Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
arrested. Good policies also cover the
costs of an accident, repatriation, or
death. See “Travel Insurance, Health
& Safety” in chapter 2 for more infor-
mation. In Europe, packages such as
Europ Assistance
are sold by automo-
bile clubs and travel agencies at attrac-
tive rates.
Worldwide Assistance
Services
(
&
800/821-2828;
www.
worldwideassistance.com) is the agent
for Europ Assistance in the United
States.
Although lack of health insurance
may prevent you from being admitted
to a hospital in nonemergencies, don't
worry about being left on a street cor-
ner to die: The American way is to fix
you now and bill you later.
INSURANCE FOR BRITISH
TRAVELERS
Most big travel agents
offer their own insurance and will
probably try to sell you their package
when you book a holiday. Think before
you sign.
Britain's Consumers' Asso-
ciation
recommends that you insist on
seeing the policy and reading the fine
print before buying travel insurance.
The Association of British Insurers
(
&
020/7600-3333;
www.abi.org.uk)
gives advice by phone and publishes
Holiday Insurance and Motoring
Abroad,
a free guide to policy provi-
sions and prices. You might also shop
around for better deals: Try
Columbus
Direct
(
&
0845/330-8518;
www.
columbusdirect.net).
INSURANCE FOR CANADIAN
TRAVELERS
Canadians should
check with their provincial health plan
offices or call
Health Canada
(
&
613/
957-2991;
www.hc-sc.gc.ca) to find
out the extent of their coverage and
what documentation and receipts they
must take home in case they are treated
in the United States.
MONEY
CURRENCY
The U.S. monetary
system is very simple: The most com-
mon
bills
are the $1 (colloquially, a
“buck”), $5, $10, and $20 denomina-
tions. There are also $2 bills (seldom
encountered), $50 bills, and $100
bills (the last two are usually not wel-
come as payment for small purchases).
All the paper money was recently
redesigned, making the famous faces
adorning them disproportionately
large. The old-style bills are still legal
tender.
There are seven denominations of
coins: 1¢ (1 cent, or a penny); 5¢ (5
cents, or a nickel); 10¢ (10 cents, or a
dime); 25¢ (25 cents, or a quarter);
50¢ (50 cents, or a half dollar); the
new gold “Sacagawea” coin worth $1;
and, prized by collectors, the rare,
older silver dollar.
Note:
The “foreign-exchange
bureaus” so common in Europe are
rare at smaller airports in the United
States, and nonexistent outside major
cities. It's best not to change foreign
money (or traveler's checks denomi-
nated in a currency other than U.S.
dollars) at a small-town bank, or even
a branch in a big city; in fact, leave any
currency other than U.S. dollars at
home—it may prove a greater nui-
sance to you than it's worth.
TRAVELER'S CHECKS
Though
traveler's checks are widely accepted,
make sure that they're denominated in
U.S. dollars, as foreign-currency
checks are often difficult to exchange.
The three traveler's checks that are
most widely recognized—and least
likely to be denied—are
Visa, Ameri-
can Express,
and
Thomas Cook.
Be
sure to record the numbers of the
checks, and keep that information in a
separate place in case they get lost or
stolen. Most businesses are pretty
good about taking traveler's checks,
but you're better off cashing them in
at a bank (in small amounts, of
course) and paying in cash.
Remem-
ber:
You'll need identification, such as
a driver's license or passport, to change
a traveler's check.
