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home | study, work, & travel | travel abroad | travel abroad web sites
Travel Abroad Web Sites
U.S. Government Resources for Travel Information
* denotes an essential resource.
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* U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories
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This is an essential starting place for U.S. citizens for travel risk assessments (crime, travel safety, health, etc.) provided by the U.S. government. See also Categories of Travel Advisories for explanation of Travel Warnings, Consular Information Sheets and Public Announcements.
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U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories Mailing List
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To subscribe free of charge send an email to listserv@lists.state.gov. Leave the subject blank and put SUBSCRIBE DOSTRAVEL and your name in the message body. Or, use the online subscription form on their web site. This essential email announcement list sends U.S. Department of State travel advisories to your email inbox as they are announced.
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* U.S. Department of State Travel Home Page (Bureau of Consular Affairs)
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This is an essential source of help from the U.S. government for everything from travel safety advisories to crisis assistance for U.S. citizens abroad. It also contains contact information for all U.S. embassies and consulates abroad, along with a list of foreign embassies and consulates in the U.S. Frequently accessed pages of this comprehensive web site include the following:
Additional U.S. Government Resources
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* Centers for Disease Control, CDC Travel Information
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Official U.S. government information about health conditions worldwide, including recommendations for immunizations and locations of travel clinics.
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U.S. Customs Office, Traveler Information
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Information on customs restrictions and duty fees on items brought into the U.S. by travelers, including the publication Know Before You Go.
Safety Abroad Resources From Other Governments
(Also see the section on U.S. Government Resources for Travel Information)
TRAVEL ADVISORIES: Following is a list of specific countries and the web sites where they post Travel Advisories.
Additional Safety and Security Abroad Resources
(Also see the section on U.S. Government Resources for Travel Information)
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Association for Safe International Road Travel
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Non-profit organization can provide information worldwide on the risks of travel by road.
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NAFSA Education Abroad Sub-Committee on Health & Safety Abroad
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Resources developed by a professional association for education abroad.
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SAFETI Clearinghouse
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An extensive collection of web resources for education abroad administrators.
Health and Medical Resources
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Health Check for Study, Work and Travel Abroad
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A checklist for an individual assessment of health considerations before going abroad, produced in association with CIEE and NAFSA.
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International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers (IAMAT)
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Non-profit organization can assist in locating English-speaking physicians worldwide.
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* NAFSA Education Abroad Sub-Committee on Health & Safety Abroad
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Resources developed by a professional association for education abroad.
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Travel Safe: AIDS and International Travel
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Recommended reading for travelers to all destinations. Produced for CIEE.
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U.S. Department of State, Medical Information for Americans Traveling Abroad
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A list of health insurance providers for travel abroad.
Following is a list of companies that specialize in health insurance for those going abroad for educational purposes and they sell plans to individuals. These plans usually do not cover medical treatment in the U.S. ("home country exclusion").
Passports and Visas How to Get a U.S. Passport
The * U.S. Department of State, Passport Services web site offers complete information and downloadable applications for U.S. citizens to apply for a passport. A passport is required for travel to nearly all countries.
First-time applicants must apply in-person at designated places such as Post Offices and County Courthouses. The nearest location to you can be searched at the U.S. Department of State, Facility Search page.
Allow at least a month for processing. You can apply for expedited processing, see the U.S. Department of State, How to Get Your Passport in a Hurry page to get a passport at extra cost. For fastest processing, apply in person at a Passport Agency (must be traveling within 14 days). For more information see the U.S. Department of State, Schedule an Appointment page.
Visa information for U.S. citizens traveling as tourists
Refer to the U.S. Department of State, Foreign Entry Requirements page. For U.S. citizens traveling as tourists, many countries require a visa, while some do not. For example, most European countries do not require visas for tourists who are U.S. citizens -- but Russia does. Visas usually are required for study, work, or stays longer than a few months. Visa requirements for citizens of other countries will often differ from those for U.S. citizens.
Visa Requirements
You can only obtain a visa from the embassy or consulate of your destination country and must do so before entering that country. Refer to The Electronic Embassy for links to foreign embassies in the U.S. Search categories such as "travel", "visas" or "consular section" to find visa requirements. Visa requirements differ according to your own citizenship.
