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Timeshare Vacations: Traveling Abroad

December 21, 2010 By

Make Sure your Passport is in Order

If your timeshare is located abroad, then you need to be apprised about the requirements for traveling to your destination. For example, if you need a passport, make certain that you apply for it well before you plan to travel.

Also, if you have a passport, make sure it will be valid for the time period that you are planning to stay at your timeshare. A passport is usually required for departure or entry when it comes to traveling abroad.

Obtaining a Visa

Many countries also require a visa, which is an official authorization that is stamped within your passport. It allows you to travel within a country for a specific purpose and for a limited time. Find out if you need to obtain a visa. If you are working with a travel agent, learn what the requirements are for obtaining and traveling with a visa in the country where you will be staying.

Immunization Requirements and Certificates

While traveling outside the country, also make sure that you have plenty of funds in the form of traveler’s checks. Don’t ever travel with cash. If certificates of immunization will be necessitated by the country where you will be visiting, then make sure you take the certifications with you. You can find immunization requirements online at http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/travel/vaccines_index.shtml.

For any Types of Concerns, Check in with your U.S. Embassy

If you have any concerns about the country where your timeshare is located, then check in with the nearest U.S. embassy when you get there. You will also need to find out if you’ll need an international driver’s license if you’ll be traveling by car.

Medical Considerations

Should you be allergic to certain medications or have allergic reactions to bites from some insects, then be sure to wear some type of medical alert tag when you are traveling outside the U.S. If you wear eyeglasses or contacts, make certain to pack some additional eyeglasses or contacts. Take along a copy of your medical records if you have any health issues, such as diabetes.

Basic Clothing and Accessories

Also, renew all prescription medicine and pack it in your carryon bag, never in luggage which could be lost. Generally, the activities you have planned will dictate what you will wear, but it doesn’t hurt to include such items as a lightweight rain jacket, some walking shoes and a sweater. Bring along some formalwear if you plan to dine in upscale restaurants.

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Russia Tightens Visa Rules for EU Citizens and Attracts Strong Criticism

December 15, 2010 By

Russia has tightened visa restrictions with EU citizens on the base of “the principle of reciprocity”, a move strongly criticized by Germany.

Starting from November 2010, all EU citizens, including those from Germany who wish to visit Russia need to present a bank account statement, proof of salaries, property deeds and the proof registration of a personal business or place of residence. All the new measures are meant so that the visitors can prove that they will eventually leave Russia and return to their homes. Russian authorities cited the “principle of reciprocity” for the changes in requirements, as Russian citizens must present similar certificates for entry into the European Union. Russia president Dmitry Medvedev said that the country would lift these restrictions immediately if the EU would do the same, adding that “the problem is not ours”.

“I am surprised that Russia has taken this step. The goal should be for both sides to make advances toward visa freedom,” parliamentarian Marina Schuster of the foreign affairs committee told the media, adding that Germany has always supported this idea. In an official statement, posted on the website of the Russian Embassy in Berlin, the Foreign Ministry insisted that the new rules simply “adhere to the principle of reciprocity.”

Russia has been waiting for years to be able to have a visa-free travel with the European Union and these efforts have intensified since January, when Spain proposed getting rid of visas altogether. Earlier this year Medvedev openly offered to end visa restrictions, hoping to accelerate negotiations, while present at a Russia and EU summit in Rostov-on-Don. At the summit European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso were also participating. Now Russia is hoping for a deadline on visa-free travel by the next Russia-EU summit on December 12 in Brussels. However, reaching an agreement with the EU requires the consent of all its member states. And, while Spain and Italy are on Russia’s side, Germany and France remain cool to the idea, afraid of an uncontrolled illegal immigration.

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