Tag: Travel

Posted on by

Drugs? I don’t have any drugs…

But…you might be carrying something you don’t consider a drug that is actually a drug in another country.

Did you realize some popular prescription and over-the-counter drugs are illegal in some countries? Things like pain relief, better sleep, allergies and even the common cold medicines.

The United Arab Emirates and Japan, for example, are among the most restrictive nations. However, other countries ban or restrict importing narcotics, sedatives, amphetamines, and others.

Most travelers won’t run into problems for carrying small amounts for personal use, said Katherine L. Harmon, who oversees health analysis for iJET International, a travel risk management company. But noncompliance can result in confiscation, (which could, in turn, have severe medical consequences), deportation, jail time, and even the death penalty. “Does it happen a lot? No. Could it? Yes,” Ms. Harmon said. “Consumers need to understand this and how it might adversely impact them before they book that awesome trip to an exotic location.”

Plan Ahead

Laws vary by country and there is no central, up-to date repository. It would be best to consult with your physician, travel medical insurance company, or local pharmacist four to six weeks before traveling. Another good thing to do is to check with the embassy of your destination country. The State Department website lists foreign embassies in the United States, and their contact information.

Be sure to label and pack all you medication properly and easy to read. Carry all your medication, including vitamins and supplements, in their original, clearly marked containers or packaging. Put these in a clear plastic bag in your carry-on luggage. Make sure everything including the name on the prescription, the medicine container, and your passport all match. If you lost the product information insert, ask the pharmacist to print a new one for you.

If you have any gel-type medication, let TSA know that when you go through security. You don’t need them taking it because they don’t know what it is.

 

Posted on by

Is Your Toothbrush Packed?

Do you pack any of these?

Toiletries

  • Toothbrush
  • Dental floss
  • Earplugs
  • Eye covers
  • Airplane pillow
  • Concentrated laundry soap
  • Clotheslines
  • Quick-dry towels
  • Shampoo/conditioner
  • Hair products
  • Comb/brush
  • Hair bands/clips
  • Facial products
  • Deodorant
  • Kleenex/TP
  • Tampons
  • Razor & blades
  • Nail clippers/file
  • Small scissors
  • Tweezers
  • Body lotion
  • Sewing kit
  • Dryer sheets for laundry bag
  • Sanitary wipes
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Lip balm

Once again…seems like a lot of stuff! I certainly don’t pack all of this. I only take what I’m going to need.

I have never used an eye cover or an airplane pillow. You may like them. Since I’m not going to camp, I don’t take quick dry towels. Make the list work for you.

I do use a dryer sheet in my laundry bag. It just helps a little to keep everything from smelling like dirty laundry if I have to stuff it in my suitcase.

Pack a small envelope of sanitary wipes in your purse, your carry-on bag, and your suitcase. Never know when you might need one.

Maybe you don’t use lip balm, and don’t want to take it along. That’s okay. But, did you know it can be used to tame frizzy hair ends, soothe dry cuticles, protect the skin from windburn, and even unstick a stubborn zipper? Yep. Lip balm.

 

Posted on by

Smile…or Not!

Again…is your passport up to date?

First, know when your passport expires. Some countries require the expiration date to be more than six months from that date.

Next, the State Department tells us you are responsible for looking like your passport photo. Have you added or removed facial tattoos or birthmarks? Have you lost a significant amount weight, especially in your facial area?

If so, you may need a new photo.

Speaking of photos, here are some rules that may be new since the last time you had yours taken.

Remove your glasses.

Make sure the background is the correct color.

Don’t smile too much. Yet, look natural…if you can! I was told not to smile at all and my photo looks like I belong in the post office for most wanted!

Next, pay the correct fee if submitting for a renewal by mail. No sense getting the renewal rejected.

Make sure you take or send any supporting documents with you.

Check for online renewal. Not sure if it’s coming soon or not.

Last, check with the State Department for more rules and clarifications. https://www.state.gov/

 

 

Posted on by

Do I Really Need That?

Planning your trip? Wondering what you need and hoping you don’t forget anything?

Maybe this list will help.

For Health and Fitness, think about packing some of these…

  • Prescriptions
  • Medical devices and chargers
  • First Aid Kit
    • Flex-band aids
    • Tapes
    • Gauze
    • Thermometer
    • Antibacterial Hand wash
    • Antacids
    • Nose drops
    • Eye drops
    • Antibiotics
    • Vitamins/minerals
    • Antihistamines
    • Sudafed/Benadryl
    • Analgesics
    • ASA/Tylenol
    • NSAIDS
    • Sleep Aids/RX
    • Melatonin
    • Anti-diarrhea meds
    • Antibiotic ointment
    • Sunscreen
    • Bug-repellant
    • Lip screen
    • Moleskin

Sounds like a lot. Right?

Well, you don’t need to pack a whole lot of each item. You certainly don’t need to pack things you know you won’t need.

Not going to travel where bugs are a problem? Leave the bug repellant at home. Never use prescription sleep aids? Don’t pack them.

You get the idea. These are suggestions. I do pack many of these, but in very small quantities. My vitamins take up the most room.

Speaking of vitamins… This is a tip I learned from a travel professional. Get some small, resealable, plastic bags from your pharmacy. Place your daily vitamins or meds in them, using one per day. You can label the day on them, if you think you might not remember. They’re easy to pack, you can either toss the empty bag or reuse it, and you’re not taking a large bottle of pills along with you.

Keep in mind, if you take prescription drugs, keep them in the original container. If that is too large, ask your pharmacist for a small travel bottle with the prescription clearly stated on it. You will alleviate trying to explain what those pills are.

 

Posted on by

How’s Your Passport?

Is your passport about to expire? You don’t know?

It’s time to take it out and look at it. Check the expiration date. Then, think about when you will be traveling.

You may need to apply for a new one. Check out this new information from the Department of State.

 

Effective April 2, 2018, the passport execution fee will increase from $25 to $35.  The $10 execution fee increase only applies to U.S. passport applicants using the DS-11 form, such as first-time applicants over 16, children under 16, and applicants who re-apply after reporting their previous passport lost or stolen.

The $10 fee increase does not apply to adults eligible to renew their passport by mail using the DS-82 form.  Renewal customers can mail their application and supporting documentation to the Department of State and should not apply at a passport acceptance facility or pay an execution fee.

Customers applying with the DS-11 form pay two separate fees: an application fee to the U.S. Department of State and the execution fee to the passport acceptance facility. Passport acceptance facilities such as post offices, clerks of court, or public libraries are designated to accept passport applications on behalf of the U.S. Department of State.  With more than 7,600 acceptance facility locations, customers applying for the first time can find a convenient location to apply for their passport. Some acceptance facilities are open nights and weekends and take passport photos on-site.

The Department of State generally sets consular fees at an amount calculated to achieve recovery of the costs to the U.S. government of providing the consular service. The latest Cost of Service Model showed that the costs associated with passport execution were higher than the current fee of $25.

The proposed fee change was published in the Federal Register as a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and public comments were accepted until November 18, 2016, 60 days after the Notice’s publication. The Final Rule, implementing the change, includes the Department’s response to relevant comments received.

For more information, you can go to the State Department’s website, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/passports/execution-fee-increases.html.

 

 

Other than the price increase, you shouldn’t wait to apply beyond April, because the time it takes to process a passport will be longer due to increased demand.

One more important note: for frequent travelers, when you apply for your passport, make sure you ask for the extended number of pages—about 50 instead of the usual 24.

Why? Because once you fill up that passport with country entry and departure stamps, the U.S. State Department will no longer add pages to your passport.

You’ll be forced to get a new one.

 

Posted on by

Lists…Do You Need Them?

Frist thing…let’s talk about packing lists. Yes, lists.

It’s a good idea to keep a master packing list on your computer. You can modify it for short trips, longer ones, international trips, trips to visit family, and whatever works for you.

