meaning of travel plans

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• Planning Travel

How to Make Successful Traveling Plans

Last Updated: August 6, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Amy Tan . Amy Tan is a Travel Planner and the Founder of Planet Hoppers, a boutique travel design team founded in 2002. Planet Hoppers specializes in brainstorming and creating itineraries for dream vacations, honeymoons, exotic adventures, family reunions, and group trips. Planet Hoppers is a TRUE accredited travel agency and a member of the Signature Travel Network, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), and Travel Leaders. Amy earned a BA in Communications and a BS in Physics from the University of California, Davis in 2000. There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 93,436 times.

Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, every trip needs a little planning. Things like flights and hotels have to be booked in advance to make sure you get the itinerary you need. Travel planning doesn’t have to be stressful, though. As long as you allow yourself plenty of time to look around, compare prices, and make sure you have everything you need before you leave, you can plan a great travel experience.

Getting Started

• As a general rule, give yourself 6 months to plan an international trip, 3 months to plan a domestic vacation, and at least 4-6 weeks for a trip like a long weekend.
• Some major destinations such as resorts may require a deposit well in advance. As soon as you decide on a destination, contact them to figure out if they require a deposit, and how far in advance you need to pay it.
• If you are planning a last-minute trip, be mindful that you will need to be flexible in where you go and exactly what your vacation will look like. You can certainly plan a successful last-minute vacation, but it often takes more maneuvering.

• Your budget breakdown will vary significantly depending on your trip. If you're going abroad, for example, a lot of your budget may be dedicated to transportation. If you're planning a food tour, you may be spending a lot on meals but relatively little on attractions.
• Remember to plan for little things like taxis or ride shares around town, the cost of boarding your pets, foreign transaction fees, baggage fees, and different sales tax rates in different regions.
• It’s wise to set aside about 10% of your overall vacation fund as an emergency fund for unforeseen circumstances. Forgetting your sunscreen at home, having to take a taxi because you missed the last bus, and ordering an extra drink at dinner all add up. Have an emergency credit card in case you need it, but try to avoid relying on credit cards to curb the potential for overspending.

• If, for example, you want to take an international trip to Paris but you only have 2 vacation days, Paris probably isn’t the right destination at this time. You can always choose to wait until you have more vacation saved up or choose a destination that doesn’t require such a large time commitment for both transit and tourism.
• Likewise, if you are meeting a client with offices downtown, don’t stay in a far-off suburb to avoid the city noise. It can often take a lot of valuable time to commute in the morning -- and that's time you could be using to prepare for your meeting.

• Consider the age groups traveling with you. If you're bringing kids, look for a destination that has kid-friendly activities. If, for example, your child loves dinosaurs, check a destination's natural history museum to see if it has an interactive exhibit on the subject.
• If you and your travel companions like outdoor activities, check the predicted forecast for your destination well in advance to make sure you can participate in the activities you enjoy. Most weather websites and almanacs provide seasonal weather trend information.
• Consider the physical abilities of yourself and your travel companions, too. Your aging parent may want to see the history in Philadelphia, for example, but if they have limited mobility, the relative lack of things like elevators and escalators might make it difficult to visit popular destinations.

• Different countries may have different entry requirements. That’s why it’s important to look for your destination country’s embassy for your home country. This will give you information relevant to you.
• Even if no immunizations are required for entry, it may be advisable to get them if you are traveling to a high-risk area. Check with your country’s department of public health or disease control to see what immunizations they recommend for your intended destination.

• Even if you don't need full-time care for kids or pets, it may be worthwhile to book a house sitter. This person can check your mail, water your plants, and generally just make sure that your home is in order while you're away.
• For small pets like rodents and fish, you may be able to ask your house sitter to feed them and clean their bowl or cage while you're gone. These pets don't necessarily need to stay with someone full-time while you're away.

Making Reservations and an Itinerary

• When traveling to a different country, local aggregate booking sites may offer better deals than the ones you find in your home country. Check local listings to see if you can grab a better deal.
• To get the best idea of how pricing varies, compare itineraries that are the same. Check the same dates and destinations on different sites to see where you can really find the best deals.
• If you’re traveling as a representative of a particular company or organization, they may have an in-house travel site or travel booker that you are required to use. Check with your company’s administrative department to see if that’s the case.

• Likewise, if you're planning on staying in a hostel, hostel-booking sites usually have better offers than hotel booking sites. HostelWorld.com and HostelBookers.com are two options with extensive listings.
• If you're going camping, check your site well in advance. Popular campsites like Big Bend National Park in Texas can run out of permits months in advance. Don't assume you can just show up at a campsite and set up your tent. You often need to reserve a spot on site.
• Think about different routes you can take to get to your destination. Flights directly into Washington DC are often expensive, for example, because the DC airports are close to public transportation, hotels, and attractions. Flying into Baltimore is often more affordable, and still puts you a 20-minute train ride away from DC.

• For international trips, you may need to book further in advance, especially if you are flying or taking a cruise. Try to book at least 4 months out from your intended departure date in these cases.
• Trips taken during popular travel times should also be booked further in advance. If you plan to go to Boston for St. Patrick’s Day, for example, expect hotels to fill up months in advance.
• Some modes of transportation don’t require you to book as far in advance as others. A train, for example, may only require a reservation the week before your departure. Check your carrier to see their suggested booking time frame.

• Think about what meals may be included with your accommodations. Does your hotel offer free breakfast? If not, you may need to adjust your budget to include breakfasts.
• If you're staying at an all-inclusive resort or on a cruise, check with the resort to see if you need to book meals in advance. At some resorts and on some cruises, you have to make reservations for a certain seating time, even if the meal is included in your price.
• Consider your flight, too. If you have a long-haul flight where a meal is included, let the airline know about any dietary restrictions you may have at least 1 week before you depart. This way, you can ensure you get the right in-flight meal for your diet.

• Your daily itinerary doesn’t have to be elaborate. It may be as simple as “Breakfast: 9-10, Acropolis tour: 10:30-12:30, explore the city after the tour ends.” Just make sure you include those things that are really important for you to see and do.
• If you’re traveling for business, your itinerary may have to be more formal. Check with your company or client to see if you need to submit a formal itinerary for your meetings and activities.
• Leave some room in between activities in case things run long or you have any unexpected delays. You don't need to plan every minute of every day, just make sure you have time to fit in those things that are really important for you to see or do.

Getting Ready to Go

• The duration of your trip will also influence how much you pack. You likely won’t need 12 pairs of underwear for a weekend getaway.
• Try to pack light , sheddable layers such as shirts, light sweaters or cardigans, jackets, etc. This way, you can add on or remove a piece to suit the weather without having to pack entirely different outfits for different temperatures.

• Mobile phone charges
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Deodorant or antiperspirant
• An umbrella

• For example, in the US, appliances are 110 volts. In the EU, they're 220 volts. If your electronic has a plug or printing somewhere on it that says "110-220," this means the item is safe to use for both voltages.
• If you use an electronic item with incompatible voltage, it could short circuit your item and permanently damage or destroy it. It is also a fire hazard.
• Even if your item is safe for both voltages, it probably doesn't have a plug for both. You need an adapter or converter to plug into the wall outlets at your destination. Different countries have different outlets, so check online and buy your adapter before you depart.

• Ask them about any vaccinations they may advise for your destination, and talk to them about any preventative medications you may need to take while traveling. If, for example, you're going to a place where malaria is common, you may be given a preventative pill.

• 2-3 color copies of your government-issued ID or the information page of your passport
• A copy of your visa, if applicable
• Copies of your transportation and accommodations bookings
• A list of numbers for anyone important back home
• Enough cash to get you to your local embassy or emergency services (enough for a taxi ride from one end of your destination city to the other should be enough)
• An extra dose of any regular medication you take, as well as a few over-the-counter medications like pain relievers, antacids, and antihistamines.

Expert Q&A

• Pass your itinerary along to a friend or family member so that someone else has your information in the case of an emergency. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Remember to take some time to relax and enjoy yourself. Travel planning can be stressful, but the travel, itself, can be an amazing experience. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/when-is-the-best-time-to-book-your-vacation/2017/10/26/6bcb052e-b5ab-11e7-be94-fabb0f1e9ffb_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.da59e7b03972
• ↑ Amy Tan. Travel Planner. Expert Interview. 12 March 2020.
• ↑ https://www.theglobetrottingteacher.com/how-to-successfully-choose-your-travel-destination/
• ↑ https://travel.usnews.com/features/tips-for-getting-an-international-visa
• ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/14/realestate/how-to-protect-your-house-when-youre-on-vacation.html
• ↑ https://www.smartertravel.com/2017/06/19/10-tips-finding-cheap-airfare/
• ↑ https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/finance/cheap-hotel-booking/
• ↑ https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/credit-cards/how-to-save-on-food-and-drink-costs-while-traveling/
• ↑ https://www.smartertravel.com/2017/06/19/create-perfect-travel-itinerary/
• ↑ https://thesavvybackpacker.com/how-to-dress-for-winter-in-europe-learn-to-layer/
• ↑ https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/phones-tech/electric-adapters-converters
• ↑ https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/see-doctor
• ↑ https://www.corporatetravelsafety.com/safety-tips/create-an-emergency-passport-kit/

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How to Write a Travel Plan: Your Ultimate Guide

• 3 minute read

• January 11, 2024
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Table of Contents Show

Understanding the importance of a travel plan, step 1: determine your destination and duration, step 2: set a budget, step 3: research your destination, step 4: create a flexible itinerary, step 5: arrange transportation and accommodation, step 6: pack wisely, step 7: prepare for emergencies, step 8: stay flexible and open-minded, conclusion: how to write a travel plan.

Organizing a trip can be an exciting yet difficult job. Whether you’re getting up for a weekend trip or a globetrotting adventure, having a good travel plan in place can make all the difference. In this thorough guide, we’ll walk you through how to write a travel plan that ensures a smooth and memorable journey.

Before getting into the nitty-gritty details of making your trip plan, let’s first discuss why it’s important. A well-thought-out trip plan serves as a guide for your journey, helping you stay organized, handle your budget effectively, and make the most of your time at your location.

It allows you to predict possible difficulties and ensures that you don’t miss out on any must-see sites or events.

The first step in how to write a travel plan is picking where you want to go and how long you’ll be staying. Whether you’re thinking of a sunny beach break, a culture experience in a busy city, or an adventure in the great outdoors, defining your location and length sets the base for your entire schedule.

Once you’ve chosen your location and length, it’s time to set a budget for your trip. Consider things such as transportation, lodging, food, events, and keepsakes.

Be serious about your financial limits and select your spending based on what means most to you. Remember to factor in any extra fees or surprise costs that may arise during your trips.

Before you start planning out your schedule, take some time to study your location carefully. Learn about its history, traditions, and area sites. Familiarize yourself with the weather conditions, transportation choices, and any travel warnings or safety measures you should be aware of.

The more informed you are, the better prepared you’ll be to make smart choices and approach your goal with confidence.

With your location, cash, and study in mind, it’s time to draft your schedule. Outline a rough schedule of activities and sightseeing possibilities, keeping in mind factors such as opening hours, travel time between places, and any bookings or tickets you need to book in advance.

Be sure to leave room for flexibility and surprising finds, as some of the best trip adventures happen when you least expect them.

Once you have a rough schedule in place, it’s important to secure your transportation and lodging preparations. Whether you’re planning flights, trains, rental cars, or hotels, be sure to check prices, read reviews, and book early to secure the best deals. C

onsider factors such as location, services, and cancelation rules to ensure a relaxed and stress-free vacation experience.

Packing can be one of the most difficult parts of trip planning, but it doesn’t have to be. Start by making a list of necessary things based on your location, hobbies, and temperature. Pack light and flexible clothes that can be mixed and matched for different situations.

Don’t forget to include any important papers, medicines, and toiletries. And remember, it’s okay to pack less and buy things as needed during your trip.

No matter how well you plan, surprising events can still happen during your trips. Be proactive by planning for possible problems in advance. Make copies of important papers such as your passport, trip insurance policy, and schedule, and keep them in a safe place away from the originals.

Familiarize yourself with area emergency services and medical facilities, and consider getting trip insurance for extra peace of mind.

Finally, know that no trip plan is set in stone. Be prepared to change and adjust your schedule as needed based on unforeseen situations or random chances that appear along the way.

Embrace the unexpected and approach your trips with an open mind and a sense of excitement. After all, the best memories are often made when we step outside of our comfort zones and welcome the unknown.

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Best Safari Tours in Africa

In conclusion, making a trip plan is a crucial step in ensuring a good and fun journey. By following these easy steps and staying prepared, informed, and open, you can build a trip plan that allows you to make the most of your adventures and create memories that last a lifetime. Happy trips!

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How to Write a Travel Itinerary (Template and Tips)

Being able to write a good itinerary is a powerful tool in the travel industry. A travel itinerary isn’t just a list of things to do. It’s a stop-by-stop break down of how a traveler should spend their time.

Whether you’re a travel agent, blogger, content writer, or anything in between, itineraries are fundamental.

Creating effective itineraries is also a valuable skill if you’re a traveler. If you can craft a compelling trip plan, you’re in for a holiday that will show you and your loved ones an amazing time.

Why take our advice? We’re highly experienced in the itinerary game. 🙂 The Travel Tractions content team has crafted over 500,000 words worth of travel itineraries in the last 3 months alone.

We know our stuff, and we’re here to share it with you. The following is a detailed guide on how to make a travel itinerary.

Travel Itinerary Template

An itinerary will pretty much always be broken down into days (unless it’s a 24-hour itinerary). Each day is further broken down into individual stops , which are typically the recommended points of interest and attractions.

The days and stops are the meat of the itinerary, but most itineraries will be supplemented with additional information to further help the reader.

Have a look at how we added a practical packing list in this 3 day London itinerary .

We recommend structuring your vacation itinerary in a similar way to the following:

Introduction

Every good blog post needs an introduction. For your itinerary, this will be a brief overview of the destination and why it’s an attractive place to visit. Sell the itinerary here. Give the reader a good reason to stay engaged and continue reading.

Brief Overview

Offer a bullet-pointed breakdown of the itinerary, outlining the stops. This allows the reader to understand if it’s right for them before reading in full.

Day 1, etc.

This is where you lay out the stops for each day. Give some insightful and interesting information about each stop.

The aim here is to get them excited about what you’re suggesting / offering. Don’t overwhelm them with information, just whet their appetite.

Make each stop a heading, and include useful information such as opening hours, cost, and which kind of traveler is best catered for here. You can add must-visit food stops as well, or simply leave that choice up to the reader.

Check out how we helped our readers organize a 7-day trip to Bali .

Looking to generate more income with your content? Click here to view our Content Marketing Strategy packages

Other Useful Information

In this section, offer some extra information that will help the user get the most out of their experience. Some things you can add include:

• Tell the reader a bit about how to get around, transport options, and things to be prepared for.
• Discuss the best places to stay and suggest a few options for accommodation that you know are great.
• Make some restaurant recommendations and mention any other foodie stops that haven’t made it into your itinerary stops.
• Include a packing list if you feel it’s an important aspect (or write a separate packing list post and take advantage of some internal linking).

This section exists to help close the itinerary in a satisfying way. Offer a brief summary and some final thoughts. Reaffirm the reasons why the destination is attractive, and why your itinerary is the best on offer.

Important Considerations for Writing an Itinerary

So, now you’ve got the outline for a successful itinerary. But you’ll need to fill this skeleton with high-quality content in order to produce something valuable. Taking into account the following considerations and tips will help you do so.

Decide the Length of the Itinerary

Before writing anything, you’ll need to decide the length of your itinerary. Are you offering an itinerary for three days? five days? one week?

The best option will largely depend on the size of the destination and how much it offers in terms of things to do. For example, most travelers will probably spend at least a week in Bali but perhaps just two or three days in Amsterdam.

This can generally be determined with some logical thinking or past experience. But a bit of keyword research can really help uncover what your audience is truly looking for.

If you already have an idea of what you’d like the reader to see and do, you can base the length of the trip on the time it’ll take them to see it all.

Decide on the Stops & Attractions

Once you’ve decided on a number of days, you’ll need to figure out how the reader should fill their time.

Ask yourself questions like:

• What are the most popular landmarks, attractions, and points of interest?
• What will offer the most memorable experience?
• Are there any unheard of spots that will enrich the experience and make it unique?

Deciding on the stops can be done through a combination of experience, prior knowledge, and research.

Looking for expertly-written, SEO content? Click here to view our affordable content writing packages

What’s Achievable?

How much can the reader realistically fit in the time allotted? We know it’s easy to get excited about all the amazing things that a travel destination has to offer. But it’s important to keep it realistic.

