Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(including U.S. portions of interna-
tional trips), baggage is limited to
approximately $9.10 per pound, up to
approximately $640 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 (see
above for Travel Guard's number).
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.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET SICK
AWAY FROM HOME
If you worry
about getting sick away from home,
consider purchasing
medical travel
insurance
and carry your ID card in
your purse or wallet. In most cases,
your existing health plan will provide
the coverage you need. See the section
on insurance earlier in this chapter for
more information.
If you suffer from a chronic illness,
consult your doctor before your depar-
ture. For conditions like epilepsy, dia-
betes, or heart problems, wear a
Medic
Alert Identification Tag
(
&
888/
633-4298
or 209/668-3333; www.
medicalert.org), which will immedi-
ately alert doctors to your condition
and give them access to your records
through a 24-hour hot line.
Pack
prescription medications
in
your carry-on luggage, and carry pre-
scription medications in their original
containers. Also bring along copies of
your prescriptions in case you lose
your pills or run out.
And don't forget
sunglasses
and an
extra pair of
contact lenses
or
pre-
scription glasses.
6 The Active Vacation Planner
The abundance of outdoor recre-
ational activities is one of the reasons
people choose to live in Washington.
With both mountains and beaches
within an hour's drive of the major
metropolitan areas, there are numer-
ous choices for the active vacationer.
ACTIVITIES A TO Z
BICYCLING/MOUNTAIN BIKING
The San Juan Islands, with their wind-
ing country roads and Puget Sound vis-
tas, are the most popular bicycling
locales in the state. Of the four main
San Juan Islands (San Juan, Orcas,
Lopez, and Shaw), Lopez has the easiest
and Orcas the most challenging terrain
for bikers. Here you can pedal for as
many or as few days as you like, stop-
ping at parks, inns, and quaint villages.
Other popular road-biking spots
include Bainbridge and Vashon
islands, with their easy access to Seat-
tle; the Olympic Peninsula, with its
scenic vistas and campgrounds; and
the Long Beach Peninsula, with its
miles of flat roads. Seattle, Tacoma,
Spokane, and Yakima also all have
many miles of easy bicycle trails that
are either in parks or connect parks.
The longest of these are in Seattle and
Spokane.
The region's national forests pro-
vide miles of logging roads and single-
track trails for mountain biking.
However, the state's premier moun-
tain-biking destination is the Methow
Valley, where miles of cross-country
ski trails are opened to bicycles in the
summer.
