Who isn’t ready for their next vacation?
But is your passport?
Whether you have one or need to get one, knowing passport basics can be the difference between smooth sailing or panicked starts.
For nearly all international travel, you will need a passport. We highly recommend a passport book vs. a passport card. Given the major limitations of a passport card, we don’t think it’s worth the minor savings.
Our video today gets into some of the major passport questions:
- When does my passport expire?
- How long does my passport need to be good for in order to travel?
- What should I know before I book travel with my passport?
- Does my middle name matter?
- What can I do to protect my passport and keep it safe?
- What should I look for in a passport cover?
- What should I do if I need to renew or replace my passport?
- What if I lose my passport while traveling?
Think of this as a passport checkup.
Notes:
If you are planning on changing your name, you cannot have that name on your passport or apply for a name change on an existing passport until your name is officially changed. Based on your trip timing and the process time for a name change, this may mean you have to apply for a passport in your maiden or original name and amend it at a future date after the name change has taken place.
So what name do you use?
All tickets and plans should be purchased with whatever name is on your passport/ID that will be valid at the time of travel, even if that is your old name or a name you don’t use anymore. Whatever is on the valid, not-expired ID is the right choice. Always check your passport name. It is not uncommon for people to forget to update their name on their passport after a marriage or divorce and realize later they used the wrong name for booking tickets.
Some other links that can be helpful:
US Government official how and where to apply/reapply for a passport: US Passport Website
If we missed your question, have no worries. Shoot us an email with your question and we’ll be happy to help out.
8 Top Tips for Child Passports
Are you thinking about an international trip with your kids? You’ll be needing passports for your young crew. With an upcoming international vacation, I recently had to get new passports for my children. After going through the experience, there were several things I noted that were essential to the whole process. For instance, I wish…
About The Traveling Compass:
The Traveling Compass is a full-service luxury travel agency. Our success is built on a foundation of unmatched expertise and outstanding customer service. Our travel agents specialize in international travel, corporate incentive trips, destination weddings & honeymoons, multigenerational travel, luxury leisure, and family travel. We are also Authorized Disney Vacation Planners with experience assisting families that have children with special needs or large families or groups with complicated dining reservations for over 20 guests. Our personalized travel itineraries are designed to help discerning, time-pressed travelers plan the most elaborate vacations, down to the smallest detail. As luxury travel agents, we are dedicated to creating and facilitating travel experiences that expand awareness and give each person a real sense of the country and culture they are visiting. It is our mission to make sure you have the travel experience of a lifetime, every time.
