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Update April 12, 2024

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Say you've booked the perfect international getaway just to find that your passport has expired. Or, perhaps you didn't realize that your travel destination requires that your passport have at least six months of validity. Whatever your case may be, Americans have a few options for getting an expedited passport — whether you're renewing it or applying for a new one.

Here's what you need to know about your options for getting a passport on short notice.

» Learn more: The guide to different types of U.S. passports

How long does it take to get an expedited passport?

U.S. passport processing times vary depending on the current demand for new passports and passport renewals. The currently posted timelines for routine and expedited processing are as follows:

Routine processing: Six to eight weeks.

Expedited processing: Two to three weeks.

Keep in mind that these are just the processing time once your passport application is received. Make sure to factor in that it can take up to two weeks for the State Department to receive your mailed application and up to another two weeks for you to receive your completed passport. You can shorten this mailing time by sending your application by express mail and paying for faster return shipping.

It's worth noting that current passport processing times are far higher than in the past. For reference, in December 2019, routine passport requests only took six to eight weeks. Expediting your passport application slashed that processing time to just two to three weeks — or just eight days if you renewed at a passport agency.

While we wait for processing times to return to those levels, here are your options for expediting your U.S. passport application.

» Learn more: Need a passport for a trip? Give yourself a big time cushion

How to expedite a U.S. passport application

The best option to expedite your passport application will depend on how quickly you need your passport. The U.S. Department of State currently offers three types of expedited passport application options: Expedited, Urgent Travel, and Emergency.

Here's a breakdown of each option and how to take advantage of each one.

Expedited passport applications

Submit an expedited passport application request if you're traveling in a few months and the current up-to-11-week standard processing time would cut it too close. The process is otherwise identical to a routine application, simply requiring an additional $60 fee on top of standard passport fees.

New passport applicants can submit an expedited application at a passport acceptance facility. Travelers renewing a passport can submit an expedited renewal application by mail.

Note that the State Department has a money-back guarantee on expedited requests. You can apply for a refund of your $60 expedited fee if the agency doesn't process your application within:

35 business days (excluding weekends and holidays) of receiving an application submitted on Oct. 2, 2023 or later.

45 business days (excluding weekends and holidays) of receiving an application submitted on or before Oct. 1, 2023.

Remember to factor in mailing times when figuring whether or not an expedited application will get you your passport in time to travel. If you want to shorten the overall processing time, send your application to the State Department by express mail. You can also include an extra $19.53 with your application fees for expedited 1-2 day return shipping of your completed passport.

» Learn more: How much does a passport cost?

Urgent travel passport appointments

If an expedited passport application isn't fast enough, you'll need to apply for an in-person appointment at a passport agency. You can only schedule an urgent travel application if you haven't yet applied for a passport and you have international travel booked within 14 days.

You can also get an urgent travel appointment if you've applied for a passport but still haven't received it and your travel date is quickly approaching. In this case, you can only schedule an appointment within five calendar days of your international departure date.

To determine your eligibility, you must provide your travel dates and destinations when calling for an urgent travel appointment. Then, bring printed proof of your international travel to your passport appointment. If you don't provide proof of travel, the passport agency may not honor your appointment request.

The State Department operates around two dozen passport agencies across the U.S. If you don't live in a city with a passport agency, you'll need to travel to one of these locations to submit your urgent travel passport application request.

In addition to potential travel costs, you'll need to pay an additional $60 expedited fee to the passport agency at the time of your appointment.

If you qualify for an urgent travel appointment, call 1-877-487-2778 to see what appointments are available. We recommend calling for an appointment as soon as you're possibly eligible — 14 days before departure if you haven't applied yet or five days out if you've already applied — as spots are extremely limited.

» Learn more: 4 times when you should renew your passport

Emergency passport appointments

The U.S. State Department clearly realizes that some situations require special treatment. You can apply for a so-called "life-or-death emergency" appointment at a passport agency if you need to travel internationally within three business days because an immediate family located outside the United States has died, is dying, or has a life-threatening illness or injury.

For the sake of this appointment type, the State Department considers an immediate family member as a:

Parent or legal guardian.

Grandparent.

Travel to visit other family members (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.) in these situations or to travel to get medical services for yourself do not qualify for life-or-death emergency passport service.

To get a life-or-death passport appointment, call 1-877-487-2778 between 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time from Monday to Friday. Outside of these hours and on weekends and federal holidays, call 202-647-4000 instead.

» Learn more: How to get a passport in one day

If you need to expedite a U.S. passport…

Options for expediting a passport range from paying $60 more for an expedited application to applying in person at a passport agency in urgent situations.

If you're traveling in the next few months, don't count on getting your passport anytime soon. Routine passport processing takes weeks — and that doesn't include mailing times. Instead, apply as soon as possible and pay for expedited service.

To get your passport back quicker, pay extra for expedited shipping to and from the agency. Then, if you don't receive your passport as your travel date nears, make an appointment at a passport agency within five days of travel to make sure you have a passport in time to travel.

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On a similar note...

Waited too long to get a passport? Here's what to do.

Richard and Stephanie Park waited too long to get their passports.

After booking airline tickets from Washington, D.C., to Montreal, they checked their travel documents. Richard's passport had another year on it.

"But then I realized that my wife's passport had expired," said Park, a human resources manager from Washington.

With just two months before they were supposed to leave for Canada, the Parks didn't have enough time to renew the expired passport by mail. So they joined thousands of Americans scrambling to get passports during a time of record delays.

