The Department of State put a lot of effort into publicizing the new passport requirements that became law on June 1st. However, for all their outreach, there were at least 2 people that the State Department failed to reach with their warnings: Former US Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
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Recreational boaters in the Great Lakes region have long enjoyed sailing across the Canadian border to visit our neighbors to the north. However, security concerns and regulations have made what was once an easy trip a little bit more complicated. On Monday, June 1st, another set of restrictions became effective as the US Government rolled out the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). With the WHTI, US citizens traveling to Canada by land or by sea now…
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"Voluntourism" is a word that was coined to describe traveling to another country to see the sites and to volunteer. Volontourism offers more than just a fun vacation. You'll also get a chance to meet local people, develop existing skills and learn new ones. Plus, it looks great on a resume. What options are available for people who want to volunteer and travel at the same time? CheapOAirBuzz has a post up describing some of the different opportunities and destinations…
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Today, Border Patrol officials began asking Americans for passports at the American and Canadian borders. The final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is in effect, and a passport or another government-approved document is now required to re-enter the country. How has this affected traffic across the borders? Not much, it seems. The Houston Chronicle is reporting that wait times at both the northern border with Canada and the southern border with Mexico are normal today, and that the…
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Losing your passport is never fun, especially if you are overseas. However, despite feeling quite sympathetic to the unfortunate Scotsman described in this article, I couldn't help but suppress a chuckle as I read about his misfortune. The New Zealand tourist has to have one of the best lost passport stories ever-his passport was nabbed by a kleptomaniac parrot! The native New Zealand parrot, called a kea, spotted the man's passport as his tour bus was stopped along the road,…
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Are you getting married in the near future? If you've been living on your own for awhile, you may not need the traditional wedding gifts of household appliances and dishes. And, if you're like me, the thought of someone spending a lot of money on nice china just because "it's something you're supposed to have once you're married" may make you cringe. If this sounds familiar, consider using a honeymoon registry instead of the traditional wedding registry. A honeymoon registry…
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Monday, June 1st, regulations regarding travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean will change. Under the old rules, passports were only required for air travel to and from these countries. However, the new rules require adult citizens of the US to present an approved document, such as a passport, to return to the United States from these countries. What do the new rules mean to you? If you're going to travel to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean in June, you'll…
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If you're planning on traveling in the near future, it would be a good idea to check and make sure that all of your travel documents, including your US passport, are up-to-date. According to the Chicago Tribune, TSA has started to crack down on people whose travel documents don't match their tickets. If you are traveling on a US passport, you definitely need to make sure that the name on your passport is the name on your ticket. Period. It…
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The US Department of State is increasing the number of regional passport offices available to issue passports. The department just opened a new office in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 18th, so Minneapolis residents who need to cross the border in to Canada can make an appointment to have their passport application processed on-site. More passport offices are planned for the future, including one in El Paso scheduled to open in 2010. The final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative…