Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Quick ID
Tie a colorful ribbon or piece of yarn around your luggage handle, or slap
a distinctive sticker on the side of your bag. This makes it less likely that
someone will mistakenly appropriate it. And if your luggage gets lost, it
will be easier to find.
Tips
your home country, ambulances,
funerals, and dental care) by Aus-
tralia's national health system, called
Medicare, which is similar to the pro-
gram by the same name in the United
States. It's crucial to buy insurance,
though, because medical care in Aus-
tralia is expensive and the national
health-care system typically covers
only 85%, sometimes less, of treat-
ment; you will not be covered for
treatment in a private hospital; and
evacuation insurance is a must. Most
foreign students must take out the
Australian government's Overseas Stu-
dent Health Cover as a condition of
entry.
If you require additional medical
insurance, try
MEDEX International
(
&
800/527-0218
or 410/453-6300;
www.medexassist.com) or
Travel
Assistance International
(
&
800/
821-2828;
www.travelassistance.com;
for general information on services,
call the company's Worldwide Assis-
tance Services, Inc., at
&
is covered up to $2,500 per ticketed
passenger. On international flights
(including U.S. portions of interna-
tional trips), baggage is limited to
approximately $9.05 per pound, up to
approximately $635 per checked bag.
If you plan to check items more valu-
able than the standard liability, see if
your valuables are covered by your
homeowner's policy, get baggage
insurance as part of your comprehen-
sive travel-insurance package, or buy
Travel Guard's “BagTrak” product.
Don't buy insurance at the airport, as
it's usually overpriced. Be sure to take
any valuables or irreplaceable items
with you in your carry-on luggage, as
many valuables (including books,
money, and electronics) aren't covered
by airline policies.
If your luggage is lost, immediately
file a lost-luggage claim at the airport,
detailing the luggage contents. For
most airlines, you must 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 desti-
nation free of charge.
800/777-
8710.
LOST-LUGGAGE INSURANCE
On domestic flights, checked baggage
7 Health & Safety
STAYING HEALTHY
You don't have to worry much about
health issues on a trip to Australia.
Hygiene standards are high, hospitals
are modern, and doctors and dentists
are well qualified. Australia's immense
distances mean that you can some-
times be a long way from a hospital or
a doctor, but help is never far away
thanks to the Royal Flying Doctor
Service. However, standard medical
travel insurance may be advisable (see
previous section on insurance).
GENERAL AVAILABILITY
OF HEALTH CARE
No vaccinations are needed to enter
Australia unless you have been in a
yellow-fever danger zone—that is,
South America or Africa—in the past
6 days.
