TIP: When you rent a car, you don't have to accept the insurance options the car rental company offer. It is usually cheeper to check with your own auto insurance agent to see if you're covered under your policy. Also check with your bank, because in most cases if you use a premium credit card, travel insurance is included. Learn more...

INFO FOR CANADIANS TRAVELING WITH CRIMINAL RECORD - If you are from Canada and you want to travel anywhere in the world, you will most likely have to "enter" the United States to get to your destination. Many Canadians think that if they have received a pardon in Canada, then they will be able to travel freely. Unfortunately, this is not the case. It also doesn't matter what your destination country's policy on criminal records is; the US can still stop Canadians from traveling. Find out more...

RAISE YOUR STANDARD OF FLYING - Cut your carry-on. Lockers for hanging garment bags are disappearing and overhead compartments fill up fast. If you stuff your bags under the seat in front of you, where you will put your feet? Learn more...

HOTEL KEY CARDS - This is pretty good info travelers should know. Never even thought about hotel key cards containing anything other than an access code for the room! Find out more...

CHEAP TRAVEL INSURANCE - When you plan to travel abroad nowadays, you might be totally surprised how abundant cheap travel deals are being offered both online and offline. That is, if you haven't contacted your travel agents lately or if you have been hibernating in your own country for years or simply don't feel the need for traveling. Anyway, the bottom line is that traveling abroad today is not very expensive as it was before. Find out how...

IMPORTANT MANNERS & PERSONAL SAFETY INFO

Inform yourself and remember that you are a guest in the country you're visiting. We suggest to embrace local customs and become acquainted with local people. Also, familiarize yourself with local laws and customs in the areas you plan to travel. You are expected to obey their laws, which may include dress standards, photography restrictions, telecommunication restrictions, curfews, etc.

Plan your wardrobe so that it does not offend the locals, nor draw unwanted attention to yourself. Americans and Canadians are perceived as wealthy and are targeted for pick pocketing and other crimes. Do not wear expensive-looking jewelry and avoid wearing team sports shirts or baseball caps that might indicate who you are.

Make copies of your passport, airplane ticket, driver’s license, and credit cards that you take with you. Keep one copy at home; carry a second copy with you but separate from the originals. This will help speed the replacement process if they are lost or stolen.

Before your trip, establish points of contact for your family to contact and for your foreign hosts to contact in the event of an emergency. Obtain the phone number and address for your Embassy or Consulate in the country(s) you plan to visit.

Obtain specific pre-travel country risk assessments for the country(s) you plan to visit from your goverment or security officer. There may be specific issues you should be aware of and prepare for that will ensure your safety and peace of mind.

Business travelers should take measures to ensure not only the safety and security of themselves but also their business information while traveling. Good security habits will help protect you and your company. Learn more... >>>

OTHER TRAVEL INFO

THE ARCTIC - The Arctic, unlike the Antarctic is inhabited by humans, including diverse Native communities with a longer history than many of the southerly societies. Although European-derived culture is now dominant in the Arctic, study of the Native culture is important for its preservation, and for what it can teach others about long-term human survival in the Arctic. The Arctic has many natural resources that could be exploited for economic benefit. Crude oil, gold and industrial metals, and diamonds are presently being extracted now, yet much of the Arctic's potential for natural resources is unknown. Find out more...

TRAVEL GUIDES - Travel guides date quickly: hotel prices rise, visa rules are revised, new attractions open, restaurants close. To help cost-conscious travelers stay abreast of such changes, Lonely Planet, publisher of a well-known series of backpacker travel guides, is issuing updates to some of its most popular titles on the Web. The addendums summarize important changes that have taken place since the most recent guide to a given country appeared. Would-be adventurers to check that on their web site: www.lonelyplanet.com and print out the update you need and stick it in the back of your personal guidebook.

THE LOCALS HAVE HAD ENOUGH - In many of Europe's great cities, inconsiderate tourists - the kind who bathe in fountains, eat in museums and sleep in piazzas - have grown from an irritant into a plague, and the locals have had enough. In Florence, a new city by-law bans eating, drinking and loitering on the steps of the medieval Palazzo Vecchio, a popular lunch spot for tourists. The move follows similat crackdowns in Rome, which bars people from sleeping or eating on the Spanish Steps, and Venice, which has outlawed picnics in St. Mark's Square. In Greece, where ancient monuments have been used as ashtrays, the culture ministry recently banned smoking at archaeological sites and in museums.

GERMAN CULTURE - One of the best ways to learn about German culture is to travel in Germany. Travel is a good way of learning about the cultural traditions of cities as diverse as Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Berlin and many others. Learning about German culture is also essential for those who travel to Germany on business. Learn more...