You don’t like lists? Okay with me. Skip this part. Me…I’m going to have a list.

Realizing the following list is quite comprehensive, take a look, and then modify it to fit your needs. If you were to take everything I’ve thought of, you’d need a small army to carry your bags.

Remember, these are just suggestions.

Here goes…

Documents

  • Itinerary
  • Passports
  • Visas
  • Separate info record of passport docs
  • International Driver’s License
  • Regular Driver’s License
  • Bank Cards
  • 2 separate credit cards
  • List of cancellation numbers
  • Print-out of addresses where you will be staying
  • Health plan cards/info
  • Cash, U.S.
  • Cash, local
  • Copies of passport photos

Let’s talk about these items and why it’s important to have them. Also, let’s talk about where you should keep them when you travel.

Your entire itinerary is handy to have on you, in your purse or carry-on bag, or a pocket in your jacket. Why? Looking up your confirmation number, hotel address, or flight number just got easier if this information is all in one spot or on one document.

Passports, driver’s licenses, credit cards, cash, and health care cards are best kept in your wallet. That way, they are easy to retrieve. My wallet and my travel purse are both RFID. What does that mean? Radio frequency identification is a technology that incorporates the use of electromagnetic or electrostatic coupling. What this means for you is, this technology prevents readers from picking up the data in your wallet or purse. Supposedly, unsavory characters could walk by you and ‘grab’ your data from your passport, credit card, or bank card without you even knowing it. It’s like an electronic pick-pocket. With RFID, they can’t. That data is blocked.

Do you need this? Up to you. I just feel safer…and my wallet is cool. Plus, I could buy a new purse.

I digress.

Multiple passport color copies…again why take them?

If your passport was lost or stolen, you could take the copies to the nearest U.S. Embassy to expedite getting a temporary passport. Important if you want, or need, to get home quickly.

Stash your copies in a separate place from your actual documents, so if you lose one, you’ll likely still have the other. You could email your passport number to yourself or simply email the scans of the documents. I’ve created a travel document file in two of my cloud storage spots. That way, I can find them…as long as I remember the password!

Why is the list of cancellation numbers important and where do you keep this? If, your wallet was stolen, you need to cancel your credit cards. Some companies will notify you, especially if a large purchase is made or your card gets used in a country not on your travel list. That’s why it’s important to let the credit card companies know which countries you will be traveling to. Not a good idea to keep this in your wallet or purse, however. Stash it somewhere in your luggage or your carry-on bag.

I always get some cash ahead of time to use at my destination. Some banks will order Euros or other foreign currency for you. That way, you don’t have to get cash right after you land. Using the airport ATM or exchange counter might not be in your best interest as their rates are almost always higher.

 

Posted on by

Pack…And You’re Ready to Go

 

If you’ve looked at any travel journals, blogs, websites, or guide books…you probably already know everybody and their mother has packing tips. Why?

Packing is an essential and important part of travel. But, you don’t HAVE to pack. You could buy everything once you get to your destination. Right?

I suppose. If you have the time and money to do that…go right ahead.

Seriously, it works both ways.

You don’t need to pack everything you might ever need. You really can buy some things that you didn’t pack. Let’s say you checked the weather and it says it never rains in Rome in July. This year, it does. Trust me…umbrella vendors will pop up like spring flowers. For a few Euros, pick up a cheap umbrella and don’t sweat the fact you didn’t pack one.

If you’ve traveled very much, you might already have a packing method you like. Or, maybe not. You could be one of those travelers who throws everything on the bed the night before and then crams it all into your suitcase, hoping everything will fit. If that works for you…go for it.

That’s just too much stress for me. That’s why I have a couple of different methods, depending on how long I will be gone.

So, whether you have a proven way of packing or want some new advice, new ways of doing things, and new suggestions…keep reading.

And, if you have some methods which work for you, let me know. I’m always open to new suggestions.