Visa and Passport Expediting
Perry International's location in Chicago is convenient for Michigan residents who may need to have visas processed by consulates located there. Using this service to expedite passports or visas will result in extra charges.
Visa and Travel Information
Travel Document Services is a commercial visa service listed by country for information from official and academic sources, along with basic entry information for U.S. citizens. For student and work visas, the site refers you to the respective country's embassy. Using this service to obtain expedited passports or visas will result in extra charges.
International Student ID Cards (ISIC, ITIC, Youth Travel)
* STA Travel - Cards Division
STA Travel is the sole authorized U.S. distributor of the International Student Identity Card (ISIC). Similar cards are also available for non-students under 26 (Youth Travel) and for Teachers and Faculty (ITIC). ID card applications are available online. These cards can also be bought at hundreds of campuses whose locations are shown in this web site. These cards bring discounts on airfares (from student travel agencies), discounts abroad, and have additional benefits such as emergency assistance service, very basic health and life insurance coverage valid outside the U.S. (this should not be your only health insurance), free e-mail, and an optional telephone and voice-mail service. See the U-M International Center's International Student ID Cards page for more information.
General Travel Resources
Kasbah, The Travel Search Engine
Site provides links to many resources associated with travel. The "Travel Guide" brings up web sites from commercial, government and academic sources. Links are organized in many categories ranging from practical travel information to academic and cultural.
Travlang's Travel Resources
Site provides links to many sites for all aspects of travel needs and information. It also provides sources for airplane and rail tickets, hotels, currency, phones, weather, and more.
Flights and Student Travel Agencies See the U-M International Center's Air Transportation and Student Travel Agencies for more information.
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AESU Travel
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AESU Travel is a student travel agency that specializes in student-rate airfares, railpasses, and other products for student travellers, particularly for European destinations.
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Expedia
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Assists in finding the lowest airfare. Special-status fares offered by student travel agencies may not be indicated by this site.
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Orbitz
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Sponsored by several major airlines, assists in finding the lowest airfare. Special-status fares offered by student travel agencies may not be indicated by this site.
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STA Travel
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STA Travel is a large student travel agency with branches worldwide that specializes in student-rate airfares, railpasses, and other products for student travellers.
Locally, visit STA Travel in the Michigan Union or call 734.769.2555.
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Travelocity
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Provides the databases used by travel agents and assists in finding the lowest airfare. Special-status fares offered by student travel agencies may not be indicated by this site.
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Rail and Other Ground Transportation
Buy railpasses before you leave. Eurail & Europasses are not sold in Europe.
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RAIL TRANSPORTATION
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DER Travel Services
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Major U.S. provider of Eurail passes. Has information about point-to-point tickets and rail schedules. Also, Eurail and regional or country railpasses. The affiliated German Rail web site gives extensive information on train schedules.
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Rail Europe
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Major U.S. provider of Eurail passes. Has information about point-to-point tickets and rail schedules. Also, Eurail and regional or country railpasses.
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OTHER TRANSPORTATION
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Routes International
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Provides links worldwide for all modes of transportation.
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Youra Ferry Guide
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Provides links to ferry companies worldwide.
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Budget Travel Guidebooks
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Frommers guidebooks
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This web site is not as low-budget oriented as the others listed here, but contains much useful information.
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* Let's Go guidebooks
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Let's Go guidebooks are written by Harvard students and are the most student-oriented of the currently available guidebook series. The web site provides extensive student-oriented "by country" travel information along with links to other sources of online information.
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* Lonely Planet guidebooks
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Lonely Planet publishes guidebooks for independent and inexpensive travel with truly worldwide coverage. Their web site provides extensive "by-country" travel information along with links to other sources of online information. Lonely Planet also produces television shows on travel.
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Rick Steves' Europe Through The Back Door guidebooks
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Rick Steves, a long-time contributor to Transitions Abroad and producer of travel shows for PBS, writes guidebooks (for Europe only) which attempt a balance between famous and lesser-known destinations. He has also authored a self-guide to European museums, Mona Winks, and Europe 101: History & Art for the Traveler. His site has plenty of great tips and links for the budget traveler.
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* Rough Guides guidebooks
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Rough Guides publishes guidebooks for independent and inexpensive travel for locations worldwide, though for fewer destinations than Lonely Planet. Rough Guide also produces television shows on travel and the book Women Travel.