The last thing you want is to over-promise on what can be achieved during a trip, only to leave the reader rushing from one attraction to the next without time to appreciate each one. They could even end up abandoning the itinerary altogether.

Plan Out Logical Routes

It’s very important that you consider the geography of the destination when structuring an itinerary. You need to plan out logical routes between stops in order to minimize travel and maximize efficiency. If two or more attractions are close to one another geographically, it only makes sense to visit them at the same time.

Use your knowledge of the area in combination with Google Maps to plot out a route for each day’s itinerary.

Offer Insider Tips

Try to offer unique insights and ideas, insider tips, and some off-the-beaten-track gems.

The reader wants to know that they’re in reliable and experienced hands. Unique and valuable guidance will also help your itinerary stand out against those offering more generic advice.

You can provide these at any point throughout the itinerary. Wherever they fit best.

Be Specific and Unambiguous

Itineraries provide insightful guidance to those who want to be guided. To those who want their trip to be planned for them.

Therefore, it is your job to guide them fully . Don’t offer too much in the way of flexibility. Display conviction in your chosen stops. Show confidence that if they follow your itinerary to a T, they’ll have a great time.

Include Captivating Images

High-quality images transport the reader to the destination before they’ve left their seats. They’re one of the strongest mediums for generating excitement and anticipation for an upcoming trip. They also help break up long blocks of text.

Including images frequently is a great way to keep your reader’s attention and enhance their experience.

You can use images from your own trip, or curate some top-notch stock images .

Implement SEO

Data-focused, strategic SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) underpins all of our content. And if your itinerary is being written for the web, it should underpin yours too. Good SEO can help ensure that your itinerary is seen by as many people as possible. And if you’re in the travel business, getting your travel material seen should be a top priority.

Final Thoughts

If you were wondering how to write an itinerary, you landed in the right place. We hope this trip itinerary template helps you craft well-rounded, engaging, and realistic itineraries that leave readers delighted.

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Plan, Ready, Go®

How to Plan a Travel Itinerary: The Complete Guide

You’ve chosen your destination, booked your transportation, and maybe even your accommodations. Now…you just have to figure out what in the world you’re going to do while you’re there.

In this post, we’re going to take a deep dive into how to plan a travel itinerary , the nitty-gritty of how to put together your schedule of sites, museums, and activities.

Key takeaways

• Prioritize and list your “must-do” sites and activities.
• Do thorough research on your destination
• Organize your wish list into “must-do,” “want-to-do,” and “nice-to-do” categories.
• Compile all the practical details for each activity, such as operating hours, fees, and booking requirements.
• Build your itinerary by scheduling must-do activities first and filling in with want-to-dos and nice-to-dos.

This post includes affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  See disclaimer.  

I’m a very detail-oriented kind of person (you know, the kind of person who makes lists for EVERYTHING), so this method of itinerary planning may not be of interest to the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of traveler.

If you’re not as hyper-organized as I am, you can easily modify this method for how you like to travel. It’s logical itinerary planning at its best.

I won’t be going over in this post how I research and plan for dining options since that’s a more complicated topic for me and my husband (as a celiac and a vegetarian) than the average traveler.

That’s probably a topic for a separate post. So, let’s get planning.

Getting started on your itinerary planning

“I’m heading to Rome/New York City/Paris/Mexico City for X number of days. What should I do and see while I’m there?”

I see similar questions all over Facebook literally every day, and I understand why. It can be overwhelming to plan a travel itinerary.

Let’s say you’re planning to spend five days in New York . How do you decide what to do for those five days? Where do you even start your search for the best ideas for sites to visit?

Side note: for simplicity’s sake, throughout this post, I’m going to use the word “site” to refer to anything (not eating) that you will want to make time for on your trip. These could be monuments, national parks, palaces, museums, activities, guided tours, etc.

There’s no real wrong way to plan your itinerary…just kidding. You have to do it my way.

No, seriously.

Okay…let’s get started.

When I’m planning a travel itinerary, I go through five phases of the process before I arrive at my final draft.

• Preliminary brainstorming
• Destination research
• Fleshing out my wish list
• Site/activity research
• Building my itinerary

I know this seems like a lot, but trust me, you’ll want to know you’ve considered all your options before you go on your trip.

You’ll thank me later.

Read More → Travel Planning Resources

Planning an itinerary starts with brainstorming your wish list

So, you’ve booked your trip, but your itinerary is completely blank. Your destination is your oyster, but where and how do you start?

Your first step is to do some preliminary brainstorming. If you’re heading to a top tourist destination, you probably already have some idea of the specific sites you want to visit (e.g., the Colosseum, Eiffel Tower, Chichen Itza, etc.).

If you’re going someplace completely unfamiliar to you, your brainstorming phase may be quite short but it can also be less specific if that helps (e.g., important historical sites, whatever the most important art museum is, popular beach, etc.).

To help yourself with your brainstorming, you can ask yourself the following questions:

• What are the famous/popular sites my destination is most known for?
• What are the top, must-do sites or activities I already know I want to do on this trip?
• Why are my spouse’s/travel partner’s must-do sites or activities for this trip? If children are traveling with you, why not include them in the brainstorming? They’ll love feeling like they’ve been a part of planning the trip.
• What are the kinds of activities we most enjoy while traveling in general?

Great! Write all of this down. Don’t worry. Nothing’s set in stone yet.

And the sky’s the limit. We’re not yet worrying about the costs involved or how much time we have.

Write it all down. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

[cue Jeopardy! theme music]

Okay, keep this list handy; it’s time to do some basic research on your destination.

TIP: Keep track of all of your important travel details with a digital travel planner like this . Prefer paper planners? Grab your printable travel itinerary planner pages here.

Research your destination

This is where I start to go crazy with research. I’ll take in anything and everything I can about my destination. The more good information I have, the better equipped I am to make good decisions about my itinerary.

And don’t assume you already know enough about where you’re headed.

Before I started researching Paris, I had never heard of Sacré-Coeur (which is one of the great free things to do in Paris , by the way) or Les Invalides.

We ended up visiting both on our trip.

Here are the questions I keep in mind as I do this research:

• What is my destination known for? Is it art, the natural landscape, history, architecture, etc.?
• What season will it be at my destination? Are there any popular seasonal activities I’d like to try while I’m there?
• Are there any special holiday events or festivals taking place there that I’d be interested in attending?
• What is the weather typically like there that time of the year and month? In other words, will I be comfortable spending long periods outdoors, or will I want to spend more time indoors?
• What are the public transportation options at my destination? Is there a good metro/public transportation system or will I have to rely on taxis, ride-sharing, or walking to get around?
• Where are my accommodations in relation to the major site on my list?
• Does my destination offer any kind of city or museum pass?

Side note: If you haven’t yet booked your accommodations, now is a good time to take a look at a map. Do a large number of must-do sites on your wish list cluster in a certain area? If so, you might want to consider booking accommodations nearby to simplify your transportation needs. This isn’t always a good idea but consider it.

Read More → Is it Worth it to Use Booking.com?

Read More → Booking.com or Direct with Hotel: Which is Better?

Where do I find this information? Here are a few suggestions:

• Do some simple Google searches and look around the different results for up-to-date information about your destination.
• Head over to Pinterest to discover what travel bloggers ( ahem ) have to say.
• Buy some good travel guidebooks and start reading.
• Watch YouTube videos about your destination.
• Armed with this pile of new information, you’re going to go back to your list.

Flesh out your wish list

As you researched your destination, you likely noticed certain sightseeing ideas or recommendations coming up over and over again.

• If they’re already on your brainstorm list, great! Leave them there.
• If you’ve never heard of or considered them, but they now sound interesting, add them to your list.
• If there’s something you’ve changed your mind about, go ahead and take it off your list if you really want to, otherwise, leave it on the list. You can always remove it later.

It’s okay at this point if your list has far more ideas on it than you can possibly fit into your trip. We’ll work on narrowing it down later.

After doing my research, I discovered a lot more ideas for things to do in Paris and sites to visit than were on my first brainstorming list. But…what if you’re finding the opposite to be the case?

What if you’ve booked yourself a round-trip plane ticket to your destination, but you’re finding only enough you’re interested in doing to fill a much shorter time than you’re planning to be there?

You have a couple of options:

• If you haven’t booked your accommodations yet, or you can still change/cancel your reservation, consider adding a destination to your trip. For example, if you’re flying into and out of Zurich, Switzerland, but are finding more that interests you perhaps in Lucerne (or beyond), consider spending at least a portion of your trip outside Zurich.
• If you have booked your accommodations and your reservation cannot be changed, consider adding day trips to your itinerary. For example, if you’re staying in Florence, Italy, you could take the train to Pisa or Lucca for the day.

By now you should have a good sense of what your itinerary could look like; it’s starting to take shape.

Specific site or activity research

Okay, so you have this beautiful, and probably fairly lengthy list of things you’d like to see and do on your trip.

Now you get to do research on each of these items individually. Yay! Seriously…I love this part.

To start, you’re going to break down your wish list into four sections. If your list is pretty long, you can re-write it into these four sections, but if it’s on the shorter side, it’s okay to do this mentally.

Must-do sites.

These are the places people traverse the globe to see…the Eiffel Tower, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pyramids of Giza, Great Wall of China. You get it.

These are the non-negotiable ones. They go in the itinerary no matter what.

Want-to-do sites.

These are the second-tier sites for your trip, the things you want to make room for, but won’t necessarily dissolve into tears if you can’t manage it.

Examples from my travels would include the Rodin Museum (Paris), Trevi Fountain (Rome), or walking the entire High Line in New York City.

Nice-to-do sites.

These are the minor sites and activities that will become the filler in your itinerary. On my itineraries, these are things like “sit on the Spanish Steps” or “buy cheese from a fromagerie.”

I don’t care if we do this or not.

These are the sites that are first on the chopping block once we start to build the actual itinerary. Or you may have cut them already once you did your destination research.

Now that you have your sites grouped, the next thing to do is your research. For at least each of your must-do and want-to-do sites you need to know the following:

• What days of the week is it open and what are the operating hours?
• What is the entrance fee (if any)?
• What is the best day of the week to visit?
• Do you need to book tickets or make a reservation ahead of time? If so, how far in advance can you book/should you book?
• Where is it and how do I get there? I especially want to know how far it is from my accommodations and how far it is from other major sites on my list.

Side note: The My Maps feature in Google Maps is an invaluable part of this phase of the itinerary planning process for me. You can pin locations, organize and color code sites to visit, and even add personal notes.

Narrowing it down

Okay, now you have even more information about your destination. Here’s where you start making some changes to your list.

At this stage, I may move sites from one section of my wish list to another. Something might move up on the list, for example, if I discover that it’s very near one of my must-do’s, or if it’s free to visit.

This is how we ended up going to Les Invalides; it wasn’t anywhere near the top of our list, but it’s right across the street from the Rodin Museum (which was something I wanted to do) AND it’s covered by the Paris Museum Pass. It was super easy to just pop in for a bit after the Rodin Museum, but we probably wouldn’t have made a separate trip.

Something might move down the list (or come off the list entirely) if I learn it’s very out of the way or more of a financial investment than my particular budget for this trip can support.

Should I purchase a city or museum pass?

Let’s revisit the city/museum pass question from the destination research phase.

If your destination offers one (or a few), take the time to consider if it’s worth it for you to purchase for your trip. We used the Museum Pass on our trip to Paris (and highly recommend it), but decided against buying the Firenze Card for our trip to Florence, Italy .

Here are some criteria I use to judge whether a city or museum pass is worth it for us to purchase for a particular trip:

• What sites are covered? Will you have to book entrance to many of your must-do/want-to-do sites separately or are most covered by the pass?
• Does the pass offer you unlimited entry to covered sites or can you use it one time only?
• Will you save money if you buy the pass? It’s not necessarily a deal breaker if it doesn’t. The convenience of not having to book entrance reservations to sites ahead of time can outweigh some financial disincentives.
• Does the pass cover any public transportation you’re planning to use or just site entrance fees?
• For how many days is the pass valid versus how many days you will be at your destination? For example, we chose not to buy the Firenze Card on our trip to Florence, because it’s only good for 72 hours, and we were spending 8 nights there. Purchasing two cards each would have cost us far more than paying for our chosen sites individually.

How do I decide what to cut from my itinerary?

This part of the process is highly personal. Only you can really decide if a particular site or activity is “worth it” to you.

The decision to buy or not to buy a city or museum pass may affect how you narrow down your list. If you have to purchase entrance tickets to all of your sites individually, you may end up having to spend more money to see everything (or cut sites to stay within your budget).

Or if you do decide to purchase a pass but a site on your list is not covered, you may find yourself considering leaving it off your list.

On the other hand, if you have a pass you may see more sites overall because you’ve already paid for admission.

…If that makes sense.

At this stage of the itinerary planning process, if there’s anything on my list that makes us say “meh” it goes on the “I don’t care” list.

Build the trip itinerary

Okay. You’ve done your research, you’ve decided whether you’re buying that city pass and you’ve refined your site wish list.

You’re ready to build your itinerary! I’m going to use our recent trip to Paris to demonstrate how I put it all together.

The non-negotiables get top priority.

For each full day on your trip, choose one or two of your must-do’s or want-to-do’s: one first thing in the morning and one for later that day.

Your must-do’s (your non-negotiables) go on the schedule first and as early in your trip as you possibly can.

If you arrived in Paris on April 14, 2019, and decided to put off seeing Notre-Dame until later in the week, you were probably pretty disappointed on April 15 as the world watched the devastating fire that closed it down.

Don’t. Put. It. Off.

For our trip to Paris, we each had one non-negotiable: the Louvre and the Palais Garnier. We did them both on our first full day there.

Then add any other must-dos that require advanced booking or warrant a full day on your itinerary or both. So, I needed to choose days for Versailles and the Eiffel Tower.

My research told me that I should plan a full day at Versailles and that it is quite busy on the weekends and on Tuesdays (when the Louvre is closed).

I also learned that the Eiffel Tower is open every day until late, that I should plan to spend about three hours there, and that I needed to book tickets for the summit as far ahead as possible.

Add in your want-to-do’s.

With the must-dos scheduled, I’m ready to schedule the want-to-do’s. I added Musee d’Orsay and Musee Rodin, then Musee de l’Orangerie, Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe, etc.

Nice-to-do’s fill in any remaining gaps.

I then fill in the rest of the itinerary with the nice-to-do’s, leaving our last full day intentionally blank.

When staying in one place for four days or more, we try to keep our last full day completely open. This is so we can return to any place we want to see again, or so that we can add more of the items from our “nice to do” list depending on what we’re in the mood for. It helps us create a good balance between sightseeing and relaxation .

If you’re taking a trip that includes multiple stops, you can just repeat this process for each place you’ll be staying.

Keep in mind as you’re planning a trip itinerary that if you’re bouncing from city to city every other day, you’ll be spending a lot of time traveling from one destination to the next.

I do feel like I need to say, that even though you now have a meticulously planned itinerary it doesn’t mean you can’t be spontaneous. We often find that we spend far less time at some sites than we think we need to allow for, giving us time to do even more on our trip than we hoped.

Or sometimes we just don’t feel like doing something on our schedule…and that’s okay too.

Now you have the tools to build the perfect itinerary for your next trip. Enjoy!

More articles to help you plan your travel itinerary

• 5 easy steps to planning a trip
• Travel planning resources you need
• The best travel guides (online resources and books)

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Darcy Vierow is a busy professional and travel planning expert with years of experience maximizing travel with limited time and on a less-than-average salary. Her tips have been published by Forbes, MSN.com, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, Aol, Newsbreak and GOBankingRates. Read more about Darcy Vierow .

10 Comments

Absolutely love this perspective on travel! It beautifully captures the essence of what it means to explore the world. Travel isn’t just about ticking off destinations; it’s about slowing down, immersing yourself in new cultures, savoring moments, and absorbing the rich tapestry of life that the world has to offer. 🌍✈️🌏

My sister wants to travel for her honeymoon, so she’s interested in starting to plan it this month. I liked what you explained about choosing a destination and the places you’d like to visit, so I’ll share this with my sister right away. I appreciate your insight on considering what you want to see and visit and booking accommodation near those places.

You are so much more organized than we are – we usually book places the day of or the day before and figure out what we are doing day by day. We like to leave things pretty wide open to see what happens and what we find. This is such a great guide though for planning a vacation!

Thanks for your comment! Yeah, I actually have a hard time just going with the flow…it’s something I’m working on.

This is so perfect! I enjoy the entire planning process, so this definitely speaks to me. I particularly enjoy researching locally owned restaurants and off the beaten path places. Thanks so sharing such a great way to plan

Thank you for your kind comment!

This post resonates a lot with me as like you, I too plan extensively before I travel. I believe planning well helps us make the most of our time and also gives more peace of mind. Excellent tips!

