Planning a trip, especially if overseas, can sometimes feel like
traveling through fog. You know what you need to do but finding the appropriate resources to get it done can be
tedious.
This page lists many sources of information that you will find very
useful for domestic as well as foreign travel, especially if this is your first trip out of the country:
TSA requirements, airport security, weather (foreign and domestic),
passport help as well as other international travel considerations.
It can be very helpful to checkout this site in advance to plan how early you must
leave for the airport. You can find out by the airport, day of week and time of day what the approx.
security wait time will be at each terminal! This is, of course an estimate based on historical
data, but there are certain times of day that are much more busy typically than others. (This link
is repeated on "GO! The Day of Travel" if you want to recheck it)
BEST DAYS(and times) TO
FLYfrom the 29 largest U.S. Airports (NATCA:
National Air Traffic Controllers Association)
If you are not a veteran traveler, or if there may have recent changes, this is the
place to go to know what you can and cannot carry on the plane. (This link is also
repeated on "GO! The Day of Travel" for your convenience)
Weather at Your Destination - Knowing the
weather at your destination will help in planning what to pack. Go to "Go! The Day of Travel" to set up your destination
weather widget, then check out the weather there!
Custom Weather Forecast - You may also wish
to check out "Flight Forecast"(this will be mentioned
again underClothes) of weather.com for a "custom weather forecast for
all legs of your trip, including what to pack and destination information"
U.S. Post Office - for passport application information, fees, etc.
START EARLY!
If you didn't start early enough to get your passport thru the U.S. Post Office,
for a little more you can get it overnight with this service as seen in Forbes
and on MSNBC:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection site - a wealth of information is on
this web site including Know Before You Go- Regulations for U.S. Residents which
contains everything U.S. Residents should know before they go abroad:
Top 10 Traveler Tips
Traveler's Checklist
Documents you will need to re-enter the U.S.
What you must declare
Your inspection
Duty-free Exemption
Money
Photographic film
Western Hemishphere Travel Initiative: current
travel document requirements for U.S. and Canadian travelers entering the U.S.
Stricter documentation requirements went into effect for air travelers on Jan. 23,
2007 and will affect land and sea travel into the U.S. on June 1, 2009.
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture:
Pet Travel: Rules and requirements for pet international travel, health
certificate, vaccination, tips, facts, links to helpful sites
International Travel home page for Country Specific information,
available for every country of the World. These pages include information such as locations of
U.S. Embassies or consulates, unusual immigration practices, health conditions, minor political
disturbances, unusual currency and entry regulations, crime and security information and drug
penalties.
Free online service to register your travel plans so that the State Dept. can
better assist you in an emergency
Taking a pet overseas
Places to receive mail
Health information, especially re: vaccinations, insurance, taking medications and
filling prescriptions abroad
Passport information
These are only a few of the many items covered in these "Tips for Traveling
Abroad". Anyone planning to travel out of the U.S. would be advised to review this entire web
page.
Travel Health Advice
Centers for Disease Control (CDC): Health information necessary for
international travel. Travelers' Health is the home page for locating travel health
information such as
worldwide flu outbreaks
vaccination requirements
health information by destination
For more medical information regarding travel
go to: Emergencies - see 'medical'
Note: This link above (flu.gov) will take you out of this site. To return: hit your "back
space" or "back-arrow".
