Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DEAR VISA: I'M OFF TO CHARLOTTE AMALIE!
Some credit card companies recom-
mend that you notify them of any
impending trip so that they don't
become suspicious when the card is
used numerous times in an unusual des-
tination and block your charges. Even if
you don't call your credit card company
in advance, you can always call the
card's toll-free emergency number if a
charge is refused—a good reason to
carry the phone number with you. But
perhaps the most important lesson here
is to carry more than one card with you
on your trip; a card might not work for
any number of reasons, so having a
backup is the smart way to go.
7
and Friday, is a good source of information on local entertainment, as is the
BVI Beacon,
published on Thursday.
Standpoint
is another helpful publication that comes out on Mon-
day and Saturday. You can find these in most supermarkets and shops.
Packing
For helpful information on packing for your trip, download our convenient
Travel Tools app for your mobile device. Go to www.frommers.com/go/mobile and click
on the “Travel Tools To Go” icon.
Passports
If you're a U.S. citizen and you travel directly to the U.S.V.I. and do not visit
the British Virgin Islands, you do not need a passport—but you are highly encouraged to
carry one. If you return to the mainland U.S. from the U.S.V.I. through another country
(Mexico or Bermuda, for example), you will need a passport to get back home. For non-
U.S. citizens, visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands is just like visiting the mainland United States:
You need a passport and visa.
A passport is necessary for
all
visitors to the British Virgin Islands (including citizens of
the U.K.).
For information on how to get a passport, contact your passport office (see below).
Allow plenty of time before your trip to apply for a passport; processing normally takes
3 weeks but can take longer during busy periods. And keep in mind that if you need a
passport in a hurry, you'll pay a higher processing fee. When traveling, safeguard your
passport in an inconspicuous, inaccessible place like a money belt, and keep a copy of
the critical pages with your passport number in a separate place. There are no foreign
consulates in the Virgin Islands, so if you lose your passport, go to the local police
station.
Passport Offices
W
Australia Australian Passport Information Service,
R.G. Casey Building, John
McEwen Crescent, Barton ACT 0221 (
&
131-232;
www.passports.gov.au).
W
Canada Passport Office,
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade,
Ottawa, ON K1A 0G3 (
&
800/567-6868;
www.ppt.gc.ca).
W
Ireland Passport Office,
Setanta Centre, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (
&
01/671-
1633;
www.foreignaffairs.gov.ie).
W
New Zealand
Passports Office,
Department of Internal Affairs, 47 Boulcott St.,
Wellington, 6011 (
&
0800/225-050
in New Zealand or 04/474-8100; www.passports.
govt.nz).
W
United Kingdom
Visit your nearest passport office, major post office, or travel
agency or contact the
Identity and Passport Service (IPS),
89 Eccleston Square,
London, SW1V 1PN (
&
0300/222-0000;
www.ips.gov.uk).
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