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How To Plan Your Next European Vacation   by Selvyn Patterson

Europe is a very popular travel destination. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or planning your first trip, there are several important things to keep in mind before calling your travel agent and booking the next vacation:

1. While “Paris in the Springtime” sounds very romantic, the truth is that you’re liable to spend many days indoors, because the weather can be cold and rainy. On the other hand, the French Riviera in the springtime boasts warm temperatures, sunshine and beautiful places to visit. If you’re not sure of weather patterns, check with your travel agent who can advise you on rainy seasons or other weather-related issues for traveling to a specific spot.

2. Budget: Decide how much you’ve got to spend, and don’t forget to include extras like tourist attractions, getting around, souvenirs and meals (which are typically more expensive in Europe than in the states — dinner can cost upwards of 50 Euros per person, especially in metropolitan cities). If your budget is smaller, consider visiting Eastern Europe, looking for packaged tours, or, if you’re flexible, book a “last-minute” trip, which can often save you 30% or more. Check out the current exchange rate between your currency and that of the country you’ll be visiting, to have a better idea of what your vacation is going to actually cost you. Whenever possible, travel during an off-peak season to save even more.

3. Your secret dreams or “someday” wishes: For most of us, taking a vacation is something we get to do only once a year, and often plan and save the whole year for. So if you have always wanted to visit somewhere or do something special — why wait? Include it in your next vacation plans.

4. Political Climate: While most countries that rely on tourism make every effort to ensure the safety of tourists, these days it’s always a good idea to keep up on the current political climate of the country you’re planning to visit, especially if there have been problems in the past.

5. Your own “internal clock”: If you prefer sleeping in, in the mornings, and “doing your own thing” then a guided tour is probably not for you. Most guided tours start early in the morning, and you’re on the go until evening. You may visit several cities in a country or countries within a specified amount of time, and you’re required to stay with the group.

On the other hand, if you don’t like traveling alone, you enjoy the companionship of others and getting to see as much as possible in the time you’ve got, a guided tour or cruise may be just the thing for you.

6. How you like to spend your time: Take a little time to think about what you like doing before planning your trip. Do you prefer the water, or the mountains? Lying on the beach, or rock-climbing? Adrenaline rushes or visiting an art museum?

While going outside your comfort zone and trying new things can be a great experience, spending your time doing something that bores you silly or makes you uncomfortable and unhappy just doesn’t make sense. Once you know what you want to do, figure out what you’ll have time to do. Many times, in an effort to get the “most bang for our buck” we tend to over plan the vacation, and end up needing a vacation from the vacation when we get home! Prioritize your list, and be willing to save some activities or attractions for another trip.

7. Use the resources that are available to make your trip special and save money: Today’s travelers have numerous options when planning their vacation. You can use the Internet to find out more about the cities or countries you want to visit, check out prices, even book your flight or hotel room. If you’re visiting a place for the first time, check with a travel agent, talk to someone who’s “been there, done that” on an Internet Forum, or contact local chambers or commerce or travel councils to get more information about where to go, what to see and what to do.

8. You can use trip-planning software, or your own favorite organizing system to organize and plan your trip. Don’t forget things like making sure your passport and picture ID are up-to-date, finding out if travel insurance is something you need, and how and where to exchange your money. The more organized you are in the beginning, the better vacation you’ll have.

9. Most of us take too much on a vacation, and end up lugging heavy suitcases and other bags along filled with items that we either don’t use or don’t need. When planning your trip, look at your wardrobe and pack as lightly as you can. Take only what you’ll really need, and remember that if you forget or end up needing something, chances are you can get it once you reach your destination.

10. Have fun! Get organized, make your plans and expect the best. That way, once you’re on your way, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy yourself. But remember, there are very few “perfect” vacations, so if something does go wrong, try to relax and “go with the flow” as much as possible. Experienced travelers say that sometimes their best vacations have been the ones where the unexpected happened.

