Apropos of nothing, a Czech dude on an upside-down horse. Mustn’t have had a travel agent to answer his ?’s.
This post will be updated regularly (most recently on April 21, 2025) with answers to common traveler questions. Pose your own in the comments below, and you might just get them answered.
Passports
You’ve gotta have a valid passport to leave and re-enter the US. Many countries (and accordingly, airlines) require you to have six months of validity remaining on yours after the return date for your trip. Make sure to check both the requirements of your airline and destination AND your passport expiration date before booking.
You’re better off renewing it early (yes, you can renew it early) than waiting too late.
REAL ID
The TSA is finally about to (as I write) enforce the Real ID requirement at checkpoints: your driver’s license or other ID used to fly needs to have a gold star on it indicating Real ID compliance. Your passport, passport card, and Global Entry card will also work (and will not have the star tag on them).
General rules for selecting and managing flights
A number of factors can impact flights, from delays caused by weather, mechanical issues, or staffing to strikes impacting foreign airports or airlines, for which you simply can’t plan. Two things you can do: know what your other transport options are that’ll get you where you need to go, and carry travel insurance.
Non-stop is better than w/ stops because connections are subject to lots of different factors out of your control.
Earlier flights are generally less susceptible to delays, weather.
I always book the second-to-last flight home from MX—because then there’s at least one later flight you could get on if needed. [Learned this the hard way.]
Fly in the day before a cruise departs, not the day of.
Give yourself a cushion, when possible, on the back end of a trip, so that if you’re delayed, you’re not SOL with work, etc.
Consider splurging on premium economy or business class. That flight over the Atlantic is LONG.
Euronet ATM. Avoid.
Cash
I usually either grab some local currency when I land from a bank ATM in my destination (being careful to avoid Travelex or Euronet branded ATMs, or other random brands, that charge high fees, may kidnap your card) OR I convert $100 or two at a bank before I travel. Using a local ATM usually saves some fees. I use a Charles Schwab debit card exclusively when I travel—no ATM fees anywhere. See my article on this here.
Global Entry
Global Entry is a program of the US Customs and Border Patrol agency that gives travelers quicker (much quicker) passage through passport control when they return to the US. The program also includes TSA Pre-Check, which gives you expedited security line access in the US (but not overseas). If you’re trying to choose which if the two to apply for, pick Global Entry if you ever travel outside the US. Note that an in-person appointment with CBP is required for approval—but this can be completed as you re-enter the US in some cases. Now, your Global Entry card also serves as a Real ID compliant option at the airport, too.
CLEAR
Clear is a paid program to speed you through security at participating US airports (and some concert/sporting venues). One of my credit cards includes it as a benefit, so I applied—and I love it. It’s only available currently at one terminal at my home airport (DFW, terminal E)—but it’s the one I use the most these days, so that works for me. Combine this with PreCheck (which I have through Global Entry) for the speediest way through security. Having used it for six months or so, I’d pay the fee for this (but again, I don’t have to currently bc CC benefit).
Visas/ETIAS
Visas are not currently required for European travel—but a visa waiver is required to enter the UK. European entry is scheduled to change in 2026, when the EU will implement a new requirement (which matches US requirements for Europeans, so if this annoys you, thank our government) called ETIAS. You’ll fill out a form and pay a very small fee (roughly $ 8) before you go. NBD. You’ll then need this for entry to European Union and Schengen zone countries. But not yet. [See next item, related.]
How do I know if I need a visa/vaccine/etc?
Short answer: go to Sherpa and put in your travel details. Longer answer: double check this against your destination’s state or tourism department’s site to make sure you’re getting accurate and current info.
This is always a passenger/client responsibility. Making sure you meet a country’s entry requirements is up to you. Make sure to do your due diligence on this front—and ask your travel agent (me!) if you have questions.
