WHEN TRAVELLING, CANADIANS NEED TO ENSURE THEY UNDERSTAND:
- Travel Advice and Advisories - No matter where you plan to travel, make sure you check the Canadian Government Travel Advice and Advisories page for your destination. Please be comfortable with any advisories in place prior to booking. It will give you up to date information on the destination you are traveling too including all documentation required for your trip! Be sure to check again shortly before you leave as safety and security conditions may change between the date you book your travel and your departure date. Click here to be redirected directly to the Canadian Government Travel Advisory website.
- Required Documents - Check your passport; if you are travelling outside of Canada you must have a valid passport. The Canadian Government Travel Advice and Advisories page will give you the entry and exit requirements for your destination. However, it is always highly recommended you have a valid passport for at least 6 months after your return to Canada. Click here to be redirected to the Canadian Passport Application website. ** It is recommended to make a colour copy of page 2 (picture page) and keeping a copy in a secured location in case you loose your passport.
- Travelling with Minors - Minors who are not traveling with all legal guardians and are leaving Canada could be denied if they do not have a consent letter. Members of our team have been asked on multiple occasions for the letter when travelling alone with their children. Click here to be redirected to the Canadian Governments website for the Minors travel consent letter.
- Health Standards - Different countries have different health standards. It is important to know what these are and if you require any vaccinations for your upcoming trip. The easiest way to find out is to make an appointment with a local Travel Health Clinic. They have the expertise to give you the advise you require. If you do not have access to a travel clinic, your family doctor can assist. It is recommended that you visit the Canadian Travel Health website before visiting your doctor. Click here to be redirected to the Canadian Governments website for Travel Health.
- Bringing items back to Canada - There are limitations on what you are allowed to bring back to Canada. Before you leave be a smart traveler and be aware! Bring an envelope for all your receipts and present them with your form. Click here to be redirected to the Canadian Governments website highlighting what you need to declare.
- Register your travel with the Canadian Government - The Registration of Canadians Abroad service is a free service for Canadians. It will allow government officials to contact you to provide important information in preparation for an emergency (such as a natural disaster or civil unrest), instructions during emergencies, important changes or updates to the Travel Advice and Advisories for the country for which you registered, and more. Click here to be redirected to Registration of Canadians Abroad website.
- Do you need to order money? Different countries around the world have their own currency. Be familiar with the exchange rates and go to your bank at least 14 days prior to travel in case they have to order your money in. If you require money at destination, often ATM machines will offer a good exchange and easy access to currency. Just remember to make your bank aware prior to travel. This also applies to credit card companies. Click here to be redirected to a currency exchange website.
- Travel Insurance - It is very important you have Travel Insurance for your trip especially medical insurance. It is not worth the risk and often medical insurance policies cost very little. A full travel insurance policy is highly recommend and it is easy to confuse travel medical through work with a full insurance policy. Most work places if they do include travel insurance it is only medical. Since many trips are non refundable a cancelation policy is highly recommend. It is advised you speak to an insurance advisor. Click here to visit Magical Trips Insurance Page for more information.
- Learn how to call home prior to leaving home - As simple as this sounds many people are unaware how to dial out of the country they are visiting and this could be essential in a emergency. Click here to be redirected to a how to call abroad.
- Time Zones - It's important to understand the time zone you will be traveling to, especially if visiting multiple countries. If on a cruise be sure to find out if cruise ship time is different from the local time. Click here to be redirected to the world time server website.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
Professional Planning Fees
All monies collected as part of professional planning fees are 100% non-refundable. Those fees are collected by our team of IC's for the time invested into assisting you with your vacation.
Cancellation
In a situation where your trip is cancelled (for any reason), the professional planning fees are not refunded, as in these situations there is often a lot of additional work required. If for some reason you have a dispute with the travel supplier, we will do our best to assist. However in a rare case you decide to take legal action or do a credit card charge back to the supplier, please note our professional planning fees are protected, and if for some reason they are refunded during that process they will be expected to be paid.
All other monies paid directly to the supplier are subject to the cancellation terms outlined in the supplier terms and conditions.
In a situation where you must cancel your trip due to a reason covered by your insurance policy (providing you have travel insurance), you must contact your insurance company immediately.
Supplier Terms & Conditions
You are responsible for understanding and agreeing to the supplier terms and conditions prior to having a team member book your trip.
Travel Insurance
Travel Insurance is highly recommended, including cancelation insurance, as often our professional fees can be claimable with your insurance claim. We recommend you speak to a licensed Insurance Advisor.
Canadian Government Website
It is your responsibility to monitor the Canadian Government Website for travel advisories, required documentation, health standards/requirements, etc, for the destination in which you will be travelling.
WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE AIRPORT SECURITY EASIER?
- Have nothing in your pockets; this includes your wallet. Have your valuables secured either in an inside zipped pocket of your jacket or carryon bag before even entering security. With new security features in most major airports, you will not be allowed to have anything in your pockets.
- Have your larger electronics easily accessible and already out of the cases. This includes IPAD cases; Otterbox cases take time to take off! The lady in front of me was having great difficulty.
- Wear socks on your feet, even in the summer time. Oh did I ever wish I had on my socks! It's never fun walking through security bare foot.
- Have all your liquids in a 1 litre bag, and make sure none of them are over 100ml. Also make sure the amounts are clearly marked on the bottles. Have this bag out of your carryon/bag and ready to put on the belt. It's not an actual requirement but it avoids your other belongings being searched if they need to confirm the amounts of the liquid, which they did for me both times during my trip. It was quick and easy as they just picked up the bag and checked without having to search my belongings.
- If you have anything you feel they may want to check, have it out of your bag. Empty Insulated Water Bottles often need to be checked - so by having them out will help avoid issues.
- Make sure your batteries are charged on everything electronic and it can turn on. We had to take a picture one time in Europe going through security with our DSL camera.
- Avoid wearing large amounts of jewelry, metal belt clips etc... Even some underwire bra's are known for causing issues at security.