Check out Elliott Confidential , the newsletter the travel industry doesn't want you to read. Each issue is filled with breaking news, deep insights, and exclusive strategies for becoming a better traveler. But don't tell anyone!

Why does it take so long to get a passport?

Usually, processing a passport application or renewal takes only a few weeks. But the COVID-19 pandemic, plus an unprecedented demand for passports, has extended those waiting times.

In 2022, the government issued nearly 22 million passports . The State Department is on track to break that record this fiscal year. The government also has paused its pilot online renewal system to fine-tune it, which some observers say has created a bigger passport backlog. The State Department denies this.

It takes 10 to 13 weeks to process a passport application , according to the State Department. But travelers and passport experts say it can drag on for 15 to 18 weeks once you take mailing times into account.

Story continues below.

"Our staff is working thousands of hours of overtime," said Rachel Arndt, deputy assistant secretary for passport services. "We've also increased the number of lines and people available at the National Passport Information Center and will continue to increase capacity and hours to handle the influx of calls we are receiving."

But you can still get a passport for this summer.

Turns out there are a lot of ways to get around the passport logjam, from using a courier service to expediting your passport to contacting your elected representative. I'll also tell you how Park got his wife's passport. But my favorite strategy is one almost no one has mentioned in the voluminous coverage of America's passport crisis. I'll get to that in a second.

Use a passport expeditor service

Courier or expeditor services charge a fee of anywhere between $150 and $300 to handle your passport application. They submit your paperwork on your behalf, and you can then pick up your passport in a few days. The services have access to appointments set aside by the government to help serve disabled customers, those who are unable to leave work or those who have children, according to David Alwadish, CEO of ItsEasy.Com Passport & Visa Services .

But there's a second group of companies that pre-make appointments and then resell them to desperate travelers at a markup of between $800 and $1,000. Alwadish refers to them as "black market" courier services. And while these services also work, they prey on the most desperate travelers.

Remote, wild and devilishly subversive: Here's why Americans are coming back to Tasmania

Courier or expeditor services usually don't have any better access to the passport system than the average person, according to Harding Bush, senior manager for security operations at Global Rescue , "But they do understand the process and will do the legwork of working with the regional or national passport agencies."

Travel to a passport agency with availability

You can get an expedited passport if you have travel booked within 14 calendar days by making an appointment to visit one of the 26 regional passport agencies . But many passport agencies are fully booked, and for first-time applicants, the State Department says it can't guarantee an appointment will be available.

Several readers have complained that they can't get appointments at the San Francisco Passport Agency, for example. And walk-up appointments are no longer available. But there's availability at the passport agencies in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Honolulu, according to experts. Some travelers are planning a vacation at one of these destinations so they can get their passport while taking some time off.

Proximity to the beach is optional. Andrew Williams, a travel adviser at OvationNetwork , needed to renew his passport in Houston recently. He called the Houston Passport Agency, but it had no appointments available.

"I opted to fly to Dallas and was able to get my new passport on the same day," Williams said.

Contact your elected representative

Your congressional representative can cut through the bureaucracy and go straight to the right person at the State Department. Some elected representatives even advertise that shortcut on their websites, offering to submit "urgent" inquiries on your behalf to the appropriate U.S. Passport Agency.

"Often representatives will have dedicated staffers to help their constituents with these kinds of issues," said Hans Mast, manager of Golden Rule Travel , a travel agency that specializes in arranging travel for nongovernmental organizations.

But, he said, "please don't abuse this powerful tip, and only use it when the normal avenues have been exhausted."

It's too late. Congressional offices have been overrun lately, to the point that Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., recently called on Secretary of State Antony Blinken to fix the delays .

Book a trip now

What if you need a passport but don't have imminent travel plans? Here's a workaround.

"Book a refundable flight ticket for the near future and then send in your renewal application," said Salila Sukumaran, founder of a travel agency focusing on wellness travel . "There is a good chance you will get your passport before your departure date."

I know what you're thinking. Does the State Department check to make sure you actually left on the day of your scheduled departure? As far as I can tell, it doesn't. So you could get a refund on your ticket and travel later.

I asked the State Department about this strategy, and as you can imagine, I got an earful.

"We encourage people who do not have imminent travel plans to not request urgent travel appointments," Arndt told me. "We are seeing high demand for these appointments and want to ensure they go to people who truly have urgent travel."

Arndt also urged people not to book trips they don't plan to take, noting that her department is working as hard as possible to clear the backlog. So, noted.

Leave the country

If you're trying to renew your passport, you may be better off outside the U.S. Last year, I had to renew my son's passport, and we decided to do it at the U.S. Embassy in Doha, Qatar. We got an appointment before arriving in the country and received a passport in less than two weeks.

By the way, if you run into any problems with your passport application, you can always reach out to a manager. I publish the names, numbers and email addresses of the State Department directors in charge of passports on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.

Look before you book

Avoiding this problem is easy. Check your passport validity before you book your flights. If you need a passport issued or renewed now, you shouldn't plan to cross the border until early August to be safe.

Park's wife, Stephanie, had a plan B. She set up an appointment with the Washington Passport Agency.

But it was a nail-biter, and there were moments when the Parks thought they might not make it. Stephanie Park showed up at the agency on the day of her appointment, wondering if there would be any other delays. Fortunately, there weren't.

"They called her back that afternoon to pick up her new passport," he said.

Elliott's passport tips

I've lived abroad for the past two years and use my passport almost daily. Here are my favorite passport tips.

