A Briggs Passport & Visa Expeditors

Frommers, the respected travel information source wrote an excellent article on problems Americans are having in the Europe when trying to pay by credit card with a card issued in the U.S.

The problem is serious and in this case we refer you to this article in Frommers online publication on this subject. It describes the problem and suggests workable solutions, although not all are completely fail safe. If you are traveling to Europe, be sure a read this carefully.

Carry your passport with you at all times as it will help you identify yourself to merchants that accept credit cards. Be sure your passport is valid before leaving.

————————————————

Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a Passport.

We trust you have heard about the registered traveler program. The idea of this program is that participants pay $99.99 and get limited security clearance — the federal government checks to verify your name is not on any terrorist watch list, and then you get an I.D. card that you use to go to the head of the line at the security checkpoint at participating airports listed below. More airports are considering participating and we expect many more to do so as the program gathers speed.

80,000 travelers have signed up as members. If you travel out of any of the airports below with any regularity, we recommend signing up. The I.D. members are given includes their finger prints and iris scanned onto the card. The only problem with the card is that it is not accepted by the Transportation Security Administration — but it will get you to the head of the line. Members still have to show their driver’s license or passport when going through security checkpoint at airports.

The system is evolving and we expect it to improve its operation and add more airports, but long term we think its main use for members will be to avoid waiting in lines at airport check points. The participating airports and airport terminals at this time include the following:

Air France (operating out of Terminal 1 at JFK);
AirTran Airways (operating out of the Central Terminal at LGA);
Albany International Airport (ALB);
British Airways (operating out of Terminal 7 at JFK);
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG);
Indianapolis International Airport (IND);
Jacksonville International Airport (JAX);
Little Rock National Airport (LIT);
Norman Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC);
Orlando International Airport (MCO);
Reno/Tahoe International Airport (RNO);
San Francisco International Airport (SFO);
Virgin Atlantic (operating out of Terminal B at EWR);
Virgin Atlantic (operating out of Terminal 4 at JFK); and
Westchester County Airport (HPN).

————————————————

Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a Passport.

By Gentle Island

Making the decision to visit any one of Canada’s beautiful provinces or territories is easy, especially if you decide to spend your time on the East Coast. Canada’s East Coast is made up of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and precious Prince Edward Island which exudes island hospitality and charm.

Your trip will be packed full of exciting activities when visiting any number of the East Coast festivals, cultural events, heritage sites as well as a ton of indoor and outdoor attractions. There is definitely no shortage of things to do on the East Coast. When visiting here is a list of the top 5 things you must see and do.

When in Newfoundland, Gros Morne National Park is a must see. Either for a day trip or for a week long camping trip, Gros Morne National Park has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987. You can hike through mountains, camp by the sea, visit freshwater fjords, waterfalls and sandy beaches. As an area with vast natural beauty and a variety of scenery, wildlife and recreational activities, there are a million and one things to do.

The next stop on your east coast vacation has to be beautiful New Brunswick. If you are searching for some indoor activities your next stop is the traditional farmers market in St. John. This market offers patrons the best New Brunswick has to offer in terms of fresh food, produce, meats and seafood. The St. John City Market also hosts the maritime craft show and offers hundreds of hand crafted items for you to enjoy. It’s a wonderful place to visit and stop in for a bite.

If outdoor adventure is more your speed visiting the Fundy Trail in St. Martin’s New Brunswick will be most enjoyable! The Fundy Trail is an area of true importance as it is a sensitive ecological area, previously inaccessible to people. Untouched coastal areas with unmatched beauty and eco-diversity offer its visitors the opportunity to hike, bike or drive through portions of the park to take in the view.

When in Nova Scotia shellfish is the dish dejour, particularly if you enjoy Lobster! Nova Scotia offers lobster tours for sea lovers of all ages. Tours are a great way to become familiar with the fishing methods used to catch these delicious creatures as well as to learn about the marine habitat of the many sea creatures that frequent the waters off Nova Scotia. A day on the water will reveal whales, seals, dolphins, seabirds, porpoises and other exciting species.

The final stop on your east coast adventure must be Prince Edward Island, the gentle Island. Offering annual cultural and artistic events, numerous sights and attractions, PEI is fun for the whole family. You can learn to deep sea fish, do some afternoon birding, or golf on one of over 30 island golf courses . Be sure to visit Prince Edward Islands’ beautiful lighthouses, the home of Anne of Green Gables and historic Province House, the Birthplace of Canada.

Or if the idea of putting your feet up on one of PEI’s beautiful red sand beaches is more your speed, the gentle island has many places for you. Surrounded by the sound of waves coming ashore, birds flying overhead and nothing but peace and quite, this are definitely the place for you. Rejuvenate your spirit, Love Prince Edward Island!

————————————————

Planning a trip to Canada? If you are flying, you will need a passport. Click here to order or renew your passport.

About The Author:

Prince Edward Island is widely known as the historic birthplace of Canada. The Charlottetown conference held in 1864 was the first meeting of a series which ultimately led to the confederation of Canada in 1867. Visit the gentle island.

