http://www.ztravelinsurance.com//blog Blog for Travellers visiting USA en louise.carr@yahoo.co.uk Copyright 2012 2012-01-27T20:34:29+00:00 http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/blog/be-safe-on-public-transport/ http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/blog/be-safe-on-public-transport/#When:15:53:31Z Chances are, if you’re traveling to a city or large town, you’ll be taking a ride on some form of public transport. Buses, taxis and trains make getting around on your vacation cheap and easy. But public transport is not without its hazards – how can you keep safe and prevent a claim on your travel insurance? Keep safe on trains by moving away from a person if they are too close to you, in the train corridor or on the platform. If you’re traveling by night train, lock your compartment. If this isn’t possible, secure your locked luggage to the racks with a padlock and keep your valuables close to you. Only take subway cars if there are plenty of other people in them and try to sit by the driver on buses. Some cities have “women-only” cars on trains and subways so use these if you are concerned about your safety. Try not to travel late at night. If you need to, wait for public transport in a well-lit area, preferably near a ticket booth or security guard. Alert police if you feel threatened or if you have something stolen on public transport. Make sure your travel insurance is up-to-date and don’t take unnecessary risks – like taking an unlicensed cab or driving without a seat belt – that could invalidate your policy. Blogging 2011-03-27T15:53:31+00:00 http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/blog/passport-card-or-passport/ http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/blog/passport-card-or-passport/#When:20:34:29Z US citizens traveling abroad sometimes don’t need a passport to travel. Instead, you can use a passport card. Are you aware of the difference? Read on to find out when you can use a passport card to travel. Make sure you are protected with international travel insurance wherever you are traveling to – international travel insurance and a valid passport or card are essentials for travel. Until 2007 US citizens could come into the US from Mexico, the Caribbean, Canada and Bermuda with a valid driver’s license. Now, citizens need a valid passport card if they are only traveling between US and these countries. The passport card allows people to enter the US by land or sea only, from the specified countries. There are some restrictions, however. The passport card may not be accepted by the country you are visiting, so you should check with your travel company to make sure. You cannot travel extensively overseas with a passport card. For international travel beyond the Caribbean and Mexico, you need a passport. Blogging 2012-01-27T20:34:29+00:00 http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/blog/adventure-travel-set-your-limits/ http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/blog/adventure-travel-set-your-limits/#When:18:37:15Z Travel can be exhilarating, fun, exotic and exciting but it’s important not to push yourself past your physical limits. Especially when you are taking part in adventure sports or vacations, you should know what a safe limit is for you. Whether you are a student on a gap year, or a family taking the vacation of a lifetime, buy insurance and stay healthy. Have a physical exam before you go if you are concerned about your fitness or health. If you have recently undergone a procedure or surgery, make sure your doctor has passed you safe to fly and take part in the activities you plan to do. If you are suffering from a cold, flu or other minor illness make sure you take it easy in the first days of your vacation – too much exertion can turn a minor condition into something more serious. If you feel ill, stop the activity and rest. Know your own limits. If you cannot walk as far as the others in the group, walk for a half day and sight-see in the afternoon. If you have problems in the heat, book your vacation for the cool season or try a country with a moderate climate. Knowing your restrictions can help you towards a much more enjoyable vacation. Blogging 2012-01-23T18:37:15+00:00 http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/blog/auto-accident-abroad-what-to-do/ http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/blog/auto-accident-abroad-what-to-do/#When:04:20:41Z When you go on vacation or travel for business, hiring a car is often the easiest way to get around, to see the sights and to get to important meetings. But driving abroad can be a lot different to driving at home. What do you do if you have an accident when driving abroad? First of all, make sure you have enough travel insurance to cover you abroad. With international travel insurance and some helpful advice, you can limit the damage caused by an auto accident. If you are in a crash, contact the local police immediately. You will need to fill out a formal police report form. Make sure you do not admit any blame at the scene of the accident, or at the police station, even if it was your fault. You need to exchange insurance information with the other party or parties, and the police or your consulate should be able to help you with this. If you rented your car, consult with the rental company. If you do rent a car, make sure you are fully protected with insurance. Drive carefully when you are abroad. Even if the cars are the same, the rules of the road and driving habits may be very different. Blogging 2012-01-17T04:20:41+00:00 http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/blog/what-to-do-if-you-lose-your-wallet-abroad/ http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/blog/what-to-do-if-you-lose-your-wallet-abroad/#When:02:56:51Z First of all, if you discover that your wallet or purse is missing when you are travelling abroad, retrace your steps to see if you can retrieve your lost possessions. If you don’t find your wallet within a reasonable amount of time, call your credit card companies immediately. Here’s where international travel insurance is very useful. International travel insurance can help you recover what you lost. Cancel your credit cards. If you lost travelers checks, call the bank that issued them. If you call immediately after the loss, the banks will be able to guarantee that you won’t be liable for any unauthorized use of the cards or checks. If you can, go to the police station to file a report if you believe your possessions were stolen. This will make your insurance claim for theft more robust. If you are stranded in a foreign country without any money and without any way to withdraw money from your account, go to your Embassy in the country. The Embassy