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Single Rooms vs. Shares?
The good, the bad and the ugly. We offer shared accommodations on almost all our trips. And we also offer insurance so that if your share cancels, you are covered for the single supplement.
The good: you save a bunch of money! You can chat at night and have someone else in the room if you are a novice traveler.
The bad: you have to be polite and considerate in the room, but we find our travelers are terrific that way.…
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Fear of Flying: Alone that is
You do not have to be afraid of flying to meet up with a Women’s Travel Group trip. We are happy to coordinate you with others. If you live in the West and we are going to Europe or you live in the East and are going to Asia, you might want this service even more. We have several alternatives:
Meet up in the city of departure. On our Cuba trip, we meet up in Miami the night before and have our orientation at an airport hotel.…
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New Insurance: Believe it or Not: Cheaper!
We offer travel insurance for all of The Women’s Travel Group trips. Did you know that 80% of cancellations are due to pre-existing conditions? And who doesn’t have one at this stage of the game? Pre x is anything you went to the doctor for in the 60 days prior to booking your trip. There are exceptions, of course, for stabilized conditions and we can send you more specific language. But the cost of insurance is well worth it, if you do have to cancel you visited the doc during the specified time.…
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Travel Innoculations: Why bother?
When you go to a travel medicine doctor, your wallet will be shocked at the cost. But what is smart and what is excess? We, non-medical people, are usually scared into getting every shot possible, but first, be aware of the following:
Inoculations should be based on the climate of your destination: dry season does not require some shots which are critical in the wet season.
Exactly where you are going versus large swathes of the country. For instance, India where our group is going in October: this is a huge country and what is needed for Delhi is not the same for the Himalayan plateau or the agrarian south.…
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Travel Safety Warnings and What to do about Cancelling
Q: Are Travel Advisories and State Department Warnings Covered?
This information is from TravelInsured our travel insurance company. The question on their newsletter was: does travel insurance cover you if an area is under a State Dept warning or caution. Do note: we do not go to areas under State Dept warnings. Only once did we cancel a trip for 25 going to Egypt; they were all refunded promptly and well before we were paid.Answer from TravelInsured: No, these types of events are not covered under any travel insurance policy unless you purchase the Optional Cancel For Any Reason.…
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The Pre-Trip 3 Day Guide
1. Re-read all the documents that came with your trip package and put them in carry on bags. Same with your insurance policy and keep the travel insurance company number handy. You might need to call them from the airport if your flight is cancelled. Solo travelers especially be diligent.
2. Check weather again in both destination and any stopover airport.
3. Re-scan the seating chart of your flight to see if a better seat turned up.
4. Starting at your head, going down to your toes, think through what you packed and what you have forgotten.…
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Airplane delays and cancellations
Today Joe Sharkey, my favorite airline journalist, announces the huge number of cancellations and delays caused earlier this month by weather. Here are some reasons you need insurance:
1-Plane severely delayed and you need a new transfer to Ixtapan Spa: $170 private transfer one way. (More than our group deal)
2- Weather prevents you from getting to your flight and you take another one.
3- You sprain your ankle (my husband did over Christmas on a trip), and you need to fly next day.…
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New Health Plans and Overseas Travel?
Medicare does not cover Americans overseas so I contacted the new government site for the Oct. 1 launch of federal health care. This is what I got from the Live Chat on the federal site? And I do believe in national health care options….With an answer like this, I’ll still buy Travelguard for myself and recommend it to you when you travel!
Upcoming India and Morocco tours have $Solo $Savings for solo travelers and travel insurance from Travelguard is still available.…
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Warning on Egypt! But will insurers refund you?
There is a huge difference in the urgency of State Department announcements. Some are mere advisories but the one on Egypt today is serious. Do not go to Egypt on nonessential travel says State. And the UK Foreign Office concurs.
A further hint of danger is that the US has ordered the evacuation of nonessential government workers from Egypt. This is a giant red flag.
Does your insurance allow you to cancel and get refunded in cases like this? That is debatable and the grey areas are the definition of terrorism and the exact incidents that seem dangerous to the traveler.…
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Tour Operator Bankruptcy
What an awful thing to happen to people: they are booked and paid up and the tour company goes bankrupt. If paid by credit card, and not stranded overseas, most people get their $$ back.
I have just booked a trip with my husband’s college and the college requires payment by personal check. So how do I protect my money?
Some travel insurance policies do protect against bankruptcy. But here is what consumers do not know: they do not cover all tour companies and airlines.…
