Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the winter. Believe me, you will
appreciate this advice later. When
it gets cold in Chicago, no one
goes without head covering.
• Pack
shorts
for a late-spring or
early-fall trip as well as for sum-
mer. You can always pair them
with a sweatshirt if it gets chilly.
•
Bring layers.
You can always stuff
that jacket into your backpack,
but if you skip it altogether, you
may end up regretting it. This
way, you'll be able to stay out
all day without running back to
your hotel for frequent wardrobe
adjustments.
As far as dress codes go, unless you
and your kids are planning a big night
out, like at the Pump Room at the
Omni Ambassador East Hotel, for
example, you will be just fine in “nice
casual” attire. For men, that means a
dress shirt, sports jacket, and tie for
the fanciest places. For women, a long
skirt with boots and a nice sweater
goes just about anywhere in the win-
ter. In the summer you'll be comfort-
able in cool slacks and cotton tops
with sandals. If you are planning a
very special night out, check to see if
the restaurant enforces a dress code.
Otherwise, you might end up borrow-
ing a less-than-attractive tie and jacket
from the maitre d'. You'll find that
people dress more conservatively here
than in New York or Los Angeles, and
as a traveler you can blend in easily
with a suitcase full of the basics:
khakis, jeans, shorts, sandals, boots,
and sweaters.
5 Insurance & Health
TRAVEL INSURANCE
AT A GLANCE
Check your existing insurance policies
before you buy travel insurance to
cover trip cancellation, lost luggage,
medical expenses, or car-rental insur-
ance. You're likely to have partial or
complete coverage. But if you need
some, ask your travel agent about a
comprehensive package. The cost of
travel insurance varies widely, depend-
ing on the cost and length of your trip,
your age and overall health, and the
type of trip you're taking. Some insur-
ers provide packages for specialty vaca-
tions, such as skiing or backpacking.
More dangerous activities may be
excluded from basic policies.
And keep in mind that in the after-
math of the September 11, 2001, ter-
rorist attacks, a number of airlines,
cruise lines, and tour operators are no
longer covered by insurers.
The bottom
line:
Always, always check the fine
print before you sign on; more and
more policies have built-in exclusions
and restrictions that may leave you out
in the cold if something does go awry.
For information, contact one of the
following popular insurers:
•
Access America
(
&
866/807-
3982;
www.accessamerica.com)
•
Travel Guard International
(
&
800/826-4919;
www.travel
guard.com)
•
Travel Insured International
(
&
800/243-3174;
www.travel
insured.com)
•
Travelex Insurance Services
(
&
888/457-4602;
www.travelex-
insurance.com)
STAYING HEALTHY
You won't need to take any unusual
precautions when traveling to
Chicago. The regular assortment of
antacids, anti-diarrheals, and some
acetaminophen or ibuprofen for
headaches should suffice. Lake Michi-
gan rarely gets rough enough to advise
bringing motion sickness medication
for boat tours; however, if you or your
kids are particularly susceptible, or if
you're planning a long fishing excur-
sion, you may want to add some to
your bag.
