Best Apps for International Travel - Expedited Passports

Earlier this summer, we posted a blog on 4 Great Apps for International Travel.  We wanted to add some additional apps to the list to ensure you were up to date on the latest and greatest apps for international travel.

1. Trip Journal — Trip documenter :  Trip Journal is an award-winning travel app that lets you digitally document your trip on your iOS, Android, Bada or Symbian device.
2. Converse:  Have a conversation with speakers of other languages with Converse, a $4.99 iPad app. Converse translates between English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Dutch.
3. UNESCO World Heritage — Location guide:  For travelers who would like a bucket list of amazing places to visit in their lifetime, the World Heritage app will do the trick.
4. Wikitude:  Award-winning augmented reality app Wikitude helps you explore as you travel. Take pictures of new sights and scenes — when you have an Internet connection, Wikitude will inform you about your surroundings.
5.  WhatsApp:  Text any smartphone user with WhatsApp, the app that lets you send texts, photos, videos and audio files with your contacts. WhatsApp is also great for group texting among different smartphones, so we bet you’ll keep using it after you return home.
6.  AllSubway:  This $0.99 iOS app is a pocket guide to the world’s subway maps. Featuring more than 160 maps, you’ll find guides to public transit systems in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia.
7.  Photosynth:  Available for Windows Phone and iPhone, this incredible panorama creation app lets you shoot geo-located, interactive images. You can share your Photosynth with other users when you have an Internet connection.
8.  Skype WiFi:  Hate when random paid networks pop up as you’re trying to connect to airport Wi-Fi? Skype Wi-Fi lets you use your Skype credit to connect in airports, hotels, coffee shops, and thousands of other locations across the world.
9.  Google Goggles:  This free AR app for Android will help you identify everything from paintings in museums to ingredients in food. Just make sure you can find an Internet connection, and Google Goggles will take care of the rest.
10. TripIt:  This one-shop-stop travel app organizes everything from your business schedule to your hotel reservation to your flight confirmation numbers. If you’re looking for a serious organization tool, this $3.99 app is for you.
11. Wi-Fi Finder:  Preparing for the big, bad, cell service-free world outside your hotel? Load a map of nearby Wi-Fi locations with this free iOS app.
12. XE Currency:  Don’t get ripped off changing currency — use this app to find the best local rates. If you often overspend while you’re abroad because you find conversions confusing, this iOS app will help you keep your budget.

Are you using something we haven’t listed?  Let us know what you are using and why you love it so much.

Got a vacation coming up and wondering where to go?  Disney World again?   Your in-laws?  The beach?  All great ideas but we think we’ve got a better one.  Grab your passport and plan a visit to one of these 50 amazing destinations that everyone should see in their lifetime.  Take your family, take your friends and start planning.  And yes, you will need a current passport for 47 of the 50 destinations we’ve included.  We’ve listed them in alphabetical order to help you keep them straight.  Whether you see 1, 20 or all 50, we know you won’t be disappointed.

1. Angel Falls (Venezuela)
2. Angkor Wat (Cambodia)
3. Bagan (Burma)
4. Berlin Wall (Germany)
5. Bora Bora (French Polynesia)
6. Borobudur (Indonesia)
7. Cappadocia (Turkey)
8. Chichen Itza (Mexico)
9. Christ the Redeemer (Brazil)
10. Dubai’s Palm Islands (UAE)
11. Dubrovnik (Croatia)
12. Easter Island (Chile)
13. Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)
14. Grand Canyon (USA)
15. Great Barrier Reef (Australia)
16. Ha Long Bay (Vietnam)
17. Iguazu Falls (Brazil/Argentina)
18. Koh Phi Phi (Thailand)
19. Lhasa (Tibet)
20. Machu Picchu (Peru)
21. Mecca (Saudi Arabia)
22. Milford Sound (New Zealand)
23. Moraine Lake (Canada)
24. Moscow’s Red Square (Russia)
25. Mount Fuji (Japan)
26. Palace of Versailles (France)
27. Perito Moreno Glacier (Argentina)
28. Petra (Jordan)
29. Pyramids of Giza (Egypt)
30. Salar de Uyuni Salt Flats (Bolivia)
31. Santorini (Greece)
32. Sistine Chapel (Vatican City)
33. Socotra (Yemen)
34. Stonehenge (UK)
35. Sydney Opera House (Australia)
36. Table Mountain (South Africa)
37. Taj Mahal (India)
38. The Colosseum (Italy)
39. The Eiffel Tower (France)
40. The Great Wall of China (China)
41. The Louvre (France)
42. The Serengeti (Tanzania/Kenya)
43. The Terra Cotta Warriors (China)
44. Tikal (Guatemala)
45. Times Square (USA)
46. Torres Del Paine (Chile)
47. Uluru/Ayers Rock (Australia)
48. Venice Canals (Italy)
49. Victoria Falls (Zambia/Zimbabwe)
50. Yellowstone National Park (USA)

