Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
unsafe for travel. For more information, contact one of the following recom-
mended insurers:
Access America
(
%
866/807-3982; www.accessamerica.com);
Travel Guard International
(
%
800/826-4919; www.travelguard.com);
Travel
Insured International
(
%
800/243-3174; www.travelinsured.com);
and
Travelex
Insurance Services
(
%
888/457-4602; www.travelex-insurance.com).
MEDICAL INSURANCE
For travel overseas, most health plans (including
Medicare and Medicaid) do not provide coverage, and the ones that do often
require you to pay for services upfront, and reimburse you only after you return
home. Even if your plan does cover overseas treatment, most out-of-country hos-
pitals make you pay your bills upfront, and send you a refund only after you've
returned home and filed the necessary paperwork with your insurance company.
If you require additional medical insurance, try
MEDEX Assistance
(
%
410/453-
6300; www.medexassist.com)
or
Travel Assistance International
(
%
800/821-
2828 or 800/777
-
8710; www.travelassistance.com).
LOST-LUGGAGE INSURANCE
On international flights (including U.S.
portions of international trips), baggage coverage is limited to approximately
$9.05 per pound, up to approximately $635 per checked bag. If you plan to check
items more valuable than what's covered by the standard liability (never a good
idea), see if your homeowner's policy covers your valuables, get baggage insurance
as part of your comprehensive travel-insurance package, or buy Travel Guard's
“BagTrak” product. Don't buy insurance at the airport, where it's usually over-
priced. Be sure to take any valuables or irreplaceable items with you in your carry-
on luggage because many valuables (including books, money, and electronics)
aren't covered by airline policies. Most airlines require that you report delayed,
damaged, or lost baggage within 4 hours of arrival. The airlines are required to
deliver luggage, once found, directly to your house or destination free of charge.
MONEY MATTERS
Italy is fully integrated into the euro system, and ATMs are readily available.
Before you leave, be sure you're aware of your bank's fee policy for withdrawing
money from foreign ATMs. Combined with local fees, you may pay up to $8 per
transaction, but sometimes the whole process is free (like First Republic Bank of
California's “refund all fees” policy; many credit unions also charge low fees for
usage abroad). It's good to have backup in case a machine eats your card, your
wallet gets stolen, or the like. Either bring an alternate ATM card, or bring two
or three traveler's checks. Traveler's checks can be more hassle than they're worth,
but they do offer the security of being replaced if your things are stolen (another
option: the new check cards that can be used like credit cards, but are only good
up to a limit and can be replaced within 24 hr. if lost or stolen).
Credit cards are another safe way to carry money. They also provide a conven-
ient record of all your expenses, and they generally offer relatively good exchange
rates. But try to never use them for cash advances, which carry a very high inter-
est rate. Keep in mind that many banks now assess a 1% to 3% “transaction fee”
on
all
charges you incur abroad (whether you're using the local currency or U.S.
dollars).
