5 Cyber Monday Travel Deals to Inspire You to Get a Passport - Expedited Passports

The grand old Internet tradition of “Cyber Monday” turns six years old tomorrow, as online retailers try to get their piece of the holiday shopping pie. At this point, I’m not sure why you would want to camp out in the cold and risk life and limb to shop Black Friday at a bricks-and-mortar store when you can get great deals online for all sorts of products, including travel.

This Cyber Monday, some travel companies are bending over backwards to entice you to get a passport and hit the road. Here are some of the best international travel deals:

Abercrombie and Kent: Want to explore ancient Incan sites in Peru, take a walk on the wild side in Kenya, or tour temples in Thailand? Of course you do…and if you book your trip during Abercrombie and Kent’s “Six Days of Holiday Savings” sale, you could save thousands of dollars! The sale includes 1o different itineraries and ends December 3rd. (Via Gadling.)

St. Kitts Marriott Resort: Need a beach break after the stress of the holidays? I don’t blame you one bit…so go ahead and book 4 nights at the St. Kitts Marriott resort and get 3 nights free! You have to book tomorrow to get the deal, and use the secret code ZJL to book. (Via Fox.)

Viceroy Hotels: Book a stay at select Viceroy hotels around the world during their Cyber Monday promotion tomorrow, and you’ll be able to score rooms at up to 50% off. (via Gadling.)

Yuupon: This oddly-named travel flash sale site has some of the deepest discounts we’ve seen. For example, a four-night stay for two adults at an all-inclusive resort in Costa Rica could be yours for just $399.00! (via CNN)

Orbitz.com: Orbitz’ holiday specials all end on Cyber Monday, and include discounts of up to 50-60% off on trips all around the world. (Via CNN.)

If you decide to cash in on any of these offers, don’t forget to get a passport if you don’t already have one! Keep in mind that even at the best of times, it can take up to six weeks for your passport to arrive if you choose regular service. If you pay the additional $60 fee for the Department of State’s expedited service, you should allow at least 3 weeks for your documents to arrive.

To get a passport at the last minute, you can either make an appointment at one of the 24 regional Passport Agency offices located throughout the country, or you can use a private company like RushMyPassport.com. We personally deliver your application directly to the Department of State, for processing in as little as 24 hours.

Last-minute travel plans? Let us help you get a passport quickly!

Drug-fueled violence has been simmering over in certain parts of Mexico for well over a year now. The State Department has issued official travel warning after official travel warning to keep US citizens informed of the situation, most recently in April.

With horror stories coming in from across the border on a semi-regular basis, many US citizens have decided that it might be more prudent to take a summer vacation elsewhere. It should be noted that only certain parts of Mexico are affected by the violence- even the cautious bureaucrats over at the Department of State note that “the majority of visitors to Mexico thoroughly enjoy their stay.” The travel warning suggests that you stay away from the following areas: Northern Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon (especially the city of Monterrey), Tamaulipas Durango, Coahuila, Zacatecas, Sinaloa, Southern Sonora, Nayarit, Jalisco, San Luis Potosi, Michoacán, Guerrero and Morelos.

That still leaves a lot of places in Mexico that are fairly calm. However, if you’d prefer to stay out of the country altogether, Gadling has a couple of alternative suggestions: Costa Rica and Panama. According to the Department of State, the main threat to tourists in Costa Rica is theft. While Costa Rica has long been popular with American tourists, Panama is more of an up-and-coming destination, as evidenced by the construction of country’s first Westin Hotel and resort.

If you want to check out either of these countries, though, you’ll need to get a passport. To enter Costa Rica, you’ll need a US passport valid for at least 30 days after your arrival. If you’re going to Panama, it must be valid for at least three months.

To ensure you get your passport in time, plan ahead. It takes about six weeks to get a passport if you apply for regular service, and about three weeks if you request expedited service for an additional $60.

To get a passport more quickly, you can either make an appointment at the nearest regional passport agency office, or save time and gas money by using a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.

Let us help you get a passport quickly today!