Visited all or a good portions of these 50 places everyone should see already?  Lucky you.  Let us know your favorites and additional places on your bucket list.  The world is full of beautiful wonders.  Go experience some in  your lifetime.

If you live in Washington, DC and you need an emergency passport, here’s an important update- the Washington, DC passport office is moving!

Until Friday, October 25th, the agency will serve customers at its current location, 1111 19th Street, N.W.  However, when it opens back up for business on Monday, October 28th, it will be at a new location. Set your GPS to the new address:

600 19th Street NW, Washington, DC.

The passport agency’s fancy new digs offer more space in the lobby and more windows to accommodate passport seekers.  Looking at the numbers, the Washington Passport Agency needs the extra space. According to the Department of State, last year the agency saw approximately 30,000 customers and issued more than 200,000 passports!

About the Washington Passport Agency

The Washington Passport Agency accepts emergency passport applications by appointment only. To qualify for an appointment, you need to have confirmed travel plans that take you out of the country within the next 14 days, or 4 weeks if you also need to apply for a visa before your trip. Appointments are only available on weekdays,  between the hours of 8:30 am and 3:30 pm, and of course the office is closed on all federal holidays. To make an appointment, call 1-877-487-2778.

If all of this sounds horribly inconvenient, know that there is an easier way to get a passport in a hurry, even if you’re departing in a matter of days. RushMyPassport can walk you step by step through the passport application process and all of the paperwork it involves (something the Passport Agency will not do), then deal with the passport agency on your behalf. No need for you to make an appointment or wait in line at an inconvenient time, and you can still get your application processed in as little as 24 hours!

Need a passport? Need it fast? Give us a call or order online today!

Photo Credit:  Some rights reserved by eGuide Travel

Houston, you have a problem: The Houston Passport Agency is closed for renovations. If you need an emergency passport, you have two choices: travel to another city or use a private expediting company like RushMyPassport.

The Houston Passport Agency handles urgent passport requests. Typically, you are eligible to use this office if you need a passport AND

• You have an international departure planned within the next 14 days
• You are leaving in the next 4 weeks and your trip requires a visa.

Long story short, if you’re eligible to use the Houston Passport Agency, your stress levels are probably already high. To add insult to injury, the Houston Passport Agency will be shut down until some time in 2014. How are you supposed to get your passport now?

With the office closed, the Department of State is directing Houstonians who need emergency passports to the three nearest regional passport agencies: Dallas, New Orleans and El Paso.  Even if you get an appointment at the Dallas office, that’s still a three to four hour trip one way. New Orleans is five hours away by car. El Paso is ten hours!  That’s a lot of wasted time, wasted money  and wasted gas.

The Good News

Getting a passport quickly does not require a road trip. All you have to do is use an expediting company like RushMyPassport to handle your application for you. We’ll walk you through the paperwork, make sure you have everything you need and then get your application to an open passport center for processing in as little as 24 hours!

When you take into account the cost of gas or plane tickets to travel to one of the other passport offices, plus the cost of taking time off work,  you’ll not only save yourself some stress when you use RushMyPassport, you might even save some cash.

Our regional office is located on Richmond near Post Oak Boulevard, with easy access from both Southwest Freeway and the 610 Loop. Contact us today!‘

Photo credit:  Some rights reserved by araza123

October is in full swing and the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holidays are fast approaching. If you are wondering when the best timeto book your trips and travel, we’ve got your answers here. The short answer is the time is now!

“The best bet for the consumer is to travel as early before the actual holiday or as late as possible afterward, and always leave room for schedule changes,” explained Dean Headley, co-author of Wichita State University’s Airline Quality Rating report. “During the past several years, the holiday travel period has continued to be a challenging time for travelers, and with industrywide seat capacity reduction, it will remain a stressful travel experience [this year].”

