TRAVEL INSURANCE:
Most pre-paid trip arrangements are non-refundable regardless of the circumstance. Therefore, Bon Vivant Journeys, an affiliate of Travel Experts, strongly encourages purchasing Travel Insurance. We will be happy to provide you with a quote for travel and cancellation insurance, including the upgrade “Cancel for Any Reason”.
Please note that not all credit cards cover medical expenses incurred abroad. Travel insurance can protect you if you have a medical emergency or death in your immediate family before or during travel and you need to cancel or delay your trip or if you require medical attention or evacuation during travel.
MEDJET ASSIST:
MedjetAssist is a medical evacuation membership program that arranges medical transfer to the hospital of the member's choice. If a Medjet member becomes hospitalized more than 150 miles from home and meets transport criteria, Medjet will arrange medical transfer to the hospital of their choice at no additional cost. All the member pays is their membership fee. We can assist in purchasing a Medjet Assist membership. Please visit www.Medjet.com/TravelExperts for more details on this program’s membership opportunities and benefits.
NOTE: This ‘insurance’ does not replace travel insurance and is recommended to be purchased with travel insurance. This membership only allows a client to request to be transferred from a hospital where they have been admitted to a hospital of their choice (anywhere in the world). Clients can buy annual memberships or just short-term coverages.
PASSPORT AND VISA REQUIREMENTS:
Please ask us about passport and visa requirements to the countries to which you will travel. We are glad to assist with expedited passport and visa services. It is ultimately the passenger’s responsibility to ensure they have all correct documents prior to travel. Bon Vivant Journeys, an affiliate of Travel Experts, does not assume responsibility for missing, expired or incorrect travel documents.
Please email a copy of your passport page to us for our file and safe keeping during your travels.
For Visa and Passport assistance, we suggest CIBT. For discounted pricing, please use our noted account number below:
US Citizens - https://cibtvisas.com/ Input our account # 65371 for discounted pricing.
Canadian Citizens - www.cibtvisas.ca Input our account # 11657 for discounted pricing.
For country information and visa and passport requirements, please consult the Department of State: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country.html
IMMUNIZATIONS:
Many countries require immunizations prior to travel and for some locations your travel doctor may suggest preventative medicines for malaria, altitude sickness, or other illnesses. Please consult your local travel doctor or ask your primary care physician for a referral ideally 6 weeks prior to travel.
For immediate information, we suggest you consult the Center for Disease Control website: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel
REGISTER BEFORE YOU TRAVEL:
Register for the STEP program before leaving (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program), so that US embassies worldwide know where you are in the instance of a global emergency.
TRAVELING WITH CASH ABROAD:
We are often asked how much cash clients ought to bring on a trip. The majority of businesses in most destinations worldwide accept and prefer major credit cards. We suggest checking with your bank to ensure your credit card does not charge foreign transaction fees. This means that cash is only required for small purchases and for tipping. We do our best to provide the most accurate tipping suggestions and guidelines for your destination prior to travel.
Foreign currency can be secured in advance at the airport, but most of our clients prefer to go to the ATM at the airport on arrival to secure cash in the local currency, often at the best exchange rate. How much cash you will need depends on your trip, the destination and your spending habits but a good rule of thumb is to have the equivalent of $100 per day at your disposal and replenish as needed. Replenishing cash at ATMs in most city centers is also possible. There are some exceptions to this rule and there are some countries where getting local currency is not possible. Carrying smaller denominations is most convenient for tipping and for making small purchases.
LUGGAGE FREE:
Luggage Free is a specialty service offering travelers the ability to ship their luggage and other personal items ahead to any destination worldwide, to avoid the inconvenience of carrying, checking and claiming luggage – even going through customs. Time that used to be spent enduring the hassles at airport, can now be spent enjoying your vacation. Let us know how we can help or get started here: www.app.luggagefree.com/travelbvj
BLUE RIBBON BAGS:
Blue Ribbon Bags takes care of mishandled baggage for you! For only $5 per bag. Blue Ribbon Bags will track and expedite the return of your delayed baggage for 96 hours from the time your flight lands. You will receive automatic email updates every time there is any change to the status of your mishandled bag. Their Service Agreement includes all bags checked at airport, including last minute gate check-ins. Blue Ribbon Bags service covers every flight, on every airline, everywhere in the world. You must register your bag prior to departure and we can assist with that or you may do so directly at www.blueribbonbags.com/