Passport-less-ness

If there's a more terrible feeling than putting your passport in an envelope and sending it out of your life for an undetermined amount of time while the government sends you a renewal...I'm not sure what it is.  It's the feelings of restless, distress, hopeless, and sadness all mixed together: "passport-less-ness" seems an appropriate term to describe not only the state of affairs but the emotional component that goes along with it!

Here's your friendly travel reminder to always keep track of your passport expiration date!

Most federal governments have a policy in which travelers must have at least 6 months left before the expiration of their passport upon entering their country.  Be sure to know before you go!

There are expedited services in the US and, as long as your passport hasn't been completely destroyed, you can do a simple online form, get passport pics taken at your local drug store/pharmacy (CVS, Rite Aid, etc) and mail them in with a personal check.  You can pay cash or credit card at an agency, but it seems like a much bigger hassle.  Money makes the world go round, and it also makes YOU go 'round the world...faster.  For an extra fee you can get expedited service to have your passport back in your wanderlust hands faster than the average traveler.

You can get most information online these days, but, as always, please assure that you are on a legitimate government website so that you don't get duped!  Because nobody likes when that happens!  For U.S. citizens, the go-to passport renewal site is:

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/renew.html

Happy Travels All!

Lower Airfare based on "Supposed" Sale Location

Airfares are weird.  

We know that from the general lack of information that we have on pricing and sales.  We have trend data that can give us the best days of the week to fly for better prices, and even sometimes the best days of the week to BUY our tickets, but did you know that WHERE you SAY you're buying your tickets can actually affect the price you pay?  

I KNOW.  MIND BLOWING but true!

If you buy domestic flights occurring in a different country (read: the flights will occur in a different country than the one you are currently in while searching) it is often WAY cheaper if you can convince the airline or website that you are in the "different" country buying your ticket.

Example:  If I'm in the US but I want to buy a ticket from Lima to Cusco (this actually happened).  I search when I'm in the US, the prices come back around $250-$300 each and I say "no way" and I decide not to buy tickets ahead of time.  When I GET to Peru, my friend tells me the direct website of LCPeru (a Peruvian airline that flies between Lima and Cusco), and since I'm IN Peru, it recognizes Peru as the point of transaction and my plane tickets are miraculously over $100 cheaper for each one.

Now, take my personal experience and add this newfound info: you can get the SAME miraculous price drop that I got when I was in Peru by telling the website you are searching while in the US that you are in Peru already, even if you're not.  Do the search in Peruvian currency (soles, in case you're interested) and voilá  miracle price-drop without ever having reached Peru (If only I'd known BEFORE actually getting there).

It can save you a boatload just to change the point of transaction, maybe pay in a foreign currency on your credit card (bonus if it doesn't charge foreign transaction fees) and do a little extra searching.

This works for international flights, too, but it's a bit more tricky because you'll have to seek out one of many countries in the world that you could have as your transaction point to get the best price (hint to save you a search: it's probably NOT going to be the US...unless a US city is the destination or departure point).

You can see more examples and get more info. by clicking here.

Happy travels!