Are you getting a refund this year? Why not use the money to go out and see the world, or at least part of it? Travel blog Jaunted suggests a trip to the Bahamas, but that’s definitely not your only option. To help you make the most of your tax refund, here are 4 travel deals worth investigating:

• 3 Nights in Columbia for $999 : Offered by LivingSocial, this package gets you and someone else four days and three nights in Bogota, Columbia from Mantaraya Travel. While you’ll need to make your own flight arrangements, the package does include accommodations, breakfast, airport transfers and coffee. Also included is a tour of the city and the Museo del Oro, or you can pay a little more and get a whitewater rafting trip for a total price of $1,100.
• 4 Nights in Mexico for $1630: This LivingSocial escape takes you to Flamingos Beach on Mexico’s Banderas Bay, where you’ll stay at the luxe Villa La Estancia Beach Resort and Spa. Lodging for two and all meals are included, as is one bottle of wine to share and unlimited massages for both of you. Nice! You will need to arrange your own airfare.
• 3 Day Iceland Package, $599 per person: This package from IcelandAir includes roundtrip airfare from your choice of Boston or New York, 2 nights at the Hotel Loftleidir and a “Golden Circle” tour of some of Iceland’s many natural and geological wonders.
• If you’re really making bank from Uncle Sam this year, why not take off to Tahiti? These packages start at $1459 per person and include air from Los Angeles, lodging and some meals.

Of course, if you want to leave the country, you’ll need to get a passport first. Make sure to allow enough time to do so – it normally takes about 6 weeks for the State Department to process your application, while requesting expedited service for an extra $60 will get your passport in 3 weeks. For faster service, the most convenient option is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport. We hand-deliver your application to the Department of State for processing in as little as 24 hours.

Need to get a passport? Let us help!

Americans have always been somewhat obsessed with royalty. When Britain’s Prince Charles married Princess Diana in 1981, over 750 million people tuned in to watch. Now, there’s a new royal wedding on the horizon. Barring any “runaway bride” incidents, Prince William is set to marry fiancée Kate Middleton on April 29th. Unless you have mad connections, you’re not going to be able to attend the wedding itself. However, if you can make it to London for the festivities, there’s still plenty of excitement to be had.

Royal wedding tour packages abound. Celebrity Planet has a walking tour called “Will and Kate’s Royal Wedding Walk” that will take you past important sites in the royal couple’s childhood and courtship. If you don’t feel like camping out to secure a place along the wedding processional route, you can join one of the many viewing parties around the city. In fact, this is probably the best option. Sure, being along the processional gives you bragging rights, but you’ll get a better view of the action on a big screen TV.

The wedding date is a public holiday, so most major attractions will be closed. However, there will be plenty of celebrations happening throughout the city that you can join in on. For example, this year the Festival of Britain coincides with the wedding and to celebrate, there will be a concert on the fairgrounds featuring Billy Bragg.

Be prepared to jostle with larger than usual crowds if you go – according to The Star, London will be absorbing an additional 600,000 tourists the week of the event.

Also, you’ll need to get a passport if you don’t already have one. The passport application process takes about 6 weeks if you apply with normal processing, and about 3 weeks if you apply for expedited processing via the Department of State. Obviously, that’s cutting it a little close- possibly too close for comfort.

If you need to get a you have two options: make an appointment at a Regional Passport Agency office by calling 1-877-487-2778, or get the royal treatment by using a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport. We’ll walk you through the paperwork, answer all of your questions and hand carry your application to the Department of State for processing in as little as 24 hours.

Get a passport the easy way – contact us today!

“Daily deal” sites like Groupon and LivingSocial are the “next big thing.” These sites allow you to purchase vouchers for products and services for deep discounts, usually 50% and often more. These sales only last for brief periods of time, usually for only one day.

You may have used these sites to save money at local restaurants or to finally treat yourself to that long-overdue massage. But did you know that you can also use them to save on trips to Mexico, the Caribbean and beyond?

It’s true-by carefully monitoring these sites and getting deals while the getting is good, you can get a nice vacation without spending a lot of money. For example, LivingSocial recently offered a four-night stay for two at an all-inclusive resort in Cancun for $1,479. You don’t necessarily have to limit yourself to deals posted in your city, either. When purchasing a deal posted in another city, just read the terms and conditions carefully to make sure that redeeming the voucher before it expires is going to be practical for you.

So, how do you find these deals? Clicking on every single city on every single deal site to find travel deals that you can use takes WAY too much time. Your best bet is to use an aggregator like Dealery or YipIt. Selecting your city on Dealery will show you both local deals and nationwide deals, and there’s also a section exclusively for vacations. To use YipIt, you have to subscribe by email, but you can choose the types of deals you want to receive emails about.

There are also daily deal/flash sale sites devoted exclusively to travel. For example, Jetsetter.com features flash sales from luxury hotels around the world, while Groupenture offers discounted adventure travel packages- the more people who buy a package, the cheaper it gets.

Of course, if you’re leaving the country, you’ll need to get a passport first. Currently, according to the Department of State it’s taking at least 6 weeks to get a passport with normal processing, and at least 3 weeks with expedited processing. However, RushMyPassport can help you get your application processed in as little as 24 hours, with no need to make an appointment or wait in line at a passport agency.

