six travel mistakes to avoid

Cliffs of Moher (c) 2019 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Inexperienced travelers frequently make foolish travel mistakes when planning a trip. I am highlighting six of the worst travel mistakes mentioned in a recent article in USA Today.

(1) Declining travel insurance for expensive international trips. Even if you have NOT made any non-refundable deposits, purchasing $500 of trip cancellation per person is inexpensive and offers important protections. Top of the list: primary medical coverage while out of the country. If you're a US-based senior citizen, Medicare does NOT cover you outside the U.S., but Travelex Basic or Select offers primary medical insurance. Because the coverage is primary, you won't have to bother getting your claim rejected by Medicare before the insurance company will pay you (which is the case if your policy provides only secondary medical coverage). Note: rely only on the insurance carrier's own employees for authoritative and detailed explanations of a policy's coverage.

(2) Taking selfies in hazardous places. For instance, there's a rope to keep you safe when visiting Ireland's Cliffs of Moher (pictured above), but that doesn't stop some foolhardy tourists from venturing to the very edge of the cliff, risking injury or death. Risking your life is not worth 5 minutes of YouTube fame.

(3) Failing to check passport and visa requirements well in advance of the trip. Ensure that your passport has empty pages and is valid for at least six months beyond the end of the trip (as countries typically require). Check whether the country to which you are traveling requires acquiring a visa before you travel. Not all countries offer visa on entry.

(4) Arriving the day your cruise (or tour) departs. It simply makes no sense to risk being left behind at the port, scrambling to figure out how to catch up with the rest of the cruise or tour (at your own expense). Plan to arrive the day before your cruise or tour begins.

(5) Overscheduling your days. While many tourists have the idea that "doing Paris" means checking off a dozen items on a to-do list, I'm a firm believer in "less is more." Don't plan on six museums in one day; you can't possibly enjoy all of them, and you'll be exhausted. There's no reason to visit Versailles and Giverny on the same day; you'll be short-changing both. And don't waste a full day in Paris visiting Disney, of all things. Don't "do" Paris. "Experience" Paris by doing what Parisians do. Spend a leisurely hour sitting at a sidewalk cafe on a picturesque street just watching the life of the city unfold before you.

(6) Booking tight flight connections. Think you can make that 50-minute connection in Paris, London, or Frankfurt? Think again. Navigating an unfamiliar airport in a jet-lagged condition, waiting in passport lines, possibly going through security a second time, and generally not knowing where to go is NOT the way you want to begin your trip. I would want at least a 2-hour connection in all of these international airports. Consider a VIP meet-at-the-gate escort where available to fast-track you through immigration and get you to your next gate stress-free.

copyright (c) 2019 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

traveling soon? check your passport...

Traveling out of the country? Here's something you should do immediately: check the date of expiration for every passport of your traveling party. Ensure each passport is valid for at least six months beyond the completion date of your trip. Most countries will deny entry — and many airlines will refuse boarding — if your passports do not meet this criterion.

Do any of the countries you're visiting require visas? Note that US citizens traveling to England, France, Italy, Canada, Mexico, and many other countries do not need to obtain a visa... but other countries require visitors to apply in advance. You can apply online for visas for many (but not all) destinations. Use the CIBT website to verify visa requirements for your trip.

In a hurry to apply for (or renew) your passport? Google "passport expedited service" for companies that can assist. If you live near a major US metropolitan area, you may be able apply in person. Make an online appointment at one of 27 U.S. passport agencies where you'll be able to submit your application on the spot. A traveler I know could not find her passport just prior to her trip to Mexico; she was able to obtain a new one with same-day service at the Chicago passport office. Note that there is a $60 expedite fee for this service.

But don't wait! If you're planning to travel internationally in the next year, check your passport NOW! Luxury travel is all about traveling stress-free, so plan ahead so you can relax and enjoy your trip.

from Ourisman Travel's Terms and Conditions: It is Customer’s responsibility to verify that all the visas required for your trip have been obtained, that the visas for each country are valid for the entry and exit dates of your visit, that your personal details are accurately reflected and that your passport is valid for at least six months beyond the completion date of your trip.

copyright (c) 2018 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

do you need a visa?

Here's the ironic truth. Travel advisors do a fabulous job planning their clients' travels, but we often take shortcuts when working on our own trips! So you can imagine my combination of worry and chagrin when, late Tuesday night, I received an email from A&K Myanmar confirming that I had obtained a visa for my upcoming trip to Myanmar.

Visa? Myanmar? Why, no, this was the first time I had even thought about it. I evidently had overlooked the attachment previously sent me by A&K. With just 15 days before my departure, the whole question of Myanmar visas seemed more significant than whatever I was watching on Netflix at the moment. I booted the computer, did a google search, surfed to the online e-visa portal for The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, and quickly took care of the necessary bureaucratic procedures. It was easy enough; you had to enter basic information from your passport, upload a passport-type photo, and pay your $50 per person.

Do you need a visa? A US Passport is all you need to enter many but not all countries. Here's a handy webpage where you can do the necessary research. It certainly pays to do the research well in advance of your trip.

I like happy endings...  Even though Myanmar promised a response to my application within 3-5 business days, I woke up the next morning with two approval letters already in my inbox. But this is just one way in which using a travel advisor is to your advantage. In this case, A&K Myanmar was my travel advisor, taking care of my travels and allowing me to benefit from their world of experience.

copyright (c) 2018 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

will Americans need visas to visit Europe?

Have you seen this headline? Is it anything to worry about?

EU Parliament Urges Visas for US Citizens Visiting Europe

The backstory. There is an ongoing dispute between the European Union (EU) and the United States over the requirement that citizens of Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Romania, and Cypress obtain visas before visiting the United States. US citizens have the right to visit any EU country without obtaining visas, and the EU is understandably concerned over the lack of reciprocity.

So the EU Parliament made a symbolic gesture to make its point. A simple "show of hands" was taken on a motion to urge the EU develop a new regulation requiring Americans to obtain visas before visiting any EU nation.

The facts of the matter. No such regulation has been formally proposed. Once approved, it would have to be approved by the European Union countries, a process that could take years. And it is not in the interests of countries like Italy, France, or Spain to take such a step, as Europe receives much economic benefit from American tourism.

My guess is that there's nothing to worry about. Of course, I would also have guessed that Britain would have voted "no" on Brexit and that the US would have elected Hillary Clinton ... but the smart money says that this is only a negotiating ploy.

Bottom line: this is a great time to visit Europe as the exchange rate is highly favorable. 100€ = $105.45. I remember when it was 140 dollars to the euro.

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.