Thank you! And I definitely agree with you about how helpful good travel planning is for traveling well.

It is so helpful to find a guide on how to organize and plan a trip! For a lot of people (me included) this is the most traumatic experience about traveling as you want everything to go perfect and smoothly. I plan trips all the time and this guide was literally how I do my planning! Thank you so much for sharing and I hope it helps a lot of travelers out there too!

Thanks so much for reading and for your kind comment. I really do hope a lot of travelers find this guide helpful.

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Tourism Planning

Tourism Planning: The written account of projected future course of action or scheme aimed at achieving or targeting specific goals or objectives within a specific time period is called a Plan.  A Tourism plan explains in detail what needs to be done, when to be done, how to be done, and by whom to be done. It often includes best case, expected case, and worst case scenarios or situations. 

A plan is usually a map or list of steps with timing and available resources, used to achieve an objective to do something.  It is commonly understood as a temporary set of projected actions through which one believes that the goals or targets would be achieved.  

Plans can be formal or informal:

Structured and formal plans, utilised by numerous people, are more likely to occur in projects, diplomacy, careers, economic development, military campaigns, combat, sports, games, agriculture, technology, tourism, IT, Telecommunication etc. or in the conduct of other businesses. 

In most cases, the absence of a well-laid plan can have high effects: for example, a nonrobust project plan can cost the organization long time and high cost. 

The persons to fulfill their various quests do informal or adhoc planning. But, what most importantly matters is the extensiveness, time interval, and preciousness of the plans. Though, all these planning categories are not self-governing and dependent on each other. 

For example, there is an intimate connection between short-range and long-range plans and tactical (strategic) & functional (operational) planning classifications.

For businesses, sector planning’s (such as IT, telecommunication, services, banking, tourism, agriculture etc.) and military purposes formal plans used to a greater level. They are conceptualized, thought as abstract ideas, are likely to be written down, drawn up or otherwise stored in a form that is accessible to multiple people across time and space. This allows more reliable collaboration in the execution of the plan.

Tourism Planning and the Need for Tourism Planning  

Planning is one of the most important project management and time management techniques or methods. It involves preparing or forming of a sequence of action steps to achieve some specific desired goals.  If you do it effectively and efficiently, you can reduce much of the necessary time and effort used in achieving the goal. 

A plan is like a map or a blueprint which would fetch you results slowly & steady according to a time frame.  Whenever, you are following any plan, you are able to know how much you have neared to your assignment objectives or how much distant you are from your goals. 

Why is planning important?

• To set direction and priorities for the workforce in the organisation:

The strategy is the chief requirement of the organization, in order to achieve the targets.  The strategies give the route and primacies (priorities) for your organization. It describes your organization’s perspective and gives an order to the activities that will make the perspective into reality. 

Read more on World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA)

The plan will assist the team in achieving goals and also give them familiarity about the tasks.  The plainly defined and appropriate strategy will give priority initiatives that will drive  the maximum success.

• To get everyone on the same room or the same box:

An organisation has different departments, but a single goal. That’s, why different departments work in a way that add to the goals of the organization. 

Hence, a strategy is required, so that all actions move in one direction. Then only, the various departments such as marketing, administration, sales, operations etc. can move together to accomplish the anticipated goals of the organisation. Tourism Planning

• To simplify decision-making process within the organisation:

Whenever, there are targets, there are different solutions. The team also may have new philosophies or probable solutions. Therefore, you need a definite plan, so there are no inhibiting factors. 

• To drive alignment:

Many a times, inspite of the best labour, you reach nowhere. The reason is that the efforts or labour is done in areas, which are of no use.  Hence, the effort should coincide with the priorities or primacies.  The plan serves as a vehicle for answering the enquiry, that “How well we can use all the resources such as material, man, machine etc. to upsurge our tactical (strategic) success?

• To communicate the message to everyone:

The countless managers in the top level management know how to make an effective plan/strategy, at which position their organisation is, what they need to do and where they need to be there  Many a time, the strategies are not written down and the various aspects in the plan are not linked systematically. 

Then, only few members of your team can work towards your goals. Therefore, it’s very important that your team, staff, customers, suppliers and other stakeholder’s know your plan of action and strategy base, this will lead to better probability of success and more efforts pouring in. Tourism Planning

Also read Contribution of Tour Guiding in Sustainability

Once, you ascertain your goal, you are in a good position to make a solid proof plan in which role of each team member is defined.  There are very less managers, who have understanding of situations and actually comprehend to make the greatest use of their part in smoothing policy (Eagles, McCool, Haynes, Philips, & United Nations Environment Programme, 2002). 

Techniques of Plan formulation 

It involves a number of steps: 

• Collection of information (data):

The most noteworthy phase of economic planning is the gathering of the economic data.  The data not only contains economic defining variables, but also descriptive variables such as demographical, topographical, and political data.  The economic planning also contains non-quantitative variables.  And surely in order to collect appropriate data the planner should have intra-disciplinary as well as inter-disciplinary knowledge. 

• Deciding the nature and duration of the plan:

After the collection of data in context to the economy.  Now the next step is deciding the nature and period (time duration) of the plan. Now, the planner has to decide the planning levels i.e. micro or macro basis, functional (practical) or structural (operational),centralised (central) or decentralised (distributed), long or medium or short term etc. The medium term plan generally comprises 5 years and is enough time periods to apply its drivers, strategies and approaches.

Also read Goals and objective of sustainable tourism development

• Setting up of the objectives:

The third step after setting the nature and time period of the plan is setting the goals or objectives or aim of the plan.  And, surely these objectives will have to be realized in a fixed time schedule. Generally, most of the objectives related to economy of the country are related to advanced progress rate of GNP, reduction in joblessness, eradication of local discrepancies, removal of illiteracy, growth of farming and manufacturing areas, etc.  

After, the planner has analysed the ground situation and given the objectives.  Now, the planner has to establish these objectives depending on the eminence/Significance to the individuals and the economy in totality.

• Determination of growth rate:

While framing the plan, the planner has to determine the growth rate i.e. at what rate the economy will grow through this time interval. Whatever plan, the planner and policy makers decide at least, it should maintain the per capita income level of the country. The plan should be such that the per capita income do not decreases or affect the progress of the country negatively.

And, such a thing is possible, if the growth rate of GNP or growth rate of the country and growth rate or progress of the population is same. But this growth rate is least recommended.  Rather, the planner will choose for that growth rate which is better than the population rate.  “For example, if India wants to maintain its present per capita income while population is growing at the rate of 8% p.a., then the obligatory GNP growth rate should not be less than 8%.  If we want to grow GNP by 8%, NI should grow @ 16%. 

If the capital output ratio (COR) is 1:3, then we will have to invest 16% of GNP.  While defining the growth rate, the planner must keep in view the growth rate of other adjoining or developing countries like Pakistan, China, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Bangladesh, etc.” Tourism Planning

• Full utilisation of financial resources of the plan:  

The utilization of resources including the fiscal resources should be in a way that the predetermined objectives are realized. The various resources used in a plan of a country are human resources, natural resources, technology, worthy governance, entrepreneurial skills, financial resources etc. Therefore, from these resources or sources advantages or profits can be achieved.

Read more Local Community Involvement in Tourism Development

Broadly it can be categorized into renewable or renewal resources. Advantages of resource application may be augmented prosperity or needs, appropriate operation of a system, or boosted welfare. With the resource allocation, resource management is also crucial in a plan. The various resources have three basic attributes- “utility, limited availability, and potential for depletion or consumption.”

In order to accomplish the planning requirements, outside (external) resources are also used, when internal (inside) resources fall short. The outside resources generally comprises of foreign relief and support, foreign grants, foreign direct investment, and foreign borrowings from various International Financial Institutions (IFI’s) and rich countries.

The role of government is important and cannot be ignored. They plan and take various roles depending upon the environment of the country. When, a country is developed, their role more becomes as a facilitator, while in case of developing or poor countries, they have to actively participate in it. They have to implement plans as well as pour on their resources. 

Whenever, the plans have been made by the government, they are sent to the necessary departments with goals, necessary steps and outlays. Thereafter, the concerned ministries or departments see the feasibility of the sent projects and give recommendations about the feasibility (viability) of various schemes and projects of the plan. Here, the government organisations are asked of their keeping in mind the sectorial distribution and extent of the plan. There are also some projects where partnership occurs between governmental and private sectors. Here, the government may play role of a catalyst or facilitator and there may be some revenue sharing understandings. 

• Formation of economic policies:

In planning, plans are fine. The role of planners is fine. But, most importantly the plans should be able to give the desired results. The results should have more positive effects than the negative effects. Here, economic programmes, policies or strategies play a substantial role. As, they act as a gasoline to the locomotive of economic development. Also, the plans implemented should be based on ground or current scenario, rather than being picked from other countries, environments or sectors.

• Plan execution:  

The final phase of planning is plan operation. And, for actual implementation of plan, following conditions cannot be ignored: 

• The regime should be steady, truthful, genuine and productive.
• The organisational (administrative) system should be well-organized,
• i.e. free of nepotism, dishonesty, enticement, red tapism.
• Upkeep of law and order inside the nation.
• There should be equivalent level of involvement of both private and public sectors in economic growth.
• Keep a check on convenience and electronic up keep of government records, monetary proclamations and cost statements. Tourism Planning
• The opposition should be Watchful and productive. (Wagner, Frick, & Schupp, 2007)
• Different countries use planning models/techniques dependent upon the nature of the economy. 
• The availability of the data, the volume to use and manage such techniques and models. 

Read more Tourism Policy formulation Bodies in India

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Example sentences travel plan

An event or travel plan that has been on your mind for up to a year starts to come good when someone unexpected steps in.

A travel plan involving a family reunion looks good.

A dream travel plan could start to turn real.

A travel plan involving relatives in several countries can happen.

An adventurous travel plan could deepen a relationship, so give it some thought.

Definition of 'travel' travel

Definition of 'plan' plan

Related word partners travel plan.

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• travel restrictions
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The Benefits of Travel Planning

How far in advance do you plan your family vacation? Are you ‘spur of the moment’ travellers, or do you prefer travel planning well in advance, even up to a year ahead?

I admit to being a travel planner for most trips. Particularly if the trips are long, complex and involve other family members or friends. Ultimately, travel planning really depends on how much you enjoy anticipating future travel, being organized, and saving up for those special holidays. There’s no wrong way to go about it, but in case you need some advice, we’re happy to share tips on the benefits of advanced travel planning.

Benefits of Travel Planning

Planning saves time, money and frustrations.

Travel planning in advance of trips means that you can often take advantage of travel deals, cheaper airfare and seat sales, and find accommodation that meet your needs and budget. The longer one waits, the less choices there may be, and those choices may also be more expensive.

If you’re travelling with other people – grandparents, relatives, other families – more advance planning, scheduling, savings and coordination will be required. Once a common date and destination are decided upon though, there’s lots of time to iron out smaller trip details closer to departure time.

Penny saved, penny earned

The benefits of advance travel planning are quite extensive. By booking well in advance, you can take advantage of early season airline seat sales, with choice of routes, dates and seat choices. While waiting until the last minute may result in some cheaper fares, the selection and flexibility of dates and routes might be more limited or non-existent. The same holds true if using points  to book air travel, especially in high season and during school holidays (pretty much the same thing!).

Destination Bingo

Your choice of destination, season and accommodation, may influence your planning style. If there’s a hotel or resort you really want to stay at, or a homestay you wish to arrange, or an aunt’s apartment in Paris that you’d like to borrow for two weeks in July, you’ll need to provide early warning and book accordingly.

Good planning is family-friendly

Planning a road trip and not knowing where you’re going to sleep the first night is wonderful fun when you’re a young couple on a spontaneous adventure. It’s quite different when you find yourself and the kids sleeping in the car because you couldn’t find a hotel room for the night.

It’s great peace of mind to pre-book hotels on route and have a destination in mind that’s within comfortable driving distance for the kids. Visiting attractions, restaurants and quirky stops on the way makes the road trip even more fun and memorable. The trip is the destination, if you’ve planned it right.

Build the excitement

The benefits of advance travel planning can be incredibly useful. Planning a trip in advance is nearly as exciting as taking the actual holiday. Getting the family involved in the holiday plan can be motivational. It’s something to look forward to, like a reward at the end of a school year or the chance to visit someone special at Christmas. On the other side, spontaneous trips can be equally as exciting, especially if the destination is a special surprise to the kids.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Do you have a long-term trip planner style, or are you a spontaneous ‘let’s get out of dodge’ family traveler ? Share your comments and tips below.

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Talking about your plans when travelling, in English

This series of articles about travelling will help you to find out how to get to places and do things such as buy tickets. They will also help you to talk about travelling in clear, natural English.

This first article will help you talk about your plans.

Talking about your plans

When you are travelling, you may want to tell people what you will do. For travel plans that you are sure of, use I’m going to … . Use Are you going to … ? to ask someone about their travel plans.

      I’m going to spend a day in Madrid.       I’m going to take the train.      Then we’re going to go to London.

      Are you going to travel together?       Are you going to fly there?

To talk about your plans, you can also use I plan to … .

      I plan to spend a few days in Berlin.       I plan to visit some friends.       She plans to work while she’s in Australia.

Use Will you … ? to ask if someone is going to do something.

      Will you call us when you get there?       Will you take much luggage with you?

To talk about something that you would like to do but are not sure that you will do, you can use *I hope to … *.

      I hope to go to Bulgaria this year.       I hope to spend some time in the mountains.       We hope to do a tour of the islands.

To talk about a travel plan that is only possible, use I might … .

      I might book a hotel for the night.       I might come home earlier than planned.       I might spend an extra week in Calgary.

Saying what you have to do

If it is important for you to do something while you are travelling, use I have to … or I need to … .

      I have to buy a ticket.       I have to take the train to Berlin first.

      I need to get to the airport by ten o’clock.       We need to call a taxi.

Another way of saying that it is important that you do something is I must … . This is used especially when it is very important that you do something.

      I must be back by June 5th.       I must take my passport.       You must take your mobile.

Saying what you want to do

To say what you want to do when you are travelling, use I’d like to … .      I’d like to hire a bike.      I’d like to take the train.      I’d like to change my ticket.

If you know that you do not want to do something, use I don’t want to … .       I don’t want to travel alone at night.       I don’t want to fly, if possible.       We don’t want to spend a lot on accommodation.

Useful words

spend to use your time doing something take to use a vehicle to go from one place to another fly to travel somewhere in an aircraft visit to go to see someone in order to spend time with them work to have a job and earn money for it luggage the bags that you take with you when you travel a mountain a very high area of land with steep sides a tour a trip to an interesting place or around several interesting places an island a piece of land that is completely surrounded by water book to arrange to have or use something, such as a hotel room, at a later time a hotel a building where people pay to stay and eat meals an airport a place where aeroplanes come and go, with buildings and services for passengers a taxi a car that you can hire, with its driver, to take you where you want to go

The next article coming in a couple of weeks will discuss how you can make suggestions.

Related Articles

Saying what you like, dislike or prefer in english, 4 tips when starting to soften your english accent, making suggestions when travelling, in english, making suggestions, expressing opinions in english, what on earth is the schwa, other articles.

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I’ve been putting my passport to good use lately. I use it as a coaster and to level wobbly table legs. It makes an excellent cat toy.

Welcome to the pandemic of disappointments. Canceled trips, or ones never planned lest they be canceled. Family reunions, study-abroad years, lazy beach vacations. Poof. Gone. Obliterated by a tiny virus, and the long list of countries where United States passports are not welcome.

Only a third of Americans say they have traveled overnight for leisure since March, and only slightly more, 38 percent, say they are likely to do so by the end of the year, according to one report. Only a quarter of us plan on leaving home for Thanksgiving, typically the busiest travel time. The numbers paint a grim picture of our stilled lives.

It is not natural for us to be this sedentary. Travel is in our genes. For most of the time our species has existed, “we’ve lived as nomadic hunter-gatherers moving about in small bands of 150 or fewer people,” writes Christopher Ryan in Civilized to Death . This nomadic life was no accident. It was useful. “Moving to a neighboring band is always an option to avoid brewing conflict or just for a change in social scenery,” says Ryan. Robert Louis Stevenson put it more succinctly: “The great affair is to move.”

What if we can’t move, though? What if we’re unable to hunt or gather? What’s a traveler to do? There are many ways to answer that question. “Despair,” though, is not one of them.

In this aerial view from 1967, wall-to-wall seaside sunbathers relax under umbrellas or on beach towels in Ocean City, Maryland .

A 1967 fall festival in Guadalajara, Mexico , starred traditionally costumed musicians and dancers.

