In some countries, getting a passport is almost second nature. Not here, though. According to this recent post on The Expeditioner.com, only 22% Americans have a passport. Why do so few Americans bother?
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In 2008, the US Department of State introduced a new passport option: the US passport card. The wallet-sized card was meant to make international travel to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean more convenient and less expensive. Passport cards are the same size and shape as a driver's license, and they cost much less-only $45 for a card compared to $100 for a passport book. Passport cards are gradually becoming more and more popular, but as Las Vegas' Fox 5 News…
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Soon, El Paso residents who wish to apply for a passport will no longer be able to use the El Paso county passport office. The office, which accepted applications for regular and expedited processing, is located inside the El Paso County District Clerk's office at 500 E. San Antonio. County District Clerk Gilbert Sanchez announced the planned closure on Monday. He blamed it on budget cuts and an "unsupportive" commissioner's court, though the office was making money and the commissioners'…
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Travel writers are professional travelers, but that doesn't mean they don't make mistakes like the rest of us. Seth Kugel, the new Frugal Traveler columnist for the New York Times, saw his new gig get off to a rough start due to one of the most common travel mishaps: a lost passport. He described his ordeal in yesterday's New York Times: Yep, last week, as I prepared for my grand debut in the frugal spotlight, I realized my passport had…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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San Antonio residents who need to apply for new passports now have another place to go. According to this article on Bizjournals.com, the San Antonio City Court Clerk's office is now an official passport acceptance office. If you need to apply for a passport in person, you can now submit your application at the City Court Clerk's office, in addition to the existing San Antonio post offices that provide the service. Bizjournals.com quotes San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro: “With the heavy…
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You just can't make this kind of stuff up, folks. A Delaware woman applied for a passport renewal, only to be turned down because she had apparently been marked as deceased, healthy vital signs notwithstanding. According to NBC's local Philadelphia affiliate, the incorrect death report came to light when Terri Penza was applying for a passport renewal at the passport office in Philadelphia. Since she was scheduled to be in Jamaica for a family vacation in just a few days,…