Get the nonstandard 52-page passport. You can apply for a passport with extra pages (52 instead of 28). Do it. Too many countries require an extra blank page, and you never know how much international travel you'll do in the next decade. Better safe than sorry.
Apply for a spare. You can apply for a second U.S. passport if you need multiple visas on an ongoing basis because of frequent international travel, valid for four years. But the State Department doesn't verify that you use it for frequent international travel, so you can use it as a spare passport.
Keep the spare and the regular passport in separate places. Never keep both passports in the same place, for obvious reasons. So if you carry one in your purse, keep the other in your backpack. That way, if you lose one or it gets stolen, you'll have access to the other.

Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded Elliott Advocacy , a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidential , a travel newsletter, and the Elliott Report , a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can reach him here or email him at [email protected] .

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The Passport 3 Month Rule - Country Requirements & More

Home » Passports » How to Obtain a U.S. Passport

Are you ready to plan an international trip? Before booking your tickets and traveling abroad, make that the validity of your passport is up-to-date. One crucial part of this process usually overlooked by people is the 3-month rule enforced by certain countries.

Even if your passport has not expired yet, there are places you cannot travel to or through unless you have at least 90 days' worth of validity remaining before the expiration date. These passport requirements are not negotiable.

If you are looking to travel internationally, you need to be prepared with a passport that will allow you to travel to and through all the countries on your itinerary.

Short Summary

The 3-month passport validity rule requires passports to be valid for at least 3 months beyond the intended date of arrival, with exceptions and special cases.
It is important to research entry requirements, obtain necessary visas in advance, and verify a passport's expiration date before traveling.
If your passport does not have enough validity remaining, you will need to apply in person at a regional passport agency. Alternatively, our expert advice is to enlist the help of a registered passport expediting service to get your passport renewed as fast as possible .
Emergency situations may require contacting one's home nation embassy or consulate to apply for emergency passport renewal service .

Click for reliable expedited passport courier service .

Understanding the 3-Month Passport Validity Rule

3 women sitting at an airport looking at their passports

The 3-month passport validity rule mandates that a passport is valid for up to three months after the anticipated date of arrival. This regulation is in place to prevent illegal residency and guarantee travelers possess legal passports throughout their stay. Simply put, if you don't have the right travel documents, countries will deny you entry across their borders.

It's important for people intending to travel abroad to be informed about their destination country's rules about expiring passports. These differ from one nation to another.

While some countries require just a 3 month validity period, others might have different passport validity requirements. Some simply require a valid passport at time of entry. Many countries require more.

For example, many countries impose 6 month passport validity rules where individuals must have at least six additional months left before their passport expires. In some cases, requirements include other validity periods based on the nature of the traveler's stay and the corresponding visa.

To learn more, be sure to check out our guide to the six month validity rule for passports . We also maintain a list of countries that require six months of validity for entry.

Europe, The Schengen Agreement, and the 3-Month Rule

Many European countries are a part of the Schengen Agreement. This decades-old agreement between 27 European countries was designed to make travel within member nations faster, more efficient, and less expensive.

The agreement requires travelers to have valid passports during their stay, and it is governed by a 3-month passport validity rule. This same rule is also imposed by most other non-member nations across Europe in order to ensure that visitors do not overstay beyond their visa period.

Because of this common policy, countries can more efficiently monitor movement at their borders while reducing any risks connected with extended visits.

If you are planning to travel to Europe, be sure to read more about the Schengen Agreement , its rules, and its history.

Countries with a 3-Month Passport Validity Requirement

Again, passport validity is a critical factor for anyone planning international travel. Many European countries that are part of the Schengen Agreement require passports to be valid at least three months after an intended date of departure, including France, Germany, Italy and Spain among others.

Aside from these nations within Europe's borders, other non-European states impose this same 3 month passport rule too. Albania, Guatemala, and Panama being some popular examples.

It is important to research the passport policies for each country you plan on visiting. This is the only way to make sure you don't have hiccups during your travels due to invalid passports or failure to meet requirements regarding particular validity periods (which may also include six month rules). Ensure your U.S. passport holds sufficient time before leaving home by double checking beforehand!

Schengen Area Countries

The following countries are part of the Schengen Agreement and require 3 months of validity remaining on your U.S. passport:

*Travel through the microstates of Monaco , San Marino, and Vatican City are also governed by the Schengen Agreement.

It's necessary that all people in transit through any of these 27 signatory nations are certain their passports maintain at least 90 days of validity throughout the duration of their travels.

Other Countries That Require 3 Months Passport Validity

Be advised that passport validity requirements can change with little notice, so please pay attention to these rules when traveling internationally so you don't stumble upon unexpected complications!

For instance, be sure to pay attention to whether the three month validity rule is calculated based on your date of entry or anticipated date of departure from your desitnation country.

As of 2023, the countries listed below have a 3-month validity rule for U.S. passport holders:

Traveling to Countries with a 3-Month Rule: Tips and Advice

a family walking through an airport together with passports

When it comes to passport validity, researching the passport requirements and regulations of each destination country is key to a successful trip.

Check your passport expiration date

Check if you need a visa.

Certain countries might require a travel visa while others allow you to enter without one. Visas are issued based on why you are traveling (e.g. tourism, school , work , business , etc.). The types and lengths of each visa is determined by each country's bilateral agreements with the United States.

Like passports, visas can take time to acquire, so make sure any permits are obtained well in advance of your trip. Even though some countries offer visas on arrival , there can be issues if you are relying on this type of service.

Be prepared for emergency situations.

