and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. It costs $55 for adults and $40 for children.

For information about applying and renewing your Passport or obtaining a Passport card check out GetYouHome.gov

CHECK THE EXPIRATION

I know it sounds like a no brainer, but make sure that your passport is valid. Last year, the night before we were to travel as a family to the Mexican Riviera, I discovered my passport expired the week prior and had to cancel our trip. Thankfully we were reimbursed 100%, no questions asked, because we had trip insurance (more on that further down).

If you must travel out of the country within 14 days and your passport is not valid, you may be able to make an appointment to submit your application in person at one of the 22 regional passport agencies across the US. Had I realized this only 24 hours earlier I could have salvaged my trip because there is an agency in my city, but it was a weekend and they were closed. Appointments can be made by calling 877-487-2778.

Many countries require that you have a minimum of 6 months (sometimes 3) remaining before the expiration of your passport in order to enter their country. If you are cutting it close I recommend applying for a new passport because you never know if you might have to extend your trip due to illness or return departure delays.

Per government requirements, all travelers must also have a blank page available in their passport for each country they will visit that requires a visa. When traveling to many African and Middle Eastern countries, it's important to have two blank visa pages, side by side, for each country you plan to visit. This is in addition to the four amendment/endorsement pages at the very back of your passport. You can apply for additional pages if your passport has not expired. I know someone who was traveling with their fiancee to South Africa and missed half his trip because he was not allowed to board the flight at the last minute for this reason.

It is also a good idea to take a photocopy of your passport with you and keep it in a separate place while traveling and to leave a copy at home or in a saved file on your email account. If your passport is lost or stolen, US embassies will usually accept this as proof that you're a US citizen and issue you a temporary passport.

NO VISA, NO ENTRY!

Besides your passport, there are some destinations where you will need more. China, Brazil and India are examples. Some people arrive only to get sent back because they were not aware of this requirement for entry.

To find out if your destination(s) require a visa check it out here.

A visa is a travel doc that some countries require in addition to the passport and getting one can cost anywhere from $80 to $140, plus processing fees. One of the biggest mistakes people make is procrastinating and waiting until the last minute to think about getting them.  You can check out the current processing times here. Every country is different. You will need to send in your passport for some and for others you will need to take it to the embassy yourself or hire an agency to procure it for you. If you wait until a few weeks before you will need to pay a rush fee up to $200 per country. Expeditors are  good choices for a last minute visa and they can also help you choose the right visa and simplify the entire process. The company I used was visahq.com. Others are itseasy.com and g3visas.com. Some companies specialize in certain countries but shop around to find your best deal.

Luckily, American tourists can travel to 159 nations without a visa which makes us among the free-est travelers in the world.

TRAVEL WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES

Governments issue warnings to let their citizens know of concerns in particular countries. In the US warnings are issued by the state department.  The decision to travel is ultimately up to you, but you will travel at your own risk. Current travel warnings for US citizens.

Epidemics and illness overseas are constantly changing. The best online resource is the Centers for Disease Control Travel Information Website. The CDC's Vaccinations section provides a list of common vaccinations and booster requirements.

Sign up for the FREE Smart Traveler Enrollment Program so that the State Department can help contact you regarding a family emergency at home or if there is a crisis where you are traveling. In accordance with the Privacy Act, your whereabouts will not be released without your express authorization.

TRIP INSURANCE

Don't skip this, travel insurance is not as expensive as you think. No one ever plans to use insurance or for accidents to happen, but that's why they're called accidents. Hopefully you never need it, but if you do get ill or something unexpected like I don't know, an expired passport comes up, you'll be glad you have it! Get a quote from these companies: worldnomads.com, travelinsure.com or I used travelinsuranceservices.com .

Also, check your overseas medical insurance coverage. Check in to see what is covered and consider supplemental insurance for this reason too! Here are some independent companies that offer this: aig.com or sevencorners.com.

SAFE TRAVELS!!!!