Travel Resources

Getting Your Money’s Worth

Wondering how far your dollar will go when traveling? How many Euros you’ll need for that cup of espresso in Venice? You can find out by using XE’s handy Universal Currency Converter (http://www.xe.com/ucc). This powerful converter calculator can quick give you the current exchange rate of over 170 different currencies.

You will get the best exchange rate when buying foreign currency with either ATM cards or credit cards, which will usually be 2 - 7 percent better than rates you will get when exchanging cash or traveler's checks. Try to use credit cards whenever possible for large purchases such as hotel bills, tickets and car rentals.

Passport

As of January 23, 2007, U.S. citizens need a passport for any air travel abroad - even to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. Never had a passport before? Don't worry they are relatively easy to get but you do need to plan ahead if you are traveling abroad within the next three to four months. The average time to process an application takes between six and eight weeks. So it’s best to get a passport even if you are just considering the possibility of traveling abroad. Passports are about $100 and are good for ten years. The United State Department’s Passport Center (http://travel.state.gov) has all the information you need to apply for or renew your passport.

Travel Warnings and Advisories

The U.S. State Department issue travel warnings and advisories to inform traveling Americans of conditions of risk abroad that might affect their trip. These warnings are generally issued because of civil unrest, natural disasters, or outbreaks of serious diseases. Warnings are issued when the State Department decides, based on all relevant information, to recommend that Americans avoid all travel to a particular country, particularly to the problem areas. Many advisories are temporary and will be canceled as soon as the situation improves. You can view current warnings and advisories at http://travel.state.gov.

Electronic Tickets and E-documents:

Electronic tickets, or E-tickets, are now used by almost every airline, and the need for paper tickets is coming to an end. With an E-ticket and your current government-issued photo ID, you’re all set to travel. Simply prevent your ID at the airline counter roughly 2 hours prior to your scheduled departure time, and the airline agent will issue your boarding pass. Please remember to call your airline the night before your flight to verify your flight times. Be sure to verify with your travel agent if you have a paper ticket or an E-ticket. Along with E-ticket, we now have E-documents! Other items such as car, hotel reservations and some cruise lines, may now be added to your itinerary, and the same rules apply. All you will need is your current government-issued photo ID as well as your itinerary or other document that lists your confirmation numbers, and you’re all ready to go.

About Car Rentals

Most car companies require that their clients be at least 25 years old, have a major credit card in their own name that has at least $500.00 of available credit, and have a good driving record. Some car companies will let those less than 25 years old rent a vehicle but may assess a higher rate. Debit cards are usually not accepted for car rentals. Insurance, fuel, taxes, airport surcharges and extra equipment are the renter’s responsibility. Before signing a rental contract with your car company, please ask for a detailed listing of all charges to avoid any misunderstanding.

About Hotel Rentals

When you check-in, most hotels will ask for a major credit card or cash deposit to cover any in-room charges such as telephone calls, room service, gift shop charges, etc… All charges signed for during your hotel stay will be added to your final room bill. If you have any problems with the room once you check-in, always bring them to the attention of the hotel management immediately to provide them an opportunity to correct the problem so you can enjoy your stay.

Reservation Information

Please check over all information enclosed in your travel document packet. It is very important that travel dates, times and passengers’ name spellings are correct. If an error is caught early enough, it can usually be corrected without penalties being assessed by the airlines and/or travel vendors.

Schedule Changes

Even after careful planning, schedule changes can still happen. While some schedule charges are due to weather or other unforeseen acts of God, most schedule changes are generated by the airlines themselves. It is not uncommon for scheduled airlines to run as much as 4 hours different from what was originally booked; and as much as 12 hours different with charter flights. We strongly advise that you directly call your air carrier 24 hours prior to the flight times to verify your scheduled departures.

Travel Insurance

With all ongoing rule changes from airlines, and the increasing costs of tours and vacations, travel companies have inundated us with a host of travel insurance products. What exactly does a cruise line, tour vendor cover if there is a problem before or during your trip? Exactly how much of your money is at risk if you or a family member dies prior to your vacation? If emergency medical aid is needed while on vacation, who pays for that? We have read and researched the many policies offers and would be happy to review the policy that best matches your travel needs. We strongly recommend that all our clients obtain the peace of mind that comes from travel insurance.....

Help Us Help You

Even with a sharp eye to details, it is still possible for travel arrangements to go awry. If a problem should arise while you are traveling, please make sure to write down in detail the names of the individuals you speak to. Make note of the city you’re in, the time of day, and the employee’s name, sign or number. If one of these individuals advise, change or fix something in your reservation, carefully write down everything they say. With these notes, we will then have the ability to follow-up with the vendor and afford you the customer service you deserve.

We are a travel agent serving the greater metropolitan areas of Columbus, Indianapolis and Cleveland including Cuyahoga Heights, Bedford, Brooklyn Heights, Cuyahoga Falls, East Cleveland, Euclid, Elyria, Garfield Heights, Lakewood Medina, Maple Heights, Mentor, Newburgh Heights, North Olmsted, Shaker Heights Solon, Strongsville, Twinsburg