Even if you plan on a short trip to a destination with a low (or no) validity rules, you want to be sure you are covered in case you have to stay longer due to a medical or personal emergency. Should you need to travel internationally in a hurry, you want to be sure your passport allows you to take the most direct and efficient route without having to worry about whether your passport has enough months remaining before it expires.

As a rule, it is wise to prepare yourself before any trips by having contingency plans ready just in case anything unpredicted may occur during your trip abroad. There is a chance an unexpected emergency may require you to travel to or through a country with a three or six month validity rule. If your passport has plenty of validity left, this is something you won't have to worry about.

In case of an emergency abroad, such as a lost or stolen passport , you should contact the nearest U.S. consulate or embassy for help. You will not be able to continue your travels without a passport-no matter what the validity rules are for the countries you need to travel to or through.

Based on over 20 years of helping readers with their passport related questions, our best advice is to maintain a valid passport with at least 9 months of validity or more. When your passport gets within a year of its expiration date, don't delay; renew it!

How to Renew Your Passport and Reset Your Passport Validity

Again, if you plan to travel internationally and your passport will not be valid for three months or more, don't wait. Renew your passport as soon as possible. This will ensure you have access to any country that allows American travelers-even if it has a three or six month validity requirement.

To get yourself a new or renewed passport, you need to send an application form along with the required supporting documentation , current passport photos , and pay the passport application fees .

It should be taken into account that the time needed for this renewal process may vary, so making sure everything's in order beforehand can help avoid issues during travel plans. Currently, the time to process a passport application is 6 to 8 weeks . An expedited application will be processed in 2 to 3 weeks .

Be sure to take into account these current processing times for renewal applications before planning any international trips. Also be advised that you will need to submit your current passport as part of the passport renewal process. This means you will not be able to travel internationally until your renewed passport arrives.

Visit our complete guide to renewing a U.S. passport for step-by-step instructions for how to get your passport renewed and our best tips for speeding up the process.

Expedited Passport Services

For those who require a new passport or need to renew theirs in a hurry, expedited services are available. Choosing expedited passport renewal on your application can save you several weeks of waiting for your new travel document, but it may not be fast enough for your needs.

For a faster passport renewal, you can try to make an appointment at one of the 26 regional processing agencies across the U.S. Know that you will need to demonstrate a need to travel internationally within 14 days. This option also includes several additional costs that must be considered.

The fastest and most efficient way to get a passport renewed is through a passport expediting service . These professionals use their expertise and experience to get you a passport faster than you likely can on your own. While they charge a fee for their services, these fees are often much less than what it costs to travel to a regional passport agency on your own and potentially wait days for your new passport to be issued.

Should you opt to go this route, consult our directory of top passport expediters .

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i travel with less than 3 months on my passport.

When planning any international travel, it is important to ensure that your passport will be valid for the duration of your trip and beyond. You should have at least three months remaining on your passport before going abroad. Many countries may require a validity period of six months or more.

Most airlines refuse boarding if you don't meet this requirement, so make sure you check in advance! To avoid issues while traveling overseas. For maximum travel flexibility, make certain that there's still enough time left on your passport by checking that it is valid for at least six months after departure dates from each destination on your itinerary.

Can I travel with 2 months on my passport?

Most countries require that your passport remain valid for a minimum of either three or six months beyond the duration of your trip. If you are planning to travel to one of these locations, you can't travel with only two months left. You likely will not even be able to board your international flight as most airlines deny boarding if relevant passport requirements for the destination country are not met.

To make sure that you are able to have a secure and safe journey, be certain to check all details in advance like dates or other information about any passports used before taking off.

However, some countries require only that your passport is valid upon entry. For peace of mind, always be sure your passport has enough extra validity remaining to account for any potential emergencies or disruptions to your travel plans.

Can I travel to Mexico if my passport expires in 3 months?

As long as your passport is still valid for the duration of the trip, you may go to Mexico even if it's expiring in three months. Mexican travel regulations don't mandate any minimum validity period for passports.

Can I travel to Canada if my passport expires in 3 months?

You can go to Canada as long as you have a valid passport during your stay-even if it's expiring in three months. Canadian travel requirements do not have any minimum validity period for U.S. passport holders.

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Passport Backlog Eases: Your Questions Answered

Find the solutions to common passport questions about cost, timing and more.

a passport application sign inside a NYC Post Office

Veronica Stoddart,

This year is on track to set a record for the highest demand for passports, according to the U.S. State Department. From October 2022 to September 2023, the State Department issued more than 24 million passport books and cards, the most ever. Passport processing delays were lengthy as a result. Now the State Department said processing times are at pre-pandemic levels.

Amid all the confusion around getting a passport, here are some tips to guide you through the ins and outs of the process.

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Passport application and renewal

How can you apply for a passport.

If it’s your first time, you have to apply in person at a passport acceptance facility .

How should you renew a passport?

To renew, mail the application and supporting documents (your most recent passport, a photo and passport fees) through the U.S. Postal Service. Make sure you’re eligible to renew before you mail in your application.

How long does it take to get and renew a passport?

As of Dec. 18, the State Department reports that processing time for routine applications takes six to eight weeks, down from seven to 10 weeks, for new passports and passport renewals .

Mailing can add up to two weeks for the application to arrive at a passport agency or center and up to two weeks for you to receive your passport.

Expediting a passport

How can you expedite a new passport or renewal.

You can upgrade your passport application from routine to three categories: expedited , urgent travel or emergency for an additional $60 (on top of the application fee of $130 for a new or renewed passport plus the execution fee of $35 for a new one).

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT

You can also add one- to two-day delivery for $19.53.

