March 2004 Travel Newsletter

Travel Insurance Basics
Over the past several years, more people have been considering whether or not to purchase some kind of travel insurance.  Travel insurance is a good way to reduce the financial risk of travel.  Each person’s risk is unique and depends on many things: the pre-paid amount of your travel, the value of your luggage, where you are traveling, your current health, the economic health of the tour operator and airline being used, etc.

There are several basic types of “travel”-related insurance.  1) Flight insurance is simply extra life insurance for air travel.  2) Baggage insurance insures your luggage and its contents.  3) International medical insurance is medical insurance that reimburses you for medical expenses incurred while traveling.  4) Emergency evacuation insurance covers the cost of transporting a seriously injured or ill person to an adequate medical facility.  5) Trip cancellation / interruption insurance reimburses you for any non-refundable travel expenses when a trip is cancelled or interrupted due to emergency, airline strike, bankruptcy, accident, etc.

It is a good idea to check your current insurance policies with your agent to see if, what, and how much travel coverage you may already have, before purchasing more insurance.  (Homeowner’s insurance may provide some baggage coverage.  Health insurance may cover some international medical care.)  As with any insurance, there are a multitude of plans, options, deductibles, limits and exclusions.  Talk with a trusted insurance agent, who can help you decide what travel insurance is right for your needs.
Internet Travel Resources
This month we spotlight some travel insurance related web sites.  They can help you learn more about travel insurance, available plans and coverage details, and compare prices.

(www.insuremytrip.com) Insure My Trip – Provides travel insurance comparisons between fourteen companies.
(www.worldtravelcenter.com) World Travel Center – Travel insurance marketplace and comparison site.
(www.travelguard.com) TravelGuard – A long established and well-known travel insurance company.
(www.accessamerica.com) Access America – Another well recognized travel insurance company.

For more travel-related web sites, check out our Travel Links Page.  Let us know if you have found a great travel-related web site that you would like us to share with your fellow travelers!
Product Spotlight
We all try to pack as much as we possibly can into our luggage.  Maximizing space is essential and Eagle Creek’s Pack-It® Compressor Sacs are a great packing accessory for exactly that.  Put any bulkier items (fleece, sweaters, pillows, etc.) that you’re packing into Compressor Sac(s).  “Zip” the top closed, compress the Sac to force the air out the unique one-way valves, and then just pack the Compressor Sac in your bag.  With all of the air out, the volume of the items is reduced and the items take up much less packing space.  Pack-It® Compressor Sacs are re-useable.  They’re also a great way to pack away blankets, fleece and other bulky items for winter storage!
Upcoming Travel Programs
Tuesday, March 9th (7:30pm) - Brazil
Brazil is truly a country that ignites the traveler's imagination!  From the vastness of the Amazon and the world's largest tropical rainforest to the Pantanal, a vast wetland and home to a myriad of birds and wildlife, Brazil is an adventurer's paradise.  Visit dazzling Iguacu Falls, the historical colonial city and baroque architecture of Ouro Preto, and one of the world's greatest cities, Rio de Janeiro!  Great beaches, samba dances, churrasco meat dinners, and Copacabana are some of the many highlights of our visit.  We end in the wonderful city of Recife, "the Venice of Brazil".
Tuesday, March 16th (7:30pm) - TRAVEL PACKING CLINIC: "How To Pack For A European Vacation"
Our focus tonight is packing light for your next European excursion!  The latest in travel tips for easy packing.  Learn the secrets of traveling light and avoid the hassles of over-packing.  You'll discover travel tips on how to be an organized traveler by packing efficiently.  YOU can be the experienced traveler who zooms through airport security checks.  Join us for a fun night.
Tuesday, March 23rd - SPRING TRAVEL FASHION SHOW
It's springtime again and that means it's time for our annual show of the latest and greatest travel fashions!  We'll show you clothing and accessories that will make you look great both HERE and AWAY!  Packable, easy care fabrics in fun, fashionable styles await you!  Join us for a little wine & cheese and lots of fashions & fun!!
Tuesday, March 30th (7:30pm) - Siberia
Siberia's legendary winters are matched by her surprisingly hot, dry summers.  Her famous acres of vast tundra are greatly outnumbered by millions of square miles of forests, mountains, and plains.  Join Cyndra Dietz on her trip to help the native Burnat peoples develop environmental education programs.  She travels to remote villages, farms, schools and sacred springs, and takes a 2-week mountain trek near Lake Baikal, the biggest, deepest and purest body of fresh water in the world.
Tuesday, April 6th (7:30pm) - Europe By Rail
Thinking of going to Europe?  Think about traveling by train!  Join Susan Lewis, Regional Manager from Rail Europe, for an informative evening explaining the many options of train travel in Europe.  Whether traveling to one country or several, for a few weeks or a few months, Susan will show you a train option that could fit your needs.  Bring your questions and we’ll help you plan your train travel for the European trip of a lifetime.
Suggested Reading
“12,000 Miles In The Nick Of Time: A Semi-Dysfunctional Family Circumnavigates the Globe” by Mark Jacobson, 2003, published by Atlantic Monthly Press.  Determined to counter the effects of American mass media and pop culture and expose them to more of the world, noted journalist Mark Jacobson and his wife took their three kids (aged 16, 12 and 9) on a round-the-world trek through Southeast Asia, the Middle East, England and France.  Their adventures don’t go as planned, but the best travel often doesn’t.  Their adventures were hugely educational for the kids and make a wonderful family comedy for the reader to enjoy.
Just For Fun
A couple known for working hard all their lives have been fortunate enough to be able to do lots of well-deserved traveling since they retired.  Their children recently received a post card from them that stated, "We’re having a great time!  Over the last several years, we’ve visited China, Scandinavia, Italy, Africa and South America.  You may not inherit much money but you'll definitely be getting a whole lot of slides."
Newsletter Subscriptions
If you know anyone else who would like to receive our free monthly newsletter, please send an e-mail with “subscribe newsletter” in the subject box to newsletter@cil.com.   To unsubscribe, just send an e-mail with “unsubscribe” in the subject box.
"Travel takes us up to the next level of consciousness,
where new insights about ourselves await us.”
    - Joseph Dispenza
Happy Travels!
Back To Previous Page


www.cil.com		 Changes In Latitude    2525 Arapahoe    Boulder, CO 80302    USA
phone: 303-786-8406     fax: (303) 786-8408
e-mail: adventure@cil.com
www.cil.com
Changes In Latitude Travel Store - Travel Accessories - Luggage - Books & Maps - Travel Clothing
Changes In Latitude Home Page - Newsletters - Packing Tips - Packing Checklist - Baggage Regulations

Copyright ©2004 Changes In Latitude     All rights reserved