We are an adaptive species. We can tolerate brief periods of forced sedentariness. A dash of self-delusion helps. We’re not grounded, we tell ourselves. We’re merely between trips, like the unemployed salesman in between opportunities. We pass the days thumbing though old travel journals and Instagram feeds. We gaze at souvenirs. All this helps. For a while.

We put on brave faces. “Staycation Nation,” the cover of the current issue of Canadian Traveller magazine declares cheerfully, as if it were a choice, not a consolation.

Today, the U.S. Travel Association, the industry trade organization, is launching a national recovery campaign called “ Let’s Go There .” Backed by a coalition of businesses related to tourism—hotels, convention and visitor bureaus, airlines—the initiative’s goal is to encourage Americans to turn idle wanderlust into actual itineraries.

The travel industry is hurting. So are travelers. “I dwelled so much on my disappointment that it almost physically hurt,” Paris -based journalist Joelle Diderich told me recently, after canceling five trips last spring.

(Related: How hard has the coronavirus hit the travel industry? These charts tell us.)

My friend James Hopkins is a Buddhist living in Kathmandu . You’d think he’d thrive during the lockdown, a sort-of mandatory meditation retreat. For a while he did.

But during a recent Skype call, James looked haggard and dejected. He was growing restless, he confessed, and longed “for the old 10-countries-a-year schedule.” Nothing seemed to help, he told me. “No matter how many candles I lit, or how much incense I burned, and in spite of living in one of the most sacred places in South Asia, I just couldn’t change my habits.”

When we ended our call, I felt relieved, my grumpiness validated. It’s not me; it’s the pandemic. But I also worried. If a Buddhist in Kathmandu is going nuts, what hope do the rest of us stilled souls have?

I think hope lies in the very nature of travel. Travel entails wishful thinking. It demands a leap of faith, and of imagination, to board a plane for some faraway land, hoping, wishing, for a taste of the ineffable. Travel is one of the few activities we engage in not knowing the outcome and reveling in that uncertainty. Nothing is more forgettable than the trip that goes exactly as planned.

Related: Vintage photos of the glamour of travel

Travel is not a rational activity. It makes no sense to squeeze yourself into an alleged seat only to be hurled at frightening speed to a distant place where you don’t speak the language or know the customs. All at great expense. If we stopped to do the cost-benefit analysis, we’d never go anywhere. Yet we do.

That’s one reason why I’m bullish on travel’s future. In fact, I’d argue travel is an essential industry, an essential activity. It’s not essential the way hospitals and grocery stores are essential. Travel is essential the way books and hugs are essential. Food for the soul. Right now, we’re between courses, savoring where we’ve been, anticipating where we’ll go. Maybe it’s Zanzibar and maybe it’s the campground down the road that you’ve always wanted to visit.

(Related: Going camping this fall? Here’s how to get started.)

James Oglethorpe, a seasoned traveler, is happy to sit still for a while, and gaze at “the slow change of light and clouds on the Blue Ridge Mountains” in Virginia, where he lives. “My mind can take me the rest of the way around this world and beyond it.”

It’s not the place that is special but what we bring to it and, crucially, how we interact with it. Travel is not about the destination, or the journey. It is about stumbling across “a new way of looking at things,” as writer Henry Miller observed. We need not travel far to gain a fresh perspective.

No one knew this better than Henry David Thoreau , who lived nearly all of his too-short life in Concord, Massachusetts. There he observed Walden Pond from every conceivable vantage point: from a hilltop, on its shores, underwater. Sometimes he’d even bend over and peer through his legs, marveling at the inverted world. “From the right point of view, every storm and every drop in it is a rainbow,” he wrote.

Thoreau never tired of gazing at his beloved pond, nor have we outgrown the quiet beauty of our frumpy, analog world. If anything, the pandemic has rekindled our affection for it. We’ve seen what an atomized, digital existence looks like, and we (most of us anyway) don’t care for it. The bleachers at Chicago ’s Wrigley Field; the orchestra section at New York City ’s Lincoln Center; the alleyways of Tokyo . We miss these places. We are creatures of place, and always will be.

After the attacks of September 11, many predicted the end of air travel, or at least a dramatic reduction. Yet the airlines rebounded steadily and by 2017 flew a record four billion passengers. Briefly deprived of the miracle of flight, we appreciated it more and today tolerate the inconvenience of body scans and pat-downs for the privilege of transporting our flesh-and-bone selves to far-flung locations, where we break bread with other incarnate beings.

Landscape architects work in their Rio de Janeiro, Brazil , studio in 1955.

A tourist photographs a towering century plant in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, in 1956.

In our rush to return to the world, we should be mindful of the impact of mass tourism on the planet. Now is the time to embrace the fundamental values of sustainable tourism and let them guide your future journeys. Go off the beaten path. Linger longer in destinations. Travel in the off-season. Connect with communities and spend your money in ways that support locals. Consider purchasing carbon offsets. And remember that the whole point of getting out there is to embrace the differences that make the world so colorful.

“One of the great benefits of travel is meeting new people and coming into contact with different points of view,” says Pauline Frommer, travel expert and radio host.

So go ahead and plan that trip. It’s good for you, scientists say . Plotting a trip is nearly as enjoyable as actually taking one. Merely thinking about a pleasurable experience is itself pleasurable. Anticipation is its own reward.

I’ve witnessed first-hand the frisson of anticipatory travel. My wife, not usually a fan of travel photography, now spends hours on Instagram, gazing longingly at photos of Alpine lodges and Balinese rice fields. “What’s going on?” I asked one day. “They’re just absolutely captivating,” she replied. “They make me remember that there is a big, beautiful world out there.”

Many of us, myself included, have taken travel for granted. We grew lazy and entitled, and that is never good. Tom Swick, a friend and travel writer, tells me he used to view travel as a given. Now, he says, “I look forward to experiencing it as a gift.”

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What does travel plan mean?

Definitions for travel plan trav·el plan, this dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word travel plan ., princeton's wordnet rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes.

travel plan, itinerary noun

a proposed route of travel

Wikipedia Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

Travel plan

A travel plan is a package of actions designed by a workplace, school or other organisation to encourage safe, healthy and sustainable travel options. By reducing car travel, travel plans can improve health and wellbeing, free up car parking space, and make a positive contribution to the community and the environment. Every travel plan is different, but most successful plans have followed a structured process in their development: The term has now largely replaced green transport plan as the accepted UK term for a concept, which first emerged in the US in the 1970s (as site-based transportation demand management) and subsequently transferred to the Netherlands in 1989, where the terms company or commuter mobility management were applied.

ChatGPT Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

travel plan

A travel plan is a detailed, organized itinerary outlining the intended route, destinations, activities, dates, and accommodations associated with a particular journey or trip. It can also include information about transportation, budget, and other services like local tours or events. The purpose of a travel plan is to ensure smooth and convenient traveling experience, minimizing unforeseen issues and maximizing the enjoyment and productivity of the trip.

Wikidata Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

A Travel Plan is a package of actions designed by a workplace, school or other organisation to encourage safe, healthy and sustainable travel options. By reducing car travel, Travel Plans can improve health and wellbeing, free up car parking space, and make a positive contribution to the community and the environment. Every Travel Plan is different, but most successful plans have followed a structured process in their development: The term Travel Plan has now largely replaced Green Transport Plan as the accepted UK term for a concept which first emerged in the USA during the 1970s and subsequently transferred to the Netherlands in 1989.

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How to pronounce travel plan?

Alex US English David US English Mark US English Daniel British Libby British Mia British Karen Australian Hayley Australian Natasha Australian Veena Indian Priya Indian Neerja Indian Zira US English Oliver British Wendy British Fred US English Tessa South African

How to say travel plan in sign language?

Chaldean Numerology

The numerical value of travel plan in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

Pythagorean Numerology

The numerical value of travel plan in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of travel plan in a Sentence

Hayley Wickenheiser :

This crisis is bigger than even the Olympics, athletes can't train. Attendees can't travel plan . Sponsors and marketers can't market with a degree of sensitivity.

• ^  Princeton's WordNet http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=travel plan
• ^  Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travel_Plan
• ^  ChatGPT https://chat.openai.com
• ^  Wikidata https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=travel plan

Translations for travel plan

From our multilingual translation dictionary.

• plan de viaje Spanish
• rencana perjalanan Indonesian
• ಪ್ರಯಾಣ ಯೋಜನೆ Kannada
• 여행 계획 Korean
• reisplan Dutch

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All Inclusive vs. European Plan: Vacation Plans Explained

• All Inclusive typically means everything is included (food, drink, activities, etc.)
• European Plan typically means only accommodations are included

Save on your next all inclusive vacation by booking with All Inclusive Outlet >>

More about All Inclusive vs. European Plan Options

European plan (ep).

When looking at your options for accommodations, you might see the phrase European Plan, or EP for short. This plan usually refers to accommodations only. European Plans do not include meals or drinks , therefore, if you choose this option, you will need to budget in for food, drinks, taxes, and tips. If the resort you are looking at offers the European Plan and you are not a big spender on food and drinks, then this might be an option for you. But keep in mind that even if you choose the European Plan to save some money, things could easily go beyond your anticipated food costs once you are at your destination. For this reason, many people will go with an All Inclusive package.

All Inclusive Plan

All Inclusive includes accommodations (and usually the hotel taxes), tips, meals, drinks (including alcoholic drinks), along with a variety of activities and nightly entertainment. Most of the time, even transfers from the airport to the resort are included with trips booked through AllInclusiveOutlet.com.

By choosing to stay at an All Inclusive resort, a wide range of dining options opens up, thus allowing you to be more adventurous at meal times. This option comes highly recommended if you don’t want to think about what menu items you can order each day to stay within a set budget. Dining options usually include a choice between eating buffet-style vs. a la carte specialty restaurants.

One of the greatest things about choosing an All Inclusive package is that you don’t have to sign in for anything. You can just show up to a restaurant or bar, enjoy yourself, and leave when you are finished. If you are at a resort that offers both European plans and all inclusive plans, then you most likely will be given a wristband if you chose the all inclusive option.

In addition to meals, a range of activities will be included with an All Inclusive package. Some resorts offer such a wide range of activities, it would be impossible to do them all during a standard week-long vacation! Each resort varies on what is included, therefore it’s best to double-check what activities might not be covered, such as is normally the case with spa packages or motorized water sports.

Ready to book and SAVE on your next all inclusive vacation package? Visit AllInclusiveOutlet.com now >>

Other Vacation Options

Still wondering what the difference is between an All Inclusive vs. European Plan? Here are some other vacation plans to consider.

The American Plan (AP) offers three meals —breakfast, lunch and dinner—typically in the hotel restaurant. It can also be referred to as Full Board or Full Pension. The American Plan is a good option if you are staying in a remote location with only one dining option, and can give more bang for the buck than a hotel that does not offer any meal plan.

The Modified American Plan (MAP) will again be offered in a hotel dining room, and will typically feature breakfast and either lunch or dinner. The cost for the third meal is up to you. This can also be referred to as Half Board or Half Pension.

The Breakfast Plan (BP) generally refers to a full, hot breakfast. In comparison, a Continental Plan (CP) indicates that a Continental breakfast is provided. A Continental breakfast usually involves coffee, milk, tea, or hot chocolate with a variety of pastries, cereals, yogurt, or cold, sliced meats as options. This type of breakfast is typically a self-serve situation, however if a waiter does serve any food or pour beverages, then it is recommended that you leave a tip.

Lets Recap: All Inclusive vs. European Plan…and Beyond

Overall, we’ve seen a large spike in all inclusive resort interest, especially in the Caribbean and Mexico. Resorts are now pulling out all the stops, and coming up with their own ways to make their all inclusive packages stand out with more amenities and luxuries included.

While European Plans are still available in destinations such as Puerto Rico, Aruba and Hawaii, we predict more and more resorts will start popping up with lavish all inclusive packages, so keep an eye out!

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• Tourism Planning: Importance, Benefits, Types & Levels

Planning is to prepare a Road Map to achieve goals.

Faludi, in 1973, defined tourism planning as "Planning is a very important part of the process by which governments manage tourism at the national, local and organizational levels".

What is Tourism Planning?

The upkeep and expansion of the tourism sector in a particular area is referred to as tourism planning. Planning for tourism is, of course, a crucial component.

Creating strategies and plans to increase, develop, and stimulate tourism for/in a destination may be summed up as tourism planning. The primary motivation behind establishing and implementing strategies for the tourist industry is to generate money, which will eventually raise the GDP of a nation or region.

What is the need for Tourism Planning?

For the expansion of the sector important to plan tourism activities for the following reasons:

• It is necessary to plan tourism activities on different levels and in various manners to promote tourism and boost the economy.
• To provide quality to both tourists and residents.
• It involves making major decisions which cannot be taken spontaneously.

What are the components of Tourism Planning

• Exploration phase/ Preparatory
• Planning phase/Feasibility/
• Zoning phase/Formal planning
• Design and implementation phase
• Operational phase

Most nations that have successfully planned their tourism can be found online and are regarded as incredible holiday destinations. People go to these nations hoping their travel vlogs will increase their subscriber count on YouTube. That is an indication of success in the modern day.

Benefits of Tourism Planning

Tourism destination planning should be a vital component of every destination's tourism development plan to get the best outcomes and please all stakeholders. While some places do a great job of maintaining sustainable tourism, others (typically developing countries) need to recognize the significance of comprehensive tourism development planning.

Tourism planning can benefit various parties involved from the industry in the following ways:

• It boosts revenue and employment thanks to tourist spending.
• It safeguards cultural and natural assets so that visitors can enjoy them.
• It broadens the comprehension of cultural diversity
• It constructs new infrastructure, such as sewage systems, roads, etc., for the community.

Impacts of Tourism Planning

The impacts of tourism destination planning can be sorted into seven general categories:

• Environmental
• Social and cultural
• Crowding and congestion
• Community attitude

According to Inskeep, six "golden standards" should be followed when creating a strategy for tourist planning and policy (1991).

1. Goal Oriented: Tourism Planning should be oriented to achieve broad national and community goals.

2. Integrative: Integrating tourist policy and planning into the economy, land use and infrastructure, conservation, and environmental planning.

3. Market Driven: Planning for successful tourism growth in a cutthroat international market.

4. Resource Driven: Developing tourism that capitalizes on the location's inherent advantages while preserving and improving the features and experiences of existing tourism resources.

5. Consultative: Considering broader community attitudes, needs, and desires to determine what the population will accept.

6. Systematic: utilizing primary or secondary information to support planners conceptually or predictably, incorporating knowledge from other tourist locations

Levels of Tourism Planning

Planning and policy for the tourism industry occur at several levels. This can be done in a top-down approach, with international or national bodies, or a bottom-up approach from a local level.

1. International Tourism Planning: Tourism planning at the international level typically involves international transportation services, the movement and scheduling of tourist tours between different countries, the development of significant tourist attractions and facilities in neighboring countries, as well as the working strategies and promotional programs of many nations.

2. National Tourism Planning: Tourism policy, infrastructural facilities, and a physical structure plan, which includes significant tourist attractions, chosen tourism development regions, international entrance points, facilities, and services, are all addressed at the national level of tourism planning. Additionally, it is concerned with the quantity, types, and quality of lodging and other essential tourist facilities and services; the country's major travel routes and their regional connections; tourism organization

rights, laws, and investment policies; marketing and promotion strategies for the industry; education and training initiatives; and environmental, economic, and sociocultural analysis.

3. Regional Tourism Planning: Regional planning considers factors such as regional policy, regional entrance points, transportation facilities, and services; the types and locations of tourism attractions; the quantity, varieties, and places of lodging and other tourist facilities and services; and the sites of tourist development regions, such as resort areas.

They will also oversee sociocultural, environmental, economic, and impact analyses, regional education and training programmes, marketing strategies, investment policies, organizational structures, legal frameworks, and implementation strategies, including project plans and zoning ordinances.

4. Local Tourism Planning: Participants at the local level will think about the analyses, outputs, outcomes, and assessment of tourism planning at the ground level.

Types of Tourism Planning

Before creating a comprehensive plan to market the destination, the following types of tourism planning are taken into account:

Spatial Tourism Planning: Spatial tourism planning attempts to thoroughly process social, environmental, and economic change to bring about certain ends. Drawing plans, maps or diagrams are put together to decide where socio-spatial activities can occur.

Sectoral Tourism Planning: In this kind of planning, the regions are divided into sections, and each section is called a sector. It concentrates on a manageable area and takes into account the specific infrastructure, land use, transportation, and environmental requirements of that region. Depending on the nature of the products or services provided, economic, social, and administrative activities are grouped into sectors.

Complex Tourism Planning: When various regions are considered for the purpose of tourism planning, it is known as complex tourism planning. These regions are to be developed comprehensively because of the significant interest shown by international tourists. There is a possibility that these regions are located far away from one another.

