We strongly encourage travel insurance for your protection! The 7 Best Travel Insurance Companies of 2021 • Best Overall: Travelex. • Runner-Up, Best Overall: Allianz Travel Insurance. • Best Value: InsureMyTrip. • Most Comprehensive Coverage: World Nomads. • Best for Seniors: HTH Travel Insurance. • Best for Cruises: Nationwide. • Best for Medical Coverage: GeoBlue Other Resources: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/travel-insurance/best-travel-insurance/(https://www.forbes.com/advisor/travel-insurance/best-travel-insurance/) https://money.com/best-travel-insurance/(https://money.com/best-travel-insurance/) https://www.travelinsurancereview.net/coverages/trip-cancellation/#cover(https://covertrip.com/travel-insurance-coverage/trip-cancellation-coverage#cover) These are the inclusions you need to look for in your travel insurance policy: Trip cancellation and interruption: • cover for if you or your travel partners become ill • provisions for natural disasters • ability to claim if a close family member is sick • unforeseen cancellations Medical and repatriation services: • cover for hospital, medicine and ambulance charges abroad • will your insurer fly you home if deemed necessary? • claim for emergency dental work Delayed, stolen, lost or damaged luggage: • recover cost of replacement medication • claim for stolen items and passport charges • cover if your bags were delayed or lost in transit Flight insurance: • cover for cancelations due to strikes or bad weathe Coverage for activities: • hiking, canoeing or skiing etc often carry additional charges Although all these items are important, I think the medical and repatriation services are critical. If you are injured and get sick, this may be the best way for you to get home to your loved ones.

Generally, ATMs work well at your destination, but be sure to alert your bank in advance before traveling, so that they can "open" your card for what otherwise may seem an unexpected charge. If you want to get local currency in advance, you might try a local AAA branch. Try to avoid using the currency exchange places at the airports---the fees are usually astronomical. To see current currency conversion rates, see: https://www.xe.com/(https://www.xe.com/)

Wondering how you should pack? Check out the local weather for your destination and plan accordingly. https://www.xe.com/(https://weather.com/?Goto=Redirected)

If you have time to do it (and haven't already), get the TSA's Global Entry pass. It will save you a ton of time at security, and also at Passport Control when you arrive back to the States. https://www.tsa.gov/(https://www.tsa.gov/)

Not sure whether or not you need a special visa to travel to your destination country? Check out the requirements here: https://www.genvisa.com/(https://www.genvisa.com/)

Here's a tip: if you have a smartphone (iPhone, e.g.), there is a World Clock app that lets you add various cities/countries to it. Do it in advance, and you can check the time differences automatically. Usually, on smartphones, your time will change automatically. Otherwise,to check the local time anywhere, you can go to: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/(https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/)

Gear-up for your Dream Vacation with the perfect luggage, outterwear and more...travel accessories to make your trip easier! https://www.travelsmith.com/(https://www.travelsmith.com/) https://www.luggageonline.com/(https://www.luggageonline.com/)

Learn the lay of the land before you go with this handy resource! https://www.maps.com/(https://www.maps.com/)