There was an interesting article on MSNBC’s website in which a former airline public relations executive “confesses” the inside skinny on how airlines make decisions about fares and how they cover their mistakes.

Here is a sampling:

It’s very hard to get a refund on non-refundable tickets unless you have a death or natural disaster.

Be suspicious of fare sales — only a “few people get the cheapest fares.”

The best deals are on the airlines’ websites.

————————————————

Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a visa and check the requirements for entry.

Transit workers are striking in Paris and Budapest. If you plan to travel there, check to insure that you can get to your destination and double check any rental car reservations. The strikes are supposed to end November 21st, but check to be sure.

————————————————

Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a visa and check the requirements for entry.

Chicago is the winner (er, loser) and Newark and La Guardia are right on its tail when it comes to airports to avoid. Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago are the worst roads. The California Zephyr from San Francisco to Chicago is on time only 4.6% of the time. Whew! That’s late. Read the article if you want tips on how to avoid the worst places.

————————————————

Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a visa and check the requirements for entry.

By James Brown

Some people simply can not afford to invest a lot of money in heavy duty plastic budget travel accessories that separate the various items that they place in their luggage when they are ready to travel. In the real world, it should not matter how things are packed or how orderly they are arranged in the luggage. Some people do not realize the importance of being neat, but still want to pack what they want when they travel.

The important things that people try to remember when they are packing their luggage is that all clothing articles should arrive dry and ready to wear. If they use some budget travel accessories to pack their clothes in, they the clothing items will be ready to wear after they are ironed a bit to knock the wrinkles out. Some people have never realized that the budget travel accessories will keep things safe until a traveler reaches their final destination.

Some budget travel accessories are very cheap and can be disposed of at any time during a trip. These disposable containers would be absolutely perfect for a traveler to store small items in. These budget travel accessories are available in several sizes too and would be perfect to place any type of lotion, shampoo or other liquid in.

The budget travel accessories that are most commonly used for this purpose are plastic storage bags. People use them all of the time for many chores and they are easy to replace because they can be found in discount stores and supermarkets. Plastic storage bags are equipped with zippered tops on them that perform exactly like the more expensive travel bags that someone might pick if they wanted to color coordinate their wardrobe right down to the travel accessories that they choose to keep their garments nice and dry and ready to wear.

New parents choose to use these budget travel accessories in a diaper bag. They learned from friends how these plastic bags would simplify their life. They found out quickly how these plastic bags would allow them to gain quick access to wipes and clothing and a teething cookie if they needed it. The plastic bags were used quite often by the new parents to keep the talcum powder under control.

Parents realize that traveling can get expensive and they have become comfortable with using these plastic bags all over their house. So, it seemed only natural for them to adapt the plastic storage bags to uses such as separating wet items from dry items in their luggage when they travel. When travelers choose to use these budget travel accessories they have more options. They can carry dental care items from their luggage to the sink and return them to the luggage without worrying about the wetness of the items.

These budget travel accessories have also been used to separate the dirty laundry from the clean inside the luggage. People use them to keep their glove compartment organized and to store spare change in for use on toll roads and ferries that they may come in contract with when they are traveling in their own automobile.

————————————————

Planning a trip overseas? You might need a visa. Click here to check the visa requirements for your destination.

About The Author:

James Brown writes about UK Travel Deals and Discounts.

The strikes in France continue and the future is uncertain, so even if it ends, it may start again without any advance notice.

We recommend staying away from France all together.

————————————————

Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a visa and check the requirements for entry.

The State Department announced that it has issued a record number of visas to students to study in the United States, ahead of the level pre-9/11. In Fiscal Year 2007, the State Department issued more than 651,000 student and exchange visitor visas – 10 percent more than last year and 90,000 more than were issued in Fiscal Year 2001.
————————————————

Planning a trip? Is your passport up to date? Click here to order a visa and check the requirements for entry.

Airports are installing services to reduce flight-related stress.

XpresSpa has day spas in 11 departure terminals, including DFW, Philly, and JFK. McCarran Las Vegas has a 24-Hour Fitness center where flyers can take classes. The Absolute Spa in Vancouver has yoga classes and a lap pool. Hotels at terminals in Detroit and Chicago O’Hare also have gyms for about $15 a day. Austin features local musicians weekday afternoons and a number of local restaurants have airport concessions. Vino Volo operates has wine bars in five airports and will add as many as 10 more in 2008.

The American Airlines Admirals Club at DFW has a kid’s room with computer games and cartoons. O’Hare has a play zone in Terminal Two operated by the Chicago Children’s Museum. San Francisco has Kids’ Spot in Terminal Three. Vancouver’s international terminal has a man-made stream that leads to an aquarium filled with 850 sea creatures and a 1,000-gallon jellyfish tank. Singapore’s Airport was named best airport in the world for the past two decades by Business Traveler magazine. It has exotic gardens, a two-hour tour of nearby Singapore, napping rooms, and a movie theater.

So, if you are stuck in a big airport with nothing to do or time on your hands, talk to folks in the know in the airport and ask them what’s available there for flyers who are going to be there for hours. You might find a pleasant surprise. And remember that if you are in one terminal, there may be something in another terminal.