Meeting Rudy Maxa at The St. Louis Travel Show

If you're like us, you have favorite television presenters, and Rudy Maxa is one of ours. We've enjoyed many an early morning show on PBS visiting Switzerland, Germany, Italy and so forth from the comfort of our home (while mentally planning the next trip!).

Rudy kindly stopped by our booth last weekend at the St. Louis Travel Show to choose the winner of a free 8-day first class Swiss Travel Pass.

If you missed the Travel Show this year, make a note to attend in 2009. There will be shows in St. Louis, Kansas City, Tampa and Indianapolis.

Need a new passport?

A passport is the first step to exploring the world. We have occasionally had to send ours in for extra pages!

The US Postal Service makes obtaining a passport easy and you can go online to www.usps.com/passport for more information. The National Passport Information Center has a toll-free number 1-877-487-2778 and a website for more information.

We always recommend making two photocopies of your passport photo page. Leave one at home with your emergency contact and pack the other one in your luggage. If you go on any of our tours, we'll also keep a copy of this page and will assist if anything happens to your passport while on tour.

A passport costs $97 for age 16 and older and $82 for age 15 and under, which includes the fees to the U.S. Department of State and the acceptance fee. You can pay extra to have your passport processed more quickly, which is an extra $60.

Need some ideas of where to travel with your shiny new passport??

Headed to Europe this summer?

In Wartburg Castle
Originally uploaded by Reformation Tours, LLC.

The weather is more-or-less getting warmer, and it's a great time to be thinking of a trip to Europe. We'll be heading for Switzerland, France and Germany this summer, as well as Colonial Williamsburg and Georgia. We'd love to hear about your trips too and we welcome guest bloggers.

By the way, if you have a travel question or need help with any part of your itinerary, just give us a call at either 1-800-303-5534 or 1-800-303-2415. We will be happy to assist.