8 Things to Think About Before You Travel

If you have a DUI on your record, you will need to get special permission from Canada to enter the country. Unfortunately, getting into Canada with a DUI is not as simple as showing up at the border with a valid United States passport. If you have ever been arrested or convicted for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, regardless of whether it was a misdemeanor or felony offense, you may be criminally inadmissible to Canada and denied entry. Exceptions take time, so never book a trip to Canada until you have worked out your entry legally.
Passports for minors require both parents. U.S. law requires signatures of both parents, or the child's legal guardians, prior to issuance of a U.S. passport to children under the age of 16. To obtain a U.S. passport for a child under the age of 16, parents (or the child’s legal guardians) must execute the child’s passport application and provide documentary evidence demonstrating that they are the parents or guardians. This is to prevent one parent from taking a child out of the country without the permission or knowledge of the other parent. If there are custody issues, do not book a trip for your minor child to leave the country unless you have a valid passport for the child in your hand.
Make international travel issues easier by making the State Department aware of your travel plans. You can register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program for travel alerts and updates. This also will allow the nearest US Embassy or Consulate to reach you in case of an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency. Visit https://step.state.gov/step/.
Spend more time at the airport and miss less flights. Arrive at the airport for domestic flights at least 2 hours before the scheduled flight time, and arrive for international flights at least 3 hours before departure. Leave plenty of time between flights for layovers. This is dependent on time of year, airport and destination. As a rule, one and half hours for domestic flights and two and a half hours for international flights. Some international flights require you retrieve your checked luggage and recheck it as well as go through security before you board your connecting flight. Know the procedure and book flights accordingly.
Make sure your passport is valid for enough time. Many countries require passport expiration dates that are valid at least six months after scheduled departure dates. Some countries also require a certain number of blank pages in the passport. While you’re checking your passport, take a moment and find out what the visa requirements are for your destination country.
Not everyone is looking for a tip. Gratuities are not expected in all countries. When you are going to a foreign country, take a moment and find out if tipping is a custom there as well as what common gratuity percentages are standard.
Avoid unnecessary cell phone charges. Contact your cell phone company before travel outside the US for plans that allow international calling and check for apps that allow Wi-Fi calling.
Make sure your credit card charges do not get denied. Be sure to notify your credit card companies that you will be traveling outside the US so they do not deny charges for that souvenir you wanted, or worse, that dinner you just ate. Also, be sure to carry multiple forms of payment, and do not keep them all in the same wallet. If you get your pocket picked, it will be a relief to have an alternate form of payment for the rest of your trip.

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