Found a “daily deal” you like? Let us help you get a passport today!

It’s a new year, and that means it’s time to start planning the places you’ll go in 2011. To help you get started, I’ve hand-picked 5 of the best destinations recommended by travel experts – 5 great reasons to get a passport in 2011!

London, England

Travel experts agree: this is London’s year. The upcoming marriage of Prince William and his fiancée Kate Middleton is expected to attract a flurry of tourists from England, America and beyond, all there to bask in the pomp and circumstance that surrounds a royal wedding.

But the Telegraph has what I personally consider a much better suggestion: skip the wedding. Watch it on TV. Then, go later in the year, after things have died down a bit, and stay in one of the new luxury hotels that are opening in the city.

Turin, Italy

Turin is one of those cities that’s often overlooked, taking a backseat to more famous Italian jewels like Rome and Florence. Not this year. According to the Guardian, art lovers will converge upon Turin in 2011 as the city celebrates the 150th anniversary of Italian unification with stellar exhibitions of both Renaissance and modern art.

Curacao

USAToday notes that “2011 will mark Curacao’s first full year as an autonomous nation within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, adding a new chapter to the island’s rich history.” Why not go out and see the Caribbean’s newest island nation for yourself?

New Zealand

New Zealand is an exciting place to be this year, with the Auckland Arts Festival for art lovers, the World Rugby Cup for sports fans and the filming of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit for geeks.

Iceland

Why Iceland? Hot springs, breathtaking scenery and a smoking nightlife are combined with prices that are still quite reasonable. Even better, new airline routes make it easier than ever to get to.

Of course, to visit any of these destinations you’ll need to get a passport. Apply early, as it takes about 6 weeks if you apply for regular processing. You can get a passport in 3 weeks if you pay an additional $60 for expedited processing. If you need it sooner, your only options are to make an appointment at a regional passport agency office or apply through an expediting company like RushMyPassport.com. An expediting company is definitely more convenient, as you don’t have to make an appointment, travel to a passport agency or wait in line.

Don’t wait – Get a passport today!

If you grew up around trees, you probably have fond memories of hanging out with your friends in a homemade treehouse. If you’re in the mood for a little bit of childhood nostalgia (or you didn’t have access to a treehouse growing up and feel deprived), a new hotel in Sweden consists of designer treehouses that put our childhood hangouts to shame.

According to the Daily Mail, the Treehotel in Harads, Sweden consists of four treehouses, each about 13 to 19 feet off the ground. The treehouses are elegantly designed and furnished, and each has its own unique design and theme. For example, “The Nest” looks like a gigantic bird’s nest with whimsical round windows, “The Cabin” looks like an old-school hunter’s cabin, and the “Blue Cone” has a cone-shaped top. The coolest treehouse of all, though, is “The Mirrorcube.” With walls made out of mirrors, it reflects the surrounding forest so perfectly that you almost can’t tell it’s there.

Treehotel co-founder Kent Lindvall described the Mirrorcube house to the Daily Mail:

“It’s an interesting building. You cannot find anything like this in the world today. It’s absolutely unique. Everything will reflect in this – the trees, the birds, the clouds, the sun, everything. So it should be invisible nearly in the forest.”

Much more luxurious than your typical treehouse, all of the houses at the Treehotel have electric heat, incineration toilets and a super-efficient hand basin. The hotel owners offer guided hikes to check out the local flora and fauna, including moose, reindeer and bear.

Of course, before you head off to Sweden you’ll need to get a passport if you don’t already have one. Make sure to allow plenty of time, as it usually takes at least 6 weeks to get a passport in the mail once you’ve applied. You can cut that processing time in half by paying $60 extra and requesting expedited processing. However, you still need to allow at least 3 weeks if you go that route.

If you need your passport issued more quickly, the most convenient option is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport. An expediter can personally deliver your passport application to the Department of State for processing times as low as 24 hours.

Need to get a passport in a hurry? Contact us today!

Ohio State University is trying to make sure its incoming freshman class considers a passport as much of a college essential as pens, pencils and a laptop.  According to the Columbus Dispatch, OSU intends to double the number of passport-carrying students attending the university, primarily by encouraging its incoming freshman to apply and by creating shorter, more accessible study-abroad programs.

For example, students are being encouraged to get a passport at freshman orientation, and the school is offering a variety of month-long study abroad programs in different countries, to give students  a chance to travel overseas.

According to university president E. Gordon Gee, getting a passport opens the door to a variety of rich educational experiences as well as different careers. The school’s Office of International Affairs features this quote from Gee on its website:

“Opportunities for service trips and sessions abroad can come quickly. Having a passport in hand will empower students by giving them access to those life-changing experiences.”

If you have the opportunity to travel abroad, don’t pass it up just because you still have to get a passport. The standard processing time for a passport application is at least 6 weeks, but if you are in a hurry you can get one faster. By paying an additional $60 plus the cost of overnight delivery to and from the passport office, you can get expedited processing and have your passport in about 3 weeks.

If you need your passport sooner, you have two options: go to a Regional Passport Agency office or use a private passport expediting company.  There are only 18 Regional Passport Agency offices in the US currently, so there may or may not be one near you. Also, they process passport applications by appointment only, so you can’t just walk in. Finally, they have limited hours of operation so if you work weekdays you will need to ask for additional time off.

Since you don’t need to make an appointment or wait in line to use an expediting company, hiring an expediter is often a worthwhile investment. RushMyPassport personally delivers your application to the Department of State, for processing times as low as 24 hours.

Don’t let the world pass you by-get a passport today!

Fans of the “Godfather” series of books and movies now have a new reason to get a passport: Naples has repossessed the properties of  mafia leaders and is turning them into retreats for tourists, according to the New York Times. For example, a 17th-century farmhouse owned by Bernardo Brusca, former capo of one of Sicily’s more notorious crime families, is now a luxurious bed and breakfast.  In the Times article, Emiliano Rocchi, the head chef of the bed and breakfast, explains:

“All the municipalities in the area were part of a long, violent mafioso history that they wanted to leave behind. Turning these Mafia properties into socially beneficial projects is a way of doing that.”

One such bed and breakfast is even located in the town of Corleone, made famous as the ancestral home of the Corleone family in “The Godfather.” Agriturismo Terre Di Corleone was once owned by Salvatore Riina, the leader of the entire Sicilian Mafia.  Nowadays, the gorgeous, peaceful scenery and local, organic food makes it a great base for exploring Sicily.

Visitors to one of these bed and breakfasts may be attracted in part by their histories, but the program is actually helping local Sicilians shake free from mafia domination. The New York Times interviewed Francesco Galante of Libera Terra, who explained that with the bed and breakfasts and increases in tourism, people now have other options:

“The people from the surrounding towns now get to choose where they work,” said Mr. Galante. “They no longer depend on the favor of Mafia firms, or Mafia-connected businessmen. They feel the difference.”

To visit Sicily, you will need to get a passport, of course.  Make sure to apply early- it can take 6 weeks or longer to get a passport if you apply with normal processing.  If you pay an extra $60 to order expedited service from the Department of State,  you can cut the waiting time in half, down to 3 weeks.

However, if you need to get a passport more quickly, the quickest and easiest way is to use a private passport expediting company, like RushMyPassport.com. With an expediting company, you can get a passport in as little as 24 hours with no need to make an appointment or travel to a passport agency office.

Need to get a passport? Apply with us today!

When I was kid, I loved animals, so much that I managed to bug my parents into getting me that “Illustrated Wildlife Treasury” set that they used to advertise on TV.  The set basically had a bunch of different cards with pictures of animals and facts about them.  One of my favorite groups of animals in the set were the lemurs.

Lemurs are a type of primate that lives only on the African island of Madagascar. They are more primitive than monkey and apes, and their faces are often more cat-like, with enormous eyes that help them see in the dark.  Madagascar is the world’s 4th largest island, and its relative isolation has made it a hotbed of biodiversity: approximately 5% of the world’s plant and animals species are found here.

However, Madagascar’s unique environment is under threat: an entire third of the island’s native vegetation has disappeared since the 1970′s, and that’s bad news for those adorable bug-eyed lemurs.  In fact, most lemur species are now endangered.

However, you can get a passport and help protect both Madagascar’s rich environment and its people, two thirds of whom live below the international poverty line. UK-based charity Azafady offers a program called “Lemur Venture,” which Lemur Venture gives volunteers the chance to “work on an extensive range of projects from the collection of data on endangered lemur species to environmental education with local communities and tree-planting for reforestation purposes.”

To participate, you need to be willing to work and in good physical shape.  You’ll also need to do some fundraising: the US  equivalent of £1,600 for 4 weeks or £2,200 for 8 weeks.

And, of course, you’ll also need to get a passport if you don’t already have one, or renew your passport if yours has expired.  Remember to allow enough time for your passport to arrive-it generally takes 6 weeks for regular service and 3 weeks for the government’s expedited service.

If you need a passport more quickly,  the most convenient way is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com. An expediting company will personally deliver your application to the Department of State, reducing the amount of time it takes to get a passport to as little as 24 hours!

Get a passport with us today!