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South American Explorers
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Non-profit organization offers assistance for travel in Latin America. Web site has extensive links for travel, volunteering and study.
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Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory
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Links to web sites "by country" of official tourist offices. Not budget-oriented, but an excellent source of information for cultural events, museums, and more.
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* Transitions Abroad magazine
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Transitions Abroad magazine is unique in its coverage of all education abroad options, from study and work abroad to educational travel. Not a guidebook series, but a guide-to-the-guidebooks. Online version includes very extensive coverage of print and internet resources for travel abroad, such as recent articles, annotated guides to resources, and "by country" annotated guides to web and print resources and travel programs. Search functions available for entire site.
Major sections: Study Abroad, Work Abroad, Travel Abroad, and Living Abroad Resources
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Budget Accommodations
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Eurotrip - Backpacking in Europe
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An extensive site on budget travel in Europe, including hostels, bargain airfares, etc.
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Hostelling International: American Youth Hostels
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U.S. branch of the non-profit International Youth Hostel Federation. Their web site provides links to hostels worldwide. HI-AYH is the sole distributor in the U.S. of International Hostel Memberships, valid at IYHF hostels worldwide. Reservations can be made online.
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Hostelling International (IYHF)
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Worldwide site of the non-profit International Youth Hostel Federation. Web site provides links to member hostels worldwide. Reservations can be made online.
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Hostels.com Hostelworld.com
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These two sites are owned by Web Reservations International. Both include information and articles about private youth hostels. Contact information is not provided and reservations must be made through these sites.
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Hostelz.com
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This site has a searchable database of hostels worldwide. There is also a directory that can be browsed by region, country, and city. Complete contact information is provided for each hostel. Many also have reviews and photos.
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The Hotel Guide
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Not necessarily low-budget. This site lists tens of thousands of hotels worldwide.
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United States Servas
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For those interested in staying at others' homes while traveling, Servas is a key international organization. As their web site states, "Servas is a volunteer movement of caring individuals, not a budget travel service. Travelers are encouraged to participate fully in the lives of their hosts."
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Currency Converters & ATM Finders
Phones & Internet Service
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Phones
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* Country & city dialing codes (AT&T)
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Directory of telephone dialing codes.
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Zaptel
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Purchase phone cards for international calling.
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Internet Service
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Netcafeguide
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Online locator of cybercafes worldwide.
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Roadnews
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Hardware & software tips for internet connectivity and power for your laptop while traveling.
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Diversity Abroad
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Journeywoman
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Contains extensive information, articles, and links for women traveling abroad.
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Rainbow Special Interest Group of NAFSA
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A comprehensive web site on issues of concern to lesbian and gay participants in international exchange and travel. For student perspectives, see the first-hand articles in Study Abroad Student Resources.
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Mobility International
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Non-profit organization provides information on education and travel abroad for people with disabilities. Site includes extensive links to related organizations worldwide and to providers of travel services for people with disabilities.
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Additional Resources on Countries & Events, Languages, Maps, News & Weather
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Countries & Events
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MSU Global Access
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By Michigan State University's International Studies and Programs, this resource collects selected web sites on international topics, and provides key word searches. Main search categories include: World Region or Country, Thematic Area, Constituency Group, and Resource Type. See also MSU Global Michigan for Michigan specific resources.
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Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory
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Provides links to official tourist offices listed by country. An excellent source of information for cultural events, museums, and more.
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Travel Document Services
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Contains information by country from official and academic sources, along with basic entry information for U.S. citizens. Using this service to obtain passports or visas will result in extra charges.
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U.S. Department of State's Background Notes (country information)
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Overviews compiled by the U.S. diplomatic services.
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VisitEurope
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Comprehensive guide to cultural events and travel in most European countries by the European Travel Commission.
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Yahoo's Directory of Countries
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Vast directory of links organized by country and subcategories such as cities, regions, arts & humanities, education, health, news & media, etc. Links also provided to sites in the language of the host country. Also, includes links to ABC and BBC News Country Profiles, the CIA World Factbook and more.
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Languages
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Travlang's Language Resources
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Provides links to useful sites related to languages, such as a guide to what languages are spoken in which countries, online language-learning sites, online dictionaries, and more.
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University of Washington Languages on the Web
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Provides links to online language-learning resources both in the U.S. and abroad, and to worldwide media.
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Last reviewed: 5/08
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