Integrated Tourism Planning: Integrated tourism refers to making tourism the primary industry in a given area by systematically and comprehensively promoting all available economic, social, and tourism resources.

Sustainable Tourism Planning: Sustainable tourism planning involves striking the correct balance between the requirements of people and the environment. It entails stating the community's mission, vision, and unique selling point or identity in clear terms. With the help of this type of destination planning in our local communities, we are better equipped to plan for the long term, and respond to changing target markets, trends, and emergencies like the Covid-19 outbreak. Additionally, it guarantees that resources are allocated properly while ethically and sustainably establishing local communities. This method of tourism planning benefits people and places in positive ways on all fronts—socially, economically, culturally, and environmentally—puts sustainability at its core.

Centralized Tourism Planning: Centralized tourism planning is done by a single authority, usually the state or central government.

Decentralized Tourism Planning: Organizations are interested in developing tourist spots and planning the various activities visitors can enjoy. (Joint Venture).

They take assistance from government. Suggested Read:  Sustainable Tourism

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. why is tourism planning important.

A1. Destination development plans should include tourism planning since it promotes a destination's long-term viability and encourages cooperation among important stakeholders..

Q2. What are the features of tourism planning?

A2. Three general principles of planning for tourism can be specified as anticipation, regulation and monitoring.

Q3. What are the barriers to tourism planning?

A3. A3. According to earlier research conducted in several nations, a common pattern of issues has emerged. For instance, financial constraints, a lack of knowledge, an insufficient amount of time, and other issues have prevented local governments from incorporating tourism into their development plans.

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What Is Travel Insurance?

Understanding travel insurance, how travel insurance works, comprehensive travel insurance.

• Trip Cancellation or Interruption

Damage and Baggage Losses Coverage

Rental insurance, travel health insurance.

• AD&D Coverage

Other Travel Insurance Coverage

How to get travel insurance, the bottom line.

• Personal Finance

What Is Travel Insurance, and What Does It Cover?

Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia.

Jackyenjoyphotography / Getty Images

Travel insurance is a type of insurance covering financial losses associated with traveling, and it can be useful protection for domestic or international travel. Whether you missed your flight to Florida, lost your bags in Berlin, or broke your ankle in Ankara, the best travel insurance companies can help remedy all kinds of travel mishap costs.

Key Takeaways

• Travel insurance can be purchased online, from your tour operator, or from other sources.
• The main categories of travel insurance include trip cancellation or interruption coverage, baggage and personal effects coverage, rental property and rental car coverage, medical coverage, and accidental death coverage.
• Coverage often includes 24/7 emergency services, such as replacing lost passports, cash wire assistance, and rebooking canceled flights. 
• It's important to understand what's covered and what's not, and any limitations on coverage amounts and coverage requirements.

Travel insurance helps cover financial losses associated with surprise circumstances that could ruin a trip, including illness, injury, accidents, flight or other transportation delays, and other issues. This insurance costs 4% to 10% of a trip's price. So, for a $10,000 trip, trip insurance could cost between $400 and $1,000.

Premiums—or the price you pay for coverage—are based on the coverage type, your age, destination, trip cost, and more. Specialized policy riders focus on the needs of business travelers, athletes, and expatriates .

You may already have travel insurance coverage from your homeowners or renters insurance or your credit cards. Call your insurance agent to find out about your current travel coverage, and your credit card company to find out about any benefits you get when you purchase air or train tickets, rent a car, or book a hotel using the card. Many travel rewards cards come with built-in travel insurance and other travel benefits.

Travel insurance may be sold online by travel agents, travel suppliers (airlines, cruise lines), private insurance companies, or insurance brokers when booking your flight, accommodations, or car.  Travel insurance companies include AIG Travel, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, Generali Global Assistance, GeoBlue, Nationwide, and more.

Typically, you'll purchase coverage shortly after initial bookings for lodging, flights, or other transportation, activities, and rental cars. Some policies may require you to do so to retain full coverage. Here are some terms to know for travel insurance.

Primary and Secondary Coverage

If you buy travel insurance, you may have concurrent insurance coverage , meaning you're covered under more than one policy. When the travel coverage is primary, the travel insurance reimburses you first without needing to make a claim through another company—and sparing you potentially increased policy rates.

If the travel insurance coverage is secondary, you'll first need to attempt to file a claim with other coverage, such as an airline (lost baggage) or your own auto insurance (damaged car).

Coverage Requirements

There are usually stipulations spelled out on how you qualify for coverage. Your claim must fall under the types of coverage offered. For example, lost baggage insurance might include coverage for personal items, prescriptions, credit cards, and your passport or visa. You may also need to take extra steps to qualify for coverage, such as reporting the loss or theft to the police.

Policy Coverage Limits

This is the maximum amount you can receive for the claim. For example, you might only receive $500 per bag. You may not even receive more for expensive items such as jewelry or electronic devices. You might need to provide receipts for items over a certain amount. Without receipts, the insurer may only pay for repairs.

Some coverage might require you to pay a deductible, or flat amount, before covering the remainder of your claim up to the limit.

These are the conditions under which your coverage will not cover the loss. Each policy differs. For example, your baggage damage coverage may not cover losses caused by animals. It may exclude coverage of bicycles, hearing aids or other medical devices, keys, and tickets, or seizure by a government or customs official.

Pre-existing conditions may not be covered by travel medical insurance, or may only be covered if you buy a travel insurance plan within one to two weeks of booking your trip.

Comprehensive travel insurance includes many types of coverage listed below, bundled into one plan. Most commonly, comprehensive travel insurance bundles a 24-hour assistance line to help find doctors or get assistance in an emergency, reimburse you for trip cancellation , interruption and delay, baggage loss or delay, and medical expense and medical evacuation coverage.

Alternatively, you can purchase each coverage type separately. This may be wise if you already have coverage through other insurance or can cover your losses in many cases.

Trip Cancellation or Interruption Coverage

This insurance reimburses a traveler for some or all prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses, and comes in the following forms:

• Trip cancellation : Reimburses you for paid travel expenses if you can't travel for a preapproved reason.
• Travel delay : Reimburses you for expenses if you can't travel because of a delay.
• Trip interruption : Reimburses you for travel costs if your trip is cut short.
• Cancel for any reason (CFAR) : Reimburses you for a portion of costs if you cancel the trip for any reason; typically more expensive than the other types listed above.

With most of the above, acceptable cancellation and interruption causes and reimbursement amounts vary by provider. Acceptable reasons for a claim might include the following:  

• Your illness
• Illness or death in your immediate family
• Sudden business conflicts
• Weather-related issues
• Legal obligations such as jury duty

You may need to pay more or meet more requirements to file a claim for a cancellation due to financial default, terrorism in your destination city, or work reasons.

When traveling, register your travel plans with the State Department through its free  travel registration website , the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). The nearest embassy or consulate can contact you if there is a family, state, or national emergency.

Baggage and personal belongings being lost, stolen, or damaged is a frequent travel problem—and can quickly ruin a trip as you must shop for replacements. Baggage and personal effects coverage protects lost, stolen, or damaged belongings during travel to, in, and from a destination.

However, many travel insurance policies pay for belongings only after you exhaust all other available claims. Baggage coverage may have many restrictions and exclusions, such as only covering up to $500 per item and $250 for each additional item. You may be able to increase or decrease amounts, shop around for coverage, or increase limits by paying more.

For example, the insurance may not pay for lost and damaged luggage due to airline fault. Most carriers, such as airlines, reimburse travelers if baggage is lost or destroyed due to the airline's error. However, there may be limitations on reimbursement amounts, so baggage and personal effects coverage provide an additional layer of protection.

Vacation rental insurance covers costs from accidental damage to a vacation rental property. Some plans also offer trip cancellation and interruption to help reimburse costs when you can't use your vacation rental. Some of these reasons could include the following:

• Lost or stolen keys
• Unsanitary or unsafe vacation property
• Vacation rental wasn't as advertised
• The company oversold your vacation rental

Rental car insurance covers a rental car's damage or loss while on a trip, taking the place of the rental agency's collision damage waiver (CDW) or your regular car insurance policy. Policies vary and may cover collisions, theft, vandalism, and other incidents. Rental car insurance may be a secondary policy to your own car insurance. However, it doesn't cover your liability or legal responsibility for damage or injury you cause to others.

Medical coverage can help with unexpected international medical and dental expenses, and help with locating doctors and healthcare facilities abroad. As with other policies, coverage will vary by price and provider.

• Foreign travel medical coverage : These policies range from five days to one year or longer, and cover costs arising from illness and injuries while traveling.
• Medical evacuation: May cover airlift travel to a medical facility and medical evacuation to receive care.

Consult with your current medical insurers before purchasing a policy to determine whether a policy extends its coverage outside the country. Most health insurance companies pay “customary and reasonable” hospital costs if you become sick or injured while traveling, but few will pay for a medical evacuation.

The U.S. government doesn't insure citizens or pay for medical expenses abroad . Before purchasing a policy, read the provisions to see what exclusions, such as preexisting medical conditions, apply. Don't assume that the new coverage mirrors that of your existing plan. Routine medical care is typically excluded unless you buy a long-term medical plan intended for expatriates, missionaries, maritime crew members, or others abroad for extended periods.

Medicare or Medicaid generally don't cover medical costs overseas unless you have specific Medicare Advantage or Medigap plans covering emergency overseas care.

Accidental Death and Dismembership (AD&D) Coverage

If an accident results in death or serious injury, an AD&D policy pays a lump sum to surviving beneficiaries or you for an injury. The insurance usually offers three parts, providing coverage for accidents and fatalities:

• Flight accident insurance: Occurring during flights on a licensed commercial airliner. 
• Common carrier: Resulting from public transportation such as train, ferry, or bus travel.
• General travel: Occurring at any point during a trip.

Exclusions that may apply include death caused by drug overdose or sickness. In addition, only some injuries may be covered, specifically hand, foot, limb, or eyesight. There are stated amount limits per injury.

Accidental death coverage may not be necessary if you already have a  life insurance  policy. However, benefits paid by your travel insurance coverage may be in addition to those paid by your life insurance policy, leaving more money to your beneficiaries. 

Depending on your plan or package selected, you may be able to add the following travel insurance types:

• Identity theft resolution services
• School activity coverage
• Destination wedding coverage
• Adventure sports coverage
• Pet health as a reason for cancellation or delay
• Hunting or fishing activities as a reason for cancellation or delay
• Missed flight connections

Travel insurance varies in cost, exclusions, and coverage. Coverage is available for single, multiple, and yearly trips. To get travel insurance, you fill out an insurance company's application about your trip, including the following:

• Travelers going
• Destination
• Travel dates
• Date of first payment toward your trip

The insurance company reviews the information using underwriting guidelines to guide issuing a policy and the rate. If it accepts your application, the company will issue a policy covering your trip. If the company rejects your application, you can apply with another insurer.

When you receive your policy, you'll typically get a 10- to 15-day review period to review the contract's fine details. If you don't like the policy, you can return it for a refund. Read through the document and ensure the plan you purchased doesn't apply too many loopholes, and that it covers:

• Emergency medical care and transport back to the U.S.
• High enough limits to cover your costs or damages
• Regions you're traveling to
• Your trip duration or number of trips
• All activities you plan to enjoy
• Preexisting conditions and people of your age

Also, read through for any exclusions. For example, types of property covered, and whether property lost or damaged by the airline is covered, and how.

Do I Need Travel Insurance?

You might consider travel insurance if you can't afford to cancel and then rebook an expensive or long trip. You might also consider travel health insurance if your health insurance doesn't cover international costs. An alternative is to book an easily cancellable vacation—look for a pay-later hotel room and car rental options, flexible cancellation terms, and the ability to rebook without a fee.

What Is Not Covered by Travel Insurance?

Review the travel insurance policy to discover exclusions. According to NAIC, common travel policy exclusions are:

• A traveler's pre-existing health conditions
• Civil and political unrest at the traveler's destination
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Coverage for those engaging in adventure or dangerous activities.

Pandemics may also be excluded from coverage.

How Can I Get Cheap Travel Insurance?

Your  homeowners  or renters insurance may provide some protection for personal belongings, and airlines and cruise lines are responsible for loss and damage to your baggage during transport. Also, credit cards may provide automatic protection for things like delays and luggage or rental car accidents if used for deposits or other trip-related expenses.

The main types of travel insurance include trip cancellation or interruption coverage, baggage and personal effects coverage, medical expense coverage, and accidental death or flight accident coverage. Before buying a policy, check to see if you already have coverage through your own health or car insurance or a credit card.

Mass.gov. " Travel Insurance. "

Minnesota Department of Commerce. " Travel Insurance ."

U.S. Travel Insurance Association. " Frequently Asked Questions ."

Texas Department of Insurance. " Should You Get Travel Insurance? "

National Association of Insurance Commissioners. “ Taking a Trip? Information about Travel Insurance You Should Know Before You Hit the Road .”

U.S. Department of State. “ Your Health Abroad. ”

Medicare.gov. " Medicare Coverage Outside the United States ." Page 4.

Medicare.gov. " Medigap & Travel. "

NAIC. " Travel Insurance ."

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

What do the nine Banksy pieces mean? We look at the clues

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A goat precariously balancing on a pillar with rocks falling below it. Two elephants poking their heads out of blocked windows.

Three monkeys swinging along on a bridge. A lone wolf howling at the sky. Two pelicans eating fish above a fish bar. A cat doing a big stretch .

A school of piranhas on a police box. A rhinoceros mounting a car . Now a gorilla freeing animals at London Zoo.

These are the nine Banksy works that have so far appeared in London just this week.

But what is the reason behind the elusive Banksy’s latest spurt of creative talent across different parts of the capital?

Paul Gough is an expert on Banksy and is a professor and vice chancellor at Arts University Bournemouth .

He revealed to Metro.co.uk that the mysterious artist could be working towards something significant.

What is Banksy’s grand plan?

‘Banksy is working towards a grand reveal or a big piece in the coming days,’ said Paul said, a regular Banksy commentator accused of being the elusive artist in a viral TikTok video that garnered two million views in 2022.

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‘What’s different this time is that Banksy usually leaves it a bit of time, keeps people guessing whether a piece of work is authentically his.

‘This time he is confirming it is his work straightaway, something we have not ever seen before.

‘The question I think is how long can he sustain this both on a creative level and on a level which keeps his audience interested.’

While Banksy hosted a month-long residency in New York City in 2013 in which he produced one street art piece in a different part of the city each day in October, this was advertised beforehand.

What do we know about the nine Banksy pieces so far?

The difference with these pieces in London this week is they are being announced straight away by the artist.

The first work on Monday shows a mountain goat precariously balancing on a pillar as rocks fall below it on Kew Green in Richmond, southwest London.

The second shows two elephants poking their heads out of blocked-out windows on Esther Terrace, Chelsea, west London and the third shows three monkeys swinging along a bridge on Brick Lane in east London.

A lone wolf appeared on Rye Lane in Peckham, southeast London, on Thursday before being stolen just an hour later .

A fifth appeared in Walthamstow, showing two pelicans eating fish above Bonners Fish Bar on Northcote Road, on Friday.

Then a cat on a dilapidated billboard , overgrown with leaves, popped up on Edgware Road in Cricklewood, northwest London on Saturday.

In a break from silhouettes, Banksy decorated the windows of a City of London Police box with a swimming school of piranhas on Ludgate Hill on Sunday.

The City of London Corporation has since removed the box for safekeeping while it settles on a permanent home for the artwork.

Monday morning saw the arrival of a rhinoceros mounting a parked car on Westmoor Street in Charlton, south east London.

Then a painting of a gorilla freeing animals at London Zoo appeared on Tuesday morning, with Banksy’s confirmation following unexpectedly soon after.

As was the case every day this week, Banksy confirmed the artwork’s legitimacy on his official Instagram just after 1pm.

Paul said: ‘A pattern is emerging underneath all this. Banksy certainly has used animals in his work in the past but the difference is these have often been creatures like rats or chimps.

‘The animals used so far seem rather benign, quite innocent to the world bar the wolf, certainly a change from his previous work.’

The meaning behind Banksy’s latest work

Desperate for an explanation, at least one person has speculated the artworks may be a commentary on immigration and refugees.

Another claimed it was about Brexit, with the cat painted on a billboard because billboards carried the ‘£350million for the NHS promise during the campaign’.

Writing under Banksy’s Instagram post, they said: ‘The cat out of the bag meaning the truth about Brexit.

‘The cats symbolised scratching of a billboard that’s gone to wrack and ruin with the messages on it long gone.’

Paul told Metro he believes Banksy has been inspired to create this latest work because of the state of the world right now.