can give you advice as to what to do, and can help you contact relatives or friends that can help. Blogging 2012-01-09T02:56:51+00:00 http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/blog/staying-safe-in-international-hotels/ http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/blog/staying-safe-in-international-hotels/#When:16:19:21Z Most hotels you will visit on your travels will be very safe and you won’t have a problem with security, especially if you visit the chain hotels and larger properties. However, occasionally you may encounter problems. Keep in mind that you need to take out international travel insurance to cover any potential issues. Be prepared with travel insurance and the following tips. When you enter your room, look out for the closest emergency exit outside your room. you should also memorize how many doors there are between the exit and your room, and how many steps you need to take. This will be useful in case of a fire. Don’t open the door to strangers and don’t give out your hotel room number. Always use the safety lock on your hotel door and keep the windows closed at night when you are staying on a floor close to the ground. Keep all of your valuables and cash in the room safe, or the hotel safe. Keep your suitcase locked while you are in the room. When you leave the hotel for the day or night, take the address or a business card with you so you can easily get in touch if you need to. Blogging 2012-01-02T16:19:21+00:00 http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/blog/money-belts-keep-your-valuable-safe-abroad/ http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/blog/money-belts-keep-your-valuable-safe-abroad/#When:22:37:43Z Wearing a money belt when you travel abroad could save you a lot of money and a lot of stress. Prevent costly claims on your international travel insurance and the inconvenience of losing money abroad by choosing a money belt as a travel gadget. Travel insurance is essential, but it is always better not to have to claim on it. There are many different styles of money belt available for travel. One style is constructed like a regular belt, and it functions like a belt as well as having a hidden compartment to store money and credit cards. You can also get a “No Beep” belt that will go safely through airport metal detectors. The leg pouch money belt is strapped round your calf above the ankle and holds cash and credit cards. You can also buy a concealed neck pouch which hangs around your neck on a cord. Even if you wear a money belt, it’s best not to carry too much cash on your person. Never carry all your cash and credit cards in one place because if you lose your belt, you lose everything. Blogging 2011-12-24T22:37:43+00:00 http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/blog/do-you-know-where-your-passport-is/ http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/blog/do-you-know-where-your-passport-is/#When:17:49:29Z According to recent research, many young people have no idea where their passport is. The Identity and Passport Service says many students and young people are risking the safety of their passport, and other important documents like student travel insurance policies, with careless handling. Losing a passport close to your vacation could result in you needing to use your trip cancellation insurance. According to the survey, only half of the young people knew the location of their passport without having to look for it. Two thirds of the young people could not say, without checking their passport, when it was due for renewal. Nearly half the youngsters said they didn’t keep their passport in a safe place or locked away. Many carried their passport with them or kept it in a drawer. As a comparison, most youngsters knew exactly where their mobile phone or MP3 was without having to think or look for it. Many kept these valuable items locked up or in a safe place. Blogging 2011-12-18T17:49:29+00:00 http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/blog/how-to-avoid-baggage-theft-from-flights/ http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/blog/how-to-avoid-baggage-theft-from-flights/#When:03:55:46Z The US Department of Transportation says baggage complaints, including theft, are just behind flight problems in the most-complained-about stakes. What can you do to help prevent baggage theft? Of course, comprehensive international travel insurance will repay you if you do suffer from theft. Following this advice in combination with international travel insurance will minimize your risk of serious annoyance and financial loss. Although baggage theft in the US is today relatively rare, there are many countries in the world where the problem persists. If you want to avoid your baggage disappearing, try the following tips. Use hard-sided luggage, which is more difficult to cut into and therefore reach the contents without opening it. Use an approved lock or plastic cables to secure your bags and make it almost impossible for baggage thieves to get in. Avoid overly expensive-looking luggage and make it look conspicuous by choosing bright colors or using bright straps. If thieves think they’ll draw attention to themselves, they’ll move onto another target. But the most important thing to remember is to pack everything valuable in your carry-on. Don’t pack invaluable items or those things you cannot live without. Blogging 2011-12-12T03:55:46+00:00 http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/blog/publics-growing-awareness-of-travel-insurance-benefits/ http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/blog/publics-growing-awareness-of-travel-insurance-benefits/#When:02:45:50Z With natural disasters like the Japan tsunami, the Australian floods and the earthquake in New Zealand fresh in people’s minds, more and more are recognizing the benefits of travel insurance and trip cancellation insurance. Many people are seeing that the chance of a weather event affecting their trip is reasonably high. In times of economic hardship and uncertainty, more and more people are making sure their hard earned money is protected should they need to cancel a trip. And awareness is growing about how expensive it can be to treat illness abroad without insurance. Because an increasing number of people are traveling abroad, everyone knows someone who had a bad experience with weather, health or crime abroad. Travelers are looking to comprehensive travel insurance to meet their needs should the worst happen. Gone are the days when most people would travel without insurance unless they were traveling to the most inhospitable places in the world. Today travel insurance is as much a part of the vacation as the suitcase and carry-on bag. Blogging 2011-12-04T02:45:50+00:00