In fact, I always learn something every time I travel. I just learned something about airport parking from a shuttle bus driver… You just never know.

 

 

 

Posted on by

You Can Never Have Too Many Travel Tips…Right?

Over the course of traveling, visiting with travel professionals, and getting tips from a variety of travelers I have compiled a whole bunch of information.

What was I going to do with it? Share with you, of course!

This valuable information will appear throughout the next several months. Some of it may be new to you. Some of it may be redundant.

You may even have better information. If so, please share it.

Have fun traveling…

 

Posted on by

How Do They Run?

San Francisco Cable Cars

By Wendy VanHatten

“If it pleases Providence to make a car run up and own a slit in the ground for many miles, and if for twopence-half penny I can ride in that car, why should I seek the reasons of the miracle?” Malcom E. Barker

Mention San Francisco to people and images come to mind of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Painted Ladies Victorian homes, Alcatraz…and the clanging of the cable cars. This tourist attraction and yet viable means of transportation came about due to a man witnessing a horrible accident on a typically damp summer day in 1869.

Andrew Smith Hallidie saw a horse drawn streetcar slide backwards on a damp cobblestone street, causing five horses to lose their lives. He knew he needed to do something about it. His father held the first patent in Great Britain for wire rope, and he used this technology in California’s gold country, in building a bridge in Sacramento, and in pulling heavy ore cars out of underground mines.

Using this technology, he devised a cable car system where giant wheels pull a wire cable through a trench embedded in a roadway. The cars attach to the cable and are pulled along. His first ride downhill, August 2, 1873, was alone as no one wanted to ride with him. Once he demonstrated their safety, cable cars dominated the city’s transit scene for more than 30 years.

Then came the 1906 Earthquake and Fire and they were almost extinguished.

In the 1890s there were eight active cable car companies, covering the city with 127 miles of track. Today, there is one combined line with 10.5 miles of track in three branches. Thirty-one cars, weighing six tons each, travel at a speed of 9.5 miles per hour up a 21 percent grade.

Whether this is your first time visiting San Francisco or if you want to enjoy the City by the Bay from an iconic landmark, hop aboard a cable car. Want some insider tips on best to enjoy your ride?

For the best views, you want to be on the side that faces the bay. For the Powell cars, that’s the east side. If the car is leaving downtown, you would want to be on the right side. If you’re at Fisherman’s Wharf, the left side. If you don’t know, ask the driver.

Exit off the car and wait for it to pass. Drivers always pay attention, but if something should happen, they can’t swerve to avoid you.

Cable cars are pretty good about staying on schedule. Unless, it’s raining. You might have a short wait in this case.

Wear a sweater. Even on a warm day, it can get cold on the cars. The warmest spots are on the inside. You won’t get the best views there, however.

Don’t let anything…purses, backpacks, kids…hang off the edge.

Hold on and watch your kids.

There are three different cable cars routes. The Powell/Hyde and Powell/Mason lines start at the busy intersection of Powel and Market. They head toward Fisherman’s Wharf. These are the most popular as they climb some great hills, giving riders fantastic views. The California/Van Ness line starts at California and Market and goes to Van Ness. You get different views from each line, so if you have time…ride more than one.

Cable cars stop almost every block on California and Powell/Mason lines.

Cable cars are not handicap accessible.

If there are long lines, walk a few blocks to the next stop. The car will probably be full and you’ll have to stand, but the wait is shorter. Your call.

You are allowed, with a ticket, to get on a cable car at any stop along the route. It will stop for you.

Cable cars start operations about 6 am and run until about 12:30 at night. They usually run every 10 minutes and run all year.

Fun Facts: Cable cars are the only moving National Monument in the world. There have been two women in history who have served as a gripman.

IF YOU GO: Visit the Cable Car Museum at 1201 Mason Street. This free museum offers you a chance to see the inner workings below the street, to watch the gigantic wheels that pull the cable cars, watch the sheaves, which are the pulleys, and view an original car from Andrew Hallidie’s Clay Street Hill Railroad.