Expedited: Choose this service if you’re traveling in less than 10 weeks from the date you submit your application. Processing takes two to three weeks, down from three to five weeks (not including mailing time). You can expedite a renewal by mail or a new passport at an acceptance facility such as a post office, clerk of court, public library or other local government office that accepts passport applications.
Urgent travel: Choose this service if you are traveling within the expedited service time of two to three weeks. Call 877-487-2778 to make an appointment at a passport agency or center within 14 calendar days of your travel date if you have not already applied or within five calendar days if you have already applied (appointments are accepted only by phone). Note: Passport agencies and centers are operated by the State Department and are different from passport acceptance facilities. Appointments are limited and cannot be guaranteed.
Emergency: Choose this service if you have a life-or-death emergency that requires travel within three business days. Call 877-487-2778 or 202-647-4000, depending on the day and time, to make an appointment at a passport agency or center and provide proof of the qualifying emergency and proof of travel.

Another option is to use a private passport expediter or courier service. Some of these companies are registered with State Department passport agencies and are allowed to submit expedited passport applications on behalf of customers. Check the website for language that says “Authorized/Registered by State Department.”

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These companies may charge several hundred dollars for expediting services, or charge for services that are offered for free by the State Department, such as making an appointment and filling out a form. Buyer beware: The State Department may not be able to honor appointments booked via third parties, according to a department spokesperson.

Passport types and options

What is an electronic passport.

An electronic or e-Passport contains an electronic chip with the same information that is printed on the passport’s ID page. It provides protection against identity theft and makes it difficult to use an altered or forged passport.

All U.S. passports issued from 2006 to 2022 were e-Passports, distinguished by the international e-Passport symbol on the front cover. Since then, new passports are Next Generation Passports, redesigned to be safer and smarter with enhanced security features, according to a State Department spokesperson.

When should you get a “backup” passport?

A second passport is useful in a number of situations. For example, if you plan to visit two foreign destinations within a tight time frame and need visas for both.

There may not be enough time to wait for the first visa to be added to your passport before you need to submit your passport to apply for the second visa.

Travel writer and former Travel + Leisure international editor Mark Orwoll discovered this the hard way when he was planning back-to-back trips to countries that both required visas.

When he found out he could get a second passport, he had to pay an expediting service $649 (in addition to the State Department’s $60 expedite fee) to rush it and to facilitate both visas so he could get them on time. “I hated to spend so much money, but the expediter got it for me in a matter of days,” Orwoll says. “Because I travel so much overseas, I decided it was worth it. And besides, it’s pretty cool to have two passports!”

Another reason to have two passports is if a foreign country denies you a visa or entry because your passport has stamps showing travel to certain countries. For example, an Israeli entry or exit stamp will prevent you from entering some Arab countries, such as Kuwait, Lebanon and others. Two passports will allow you to divide your entry stamps.

The second passport will be valid for four years or less, instead of 10 for the original one. You must meet several additional requirements to get it.

Can you add visa pages to a passport?

No. If you need additional visa pages in your passport, you must renew it. If you travel overseas frequently and anticipate needing extra visa pages, apply for a “large book,” which provides 24 extra blank pages for stamps and visas at no extra charge.

Should you keep a photocopy of your passport when you travel?

Yes. Losing your passport on an international trip can be very disrupting. To facilitate getting a replacement, keep a photo of your passport ID page on your cellphone or bring a photocopy with you and store it in a separate place from your passport so you have a record if your passport is lost or stolen, says Kevin Coffey, author of Traveler Beware! An Undercover Cop’s Guide to Avoiding: Pickpockets, Luggage Theft, & Travel Scams . To get a replacement , bring your copy to the nearest embassy or consulate, complete a loss report and an application form, show an additional government ID and supply one recent passport photo.

someone filling out a passport application or renewal form

Passport card

What is a passport card, and where can you use it.

A passport card is a wallet-size document that can only be used to reenter the United States at land border crossings and seaports of entry from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. It provides a less expensive ($30), smaller alternative to the passport book for those who travel frequently to these destinations by land or sea.

Passport cards cannot be used for international travel by air.

To apply for a passport card , use the same form as applying for a passport book. You can apply for both simultaneously. The processing time for the card is the same as for the book, but cards are only sent via first-class mail.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on Nov. 8. It has been updated to reflect new information.

Award-winning travel writer Veronica Stoddart is the former travel editor of USA Today . She has written for dozens of travel publications and websites.

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Passport Wait Times Are Higher Than They’ve Been in Months

If you have international travel coming up, don’t delay. processing times for new and renewed passports have climbed yet again as the state department struggles to keep up with a surge in demand..

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Know what to expect when it comes to how long it takes to get a new U.S. passport.

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Last year, the U.S. State Department processed nearly 22 million passports, a record number that’s more than at any point since tallying began in 1974. That trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down in 2023, especially as the busy spring and summer travel season is looming.

U.S. travelers looking to renew or obtain their passport for the first time can expect longer wait times. As of March 24, the standard processing period is now 10 to 13 weeks , according to the latest update from the State Department. Between February 6 and March 23, it had been 8 to 11 weeks, and prior to February 6, the standard processing time was 6 to 9 weeks.

The processing time for expedited passports has also increased and is now 7 to 9 weeks , up from the 3 to 5 weeks it had been as recently as January.

What’s worse is the processing times could still go up (hopefully, they will eventually drop back down).

“We anticipate making additional changes to our processing times later this spring or early summer,” the State Department reports in its latest update. “We are monitoring record-high demand for passports, and project to see that demand continue to increase through the spring and remain high throughout the summer.”

