Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
40
$1,000. G enerally, y ou'll pay a ser
vice
checks in the ev ent that they ar e stolen or
lost. You'll get a refund faster if you know
the numbers.
Another option is the ne w
prepaid
traveler's check car ds,
r eloadable car ds
that work much like debit cards but aren't
linked to y our checking account. The
American E xpress Travelers Cheque
Card,
for example, r equires a minimum
deposit ($300), sets a maximum balance
($2,750), and has a one-time issuance fee
of $15. You can withdraw money from an
ATM ($2.50 per transaction, not includ-
ing bank fees), and the funds can be pur-
chased in dollars, euros, or pounds. If you
lose the car d, your available funds will be
refunded within 24 hours.
charge ranging from 1% to 4%.
The most popular trav eler's checks ar e
offered b y
American E xpress
(
&
800/
807-6233,
or 800/221-7282 for car d-
holders—this number accepts collect calls,
offers service in sev eral foreign languages,
and ex empts Amex gold and platinum
cardholders fr om the 1% fee);
Visa
(
&
800/732-1322
)—AAA members can
obtain Visa checks for a $9.95 fee (for
checks up to $1,500) at most AAA offices
or b y calling
&
866/339-3378.
Call
&
800/223-9920
for information on
MasterCard
traveler's checks.
Be sure to keep a copy of the trav eler's
checks' serial numbers separate fr om your
5
HEALTH
STAYING HEALTHY
Overall L.A. is a healthy place to visit,
although people with respiratory problems
should keep in mind that L.A.'s air quality
can often be poor , particularly in the v al-
leys in the mid- to late summer (too many
cars, too little wind). When the air quality
is r eally bad, warnings ar e air ed on local
TV and radio stations encouraging people
to avoid outdoor activities. I f you're con-
cerned about smog lev els affecting y our
vacation, you can contact the
South Coast
Air Q uality M anagement D istrict
at
&
800/CUT-SMOG
[800/288-7664] or
www.aqmd.gov, which also publishes “ Air
Quality Forecast/Advisories” for the greater
L.A. region.
Tip:
If you want to avoid the
summer smog, stay and play along the
coast—the light offshor e br eezes usually
keep the beach communities r
hats), or using sunscreen with an SPF rat-
ing of at least 30 and br
oad-spectrum
UVA/UVB protection.
General Availability of
Health Care
Contact the
International A ssociation
for M edical A ssistance to Travelers
(IAMAT)
(
&
716/754-4883
or, in Can-
ada, 416/652-0137;
www.iamat.org
) for
tips on trav el and health concerns in the
countries y ou're visiting, and for lists of
local, E nglish-speaking doctors. The
United S tates
Centers for D isease Con-
trol and P revention
(
&
800/311-3435;
www.cdc.gov) pr ovides up-to-date infor-
mation on health hazar ds b y r egion or
country and offers tips on food safety. The
website
Travel Health Online (www.trip
prep.com),
sponsored by a consortium of
travel medicine practitioners, may also
offer helpful advice on traveling abroad.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET
SICK AWAY FROM HOME
If you worry about getting sick away from
home, you may want to consider
medical
3
elatively
smog free.
Also, for people not used to so much
sun—L.A. av erages 320 sunny days a
year—be sure to protect yourself from the
sun's rays b y either w earing appr opriate
clothing (long-sleev e shir ts, wide-brim