Travel search engine Kayak.com analyzed “hundreds of millions” of queries preformed on the site last year and discovered that, on average, the cheapest airfares for holiday travel were found before mid-October. Procrastinators who wait until the end of October or later to book are likely to find a 17 percent increase for Thanksgiving travel, a 51 percent increase for Christmas travel and a 25 percent increase for New Year’s Eve travel.

“If you miss that mid-October window, we recommend booking as soon as possible,” Kayak spokeswoman Jessica Casano-Antonellis said. “Domestic fares will rarely decrease beyond October, and international flights will see no decrease in fares.”

To get the best deals if traveling domestically over Thanksgiving, consider departing on Monday or Tuesday and returning on Thanksgiving Day, Friday or the following Tuesday. This could save you as much as 23 percent on the departing leg and 20 percent on the return leg. If traveling internationally, leave as close to or on Thanksgiving Day and return Wednesday or beyond the following week.

The same goes for Christmas travel. If you depart as close to the 25th as possible, you can save up to 20 percent according to Kayak. With Christmas being on a Wednesday this year, travelers who choose the weekends surrounding Christmas will encounter fares up to 24 percent higher. International travelers looking for the cheapest flights may want to consider trips of three to five days in length centered around the holiday.

If you are looking to ring in the New Year away from home, shorter trips centered around New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day (i.e. Dec. 29-Jan. 1 or Dec. 31-Jan. 3) are more than 15 percent cheaper than weeklong getaways for both international and domestic travel.

Feeling spontaneous? If you still haven’t picked a destination and are looking for a sweet deal, Casano-Antonellis recommended Toronto. “Toronto was the only popular destination where airfare decreased between 2011 and 2012. Our data also showed that Las Vegas was the most popular destination and also the fifth cheapest among the top 15 destinations. Other cheap top destinations included Orlando, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale and Denver.”

Another way to save big on winter travel is to wait until about a week after the New Year’s festivities have abated. “Our data shows that the month of January was the second cheapest month to fly domestically, with an average fare of $305.70,” Casano-Antonellis said. “We also found that February is one of the cheapest months for international flights, with an average fare of $945.38.”

In summary, get busy booking your holiday travel using these expert tips.

Can you still get a passport?  Yes!

You can still get a passport even though the federal government is partially shut down. Passport Services are fully supported by the fees you pay to get a U.S. passport, instead of appropriated money, so these activities are not affected.

According to the Department of State,

“In the event of a lapse in appropriations, the Department of State will continue passport and visa operations as well as provide critical services to U.S. citizens overseas. It is a national security agency which means it has national security responsibilities and will continue working despite the shutdown.”

One caveat: Some passport services located in some Federal buildings MAY BE DISRUPTED if the buildings are forced to close due to lack of maintenance and support staff. RushMyPassport processing centers are not affected. We will still be able to get your paperwork where it needs to go and your passport back to you very quickly, even if your local passport agency experiences a disruption.

Need a passport in a hurry during the government shutdown? Apply with us today!  

Figuring out the who, what, when and how when it comes to traveling abroad with your children – the 411 on child passports – can be overwhelming.  Here’s for the busy parent looking for quick and easy instructions. We’ve broken it down for you so you can get the appropriate documents to travel when and where you need to with your infant or toddler.

Do babies and toddlers need a passport?  YES. 

Any United States citizen, no matter what age, traveling outside of the United States by air requires a passport. The confusion can be when a minor is traveling by land or sea to Canada or Mexico they can use their birth certificate.  You can get additional information here.

So far we’ve covered the 3 key Trusted Traveler Programs:  Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI.  The 4th program, and the last post in our series, is focused on TSA Pre✓™.  On Friday, 7/19/13, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that it would be open up the program to more US citizens.

Previously, to be eligible for TSA Pre✓™, travelers had to opt-in through an airline’s frequent flier program, or be enrolled in one of CBP’s Global Entry, SENTRI or NEXUS Trusted Traveler programs.   To date, more than 12 million travelers have experienced TSA Pre✓™ at 40 airports nationwide.

The reason for the popularity of TSA Pre✓™ is that travelers get to leave on their shoes, light outerwear and belt, keep their laptop in its case and their 3-1-1 compliant liquids/gels bag in a carry-on in select screening lanes.  Sound like nirvana?

Well starting later this year, if you are a US Citizen you will be able to apply online and visit an enrollment site to provide identification and fingerprints.  TSA will start the program at two initial enrollment sites — Washington Dulles International Airport and Indianapolis International Airport — with plans to expand to additional enrollment sites nationwide.