Why Bother with Travel Insurance if you’re a Canadian Travelling Within Canada?   by K Phillips

Whatever your politics, whatever your religion, and whether you’re wealthy or not so well off, we Canadians are indeed a blessed people when compared with most of the rest of the world. Anyone who doesn’t recognize this obviously hasn’t done much travelling outside of Canada, or simply has a very particular grievance of some sort against some aspect of Canada.

For the most part, Canada works, and from sea to shining sea, from our southern border to the icy north, we are collectively better off than most of the rest of the worlds population. You know this to be true if you’ve been outside of our borders for any length of time.

Physically, our great land is so varied, and so vast, that in fact it would be possible to spend every vacation right here in Canada, never leaving the country, and barely even scratch the surface of what there is to see and do, and still have a great vacation every time.

One of the things we can be most proud of is our health care system. Yes, it’s not perfect, but how many things are? And, fortunately, as a Canadian traveling within our own borders, our various Provincial and Territorial health care plans cover us for the most part, in the event of accident or tragedy that injures our health while travelling outside of the province or territory of our residence, but still within Canada.

However, it may interest you to know (especially if your next vacation is going to be within Canada), that there are gaps in the Provincial and Territorial Health Care Plans, that may leave you considerably out of pocket under certain conditions, and this is precisely why smart travellers opt to purchase travel insurance even when traveling within Canada.

Using the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) as an example, an Ontario resident travelling to Alberta, who had an accident which resulted in chipped teeth, but did not require a hospital visit, would have to bear the full cost of repairing the damaged teeth themselves. This could add up to substantially more than the few dollars a day that it would typically cost to purchase travel insurance. There are many similar scenarios.

Although OHIP covers a wide range of medical services, it does not pay for services that are deemed not medically necessary, such as cosmetic surgery. It is unlikely that OHIP would pay the full cost of cosmetically restoring the disfigurement that many accidents cause.

Many other health care services are only partially covered, or may not be covered at all. Medical services such as Podiatrists and Osteopaths, chiropractors and physiotherapists, may or may not be covered depending on a variety of factors. Even ambulance services, prescribed medications and long-term care services may only be partially covered depending on the circumstances.

The facts are that OHIP is not unique in this regard. Each Province and Territory has it’s own rules and regulations, and it’s often quite a challenge to figure out exactly what they are.

This is one good reason that smart travellers within Canada arm themselves with Travel Insurance.

There are other reasons for purchasing travel insurance for travel within Canada, Some of these include:

Baggage Insurance - What difference would it make if you were traveling from Vancouver to Halifax or from Toronto to Singapore if your baggage was lost or stolen? Baggage insurance would protect you either way.

Trip cancellation or trip interruption insurance - Imagine that you’ve reserved expensive hotel rooms and other services for your vacation within Canada, and you are forced at the last minute to cancel or abandon your trip. You could be out of pocket a great deal of money. This kind of travel insurance could restore your out of pocket expenses.

Emergency Medical Insurance - It would be comforting to know that if the unimaginable were to occur, and you were involved in an accident while on vacation, that you and/or your family members/fellow travelers would not have to worry about the costs of prescription drugs from pharmacies, home care services, ambulance services, long-term care services, dental and cosmetic surgery if needed, and other health care services that may be needed or desired. - Especially when this kind of coverage can be as little as a couple of dollars daily.

For the few extra dollars per day that it costs, travel insurance is easy to obtain, and buys enormous peace of mind while on your trip.

Remember, in the event of tragedy, you will “submit for consideration” the costs associated with your treatment to your particular Provincial or Territorial Health Ministry. They will decide the extent of your re-imbursement.

Given how inexpensive these kinds of insurance can be, do you still want to “not bother” with travel insurance when travelling within Canada?

The information collected and compiled here is for general reference only. Always speak with a licensed insurance representative to answer your specific questions.

Kade Philips is a contributing writer at kanetix.ca, serving free travel insurance quotes. For the Travel Insurance you need, visit kanetix for Free Quotes.