Get Your 2011 Student Travel Must-Haves

How many days did you spend traveling this year? Whether it was five or 50, you probably wish it had been more. Make it easier to get where you want to go in 2011 by being prepared to hit the road at a moment’s notice. Think of these things as a traveler’s kit of necessities, and put them on your holiday wish list:

Passport – Without it, you’re facing some serious delays in trip planning. Don’t let a lack of identification keep you from joining friends on a last-minute run across the border, or from passing up an unbeatble airfare to Paris or London or Tokyo. Passports are good for 10 years in the U.S. and five years in Canada, so once you have it in hand you won’t have to think about it again for a while. Visit the U.S. State Department’s passport website or the official Canadian passport website for the forms.

ISIC, IYTC, or ITIC – Whether you’re a full-time student, a teacher, or a youth under the age of 26, there are thousands of different types of identification out there. Only one is internationally recognized as proof of your student, teacher or youth status. Get this card at a Travel CUTS store or order online and start saving money on museums, bus, airline, and train tickets, restaurants, and activities in more than 90 countries (and in your home town).

Hostelling International Card – This card will get you:

• Discounts at more than 4,000 hostels worldwide
• Savings of up to 85% on international phone calls, free email access, voicemail and travel info through eKit
• Discounts at restaurants, stores, and attractions
• Discounts on bus transportation and tours
• Discounts on car rentals
• Worldwide, commission-free currency exchange
• Free seminars on traveling abroad

Luggage that won’t cause you pain – Find yourself a few different pieces (small carry-on, mid-size backpack, larger rolling duffel) that you can afford, that you won’t be devastated if they get lost or damaged, and that are comfortable to pack and carry. A good backpack is essential and one that has the ability to expand or shrink will work for weekends away or longer backpacking trips. You don’t have to spend a fortune on luggage. Check garage sales, thrift stores and discount shops for great deals.

A library card – Great travels require great planning. You don’t have to put together a daily itinerary, but a basic understanding of the region you’re visiting, the languages you’re going to encounter, and the major sights you want to see will help a lot.

Rather than spending your money on heavy books to lug with you, do your reading before you go for free, photocopy any maps or helpful language charts, and then buy a small pocket-sized guide to go with you. (Yes, there’s an app for that, but when your batter is dead you’ll be thankful for the backup plan.) If you’re an AAA member, take advantage of their free roadmaps and books.

With all of these things ready, 2011 could be your best travel year yet. Get out there!

The Best Gift to Give Yourself? A Passport.

If you’re like me, after the holidays were over you went out and bought yourself the gifts you really wanted and didn’t get. Maybe you cashed in some gift cards, or maybe you had a few dollars left over.

But do you have the one thing that absolutely every self-respecting traveller should have? Do you have an up-to-date passport? It’s your ticket to the whole wide world after all, and they put pretty stamps in it when you go places.

It might seem like a silly thing to go out and buy if you don’t have immediate travel plans, but there’s no reason to wait until the last minute.

I’m proof of that, because for someone who has done a lot of traveling, I can still be a travel moron. Here’s the evidence:

Last year I planned a trip to Australia and New Zealand. I finalized my itinerary and made sure it included a Lord of the Rings tour and black water rafting. Woo hoo!

I got approval from my manager to take three weeks off, paid. Woo hoo!

A month before my departure, I opened up my passport only to see that it had expired several months earlier. Crap!

Luckily, I had plenty of time renew my passport before my trip, so the situation wasn’t dire. Mostly it was embarrassing that my passport had been so unused that it took me eight months to notice it had expired. Clearly I need to get out of the country more often.

Since then, my New Year’s routine has become:

1. Change all the batteries in my smoke detectors.
2. Make an appointment to have my eyes checked and contact lenses updated.
3. Email all the people I haven’t talked to since last New Year’s.
4. Check to make sure I have a valid passport.

I think you should always be ready to flee the country at a moment’s notice. You never know when an opportunity will present itself.

Here are a few passport tips:

• Visit Passport Canada to get your application, check fees and find out how long it will take to get a new passport or renew an expired one.

• If your passport expired less than 12 months ago, you may be eligible to use the Simplified Renewal Form, which means you don’t have to resubmit proof of Canadian citizenship. You will need to have new photos taken though.

• A passport is good for five (5!) years for adults. Even if you don’t have immediate plans to hit the road, get your passport now so that you’re always ready to go (unlike me). It will also be one less expense to worry about later.

