Get Your US Passport Renewal For a Wine Tour In Canada - Expedited Passports

Are you over Napa Valley? If you’d like to go on a wine tour somewhere new and different, why not give the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia a try?

As the New York Times reported, this wine-producing valley has grown up in the past couple of decades. Once the home of the type of cheap wine that college students tend to consume in quantity, the Okanagan Valley now produces a variety of wines capable of pleasing more mature palates.

One great thing about the region is its variety-you can taste everything from high-quality fruit wines to syrah to chardonnay and Pinot blanc. Another bonus is the scenery. The New York Times explains:

It’s the kind of environment that affects your taste buds: the best glasses I tasted seemed to have the same brimming clarity as the lake itself. And it’s smart to enjoy the wine in situ: between the bureaucracy of wine imports and the jingoistic fervor with which British Columbian wine is consumed in swank restaurants in Vancouver and Whistler, little of the stuff makes it down south of the border.

You can either fly in to Canada and rent a car or drive your own car up. Some of the vineyards have guesthouses, should you not want to designate a driver. If you are flying in to Canada, you will need a US passport book for sure. IF you are driving in, you can use a passport book or one of the following Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative-compliant documents:

• A US passport card
• An enhanced driver’s license (EDL), only available in certain states
• A NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST card

Of course, you need a passport book to fly and there’s always a chance you might have to fly back home for an emergency, so a passport book is your best bet.

If you haven’t used your passport in some time, check it-it may be time to apply for your US passport renewal. Unlike new applications, US passport renewals can generally be processed by mail. The processing time is the same as it would be for a new passport- at least 6 weeks for regular processing and 3 weeks for the government’s expedited processing.

However, if you need your US passport renewal processed more quickly, you do have a couple of options. You can either make an appointment at a passport office for a same-day passport (assuming you have a passport office nearby, which may not be the case), or you can use a private passport expediting company to process your US passport renewal.

An expediting company is much faster and more convenient. There’s no need to make an appointment at a passport office and no need to drive out of your way.  Once you send your documents in, the expediting company delivers them to the Department of State. RushMyPassport can get your application processed in as little as 24 hours.

Apply for your US passport renewal today!

Here’s a great reason to get an expedited passport this summer: Le Domaine de Lonvillies resort in St. Martin is offering a half-price discount for summer travelers. Gadling has the scoop on this travel deal:

You can pick up four nights at Le Domaine de Lonvillies for a mere $210 – the normal price is cut in half. As long as you head down there before August 31, 2010, you’ll pick up breakfast every day, free wi-fi and dinner every night a La Table du Marche.

Since the chef at the resort is the world-famous Christophe Leroy, dinner is worth staying in for.  Of course, guests of Le Domaine de Lonvillies also get to sample the Caribbean island’s many amenities, including lazing around on gorgeous beaches, drinking delicious guavaberry cocktails, and world-class shopping for cheap (but genuine) designer goods.

Note: the special offer Gadling mentions doesn’t appear on the website for the hotel itself, but appears to be available here on Bookit.com. Please give the hotel a call before booking if you have any questions!

The special ends on August 31, so if you don’t have your passport already, you should consider expedited passport processing.  If you are traveling by plane, you do need a passport book- the new wallet-sized passport cards won’t cut it for air travel.

Regular passport processing usually takes around 6 weeks. You can order expedited passport processing for an additional $60 plus overnight delivery costs, but that still takes 3 weeks or more. If you can’t wait 2-3 weeks for your passport to arrive, you can either make an appointment at a Regional Passport Agency office or use a private expediting company.

Companies like RushMyPassport.com make getting expedited passport processing much easier. There’s no need to make an appointment or wait in line at a passport office- we do all of that for you. By hand-delivering your passport to the Department of State, we cut processing time to as little as 24 hours!

Apply for your expedited passport today!

According to Jaunted, many of the major airlines are adding new international routes to their lineups, possibly making it easier for you to see the countries you want to see. Here’s a quick rundown of the new routes.
If any of these appeal to you, you might want to start packing your bags and check to see if you need to renew your passport:

American Airlines: Chicago to Beijing

American Airlines now flies from Chicago to Beijing.  If you are a member of their frequent flier program and you don’t mind being a guinea pig, you can earn an extra 15,000 miles for being one of the first passengers to fly the new route.

Continental: Houston to Auckland

This particular route hasn’t been finalized yet, but starting in 2011 you may be able to fly from Houston to Auckland on Continental. This is one to watch.

Delta: Atlanta to Liberia

You’ve probably never thought of visiting Liberia, but maybe that will change when Delta’s new route opens in September. Planes leave from the Atlanta airport and stop in Ghana before continuing on to Monrovia.

Spirit: Fort Lauderdale to Columbia

Spirit is now flying from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Barranquilla. That’s exciting news if you’ve always wanted to visit Columbia, and even more exciting if you happen to snag a coveted $9 fare!

Of course, before you book your tickets, make sure to check your passport expiration date. Remember, you may need to renew your passport even if yours is still technically valid-if it expires in less than 6 months, many countries won’t let you in.

Passport renewals usually take at least 6 weeks. If you select the government’s expedited service, you can expect to wait at least 3 weeks, and you’ll pay $60 extra for the privilege. If you need to renew your passport more quickly than that, a private passport expediting service is the fastest and most easiest way to get it done.

Expediting companies like RushMyPassport.com can forward your application to the US Department of State, so you get super-fast processing without having to make an appointment at a passport office.

Let us help you renew your passport today!