According to the State Department, demand for passports is generally highest from late winter into summer. “We encourage you to plan ahead and apply during our slower season from October through December when processing times are generally faster,” the agency advises.

The cost of passport renewal or a new application for adults is $130. And while it’s possible to upgrade a passport application from routine processing to expedited processing , the additional fee is $60 (for a total of $190 for expedited service).

The State Department notes that processing times begin the day the application is received at a passport agency or center, not the day it is mailed or when the application is submitted. The actual mailing times “may add several weeks on to the door-to-door time it takes to receive your passport,” according to the federal agency.

Passport applicants can choose to pay a one-to-two-day delivery fee, at a cost of $19.53, to receive expedited delivery of an issued passport from a processing center. Note that this is in addition to the $60 expedited processing fee cited above.

If U.S. residents have urgent international travel plans within 14 calendar days, or have a life-or-death emergency and must travel within 3 business days, the State Department also offers an appointment-based service at 26 regional passport agencies . To make an appointment, applicants must call 1-877-487-2778. Walk-ins are not accepted.

Currently, renewing a U.S. passport can only occur in person or by mail. While an online renewal option became temporarily available in 2022, the pilot program was paused in February and is not expected to restart until later in 2023.

This story was originally published on March 2, 2023, and has been updated to include current information.

Low dunes and seagrass frame one of Amelia Island’s serene beaches.

What to Do If Your Passport Is Stuck in Renewal Purgatory When You're About to Travel

By Madison Flager

What to Do If Your US Passport Renewal Status Just Won't Budge—And You're About to Travel

I left for a recent trip to Guatemala on a Thursday evening—and picked up my just-renewed passport from the post office roughly 36 hours earlier. To say the preceding few weeks were stressful would be an understatement. Dozens of phone calls and emails later, I have plenty of tips for what to do if you too find yourself in passport purgatory leading up to international travel.

I'm not alone in this current passport saga—thousands of travelers have submitted applications for U.S. passport renewal, only to face long delays. Late last month, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the State Department is seeing “unprecedented demand” for passports as travel rebounds in a big way. While the State Department is taking measures to ease the strain (like holding passport fairs for first-time applicants), a major backlog of applications has choked operations.

With this in mind, I applied to renew my passport in early February, taking advantage of a since-paused pilot program that allowed me to submit an application online , without having to take new photos (I simply uploaded an existing one that met the criteria) or mailing in my existing passport. It was an easy process, and after submitting, I received an automated response saying my application had been received and that the current processing time was six to nine weeks for routine applications. At the time, I didn't have any international travel planned until May, so I wasn't worried.

In hindsight, I should have paid the $60 to upgrade my application to “expedited” the minute I booked a spontaneous trip for mid-April, but I decided to wait it out and see what happened, since my travel fell after the expected delivery window. As the trip loomed closer and my passport renewal status remained stubbornly at the “in process” stage, I paid a $20 fee for overnight shipping, then later upgraded to expedited status.

Two weeks ahead of travel (14 days, including the day of travel, I learned), I called the help line so they could flag my upcoming travel, as instructed on the website. To get through, I had to dial seven times—the first six times, I either got a busy tone or a message that the phone number was out of order. Lesson one: Be persistent.

If you too applied online, know that the first person you reach will have to transfer you to another department, but that wait time was much shorter each time I called (a few minutes compared to a few hours). Sometimes you'll hear an option to have someone call you back when it's your turn in line, other times you'll just have to sit and wait, getting your fill of classical music as you do so.

Five business days before travel, if your passport has not moved to the “approved/printed” status, as mine hadn't, you can call to begin the search for an in-person appointment. This is again where patience and persistence are key—the wait times are long, and appointments are few and far between. The first person I spoke to told me there were no appointments in the tri-state area. I called back the next day, and widened my scope of willingness to travel, only to be told the only available slots before my trip were in Honolulu, El Paso, and San Juan , Puerto Rico, all out of the distance and cost I was willing to pay to make it on this trip. But then, by some stroke of luck, I was on the phone the following day—with a kind, patient employee—when an appointment popped up in Washington, D.C. I said yes immediately, planning to take a train the following week, a few days before my trip.

Luckily, I was able to cancel that appointment: In the midst of all those hours on hold, I emailed the office of my congressman ( find yours here if you're unsure who it is); someone responded within the next hour or two, asked for a few documents, and reached out to the State Department on my behalf. The next business day, she emailed me back saying my application had been completed and shipped. I admit, I felt guilty wasting their time for a personal travel request, but they are here to help with such matters, and ended up saving me a nine-hour roundtrip bus to D.C., for which I am very grateful.

As of publishing, the expected wait time for routine applications is 10 to 13 weeks, or 7 to 9 if you pay to have it expedited (this excludes mailing time). If you're not already part of the record-breaking demand but have travel plans coming up, my biggest piece of advice is to apply as early as possible. If you have the means and said travel plans are within the next few months, file the application as “expedited” to give yourself some added peace of mind. And if you do wind up two weeks out with no passport in hand, be prepared to spend some time on the phone, and to ask your local representative for help if need be.

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Need a new passport? State Department tells travelers to apply at least 6 months before departure

Travelers que at a security checkpoint at O'Hare International Airport

Amid continued unprecedented demand for international travel, the State Department is advising Americans to submit applications for passports at least six months before their scheduled departure dates.

A State Department official said in an email that current processing times are 10 to 13 weeks for routine processing. It takes seven to nine weeks for expedited processing, which costs an extra $60.

