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Government Travel Advisories and Travel Insurance

Most seasoned travellers are aware that it is wise to check the current situation in their destination country before booking any trips. Once plans are in place it is a good idea to purchase travel insurance – with immediate effect so that it includes protection for Cancellation and Curtailment.

Travel plans may be affected by weather events such as hurricanes, earthquakes, heavy snow, flooding, and tropical storms. Other travel problems include disease outbreaks or pandemics, volcanic eruptions, political unrest, civil war and terrorist attacks. Information of this type is normally easily picked up through the media via newspapers, television, radio, and the internet.

The internet is, without question, the most useful tool available to travellers in today’s world as it is so quick and easy to do a search for your destination country, resort, and hotel and find any relevant and updated information. Social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook have also made it much easier to communicate information – good and bad. Hotel review sites tend to be controversial but many travellers still rely on them before booking their hotel or accommodation.

To find the very latest travel updates and to check whether any advisories against travel are in effect, it is wise to check the government website of your country of residence. This is a good habit to get into and it should be at the top of your travel checklist along with checking your passport expiration, visa requirements, taking out travel insurance, and checking with your doctor regarding any needed vaccinations..

Before planning any travel or holidays visit the Department of Foreign Affairs, or similar government agency for your country, to check if there are any potential problems brewing in your destination country. For example:

 

  • Australia: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (smartraveller.gov.au)
  • Canada: Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (voyage.gc.ca)
  • Ireland (Eire): Department of Foreign Affairs (dfa.ie)
  • New Zealand: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (safetravel.govt.nz)
  • UK: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (fco.gov.uk)
  • USA: Department of State (travel.state.gov)

In the case of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, they provide extensive and updated travel advice and information on their website as part of their ”Know Before You Go’ campaign, which is aimed to assist travellers and help them avoid inadvertently getting into trouble overseas. The wealth of important information includes local laws and customs, visa and passport requirements, driving advice, the political situation, transportation advice, street crime and scams to watch for, emergency contact information, healthcare, travel insurance, and much more.

As an example, let’s imagine that you decide to treat your family to a sunshine holiday at a Red Sea resort in Egypt. You find a great package deal and go ahead and book. You check the family passports to make sure they have not expired, book the airport long-stay parking and purchase travel insurance. You arrive at your destination and the next day discover that there are protests and demonstrations in the streets of Cairo – and they are turning violent. You discover that your home country’s government has issued an advisory for its citizens against all non-essential travel to Egypt. You are worried and wonder if this will affect you – or your travel insurance. Fortunately, because the trouble did not occur until after you had booked the holiday you could not have reasonably foreseen the problem and your insurance should still cover any valid claims.

The difference is that If you book a trip to a trouble spot after a serious problem has arisen and it has been covered in the media most insurers will view this as having taken an unnecessary risk because it is reasonable to assume that you should have been aware.

Travel Insurance policies vary in their terms and conditions and what is and is not included. Play it safe and, at a minimum, always check to make sure that the policy covers all your planned activities, has adequate medical insurance, and includes medical repatriation. A cheap policy may be perfectly adequate for your needs but sometimes it is worth paying a little extra – just in case.

 

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No Need To Gamble: Best Bets On Las Vegas Travel Deals

In this economy, everyone is looking for ways to pinch pennies. That’s why anyone planning a trip to Sin City is desperate to find Las Vegas travel deals… because who can afford to pay full price these days? Here are my favorite tips for doing Vegas for less:

