Travel Tips
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Taking a vacation these days is not going to be cheap! In fact prices on fuel, lodging and air tickets are continuously going upwards and there is no end in sight. But don’t let this put a damper on your next family vacation as there are various ways on how to save money on travel and SAVE BIG!
Look for alternatives when booking a vacation and do a little comparison shopping (BookingWiz.com) as prices for the same trip can fluctuate up to 50% depending on what travel source you decide to use. Smart consumers always read the fine print so be sure to do your homework and research the sites carefully before booking your travel.
Wal-Travel also recommends using TripAdvisor.com where you can read all reviews from real travellers like yourself before commiting to a deal of a lifetime. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true… it just might be! Make sure you read all the details and find out if the costs advertised includes all the taxes and service charges.
You can save a good deal by staying just a few blocks away from the beachfront or main attractions. During leisure destinations, try to book for midweek stays as rates are usually higher on weekends. However, at urban business hotels, rates can also drop on weekends as their bread and butter comes from the business travellers during the regular work week. If you can, book no earlier than a week in advance, unless it’s a holiday or high-demand period.
Also consider using online reservation wizards like Hotwire.com where you aren’t told exactly what hotel you’ve booked with until you’ve paid. This protects the higher end hotels from advertising the lower rates than what their own corporate sites advertise. Once you book and pay, all the required information will be forwarded to you and everything is guaranteed. This can save you quite a bit of money because now you aren’t paying the big brand prices.
TIP: If you’re not sure what hotel you are about to book when booking with Hotwire.com and you want to get a better idea of which one it is, simply read the hotel amenities and description and you can usually pin point what hotel it is when you do a google search of hotels in the area.
Booking early is more important than ever. Why? You’re going to get the best ticket rates with advance purchases and you will also be able to lock in those prices no matter how high the airline fuel surcharges go up and we all know that it will!
If a little bit of extra time is on your side, you can also save money on connecting flights as they could be a lot cheaper than flying to your desired destination directly without any stops. But keep in mind that you also run a greater risk of flight delays.
Also check out meta-search engines like BookingWiz.com, Kayak.com as they search and compare all the online rates for you. There are also other individual travel sites (Orbitz.com, Travelocity.com, Cheaptickets.com etc.) that offer their own deals of the week as they negotiate these specials fares with flight providers. Don’t forget to use your frequent travelers points (if you have one) as if you don’t use it, you run the risk of losing it.
Shop around and comapre prices. There are many car rental agencies out there (Budget.com, Enterprise.com, Thrifty.com etc.) so do your research and compare prices as you will be surprised as to how much cheaper the same car can be at a different location. Sites like BookingWiz.com will also search and comapre all the car rental rates for you with just one click. Take advantage of their free service!
TIP: Make sure that you also check the allowable milage and see what’s included with the final price!
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IMPORTANT PASSPORT INFORMATION 
What Proof of Citizenship do I need for my vacation? Do I need a passport? January 23, 2007: ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda is NOW required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document. As of January 1, 2008: ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible. Ample advance notice will be provided to enable the public to obtain passports or passport cards for land/sea entries. |
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United States Passports
In the United States,The Passport Services Office provides information and services to American citizens about how to obtain, replace or change a passport.
A valid U.S. passport is required to enter and leave most foreign countries. Only the U.S. Department of State has the authority to grant, issue or verify United States passports.
New Application for a U.S. Passport
To obtain a passport for the first time, you need to go in person to one of 7,000 passport acceptance facilities located throughout the United States with two photographs of yourself, proof of U.S. citizenship, and a valid form of photo identification such as a driver’s license.
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Canadian Passports
Passport Canada has created variouselectronic forms in PDF format that, once printed, can be completed
Passport Canada is defined by the Canadian Passport Order and is responsible for issuing, revoking, withholding, recovering and the use of Canadian passports. It provides guidance to missions issuing passports abroad and supervises all matters relating to Canadian travel documents.
Passport Canada has four regional operations: Western, Ontario, Central and Eastern. There are 33 passport issuing offices across the country from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, to Victoria, British Columbia.
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