Always be prepared!
Lisa

New Year – New Passport

The Passport Card

For someone who’s done a lot of traveling, I can still be a travel moron. Here’s the evidence:

Yesterday I finalized my itinerary for a trip at the end of February to New Zealand and Australia. Yes!

Yesterday I got final approval from my manager to take three weeks off for this vacation. Yes!

Yesterday I opened up my passport only to see that it expired last April. Crap!

Luckily, I have plenty of time renew my passport before my trip, so the situation isn’t dire. Mostly it’s embarrassing that my passport has been so unused that it took me eight months to notice it had expired. I need to get out of the country more often.

From now on, my New Year’s Day routine is going to be:

1. Change all the batteries in my smoke detectors.
2. Make an appointment to have my eyes checked and contact lenses updated.
3. Email all the people I haven’t talked to since last New Year’s.
4. Check to make sure I have a valid passport.

I think you should always be ready to flee the country at a moment’s notice. You never know when an opportunity will present itself.

For example, a famous rich person may decide to make you her new BFF and whisk you off to Tokyo. Your boss might decide you’re the perfect person to attend a conference in Toronto. Your favorite singer might announce  a last-minute show in Paris that you just have to see. Or, something realistic might happen, like you and a friend find a cheap flight to an exciting destination. (Travel CUTS has Boston to London for less than $200 roundtrip? Go right now!)

Here are a few passport tips:

• If you most of your traveling consists of going over the border to Canada or Mexico, by boat or car, then you don’t need a passport book. Instead, you can get a passport card. It’s only good for those two countries and you can’t use it for air travel. If you already have a passport book, you can get the card for $20 (and stop worrying about losing your passport book in Tiajuana), otherwise it’s $45 for anyone over the age of 16.

• If you’re renewing your passport you have to send in your old one, but they will send it back for you to keep as a souvenir (although making copies of your favorite stamps and pages might not be a bad idea, just in case).

• A passport is good for ten (10!) years for adults. Even if you don’t have immediate plans to hit the road, get your passport now so that you’re always ready to go (unlike me). It will also be one less expense to worry about later.

For more information about passports, go to the official government site: http://travel.state.gov/passport

I’ll let you know what else I’ve forgotten to do for this trip just as soon as I remember.

Make Your 2008 Travel Resolutions

How many days did you spend traveling this year? Whether it was five or 50, you probably wish it had been more. Make it easier to get where you want to go in 2008 by being prepared to hit the road at a moment’s notice. Think of these things as a traveler’s kit of necessities:

Passport – Without it, you’re facing some serious delays in trip planning. The law requiring a passport to travel to Canada and Mexico went into effect last year, then was relaxed, but only some places, depending on where and how you entered and who was on duty that day. Don’t let a lack of identification keep you from joining friends on a last-minute run across the border, or from passing up an unbeatble airfare to Paris or London or Tokyo. Passports are good for 10 years, so once you have it in hand you won’t have to think about it again for a whole decade. Visit the U.S. State Department’s website for the forms. You should be able to file them at a Post Office near you.

ISIC, IYTC, or ITIC – Whether you’re a full-time student, a teacher, or a youth under the age of 26, there are thousands of different types of identification out there. Only one is internationally recognized as proof of your student, teacher or youth status. Get this card at a Travel CUTS store or order online and start saving money on museums, bus, airline, and train tickets, restaurants, and activities in more than 90 countries (and in your home town).

Hostelling International Card – This card can also be ordered online and will get you:

Discounts at more than 4, 000 hostels worldwide, including 11 in the USA

Savings of up to 85% on international phone calls, free email access, voicemail and travel info through eKit

Discounts at restaurants, stores, and attractions

Discounts on Greyhound transportation and tours

Discounts on Alamo and Hertz car rentals

Worldwide, commission-free currency exchange

Free seminars on traveling abroad

Luggage that won’t cause you pain – find yourself a few different pieces that you can afford, that you won’t be devestated if they get lost or damaged, and that are comfortable to pack and carry. A good backpack is essential and one that has the ability to expand or shrink will work for weekends away or longer backpacking trips. You don’t have to spend a fortune on luggage. In fact, garage sales, thrift stores, and discount shops have great deals.

A library card – Great travels require great planning. You don’t have to put together a daily itinerary, but a basic understanding of the region you’re visiting, the languages you’re going to encounter, and the major sights you want to see will help a lot. Rather than spending your money on heavy books to lug with you, do your reading before you go for free, photocopy any maps or helpful language charts, and then buy a small pocket-sized guide to go with you. If you’re an AAA member, take advantage of their free roadmaps and books.

With all of these things ready, 2008 could be your best travel year yet. Get out there!