The estimates do not include the time it takes for your application to travel through the mail; the clock starts when the State Department receives the application, the official said.

Because some countries require that passports be valid at least six months beyond the dates of people's trips, travelers should check the State Department’s country-specific information pages to learn about entry and exit requirements and other important information for the countries they are visiting.

The agency said that it is meeting its published processing times in the "vast majority of cases" and that many customers receive their passports more quickly. Even so, the State Department has continued to experience a surge in passport demand, the official said. Flyers should carefully review passport processing times on travel.state.gov before they make any definite or nonrefundable travel plans, the official said.

The State Department said it is getting about 400,000 passport applications every week following higher-than-normal volumes in January through May that surpassed 500,000 applications a week.

Some weeks, the agency said, it gets twice as many applications marked as pending compared to the same point in fiscal year 2022. Given those fluctuations, the official said, the department is unable to provide an overall backlog number.

The State Department hopes to return to pre-pandemic processing times by the end of calendar year, the official said.

Nearly 2 million more applications are expected to be processed this fiscal year than in the previous record period, one year before the Covid-19 pandemic, the official said.

So-called revenge travel has continued into 2023, a consequence of pent-up demand from travelers after a yearslong pandemic and the early lockdowns in 2020 that forced many to stay put. The vacation surge is producing record volumes of air travelers.

The Transportation Security Administration reported it processed 2,884,683 flyers Friday — more than the previous record of 2,882,915 on the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend 2019.

Allianz Partners USA, which provides travel insurance products, has projected Americans will spend $214 billion on summer vacations this year.

The State Department official said people who have not yet applied for their passports should generally not call the agency for urgent travel appointments more than 14 days from their travel dates. People who need foreign visas for their urgent travel are an exception and should call within 28 days of their travel to seek urgent travel appointments.

People who have to travel within 14 days should call the National Passport Information Center. While the State Department has increased staffing for urgent travel services, including on some weekends, appointments are very limited, and the official said it cannot guarantee that they will be available.

People who have pending applications and travel within five days should check appointment availability by calling 1-877-487-2778, the official said.

Rob Wile is a breaking business news reporter for NBC News Digital.

Proof of Travel

Passports through the state department are currently taking 7-10 weeks to process, CIBT standard expedite is currently 3-5 weeks or 2-14 days expedite slots. The U.S. Department of State has 26 locations that issue same-day passports. To qualify for an expedited passport, you must travel within 14 days (or 30 days if a visa is required) and have enough proof of travel.

The U.S. Department of State can only process a limited number of emergency passports a day. So, therefore, proof of travel is necessary. Many applicants do not feel comfortable booking a flight before they have their passport, but in most cases, it is not an option. Many applicants also cut it too close when applying through routine service and do not receive their passport on time. If there is an issue or delay with processing, you will miss your trip. We can offer expedited or mail in program.

Enough Proof of Travel

Plane ticket:.

A plane ticket must show you are traveling within 14 days (or 30 days if a visa is necessary). The plane ticket must be issued by the airline or travel agent and show your name, travel date, and destination.

Hotel Reservation:

Hotel Reservations will suffice for Canada and Mexico only. The hotel reservation must show the name of the hotel, the applicant’s name, and the dates the applicant will be staying. This must also show you will be traveling within 14 days (or 30 days if a visa is necessary).

Business Letter:

A business letter from your employer will generally suffice as proof of travel, but it depends on the agency. If an applicant is going to apply with a business letter, it must show the company’s name, the applicant’s position at the company, the country or countries you are going, and the dates of travel. The manager or a Human Resource specialist must sign the business letter . If an applicant applies using a business letter, it is also suggested the traveler also submit a signed statement explaining the reason for traveling.

It is important to note: provide a print-out of the itinerary for the appointment.

Get Your Appointment

To apply at a local Passport Agency, you must request an appointment either online or over the phone. On the day of your visit, provide all the documents. Upon approval, you will have your new passport to travel. Contact your local agency by calling (877) 487-2778.

Private Expeditors

Since there are a limited number of Passport Agencies, many applicants cannot be seen in person. But there are third party expeditors, like Americanpassport.com , offering same-day passport service. Expediting services provide many benefits and are registered with the U.S Department of State. Ultimately, they will be submitting your application on your behalf, so there’s no need to be present at the agency yourself. It is important to note, proof of travel is still required when using an expediting service. Be sure you speak with your courier regarding the evidence of travel you will be providing, as different agencies have different requirements.

If you are outside the 14-day window to apply for an emergency passport but don’t think you have enough time to apply the usual way, it is always safer to wait until you can apply as an emergency. You are much more likely to receive your passport if you go to an agency or use an expeditor. However, always account for a delay in processing, so you must give yourself plenty of time when you apply by routine service.

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Another Pain Point in a Summer of Travel Woes: Getting a Passport

If you’re urgently in need of a new or updated passport, brace yourself: Options have narrowed — and it’s likely going to cost you.

By Debra Kamin

It’s a summer of headaches for travelers: Airfares are surging, checked bags are disappearing , and flights are being canceled in record numbers. And now there’s another pain point to add to the mix. If you’re in need of a new or updated passport, your options are limited — and it’s likely going to cost you.

Like the price of gas and groceries, passport fees have gone up across the board: As of January, a first-time adult passport now costs a total of $165, including the $35 acceptance fee; a renewed adult passport costs $130 and a passport for a minor costs a total of $135. Each is an increase of $20 over 2021 prices.

