2013 Travel Tips to the Top 10 Foreign Travel Destinations!

2013 has been named the year of the bucket list by many magazines and bloggers. Read on for 2013’s top 10 travel sites that are commonly found on bucket lists or should be! Also read on to find tips that will save you money and keep you safe as you travel!

Bucket List Favorites…Top Ten Places to Travel in 2013:

1. “The Land of the Thunder Dragon,” also known as the Buddhist colony of Bhutan.
2. Machu Picchu located in the Cusco Region of Peru, South America.
3. The tropical fantasy of Bali, Indonesia.
4. One of the New Seven Wonders of Nature, Iguacu Falls, South America.
5. The Sabi Sand Safari in South Africa.
6. The Ruins in Easter Island, Chile.
7. The Palace Tombs of Petra in Ma’an Governorate, Jordan.
8. The Taj Mahal in Agra, India.
9. The Roman Colosseum in Rome, Italy.
10. The Burj Khalifa and many other places in the cosmopolitan metropolis of Dubai.

Now that you know where to go, if you have never traveled to different country before, you will need to acquire a passport and in some cases also a visa.  Learn how to acquire your passport below and also read some tips that will save you money and keep you safe as you venture through that bucket list!

The first step in preparing to leave the country these days is to obtain a passport. The days of driving to Mexico for the day and only needing your I.D. are over. Once upon a time you could travel to Canada and Mexico by vehicle and did not need a passport. For safety and security reasons that has changed. You now need a passport book or card. All first time applicants must apply in person at a Passport Agency, Acceptance Facility, U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Steps to apply for a passport:

1. Decide what type of passport or visa that you want/need to determine how much it will cost.
2. Fill out the DS-11 form called the “Application For A U.S. Passport” online or by hand (do not sign yet).
3. Submit a Completed Form DS-11 In Person
4. Submit Evidence of U.S. Citizenship (like a birth certificate)
5. Present Identification (also bring a photo copy of the front and back)
6. Submit a Photocopy of the Identification Document(s) Presented (copy of your birth certificate mentioned above)
7. Pay the Applicable Fee
8. Provide One Passport Photo (See passport photo requirements here, http://travel.state.gov/passport/pptphotoreq/pptphotoreq_5333.html)

You can find the “Application For A U.S. Passport” at http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds11/ds11_842.html Prices for one adult passport range. To obtain a passport book and card the total cost is $165. For just a book is $135. For just a card is $55.

Your passport will then be sent to you along with any documents that you submitted with your application. Over the years you will need to renew it and hopefully add pages to it! Fortunately, you don’t need to do it in person. If you need a passport faster, you can pay expedited fees. Applicants can request expedited service for $60 and, once an application is accepted, the processing can be tracked online at the travel.state.gov website. The processing time is usually four to six weeks for regular delivery and about two to three weeks for expedited service.

Visa costs range greatly for every country. The U.S. State Department has developed an International Travel Information section on their website that lists visa requirements for U.S. travelers.

Be a Savvy Traveler & Save Money!

Tip #1 is to always start early. When you plan ahead a whole world of money saving opportunities opens up!

Many hotels will offer special low rates for rooms booked in advance, depending on just how early you book it, these rates can be up to 40% off the regular rate!

You can also find a great low rate on hotel rooms by actually calling the travel sites instead of using their app or website because these this rate will often be anywhere from 15-30% cheaper that what you see online!

Schedule your flight early as in early morning because a 5 or 6 a.m. flights are often hundreds of dollars cheaper than even a late morning flight.  When you book your flight keep in mind what some airlines charge for extra luggage and some don’t…always make sure.

Now that you know where to go, what you need to get there, and how to do it intelligibly make sure to have fun!