To qualify you will need to go through a background check, fingerprints, and an anticipated enrollment fee of $85 for a five-year membership.  Once approved, you will receive a Known Traveler Number (KTN) and the opportunity to go through TSA Pre✓™ lanes at security checkpoints at participating airports.  But don’t get too comfortable.  TSA will always incorporate random and unpredictable security measures throughout the airport and no individual will be guaranteed expedited screening.

To learn more, visit the official TSA Pre✓™ website.

In our fourth post in our Trusted Traveler Program Series  we are going to cover SENTRI, the program for pre-approved travelers who cross the U.S./Mexico border frequently.

SENTRI users have access to specific, dedicated primary lanes into the United States.  Members are issued a Radio Frequency Identification Document (RFID) that will identify their record and status in the CBP database upon arrival at the U.S. port of entry.  Participants in the program wait for much shorter periods of time than those in regular lanes waiting to enter the United States, even at the busiest time of day.

SENTRI Dedicated Commuter Lanes are available at El Paso, TX; Otay Mesa, CA; San Ysidro, CA; Calexico, CA; Nogales, AZ; Hidalgo, TX; Brownsville, TX; Anzalduas, TX; Laredo, TX; and San Luis, AZ

How to apply: 

• Submit your application online using the Global Online Enrollment System (GOES).
• Once conditional approval is received, schedule your appointment online through your GOES account at an Enrollment Center.
• Applicants have 30 days from that date to schedule an interview or your application will be denied and you will have to submit a new application.
• You must bring original documents with you that show:
  • Evidence of citizenship that you listed on your application
  • Valid driver’s license (or state identification)
  • Vehicle registration and evidence of US automobile insurance
  • Evidence of employment or financial support.
  • Evidence of residence, (Mortgage or rent payment receipts)

For complete details on how to apply, click here.

During the Interview, information provided on the application will be verified and upon acceptance, CBP will:

• Take a photograph
• Get your fingerprints
• Issue an RFID enabled identification document

Required Fees

Application Fee: $25.00 per person

Fingerprint Fee: $14.50

System Costs Fee: $80.00 per person

Total Fee: $122.25 per person

SENTRI members are eligible to use Global Entry kiosks once they provide 10 fingerprints and document information to CBP.   If you are a Mexican national in SENTRI, you must apply for Global Entry through your GOES account. For additional Global Entry benefit information, log on to your GOES account.

You must use your passport or lawful permanent resident card at Global Entry kiosks not your SENTRI or Global Entry card.  If you have additional questions about SENTRI, visit the website.

This is our third post in our series Trusted Traveler Programs.  In our last post we covered the Global Entry Program.  In this post we are going to take a closer look at NEXUS, a program designed to expedite the border clearance process for travelers into Canada and the United States.  The NEXUS card is approved as an alternative to the passport for air, land, and sea travel into the United States for US and Canadian citizens.   Once approved into the NEXUS program, you are issued a photo-identification, RFID card.

Benefits of NEXUS:

1. Receive expedited passage at:

• NEXUS-dedicated lanes
• Airport kiosks
• By calling a marine telephone reporting center to report your arrival into the United States and Canada.
• Cross the border with a minimum of customs and immigration questioning

How to apply?

• Apply on-line at the Global Online Enrollment System (GOES)
• Qualified applicants are required to travel to a NEXUS Enrollment Center for an interview.
• If approved for the program, a photo identification card will be mailed in 7-10 business days.

Cost:  US $50 or CN $50 application-processing fee.

All NEXUS members can enjoy the benefits of Global Entry (link to Blog Post #2) at no additional cost by using the automated kiosks for entry at participating airports. You will need to check your status in your GOES account, as you may need to submit fingerprints or other necessary documentation beforehand.

If you are currently a Global Entry member and want to add NEXUS to your membership, here are the steps you will need to complete:

• Login to GOES.
• On home page under Program Membership(s), click  “Manage Membership”
• Click on the “Add Trusted Traveler Program” and select the NEXUS option.
• Provide additional information and answer questions. (Some of these questions are very similar).
• Once all the application information is entered/ corrected, certify your application and pay the fee.
• Applicants seeking to use NEXUS to enter Canada must complete an enrollment interview with the Canada Border Services Agency.

The NEXUS Card is valid for five years from the applicant’s birthday following card issuance. Renewal typically takes place six months prior to expiration and members may be required to attend another interview to verify that they still qualify for the program.  Renewals can be done online.