He said: ‘Although there is so much going on, it is hard to pinpoint what he is specifically referring to at the moment.

‘This is why I think he is working towards a bigger, almost sting in the tail reveal perhaps, which will aid our understanding of the world around us right now.’

However, people may be overthinking the meaning, Banksy’s support organisation, Pest Control Office, suggested.

Instead, Banksy’s aim might be to cheer people up with ‘unexpected amusement’ amid bleak news headlines, The Observer reported on Saturday.

Does the geography of the Banksy pieces matter?

So far as we know right now it doesn’t seem to matter, but that could all change.

Banksy has been known to create other art series and campaigns in August in specific geographical areas of the UK in the past.

One of the most famous was his Spraycation series across areas on the east coast of England in August 2021.

But it took Banksy a while to officially verify these ten pieces of work across towns including Cromer, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and Oulton Broad.

‘Because the mystery has been taken out of the different works this time around, I believe this is evidence he is working towards something bigger,’ Paul said.

‘I don’t think the locations are necessarily too important but they do all seem high up or in difficult-to-reach places.

‘One thing is certain, Banksy works by his own rules and we are all dancing to his tune.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected] .

For more stories like this, check our news page .

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Disney has a price problem. It has ambitious plans to fix that

D isney recently announced a huge slate of projects for parks and cruises in front of 12,000 of its most loyal fans, who will almost certainly return to Disney’s theme parks to experience those new offerings, no matter what it costs.

But whether a frequent visitor or a first-timer, Disney’s price hikes combined with a global inflation crisis left many families unable to afford trips to witness the technological feats and fantasy immersion the “Happiest Place on Earth” promises.

“It is not news that a Disney trip is expensive, but the magnitude and speed of price increases over roughly the past five years was jarring to many respondents, and we do not believe similar increases over roughly the next five years are feasible,” a Raymond James survey of 20 Disney “superfans,” travel agents and Orlando-area business owners found.

Disney warned in its August 7 earnings report that domestic parks attendance was underperforming expectations as visitors become more price-conscious. US parks profit fell during the last quarter, between April and July. Disney CFO Hugh Johnston said on the company’s earnings call that there may be a couple of quarters of similar results.

To keep its customers coming through the gates, the company will keep providing a range of pricing and options, said Josh D’Amaro, chairperson of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, in an interview with CNN.

“What we will continue to do is make sure we provide as much access and flexibility as we possibly can, so as many of our fans can experience these things as possible,” D’Amaro said.

In response to criticism about high costs, Disney has consistently touted lower-priced ticket options and “value season” deals at its resort hotels to allow families to visit, even if they’re on a tight budget.

Disney isn’t the only company struggling with customers who are spending less. Demand for the travel industry is softening, marking the end of the “revenge travel” fad in the months after pandemic restrictions were lifted. With stimulus money padding their bank accounts, people had been spending more freely then, making up after a year of missed vacations.

D’Amaro said he’s confident Disney can navigate these bumps in the road.

“We have proven ourselves to be incredibly adept at managing through situations where there’s some change in consumer behavior,” he said. “We have even more sophistication in our ability to deal with any of these fluctuations, whether it’s through precise promotional deployment, or management of cost or engagement with our guests.”

What the new announcements mean for ticket prices

The new announcements promising guests a chance to ride through the “Encanto” “casita,” to fight a battle in Wakanda or experience an ominous land themed to villains, are all part of a $60 billion investment in parks and cruises that Disney has pledged over the next decade – an investment that will need to be paid for over time with consumer dollars.

But that massive investment doesn’t mean Disney will immediately hike ticket prices, said Tom Bricker, co-founder of DisneyTouristBlog.com . It’s economics 101.

“Costs will rise as demand rises, which can happen as a result of new additions. Right now, demand is flat or falling,” Bricker said, in reference to the latest earnings report that suggested the moderation in attendance might last into 2025. “With 2025 also being the opening of Universal’s Epic Universe, there will likely also be negative impacts on Walt Disney World attendance. It won’t be catastrophic—Epic Universe will draw new visitors to Orlando, who will also visit Disney—but it will be damaging in the near term.”

As a result, Bricker said park visitors may see new parades and shows, and discounts in the coming year, as Disney tries to keep people coming, especially as the new lands and rides will still be under construction for some time.

Still, the price of Disney tickets today compared to past years prices out some families.

Shortly after Disneyland in California opened in 1955, guests could buy admission plus 10 rides for a total of $2.50. Adjusted for inflation, that $2.50 would be $28.74 today. When Disney World in Florida opened in 1977, admission plus a book of tickets for seven rides was $8 in total. In 2024 dollars, that would be $61.66.

Currently, the cheapest one-day tickets to Disneyland or Walt Disney World during the “value” season are $104 and $116.09, respectively.

But the admission prices when the parks first opened were for entry into a single park, with far fewer attractions than what a Disney guest experiences today. Today, Disneyland Resort has two parks with more than 65 total attractions; Disney World has four theme parks and two water parks with more than 150 attractions.

“Value” tickets have increased less than 1% annually in the last 10 years, noted Don Munsil, who runs MouseSavers, a travel website that maintains historic records of Disney prices. But the number of dates on the calendar when these prices apply has diminished.

On the high end, Munsil said the most expensive single-day ticket to only one park during peak season at Disneyland in California ($194) has increased an average of about 7% each year over the last decade. A similar peak season ticket at Disney World in Florida ($201.29) has increased an average of 6.4% each year during that time.

The increases on these peak tickets outpace inflation over the same period.

According to MouseSavers, tickets for a family of four to hop between the Walt Disney World parks for four days during peak season costs about $3,098 in 2024, without factoring in additional services like access to faster “Lightning Lanes,” which used to be free.

That’s about double what they cost 10 years ago, and 3.6 times the price 20 years ago.

Paid access to Lightning Lanes, which first debuted at Disney World in 2021, can cost another $17-$41 per person, per day, depending on the park and the season.

Certain popular rides aren’t included, however. Using the Lightning Lane specifically for “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance,” for example, would cost about $25 extra per person.

But Munsil points out that this is the cheapest of any theme park “express” service on the market. He said Universal charges $105-$310 per person, per day, for their express pass, depending on number of parks and options. Cedar Point charges $95-$120 per person, per day. Busch Gardens charges $60-$150 per person, per day.

The grievance from the fan community is that this used to be free at Disney parks. Transportation from the Orlando airport to Disney World property also used to be included for Disney hotel guests, but that service has been discontinued.

Food and souvenirs at the parks also cost a lot more.

A Mickey ice cream bar cost $2.59 15 years ago, according to Disney Food Blog . If only adjusted for inflation, it should cost $3.78 in 2024, but instead, the price is $6.29.

Light-up specialty balloons were $15 in 2015 . If adjusted for inflation, that type of balloon would cost $19.60. In 2024, that balloon costs…$20. So not everything at the parks outpaces inflation.

Is it worth it?

“I always joke that three things in life are certain - death, taxes, and Disney parks raising ticket prices,” said Mindy Marzec, who runs thisfairytalelife.com. “Prices are going to go up no matter what, so when you hear all about these exciting projects in development, it feels like the price is more worth it.”

Prices of regular tickets have not increased at nearly the same pace as annual passes, Munsil points out. He said the hardcore fans are the ones who are often quoted feeling jaded, because they go frequently and see the prices of their passes go up.

But he said the primary audience, especially for Disney World, are first-time visitors who are amazed and delighted by the incomparable entertainment and detail that they see. The cheapest available ticket to Disney World has remained the same price as it was in 2019, and is $15 more than it was in 2013.

“I think the Disney parks are a huge bargain,” Munsil said, noting that the cheapest available ticket at about $110 a day (or less, with seasonal discounts), gives someone more than 10 hours of entertainment, depending on one’s stamina.

“The Disney parks have some of the most amazing, technologically sophisticated rides and experiences in the world. It’s a totally unique, magical place,” Munsil said. “What’s that worth? The only comparable place is Universal Studios, and it costs about the same, and for (IMO) parks that are just a little less amazing (though still worthwhile).”

For frequent visitors who balk at paying more for the products and services they’re accustomed to, the question is whether the experience is still worth the money. Following the D23 announcements of upcoming developments, many devotees are saying “yes, ”even if it may mean saving up for fewer trips.

Content creator Victoria Wade, said, “In recent years, there has been a feeling that the fans have been nothing more than dollar signs and that our feedback wasn’t taken seriously since the return to normality with the pandemic.”

Wade said the perceived instability of Disney leadership, and adding paid services and experiences that were once free, “led to a lack of trust between the company and the community.”

But Wade said that the major announcements made at the Disney fan convention, D23, gave her the feeling that the company is listening to feedback, like adding a new nighttime parade at Magic Kingdom, which loyal visitors had requested for a long time.

Munsil said the Disney parks are “expensive, yes, but there’s nothing else on Earth like them.”

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Fact-Checking Claims About Tim Walz’s Record

Republicans have leveled inaccurate or misleading attacks on Mr. Walz’s response to protests in the summer of 2020, his positions on immigration and his role in the redesign of Minnesota’s flag.

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By Linda Qiu

Since Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota was announced as the Democratic nominee for vice president, the Trump campaign and its allies have gone on the attack.

Mr. Walz, a former teacher and football coach from Nebraska who served in the National Guard, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006 and then as Minnesota’s governor in 2018. His branding of former President Donald J. Trump as “weird” this year caught on among Democrats and helped catapult him into the national spotlight and to the top of Vice President Kamala Harris’s list of potential running mates.

The Republican accusations, which include questions over his military service , seem intended at undercutting a re-energized campaign after President Biden stepped aside and Ms. Harris emerged as his replacement at the top of the ticket. Mr. Trump and his allies have criticized, sometimes inaccurately, Mr. Walz’s handling of protests in his state, his immigration policies, his comments about a ladder factory and the redesign of his state’s flag.

Here’s a fact check of some claims.

What Was Said

“Because if we remember the rioting in the summer of 2020, Tim Walz was the guy who let rioters burn down Minneapolis.” — Senator JD Vance of Ohio, the Republican nominee for vice president, during a rally on Wednesday in Philadelphia

This is exaggerated. Mr. Walz has faced criticism for not quickly activating the National Guard to quell civil unrest in Minneapolis in the summer of 2020 after the murder of George Floyd by a police officer. But claims that he did not respond at all, or that the city burned down, are hyperbolic.

Mr. Floyd was murdered on May 25, 2020, and demonstrators took to the streets the next day . The protests intensified, with some vandalizing vehicles and setting fires. More than 700 state troopers and officers with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ mobile response team were deployed on May 26 to help the city’s police officers, according to a 2022 independent assessment by the state’s Department of Public Safety of the response to the unrest.

But the report noted that issues with communication delayed the deployment of the state National Guard.

The mayor, Jacob Frey, asked Mr. Walz to activate the National Guard the night of May 27. An aide to Mr. Frey texted a colleague around 8 p.m. that Mr. Walz was “hesitating,” documents obtained by the local news media show . The Trump campaign cited these records as evidence of Mr. Walz’s refusal to act.

Mr. Walz has argued that he did not believe Mr. Frey “knew what he was asking for,” and that the mayor did not specify the number of troops, their mission or their abilities.

The city’s police department submitted a written request the night of May 27 for 600 guardsmen. State officials said that the request was not specific enough and that they were waiting for more detail before approving the request, but that city officials were not aware that more detail was needed, according to the 2022 report.

Mr. Frey sent a formal request for troops the morning of May 28, and Mr. Walz activated the National Guard shortly afterward — two days after protests had begun. The Guard tweeted at about 4 p.m. local time that it was ready to respond to the governor’s request.

By that time, one of the city’s police precincts had already been damaged by fire. The Trump campaign also noted that a police officer testified in 2020 that she had heard “thirdhand” that Mr. Walz had said to “give up the precinct”; at the time, a spokesman for Mr. Walz disputed that characterization.

It is also worth noting that Mr. Trump, in a June 2020 phone call with governors, praised Mr. Walz’s response: “Tim Walz. Again, I was very happy with the last couple of days, Tim. You called up big numbers and the big numbers knocked them out so fast.”

“I know him a little bit. I helped him during the riots because his house was surrounded by people that were waving an American flag — doesn’t sound like very bad people. He called me and he was very concerned, very, very concerned that it was going to get out of control. They only had one guard, I guess, it was at the mansion or his house in some form. And he called me. And I said what do you want me to do about it? I was in the White House. He said if you would put out the word that I’m a good person. And I did. I put out the word.” — Mr. Trump in an interview on Fox News on Wednesday

This is misleading. Mr. Trump’s version of events is wrong on several details, and Mr. Walz’s own account noticeably differs.

On April 17, 2020 — more than a month before George Floyd’s murder — hundreds of demonstrators gathered in front of Mr. Walz’s residence to protest a stay-at-home order the governor had imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

That morning, Mr. Trump had written on social media, “LIBERATE MINNESOTA!,” along with calls to “liberate” other states under lockdown orders.

That day, Mr. Walz said he had tried unsuccessfully to call Mr. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence to ask “what they think we could have done differently” to respond to the spread of the virus.

Three days later, on April 20, Mr. Trump wrote that he had received a “very nice call” from Mr. Walz and that “good things are happening.”

In a news conference that day, Mr. Walz said that he had a “very good and long conversation” with Mr. Trump on April 18 — after the protesters had left — about the need for more personal protective equipment and testing abilities.

In an interview with Politico in September 2021 published this week, Mr. Walz said that Mr. Trump’s tweet had “brought armed people to my house” and that Mr. Trump had never responded when he asked what “liberate Minnesota” meant.

“Tim Walz went on TV to talk about trying to help illegal aliens climb over the border wall. Tim Walz championed government-issued IDs, driver’s licenses for illegal aliens, which results in countless motorists being killed each and every year. Tim Walz championed free health care for illegal aliens, which will bankrupt America.” — Stephen Miller, a former Trump administration official, in an interview on Fox News on Tuesday

This is exaggerated. Mr. Miller distorted comments Mr. Walz made regarding a border wall. He is correct that Mr. Walz signed legislation allowing unauthorized immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses and giving them publicly subsidized health care coverage through a state program for low-income individuals. But while Mr. Walz championed eligibility expansion, it is unclear whether he supported the health care expansion.

In 2023, Mr. Walz signed legislation expanding driver’s license eligibility to all residents of the state, regardless of immigration status. In a news release , he said he was a “longtime supporter of the bill” and expressed pride at the measure, saying it would make roads safer.

That May, Mr. Walz also signed a budget deal into law that, among other provisions, allowed unauthorized immigrants to enroll in MinnesotaCare , the state’s program for low-income residents. Mr. Walz’s budget had proposed expanding eligibility only to undocumented immigrants under 19, and a local publication reported that he opposed allowing undocumented adults to also have access to the program. His news release at the time did not mention the expansion. Additionally, MinnesotaCare provides subsidized, but not always free insurance. The health care program is funded in part by the state, and the expansion, backed by state money , would not dip into federal coffers and “bankrupt” the country.

Mr. Miller’s comment about Mr. Walz helping immigrants “climb over the border wall” distorts Mr. Walz’s remarks. In an interview last week on CNN , Mr. Walz said that the “United States needs to control its border” but argued that Mr. Trump was “not interested in solving the problem.”

“I always say, let me know how high it is,” he said, wryly expressing the ineffectiveness of a border wall. “If it’s 25 feet, then I’ll invest in the 30-foot ladder factory. That’s not how you stop this.”

He continued, “You stop this using electronics, you stop it using more border control agents, and you stop it by having a legal system that allows for that tradition of allowing folks to come here, just like my relatives did to come here, be able to work and establish the American dream. He’s not interested in that. He wants to demonize.”

“Don’t forget he tried to redesign the Minnesota state flag to look like the Somali national flag. You just can’t get further out there in America.” — Representative Andy Biggs, Republican of Arizona, in an interview on a right-wing streaming platform on Wednesday

False. Minnesota adopted a new flag on May 11, after a monthslong redesign effort and thousands of public submissions. Mr. Walz had little to do with the design, which pays tribute to various facets of the state — not Somalia.

Prompted by criticism that the state’s old flag was offensive to Native Americans and bore too many similarities to other state flags, Minnesota legislators passed a measure in 2023 establishing a commission to redesign the state’s emblems. Mr. Walz signed that legislation into law. The commission received more than 2,000 submissions from the public through October 2023 and decided on a design in December.

The commission — not Mr. Walz — chose and modified a design by Andrew Prekker of Luverne, Minn. Mr. Prekker, who does part-time work in graphic design, said in an interview on local news that he had researched his concept and tried to create imagery that “represented everyone” in the state. Mr. Prekker told PolitiFact that his flag had nothing to do with Somalia.

The new flag has a white eight-point star (representing the North Star, which is the state’s motto, and the many cultures of the state) splashed on a dark blue background (representing the night sky and the shape of the state) on the left and a bright blue field on the right (representing the state’s 11,000 lakes and 6,000 rivers and streams), according to the commission’s final report.

The flag of Somalia features a white five-pointed star on a blue field.

An earlier version of this article misidentified a Minnesota agency that deployed a mobile response team to help quell unrest in Minneapolis after the murder of George Floyd by a police officer. It was the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, not the Department of National Resources.

An earlier version of this article misstated the damage to one of Minneapolis’s police precincts. It was damaged by fire but not burned to the ground.

How we handle corrections

Linda Qiu is a reporter who specializes in fact-checking statements made by politicians and public figures. She has been reporting and fact-checking public figures for nearly a decade. More about Linda Qiu

Keep Up With the 2024 Election

The presidential election is 80 days away . Here’s our guide to the run-up to Election Day.

Tracking the Polls . The state of the race, according to the latest polling data.

Election Calendar. Take a look at key dates and voting deadlines.

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Candidates’ Careers. How Trump, Vance, Harris and Walz got here.

Harris on the Issues. Where Harris stands on immigration, abortion and more.

Trump’s 2025 Plans. Trump is preparing to radically reshape the government.

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What Is Travel Insurance and What Does It Cover?

with our partner, Faye

Sarah Horvath is a finance writer and researcher based in New York City. She specializes in writing about home warranties, insurance and home financial protection.

Tori Addison is an editor who has worked in the digital marketing industry for over five years. Her experience includes communications and marketing work in the nonprofit, governmental and academic sectors. A journalist by trade, she started her career covering politics and news in New York’s Hudson Valley. Her work included coverage of local and state budgets, federal financial regulations and health care legislation.

Here’s a breakdown of how we reviewed and rated the best travel insurance companies

Travel insurance is a type of financial protection you can buy to reimburse a portion of prepaid, nonrefundable expenses if your trip gets interrupted or canceled. Travel insurance may cover medical bills incurred abroad, lost baggage, lost airline fare and more.

Read on to learn more about travel insurance and what it covers, and explore a few of our top-rated providers .

What Is Travel Insurance?

Travel insurance is a type of insurance coverage that protects you from financial loss when you travel. Depending on the type of policy you purchase, travel insurance usually covers emergency situations such as trip cancellation or interruption, accidents, illnesses and trip delays . 

Since your primary health insurance is not applicable abroad, many travelers will purchase travel health insurance to cover unexpected medical expenses.

The cost of a travel insurance policy depends on the age of the travelers, duration of the trip, location of the trip, how much the trip costs, policy tier selected and more. If you’re planning a trip and you’ve made a significant investment that you can’t afford to lose, you might need travel insurance.

How Travel Insurance Works

Like most types of insurance, travel insurance works on a reimbursement model. You pay for your travel first and if you experience a covered loss, apply for a reimbursement with your insurance provider later. For this reason, it is important to understand what a plan does and does not cover and how it works before you buy a policy. 

Primary vs. Secondary Insurance Coverage

If you purchase a travel insurance policy to supplement your standard health insurance, it is important to determine which policy will serve as the primary insurance. If your travel insurance provides the primary medical coverage, it will act as the first source of payment for eligible medical expenses. So if you incur medical bills abroad, primary medical insurance will cover your expenses without requiring you first to file a claim with your standard health insurance.

If your travel insurance offers secondary medical coverage, it will only kick in after other applicable insurance policies. In most cases, you must file a claim with your standard health insurance provider first before filing one with your travel insurance provider. Your travel medical coverage would then cover any remaining eligible expenses not covered by your primary insurance.

If you do not have health insurance, having travel insurance with secondary medical coverage is likely not as beneficial. Travel insurance policies are usually more affordable than primary medical coverage, and because you do not have backup insurance, can act as immediate primary coverage. 

However, some policies offering secondary coverage outline a minimum health insurance requirement for claim validity. So, read all the terms of your proposed travel policy before purchasing.

Coverage Limits and Requirements

Travel insurance policies have financial caps or dollar limits on covered situations. For example, if your policy offers $150,000 in emergency medical expenses, your provider will pay out a maximum of $150,000 toward covered expenses. If your expenses exceed $150,000, you are responsible for the extra costs. 

For trip interruption and cancellation protection, insurers usually calculate coverage as a percentage of your total trip cost. So, if interruption benefits include 125% coverage reimbursement on a trip with a total value of $5,000, you can claim up to $6,250 in benefits. For reference, most travel insurance plans include 100% trip cancellation coverage and a minimum of 125% trip interruption coverage to compensate for extra charges such as unexpected flight changes.

In addition to knowing coverage limits, noting any policy use restrictions before buying a plan is good practice. Your provider will likely require you to document all expenses incurred when you file a claim, such as if you buy clothing and cosmetics to replace lost baggage . Most travel insurers also ask you to contact a representative to request authorization before using a medical evacuation benefit, even after being hospitalized.  

What Does Travel Insurance Cover?

Travel insurance is a holistic insurance that covers you in multiple areas. Let’s look at the most common coverages you’re likely to find on your travel insurance policy. 

Trip Cancellation and Interruption

Most travel insurance plans include trip cancellation and interruption coverage to reimburse prepaid, nonrefundable expenses if your trip is canceled or delayed for a reason outlined in your policy. Valid reasons for cancellation usually involve extreme personal or financial hardship, such as:

• An illness, injury or hospitalization that prevents you from traveling
• Death of a family member or travel companion 
• Legal obligations, such as jury duty
• Natural disasters
• Acts of terrorism or war 

Trip interruption coverage offers financial protection if you must return home earlier than originally planned. If a family member gets sick back home while you’re abroad, your trip interruption coverage may cover a sudden return flight and reimburse unused trip expenses.

Specific reasons that qualify the use of trip cancellation and interruption benefits vary by insurance company. If you want to extend your benefits to cover more situations, consider buying cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage , which lets you claim a partial reimbursement no matter why you cancel.

Baggage Loss or Delay

Benefits for lost or delayed baggage pay for the cost of belongings if an airline temporarily or permanently loses your luggage. However, baggage delay coverage usually has more limited benefits for temporary needs — such as clothing and toiletries — if a travel carrier sends your luggage to the wrong location. This coverage will also typically reimburse you for stolen belongings during a trip. 

To prove a loss or delay to your insurer, you usually need to provide documentation, such as receipts and a property irregularity report (PIR) from an airline. It is also important to note the financial limits on eligible claim items. For example, while most baggage loss policies cover jewelry, you may face a limitation of $100 or less for each lost piece of jewelry. You can also consider additional coverage riders for exceptionally high-value items, such as musical instruments and sporting equipment. 

Auto Rental Damage Coverage

If you plan to rent a vehicle while away, consider adding rental car coverage to your travel insurance policy. Travel insurance usually includes auto collision coverage, which usually pays for damage to a rental car. So if you total your rental car in an accident, collision insurance helps pay the cost of repairs.

Depending on your rental car provider and where you’re visiting, you may need liability coverage to drive legally. In the U.S., for example, each state sets liability requirements for drivers. Travel insurance with auto coverage usually does not supply the necessary liability insurance to drive, so consult with your rental car company to learn more about meeting local requirements.

Vacation Rental Coverage

Some insurance companies also have vacation rental coverage that pays for the cost of any damage done to a short-term rental property. For example, if you rent an Airbnb and your pet urinates on the carpet, the rental owner might charge you for the cost of cleaning or replacing the rug. Depending on your policy coverage, vacation rental insurance would cover this charge.

Travel insurers typically classify auto rental and vacation rental coverage as add-ons, meaning coverage is not included under most standard plans. If you select either add-on, your premium will increase. 

Emergency Evacuation and Transportation

If you’re visiting a remote area or taking a cruise , you might consider insurance to cover medical transportation. Emergency medical evacuation coverage can help you pay for the cost of transportation services if you are far from a local facility equipped to treat your injuries. 

Some policies also offer the ability to use emergency evacuation services because of civil unrest or a political emergency.

Travel Medical Insurance Coverage

Travel medical insurance helps cover medical bills you might incur while on a trip away from home. Many health insurance policies, including government-sponsored policies like Medicare , do not cover injuries and illnesses incurred abroad. A travel medical insurance plan can help you pay the medical bills if you need healthcare while traveling outside your primary health insurance plan’s service area. 

“Find out what, if anything, your domestic health insurance covers when you travel. Even if you do, it could be only for emergencies, and your health insurance company’s definition of an emergency might not be the same as yours. Because of this, we always recommend travel medical insurance for international travel.”

– Angela Borden, Product Marketing Specialist at Seven Corners

Travel Insurance Additional Benefits

Some travel insurance providers offer benefits beyond the above-listed standard inclusions, such as:

• Document replacement: If you lose your passport or personal ID card while abroad, you may need to visit a local consulate for a replacement. Travel insurance with document replacement coverage can help you cover the associated cost.
• Flight departure delay: Some insurers, such as Berkshire Hathaway , give you a credit if your flight gets delayed by more than two hours. You can use the credit to pay for refreshments or entertainment, such as Wi-Fi, during a delay.
• Tarmac delay: Some companies provide a set benefit if your flight is stuck on the tarmac for a specific number of hours. 
• Other benefits : Some insurance providers include additional benefits, such as rental car coverage or identity theft coverage.

What’s Not Covered by Travel Insurance?

Each travel insurance company creates its own policy packages, meaning exclusions vary from company to company. You should assume that any services not listed in your contract are excluded from coverage. Some of the most common circumstances when you cannot use your travel insurance coverage include the following:

• Named storms : Most travel insurance policies cover sudden travel expenses resulting from unexpected natural disasters, such as hurricanes and tropical storms. However, your coverage won’t apply to losses caused by storms that were already named when you booked your insurance.
• Medical tourism : If you’re traveling abroad to seek medical treatments, there’s always the chance of complications increasing the cost of your services. Medical tourism expenses are not covered under travel insurance policies.
• Willing cancellation : Even if you purchase trip cancellation coverage, you cannot cancel your travel for any reason and still claim a refund. If you change your mind and don’t want to travel anymore, your travel insurance will not reimburse you for your expenses

Other standard exclusions include:

• Fear of flying
• Injuries incurred during extreme sports
• Preexisting conditions (on medical policies)
• Travel to high-risk destinations

How Much Does Travel Insurance Cost?

The average cost of a travel insurance policy is $221, according to our research. However, the price you pay for travel insurance depends on several factors, including:

• Your total trip cost: The amount you pay for your trip will impact your travel insurance quote, with more expensive trips usually costing more to insure due to the risk of higher payouts.
• Destination: Some countries have more robust government and healthcare infrastructures than others. The quality and average cost of medical services in the country you’re visiting will typically influence your insurance cost.
• Length of your vacation: The longer the duration of your trip, the more you will typically pay for travel insurance.
• Your age: Older travelers usually pay more for travel insurance because insurance companies assume they are more likely to get hurt, sick or experience an accident, such as a fall, while abroad.

To help give you an idea of what you might pay for travel insurance, the MarketWatch Guide team gathered a series of quotes for several sample trips. Here is the pricing for popular plans with our recommended providers. 

What Is the Cheapest Travel Insurance?

After extensive review, our team found the average cost of a basic travel insurance policy is between $91 and $108 . The least expensive travel insurance companies are Nationwide, Trawick and Travelex according to our review. 

Read more about the cheapest travel insurance providers in our review. 

How Do I Get Travel Insurance?

Are you thinking about buying a travel insurance policy for your upcoming trip ? Here’s how to start comparing policies to get the coverage you need.

Check Current Coverage

If you’re primarily concerned about buying travel insurance for medical expenses and already have health insurance, travel insurance might not be a necessary expense. Employer-sponsored medical coverage, for example, will provide health care coverage anywhere you travel within the United States. Companies that provide ACA-compliant health insurance plans are also legally required to cover emergency services administered at any medical facility in the United States.

If you’re traveling internationally, your health plan will likely have exclusions or limitations on treatments you receive abroad. For example, most Medicare plans don’t offer coverage for international treatments. Contact your health insurance provider to learn what, if anything, your plan will cover abroad.

You might also have additional protections you’re unaware of. Some credit card companies offer limited coverage for airline baggage delays, and life insurance coverage for accidental death and dismemberment still applies abroad.

Assess all your household coverages and consult with the insurance providers you’re currently working with to see how much extra trip insurance you need.

Consider Individual Needs

The best travel protection for your upcoming trip will depend on what you’ve spent on the trip, where you’re going and how often you travel. You’ll also need to consider the types of coverage you might need, especially if you’re headed abroad. For example, if you have a chronic condition that requires regular medical care in professional settings, you should consider coverage for a medical evacuation.

Like every other type of insurance, no single travel insurance policy will cover all expenses you might incur. Coverage limits apply to every trip, with the upper limit as the maximum amount that your insurance will compensate you. The higher your coverage limit, the more you’ll pay for your travel insurance plan — but it’s essential to tell the truth about your trip cost to be sure that you have adequate coverage. 

You can often save money on your coverage by selecting a policy with a lower deductible .

Now that you understand the multiple travel insurance types available, it’s time to begin claiming free quotes from competing insurance providers. Though most travel insurance providers allow you to claim a quote online, you can also contact most companies’ representatives via phone or email if you prefer personal assistance.

Remember to get a free quote from multiple insurance providers before choosing the right policy.

How Do I Use My Travel Insurance?

If you’ve ever needed to file a claim with your car insurance or pet insurance provider, you’re already familiar with the process of filing a travel insurance claim. While you’ll need to cover any emergency expenses on your own at the time of service, you can file a claim with proof of your loss or expense to your insurance company. Your insurance company will then assess your claim to ensure that your situation is covered before reimbursing you according to your policy.

You’ll need to incur a travel cost or expense that’s specifically covered by your insurance policy to claim a reimbursement. Make sure you read the fine print on your insurance contract before signing up for coverage and save all receipts from your trip to maximize your benefits.

Do I Need Travel Insurance?

While some countries or visa requirements require travel insurance, many countries do not require U.S. travelers to purchase a policy as a condition of entry. You also do not need travel insurance to travel within the U.S. or visit Canada. 

Whether you should purchase travel insurance depends on your circumstances. Travel insurance is typically most valuable for expensive trips because you can recoup a higher value of expenses. In other words, reimbursement eligibility scales with vacation value. You may find insurance for low-cost trips tougher to justify financially — especially if part of the trip is refundable or you already have some insurance benefits through a travel credit card . 

Travel insurance is potentially of value if your regular health insurance is limited or you’re traveling to an area with a limited medical infrastructure. Getting sick or hurt abroad often comes at a high expense, especially if you require medical evacuation services to a hospital. Travel insurance that covers medical expenses and evacuations can help cover these costs, especially if your primary health insurance does not extend abroad.

Is Travel Insurance Worth It?

If you’re preparing for a trip, is it worth purchasing travel insurance ? The answer to this question will vary depending on your unique circumstances. If you’re preparing for an expensive international vacation, it’s likely worth the money to insure your trip against cancellation. This is especially true for long-distance trips that require expensive airfare. 

You might also want to consider travel insurance if you have known medical conditions that might cause you to need last-minute trip adjustments. 

Even if you don’t think you’ll buy travel insurance, getting a free quote or two takes only a few minutes — coverage might be more affordable than you think.

Frequently Asked Questions About Travel Insurance

Is it necessary to have travel insurance.

No law mandates purchasing travel insurance when you go abroad. However, you will be financially liable for any money lost due to travel delays or cancellations if you don’t have insurance. If you’ve prepaid for your upcoming trip, you should at least consider a trip cancellation coverage package to recoup a portion of your funds in an emergency.

What are the benefits of travel insurance?

Travel insurance benefits can include reimbursement for lost baggage, medical expenses and other costs incurred when you cancel a trip or encounter a delay. Travel insurance can give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing you can recover a portion of the cost of your trip if something goes wrong or you have an emergency.

Where can I purchase travel insurance?

You can purchase travel insurance through independent insurance companies, many of which offer a range of insurance products. Some of the most well-known names in travel insurance include Allianz, Nationwide and AIG. If you booked your vacation through a travel agency, your agent might also be able to recommend and book travel insurance for your journey.

What is the difference between travel insurance and a medical plan?

Travel medical insurance is a limited type of health insurance coverage that can help you pay for treatments and emergency services you require abroad. While you likely have a medical plan in the form of health insurance through your employer, most insurance companies don’t extend benefits to international services. Travel insurance covers medical expenses like a domestic medical plan but allows you to file claims for specific services and treatments received abroad.

If you have feedback or questions about this article, please email the MarketWatch Guides team at editors@marketwatchguides. com .

MarketWatch Guides may receive compensation from companies that appear on this page.
The compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear, but it does not influence the recommendations the editorial team provides. Not all companies, products, or offers were reviewed.

UK riots latest: Thousands take part in anti-racism protests; petrol bomb thrown at mosque in 'racially motivated' incident

Police are on high alert this weekend amid concerns over more disorder breaking out as protests take place across the country. In Northern Ireland, police are investigating a "racially motivated" attack on a mosque.

Saturday 10 August 2024 23:00, UK

• Protesters gather outside Reform UK's London office
• Liverpool court hears how teenager stole £19,000 of vapes during riots
• Petrol bomb thrown at mosque in 'racially motivated' incident
• Impact of riots could be felt for years to come, warns justice secretary
• Tory councillor's wife remanded in custody over stirring up racial hatred online
• Listen: 'Unease and fear' - How Muslim communities feel about the riots
• Watch : Bodycam footage of Southport riot
• Watch : Pubgoers embrace Muslims 'defending their community'
• Analysis: The many reasons the far right stayed off streets
• Further reading : The men who've been jailed so far

That's all our coverage on this story for now. 

Thousands of anti-racism protesters have descended on cities across the country - outnumbering anti-immigration demonstrators for the fourth day in a row. 

Before we go, here's a recap of the main updates from the last 24 hours: 

• A court in Liverpool has heard how a 16-year-old stole £19,000 worth of vapes during riots in the city centre last week;
• A petrol bomb was thrown at a mosque in Northern Ireland in an incident described by police as racially motivated. The mosque in Newtownards, County Down, was attacked at around 1am, with graffiti sprayed on its front door;
• Lucy Connolly, the wife of a Tory councillor, has been remanded in custody ahead of a crown court appearance over publishing written material intended to stir up racial hatred;
• Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has warned the impact of the riots on the judicial system will be felt for years to come;
• The parents of six-year-old Bebe King, who was killed in the Southport stabbings, have paid tribute to their "precious daughter" and revealed her older sister saw the attack and escaped. 

Police have been granted enhanced stop and search powers in part of Yeovil tonight.

Avon and Somerset Police said the powers allow officers to search people who they consider "at risk of violence", without reasonable suspicion. 

The force said the technique has already resulted in arrests being made this evening. 

It comes after it reported a small number of people had gathered in the grounds of a church for a peaceful demonstration. 

Four men have been charged following the riots in Hartlepool and Middlesbrough last week. 

Cleveland Police said a 24-year-old man had been charged with burglary over the unrest in Middlesbrough last Sunday. 

Another 24 year-old was charged with violent disorder and a 27-year-old was charged with assault by beating of an emergency worker. 

A 19-year-old was charged with violent disorder in relation to the riots in Hartlepool on 31 July. 

All four men have been remanded in custody and are due to appear in court on Monday. 

The impact of the riots could be felt for months or years to come, the justice secretary has warned. 

Writing a piece for The Observer, Shabana Mahmood said the justice system has shown it can act swiftly, but its work has been made more difficult due to the state it was left in by the Conservatives. 

Courts have been working extended hours to deal with rioters who were charged by police during the week-long disorder. 

"The justice system has shown it can rise to this challenge. Should further criminality and disorder ensue, we will continue to deliver justice, until the last offender languishes in one of our jails," Ms Mahmood said. 

"But we must make no mistake. Rising to this challenge has been made harder by doing so within the justice system we inherited from the Conservatives." 

She pointed out that there are "record crown court backlogs" and prisons "close to overflowing". 

"The impact of these days of disorder will be felt for months and years to come. They make the job of rebuilding the justice system harder," she added. 

The parents of a six-year-old girl who was killed in the Southport stabbings have paid tribute to their "precious daughter" and revealed her older sister saw the attack and escaped.

Bebe King died along with nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar and Elsie Dot Stancombe, aged seven, after the stabbings at a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop in the Merseyside town on 29 July.

The deaths of the three girls sparked anti-immigration protests and riots across UK towns and cities after false information circulated on social media that the attacker was an illegal migrant.

In a statement issued by Merseyside Police, Bebe's parents Lauren and Ben said their daughter "was full of joy, light, and love, and she will always remain in our hearts as the sweet, kind, and spirited girl we adore".

They revealed their nine-year-old older Genie witnessed the attack and managed to escape, saying: "She has shown such incredible strength and courage, and we are so proud of her.

You can read more about this story here ...

Photos of three men have been released by police as they continue to investigate the disorder that broke out in Whitehall last week. 

Metropolitan Police said more than 100 arrests were made at the protest on Wednesday 31 July. 

However, in the days that followed, a huge amount of footage and other evidence has been reviewed to try to identify outstanding suspects, it added. 

It urged people who recognise any of the three men to get in touch or contact Crimestoppers. 

Sky News understands Sir Keir Starmer has cancelled his holiday as protests continue to take place across the country. 

Thousands of police officers have remained on duty today in case violence flared again. 

But, for a fourth day in a row, anti-racism protesters far outnumbered far-right demonstrators in several areas. 

A dispersal order has been enforced in Liverpool city centre today and will remain in place for 48 hours. 

It also covers parts of Everton, Kensington, Vauxhall and Kirkdale. 

Merseyside Police said it had been introduced "following incidents of disorder". 

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Chris Taylor said: "This order will give officers on the ground the ability to direct people suspected of being involved in or planning criminality to leave the designated area for a period of 48 hours, and to arrest them if they return." 

A Section 60 order, which gives officers enhanced stop and search powers, is already in place in the area. 

"Both orders are extra tools at our disposal to help keep the public safe, and highly visible police patrols will enforce them in the next 48 hours," Mr Taylor said. 

A total of 779 people have been arrested over rioting, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) has said. 

Of those, 349 have been charged, it added. 

Suspected rioters have continued to appear in court today, including the wife of a Tory councillor who has been accused of publishing written material intended to stir up racial hatred.

Lucy Connolly, 41, appeared at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on Saturday morning and did not enter a plea.

The NPCC said specialist officers have been tasked with pursuing suspected online offenders and so-called influencers, who they say are responsible for "spreading hate and inciting violence on a large scale".

Across the country, teams have been investigating "hundreds of leads".

"This abhorrent activity didn't happen by itself. Large crowds and gatherings didn't mobilise spontaneously," said Chief Constable Chris Haward, the NPCC lead for serious and organised crime. 

"It was the result of dozens of so-called influencers, exploiting the outpouring of grief from the tragic loss of three young girls in Southport.

"They knowingly spread misinformation, stoked the flames of hatred and division and incited violence from the comfort of their own homes, causing chaos on other people's doorsteps."

The leader of Newcastle City Council has said he is "angry" that some residents were made to "feel unsafe" by "right wing agitators". 

In a post on Facebook, Councillor Nick Kemp praised police for their work in the city, and urged people to stay "united". 

Protests organised by Enough Is Enough have been taking place today, but passed without any violence or disorder breaking out.

"Northumbria Police have done a phenomenal job in preparing for today and their swift actions throughout the entire week have acted as a deterrent," Cllr Kemp said. 

"Across the country, we have seen right wing agitators looking to divide our city and sow seeds of hatred. Today, Newcastle showed them what we are about.

"However, I am angry that they have made some of our residents feel unsafe. That their actions have caused doubt among those who call our city home."

You can read his full statement below... 

We are here, we are listening, and we are ready to act 🤝 That is the message from our Leader, Cllr Nick Kemp, who says... Posted by Newcastle City Council on&nbsp; Saturday, August 10, 2024

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Home » Visas » DS-160 Form » Travel Information

DS-160 Form Guide: Travel Information

The DS-160 form must be completed online for all US visa seekers. It has multiple parts, and this web page describes the travel information section.

Provide the following information concerning your travel plans:

You will have to choose from the following options:

• AMBASSADOR OR PUBLIC MINISTER (A1)
• CHILD OF AN A1 (A1)
• CAREER DIPLOMATIC/CONSULAR OFFICER (A1)
• SPOUSE OF AN A1 (A1)
• CHILD OF AN A2 (A2)
• FOREIGN OFFICIAL/EMPLOYEE (A2)
• SPOUSE OF AN A2 (A2)
• CHILD OF AN A3 (A3)
• PERSONAL EMP. OF AN A1 OR A2 (A3)
• SPOUSE OF AN A3 (A3)
• BUSINESS & TOURISM (TEMPORARY VISITOR) (B1/B2)
• BUSINESS/CONFERENCE (B1)
• TOURISM/MEDICAL TREATMENT (B2)
• CREWMEMBER IN TRANSIT (C1/D)
• TRANSIT (C1)
• TRANSIT TO U.N. HEADQUARTERS (C2)
• CHILD OF A C3 (C3)
• PERSONAL EMP. OF A C3 (C3)
• FOREIGN OFFICIAL IN TRANSIT (C3)
• SPOUSE OF A C3 (C3)
• CNMI TEMPORARY WORKER (CW1)
• CHILD OF A CW1 (CW2)
• SPOUSE OF A CW1 (CW2)
• CNMI LONG TERM INVESTOR (E2C)
• CREWMEMBER (D)
• CHILD OF AN E1 (E1)
• EXECUTIVE/MGR/ESSENTIAL EMP (E1)
• SPOUSE OF AN E1 (E1)
• TREATY TRADER (E1)
• CHILD OF AN E2 (E2)
• EXECUTIVE/MGR/ESSENTIAL EMP (E2)
• SPOUSE OF AN E2 (E2)
• TREATY INVESTOR (E2)
• CHILD OF AN E3 (E3D)
• SPOUSE OF AN E3 (E3D)
• STUDENT (F1)
• CHILD OF AN F1 (F2)
• SPOUSE OF AN F1 (F2)
• CHILD OF A G1 (G1)
• PRINCIPAL REPRESENTATIVE (G1)
• SPOUSE OF A G1 (G1)
• STAFF OF PRINCIPAL REPRESENTATIVE (G1)
• CHILD OF A G2 (G2)
• REPRESENTATIVE (G2)
• SPOUSE OF A G2 (G2)
• CHILD OF A G3 (G3)
• NON-RECOGNIZED/-MEMBER COUNTRY REP (G3)
• SPOUSE OF A G3 (G3)
• CHILD OF A G4 (G4)
• INTERNATIONAL ORG. EMPLOYEE (G4)
• SPOUSE OF A G4 (G4)
• CHILD OF A G5 (G5)
• PERSONAL EMP. OF A G1,2,3 OR 4 (G5)
• SPOUSE OF A G5 (G5)
• SPECIALTY OCCUPATION (H1B)
• CHILEAN SPEC. OCCUPATION (H1B1)
• SINGAPOREAN SPEC. OCCUPATION (H1B1)
• NURSE IN SHORTAGE AREA (H1C)
• AGRICULTURAL WORKER (H2A)
• NONAGRICULTURAL WORKER (H2B)
• TRAINEE (H3)
• CHILD OF AN H (H4)
• SPOUSE OF AN H (H4)
• CHILD OF AN I (I)
• FOREIGN MEDIA REPRESENTATIVE (I)
• SPOUSE OF AN I (I)
• EXCHANGE VISITOR (J1)
• CHILD OF A J1 (J2)
• SPOUSE OF A J1 (J2)
• FIANCÉ(E) OF A U.S. CITIZEN (K1)
• CHILD OF A K1 (K2)
• SPOUSE OF A U.S. CITIZEN (K3)
• CHILD OF A K3 (K4)
• INTRACOMPANY TRANSFEREE (L1)
• CHILD OF AN L1 (L2)
• SPOUSE OF AN L1 (L2)
• STUDENT (M1)
• CHILD OF AN M1 (M2)
• SPOUSE OF AN M1 (M2)
• COMMUTER STUDENT (M3)
• CHILD OF AN N8 (N9)
• PARENT OF CERTAIN SPECIAL IMMIGRANT (N8)
• CHILD OF NATO1 (NATO1)
• PRINCIPAL REPRESENTATIVE (NATO1)
• SPOUSE OF NATO1 (NATO1)
• CHILD OF NATO2 (NATO2)
• REPRESENTATIVE (NATO2)
• SPOUSE OF NATO2 (NATO2)
• CHILD OF NATO3 (NATO3)
• SPOUSE OF NATO3 (NATO3)
• CLERICAL STAFF (NATO3)
• CHILD OF NATO4 (NATO4)
• OFFICIAL (NATO4)
• SPOUSE OF NATO4 (NATO4)
• CHILD OF NATO5 (NATO5)
• EXPERT (NATO5)
• SPOUSE OF NATO5 (NATO5)
• CHILD OF NATO6 (NATO6)
• SPOUSE OF NATO6(NATO6)
• CIVILIAN STAFF (NATO6)
• CHILD OF NATO7(NATO7)
• PERSONAL EMP. OF NATO1-NATO6 (NATO7)
• SPOUSE OF NATO7 (NATO7)
• EXTRAORDINARY ABILITY (O1)
• ALIEN ACCOMPANYING/ASSISTING (O2)
• CHILD OF AN O1 OR O2 (O3)
• SPOUSE OF AN O1 OR O2 (O3)
• INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ALIEN (P1)
• ARTIST/ENTERTAINER EXCHANGE PROG. (P2)
• ARTIST/ENTERTAINER IN CULTURAL PROG. (P3)
• CHILD OF A P1, P2 OR P3 (P4)
• SPOUSE OF A P1, P2 OR P3 (P4)
• CULTURAL EXCHANGE VISITOR (Q1)
• RELIGIOUS WORKER (R1)
• CHILD OF R1 (R2)
• SPOUSE OF R1 (R2)
• FAMILY MEMBER OF AN INFORMANT (S7)
• VICTIM OF TRAFFICKING (T1)
• SPOUSE OF T1 (T2)
• CHILD OF T1 (T3)
• PARENT OF T1 (T4)
• SIBLING OF T1 (T5)
• ADULT/MINOR CHILD OF ADERIV BEN OF A TI (T6)
• CHILD OF TN (TD)
• SPOUSE OF TN (TD)
• VICTIM OF CRIME (U1)
• SPOUSE OF U1 (U2)
• CHILD OR U1 (U3)
• PARENT OF U1 (U4)
• SIBLING OR U1 (U5)
• PARCIS (USCIS APPROVED PAROLE)

Depending on the reason you chose, you may be asked to provide some / the following information:

• Dependent visas   You will be asked the surnames and given names of the primary applicant. 
• Application Receipt/Petition Number  Used when the trip purpose is for CW/E2C, H, K, L, O, P, R, T, or U visas. 
• Principal Applicant’s Company Name  Only used if the applicant is not the principal applicant, and the trip purpose is Treaty Trader/Investor (E1, E2).
• Date of Arrival in U.S.   In Format: DD-MM-YYYY
• Arrival Flight (if known)  
• Arrival City 
• Date of Departure from U.S.   In Format: DD-MM-YYYY
• Departure Flight (if known)  
• Departure City  
• Provide the locations you plan to visit in the U.S.  
• Address Where You Will Stay in the U.S.:   Write the address where you will stay in the United States. If you are staying with your relative, such as a son, daughter, son-in-law, or daughter-in-law, write their address. It can also be a hotel where you might be staying. You don’t have to necessarily stay at that address for your entire trip to the U.S. “Any hotel” is not a proper answer to this question. If you are a student (F1 visa), this response might include your expected dormitory address, or if this is not known, your International Advisor/University campus address. If you are employed in the U.S. (H1B or L1) and maintain an apartment in the U.S., please provide that address and telephone number.  This should be the address where you can actually be contacted.  If you are crossing the border for shopping, enter the store’s or hotel’s street address, city, and state that you normally visit.
• SELF, PRESENT EMPLOYER, EMPLOYER IN THE U.S. If you choose any of these options, no further question regarding it will be asked. 
• Surnames of Person Paying for Trip  
• Given Names of Person Paying for Trip  
• Telephone Number  
• Email Address   (You can click “Does Not Apply” if appropriate)
• Relationship to You   Choose from CHILD, PARENT, SPOUSE, OTHER RELATIVE, FRIEND, OTHER

If you choose this option, you will be asked to provide further information:

• Name of Company/Organization Paying for Trip 
• Relationship to you  
• Address of Company/Organization Paying

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• Visitor Medical Insurance Directory Fillable Forms Read/Post Experiences Sample Documents
• DS-160 Form General Tips Photograph Requirements

Form Sections Guide

• Personal Information Address and Phone Information Passport Information Travel Information Travel Companions Information Previous U.S. Travel Information U.S. Point of Contact Information Family Information: Relatives Family Information: Spouse Present Work/Education/Training Additional Work/Education/Training Previous Work/Education/Training Security and Background Signature/Confirmation/Thank You

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Roaming and travel plans

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