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Image via WikipediaTRIP INSURANCE
Did you remind last time your child got sick? Probably not. And it’s a sure bet you won’t know the next time either.
In the everything-that-can-wrong-will-go-wrong scenario, picture your child breaking out with chicken pox the day before you’re scheduled to leave. And then there’s the possibility of lost or delayed luggage, theft of baggage or important documents. These days it’s hard to tell which airlines have come out of bankruptcy and which are just filing. The same is true of tour operators. So what happens when the company you schedule with goes belly up? You’re out of luck unless you purchased travel insurance (some credit cards include travel coverage, too, so check yours). Most cruise lines, tour operators, and many outfitters will either offer a specific insurance package in their information kits or be able to suggest one. Travel agents can do the same thing for you. You will not get your best deal from those vending machines at the airport, so try to arrange for insurance when booking your trip.

Of course, some unforeseen problems are not covered by travel insurance, such as your boss’s deciding at the last minute that this is a bad time for you to be away. Read the fine print so you know exactly what you’re buying and what it covers.

Check with your travel agent, cruise line, tour operator, or outfitter for refund policies. Some offer no refunds. Others give refunds on a time-line the closer to the trip date you cancel, the less money you’ll get back. Find out what the refund policy is before you decide to sign up.

TIPPING
Paying gratuities is usually a voluntary gesture that’s based on performance and service. Many people who work in the travel industry depend on tips as a major part of their compensation. Tour guides, for example, make a decent living only if they make decent tips. If you travel with a guide in a city, on a river, on a walking or biking tour you should tip unless the service is not notably poor.

Some tips, however, are built into the pricing structure and are included on your bill. There are ranches with mandatory tips for wranglers and other staff, and there are restaurants that automatically add a gratuity to food bills. And with some types of travel–cruise ships, for example–tipping falls just short of mandatory. Exactly what’s expected will usually be spelled out in the brochures.

It’s a good idea to check guidebooks and consulates about attitudes towards tipping in foreign countries; what we mean as a than-you might be taken as an insult in some cultures. And it’s important to note that some resort have a policy of no tipping. When in doubt, always skip.

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