The Importance of a Passport Renewal when Travelling
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I was given this great advice from my friend Brienne:
As I write this I am sitting by the ocean in beautiful Miami, Florida, just in time for Christmas festivities. I may be relaxed now, but a few days ago I was extremely stressed. I live in Ontario Canada, but have the pleasure of having family and friends in Miami, Florida. I was invited to Miami for Christmas, only to realize that my passport was up for renewal…yesterday.
In honour of my stressful experience I decided to put together a list of must have’s when travelling to another country. I know too many people who have planned a shopping trip to Buffalo only to realize that their passport has expired.
Passport renewal can be a finicky process. You have to stand in line for hours, only to find that you failed to fill out the proper documentation, and are sent back to the end of the line – say goodbye to your beach plans next week!
Fortunately, there are expedited passport services that take care of your passport woes. All completed online, your passport renewal can take as little as a few days.
Enhanced Driver’s License:
While I was renewing my passport I discovered the existence of an enhanced driver’s license option. Not all states or provinces have this option, so check your government website for the most up to date information.
An enhanced driver’s licenseis apassport alternative, which can be used at Canada-U.S. land and water border crossings. An enhanced driver's license is completely optional, and is an additional $40.00.
Unfortunately, the enhanced driver’s license is not sufficient for air travel; a valid passport is still mandatory – thus the continued importance of passport renewal.
- Bring an extra carry-on:
Especially around the holidays, it is important to pack lightly, but be prepared with extra luggage. Now that Air Canada has changed their luggage policy to zero “free” checked baggage, you have to pay approximately $25 for your first bag, $35 for the second. Your checked baggage cannot be over 50 lbs., and if they are you have to pay an additional fee. Personally, I brought two checked bags with me, one just for presents, because it is more cost efficient to pay for an extra bag than get stuck with over-weight fees.
- Bring Cash and Your Credit Card
Cash is important for quick payments when you want to get from point A to point B. When time is of the essence, handing over some cash to a taxi driver is more efficient than paying with credit. Make someone’s day and tell them to keep the change because after all, it’s Christmas!
Most airplanes only accept credit cards for food payment on flights. In the past, airplanes would accept cash. The first time I went on a plane I had my credit card in another bag, so was very hungry the rest of the flight because I only had cash on me – I never made that mistake again!
Christmas time can be a stressful time of year; don’t add to your stress with an invalid passport so close to the holiday season. The passport renewal process can be headache free with expedited passport services. The beach is closer than you think, and so is that sunburn; so don’t forget the sunscreen!