Become a VIP to get free rooms and other gratis goodies: If you’re traveling to Vegas to gamble, the casinos are going to love you. High rollers who bet a lot of money end up earning all kinds of free perks from casino hosts, like free rooms, show tickets, and tasty meals. The problem with this plan is that you have to gamble A LOT to earn your free rewards. For those of us who aren’t “Whales” at the gaming tables, there are probably a few better options for earning Vegas travel deals.
Book a package deal: The airlines, hotels, and travel sites all want you to book your travel expenses early through and them to make sure they’re the ones who win as much of your hard-earned money as they can take. One of the ways in which they compete for your buck is to offer package deals, in which you can book your flight, hotel room, and extra goodies like show tickets and meals, all in one bundle that costs less than if you paid for each piece individually. These packages can be great deals, but like everything else, you’ll save the most money if you shop for the best packages that suit your specific needs. Are you hoping to catch Blue Man Group while you’re in town? There’s a package deal that includes tickets to the show, a hotel room, and a flight into town, all bundled together at a killer price.
Travel to Vegas in the middle of the week: Las Vegas is packed with hard partying masses on weekends, and as the laws of supply and demand dictate, that’s when room prices are at their highest. But if you have the flexibility and free time to travel during the week, you can save a ton of money. The cheapest room rates can generally be found in the middle of the week on Wednesdays, a day that exists as an island as far from the weekend as one can get. While the town is a little less busy during the week, there is still plenty of fun to be had and the rates are much, much lower, so why not head out to Vegas and party like it’s Wednesday night?
Comparison shop on the internet: The web is filled with travel sites offering incredible deals and packages. Priceline, Expedia, Kayak, Travelocity, and so many more… it seems like another travel deal site pops up every day. With such a huge pool of deal sites to choose from, make sure you browse through as many of them as you can to ensure that you get the absolute best deal available for your trip to Vegas. There are tons of deals out there… but if you put a little work in, you can make sure you find the best one.
Become a member of a resort’s rewards program: Almost all the resorts in Vegas feature free rewards programs or players clubs that they desperately want their guests to join. When you use one of the cards the casinos issue you, you earn points that can go towards comps and deals later on down the road. Many of the resorts in Vegas are connected, meaning you can use your rewards program card and earn points across multiple properties. For example, the MGM Mirage Players Club card is good at 12 different resorts, including the new Aria at CityCenter, Bellagio, The Mirage, and The MGM Grand. Rewards program members also get emails with great deals and exclusive offers, and they will often send you personalized offers based on your past activities in their casino. Fair warning, though: the casinos are looking to collect demographic information about you and how you behave when you’re at their casino, which feels a bit “1984.” If you don’t mind the slightly Orwellian vibe to the whole thing, however, these rewards programs are a great way to earn money-saving deals.
Even during a recession, Vegas is not exactly a cheap town, but if you follow my tips, you can save some serious cash… which you can lose at the tables once you hit the casino floors. There are always more great tips for finding the best Las Vegas Air Hotel Specials, but if you follow my tactics, you’ll be well on your way to finding great Las Vegas travel deals!

News

Cheap Flights to Portugal – Taking Advantage of the Cheapest Rates and Package Deals

Affordable airfare tickets have been the source of many ordinary people in going to their favorite destinations. Without these kinds of cheap carriers thousands of people would definitely not experience the feeling of a good travel and a memorable vacation. Cheap flights to Portugal and for those people living in other countries have considered this one a potential weekend and holiday destination. There are numbers of airline companies across the globe who have opened their doors in giving out cheap air flights tickets and each of them have become rivals when it comes to price markdowns.

A lot of people coming from different races from all over the world are choosing this country as one of their holiday destinations and finding for cheap flights to Portugal are very much available. Thus, when you are going to book your tickets, you must consider booking ahead of time. This can either be few months before or can be two weeks prior to your specific date of departure. Booking early will not only avoid any hassles on your trip but also in acquiring great savings when you book in advance. It is also imperative to consider flying during off-peak times that take place during autumn and spring seasons where rates are deemed as less cheaper and inexpensive.

If this will be your first travel, seeking for a travel agency’s assistance will play a great role. A lot of these companies have access to great deals for it has a well established relationship with other major airline companies. If you are still uncertain of other deals then doing some research on the net would be helpful. There are different cheap air travel websites made available online that you can have access to great travel package deals. Given all of these, it is still important to ensure that safety concerns are your major consideration. When it comes to air travel, finding for cheap can always be equated to unsafe travel. And so, if a specific airline does not have the capability and safety budget are lacking then it doesn’t have any right to run for full operations.

Cheap flights to Portugal have truly changed how people can be close to the world. This country has been a preferred destination for its beaches and resorts as well as its Mediterranean climate and lower cost of living. A lot of foreigners have seek to find their own place in this country and some are planning to stay for good as they were entice by the beauty of the land. The country is becoming more appealing especially to those tourists who want this place as their second home. Portugal’s discipline among people and policies that has been implemented has preserved its countryside and the charm of towns and other resources in the land.

Thus, cheap flights to Portugal can be a perfect opportunity not only in taking advantage of the cheapest rates and package but also in discovering this exquisite and adorable place where plenty of investors have been ultimately desiring of finding their second home in the land of Portugal.