World Travel 101 - Passports, visas, and more

I'm traveling to the Scottish Highlands in the near future, and I keep thinking "Oh yeah, I need to do a couple of things to get ready." I've been traveling internationally for 40 years, so it's old hat to me. However, I know international travel can be super intimidating if you've never done it before. Like everything new, it can be stressful. So I thought I'd offer an easy guide to international travel to relieve any anxiety you might have. This week, I'll start with travel documents, but feel free to ask questions in the comments.

Passport (and visa?)

All you need to hop on a plane to another country is a passport (and a credit card.) Keep this in mind. You can fret about forgetting this or that, but chances are you'll be able to buy whatever you need at your destination. Don't freak out if you forget anything OTHER THAN YOUR PASSPORT. Apply for your passport as soon as you start thinking about traveling. Average time for the government to issue the document is currently 6-8 weeks after they receive your application and accompanying documents. (It may be faster, but don't count it.) Apply asap so you don't have to pay an extra $60 to have it expedited.

Passports are issued by the U.S. Department of State. You can access the application online, but will need to print it out and take it to the nearest passport acceptance facility. You most likely need a passport book, not a card. The card is only good for land crossings into Mexico and Canada or cruise ships to Bermuda and the Caribbean. If you're flying anywhere, you need the book. The passport book will set you back $165: $130 for the application fee and $35 for the facility acceptance fee. It's not cheap, but it does last for 10 years, so travel often to get the most out of your passport! In addition to the completed application (form DS-11), you'll need to provide proof of citizenship, a photo ID, and passport photos. You'll find all the details about which documents you can use at travel.state.gov.

It's also possible that you will need a visa to travel to certain countries for certain reasons. Don't panic - most countries to which Americans travel don't require them to obtain a tourist visa. However, countries like Australia, Brazil, China, Cuba, India, and Russia do require a visa. (If you're traveling for business, that's a whole other visa category.) The cost of a visa varies significantly from country to country as does the process for obtaining one. Remember that you'll need your passport before you apply for a visa.

This article from USA Today lists all of the countries that require U.S. citizens to obtain a visa to enter and also lists the State Dept.'s travel advisory level for each country. The general rule of thumb is that Level 1 or 2 is fine, and Level 3 depends on your tolerance for risk and the specific situation leading to the advisory. Checking out your country(ies) of destination on the State Dept.'s website is always a good idea because it offers lots of additional country-specific information, including whether or not a visa is required and how to obtain one if it is. You can also opt into signing up for STEP (Safe Traveler Enrollment Program), something I don't usually bother with, but which is probably not a bad idea.

Global Entry

U.S. Customs and Border Protection offers a Trusted Traveler Program called Global Entry. If you're going to travel more than a couple of times in coming years, either internationally or domestically, I highly recommend getting Global Entry. It allows you go through a much, much shorter line at the airport when you return to the U.S. from another country. It also provides TSA pre-check for all flights, domestic or international. This means you go through a shorter line for security and don't have to remove your shoes, laptop, etc. Usually you just go through a metal detector instead of a body scanner (unless like me, you have artificial joints.)

Global entry requires another form, another hundred bucks, and an in person interview at an airport that offers Global Entry. You can submit your application and once you've been conditionally approved, you can do your interview upon entry back into the U.S. at one of the selected airports. My husband did his interview this way in the Dublin airport, one of the only international airports where you clear U.S. customs before arriving in the U.S. The processing time for Global Entry is 4-6 months, which is shorter than it used to be. Yes, all of this is a bit of a pain, but when you stumble off the plane after a 9 hour flight in economy and breeze past the endless snaking line of weary and cranky passengers, your heart will do a little dance and you'll thank your lucky stars for Global Entry.

Pro Tips for Passport Holders

• When your passport arrives, sign it immediately.

• Be sure you always have an empty page in your passport when traveling.

• Many countries require that your passport be valid for 6 months after your entry. So if you're traveling in May, but your passport expires in June, you should renew your passport before you leave.

• Make photocopies of your passport. Put one in your suitcase and leave one at home with a trusted friend.

• Make sure the name on your plane ticket matches the name on your passport EXACTLY. No Robert on one and Bob on the other. (Btw - there's really no such thing as a plane ticket these days, not even electronic ones. While you purchase airfare online, there's no paper, nothing to print out. Just bring your passport to the airline counter. Once you're checked in, you'll get a boarding pass for each leg of your trip (either on paper or on your phone) that will allow you to get on the plane. A boarding pass is not the same as a ticket.

• If you are within 7 days of departure and your passport still hasn't arrived, contact your congressperson. They will help you. This is the one instance I know of when politicians are truly useful.

• Don't lose your passport while traveling. Keep it secret, keep it safe.

• Once home, give your passport to your husband to store in a safe place he'll remember so when you need to travel again you don't freak out about not being able to find your passport. (Okay, this one is just for me.)

Stay tuned

Next week, I'll talk about the fun stuff: time differences, jet lag, currency exchange, electric adapters and converters, the metric system and more. I'll even answer Bart Simpson's burning question: does the water swirl in the opposite direction in toilets in Australia? For now, I'll leave you with this: