YOU CAN GET HERE FROM THERE 
Now we’re getting
somewhere. The world is opening up for travel again. Even England has recently
eased restrictive protocols and now allow fully vaccinated travelers into the country without
an extra COVID test.
For a long time, England
was in a severe, strict lockdown mode and travelers had to follow precise instructions
for testing and quarantining, but for now, unless yet another variant crops up, those rules are waived.
So, this means Team VFH
can travel with as much freedom since before the pandemic struck, at least to
England. Each country has its own approach to COVID protocols so one needs to
check their current requirements before planning a trip. In an earlier entry here
at Vacations From Home I mentioned Sherpa and that remains a great planning
resource.
GOT YOU GOING AND COMING
Another great source of
easing the logistics of travel is by applying to one of five “Trusted Traveler
Programs” offered by the Department of Homeland Security. Sadly, they cost
money, but they do save you time, either with TSA pre-check or clearing customs
on reentry to the country, or both.
TSA, or the
Transportation Security Administration makes sure you get on the flight safely
and CBP or the U.S. Customs and Border Protection makes sure our borders are
secure.
We will never return to
a pre-9/11 level of worry-free travel, but enlisting in TTP makes you feel a little
less scrutinized as you are vetted, interviewed, fingerprinted, and you don't mind too much to part
ways with some of your money.
There are five
different programs. One is just getting cleared for the TSA pre-check, all the
rest the pre-check is included. We have opted for the Global Entry, which lets
us skip all the long lines clearing customs by utilizing automated kiosks where
we will present our passports and quickly get to baggage claim. The kiosks use
photo identification and fingerprinting for identification. Global Entry is good
for travel into the U.S. by land, sea and air and costs $100 for five years.
Go to the website to decide which program fits your travel plans.
Janet insists that this
is a good idea and if makes her happy, well I’m all for it, especially if it
gets us on the Blue Route a little quicker after a long international flight.
Thanks for reading.
Safe travels
Love Janet and greg
© 2022 by Greg Dunaj
No comments:
Post a Comment