Monthslong delays and a severe shortage of in-person appointments have plagued passport applicants since early 2020. Now, more than two years in, wait times are still longer than before the pandemic, and for those who need a passport in five weeks or less, solutions are more limited than ever.

The elusive last-minute option

The online booking option for appointments at U.S. Passport Agencies — the only way to obtain a same-day passport for emergency travel — was eliminated last summer following reports of scammers using bots to stockpile and resell appointments. Those with urgent travel needs are now consigned to spending long wait times on the phone attempting to secure a spot. You can only book an appointment if you have proof of imminent travel within 14 days, and the appointment itself must occur within three business days of your departure.

And even when an appointment can be found within the proper time frame, there’s no guarantee it’s in the same city or even the same state as the applicant, forcing those in need of travel documents to fly or drive several hours just to get their passport on time.

“It’s a disaster,” said Michael Wildes, the managing partner of the law firm Wildes & Weinberg, P.C., which specializes in immigration law. He says that although his office has seen the number of urgent requests for passport help dip slightly in recent months, he is still fielding several hundred a month.

Mr. Wildes, like many immigration attorneys, often relies on private courier companies to help process rushed passports. But this option has also narrowed.

The services of courier companies, often called passport expediters, were temporary halted in March 2020 as part of a wider pandemic shutdown. After coming back online last summer, the number of applications that each individual U.S. Passport Agency now allows to be handled by a courier has been reduced. And with fewer slots available, prices have gone up in tandem.

In some cases, said David Alwadish, the founder of ItsEasy.com , a passport and visa expediting service, the number of passports that these private companies can now handle each day has been cut by as much as 75 percent. As a result, some private expediters are now charging up to $3,000.

“Their fees are through the ceiling,” Mr. Wildes said.

For applicants who take the more traditional route and apply for renewal or a new passport directly through the U.S. State Department, routine passport service, which once took as little as six weeks is now taking between eight and 11 weeks. Rushed service, which costs an additional $60 and took anywhere from a few days to three weeks before Covid-19, is currently running between five and seven weeks. This is an improvement from last year, when the State Department, struggling to make headway on a massive backlog of passport applications that piled up in early 2020, admitted processing times for passports had stretched to as long as 18 weeks .

Efforts to end “passport purgatory”

“It’s moved some, but there’s still a huge backlog,” said the Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, whose office, he said, has been fielding a steady stream of requests from constituents for help pushing passport applications through bureaucratic red tape. Over the past year, Mr. Schumer has been vocal about the challenges facing passport applications. He called on the State Department to end “passport purgatory” by increasing staffing and helped negotiate a budget increase of nearly $211 million for the Bureau of Consular Affairs for 2023 to help ease the crunch.

“There’s a lot of pressure from all parts. I think this is bipartisan,” he said in a phone call. “So many people are now applying for passports. It’s like for two years the dam was up and now the dam is broken.”

Rena Bitter, the assistant secretary for consular affairs at the State Department, said in an email that the infusion of cash was necessary because the department’s budget had been dealt a real blow by the pandemic.

“We have taken several steps to reduce wait times during the pandemic, including instituting overtime for our employees, temporarily assigning additional staff to adjudicate passports, and hiring additional staff,” she wrote in the email.

Navigating the imbroglio

For some Americans who booked summer travel, the passport imbroglio isn’t just costing them money. It’s also costing them time.

In May, Paula Knight, 33, was gearing up for a family trip to Mallorca when she realized she, her husband and her 11-year-old daughter would all need to renew their passports before traveling in early July. And her son, who is 8 months old, didn’t have one at all.

She first reached out to a private passport expediter in her hometown, Austin, Texas, but after paying them more than $500 in hopes of getting the passports within a few days, she was surprised to be told that they expected the process to take five to seven weeks, and she’d have to deliver the paperwork to a passport office herself.

But all of the local passport offices require an appointment and were booked solid for months. The closest passport office that took walk-in appointments was two hours away, in Lampasas, Texas, and she made the drive there twice to get her family’s documents processed and sent off to the State Department.

A month later, she realized she might not get the documents in time. So Ms. Knight began calling the National Passport Center’s appointment line every morning, where hold times can stretch past the 15-minute mark, in hopes of securing a same-day appointment at a U.S. Passport Agency. For a week, she called, waited on hold, and each time was told the only available appointments in the entire country were in Hawaii.

“We have a government passport agency in Houston, which would be a two-hour drive for me. We have one in Dallas, which would be a five-hour drive, and I could do that, too,” she said. “But there’s nothing available. I’m feeling pretty powerless over it all. We’re doing everything we were told to do, and it’s taken since early May.”

Ms. Knight finally secured an appointment in El Paso, which is 11 hours away by car. She pushed her family’s trip back four days to accommodate the appointment and, opting not to drive such a long distance with a baby, spent $800 on a hotel and $1,600 on airfare for herself, her husband and her two children to make it to the appointment before her departure to Spain. In early July, with just days to spare, the family’s passports arrived by mail and they ended up not requiring the same-day appointment after all. (They received credit for the canceled flight, and a refund on the hotel room.)

Mr. Alwadish, of ItsEasy.com, said that nearly 75 percent of his customers are now choosing to expedite their passports as Ms. Knight did, creating a Catch-22 in which travelers seeking to circumvent one backlog are now creating another.

In the meantime, Americans should not risk going abroad with a passport that will expire soon. An emergency measure allowing U.S. citizens to return home on an expired passport, enacted last year after reports of tens of thousands of U.S. citizens getting stranded abroad , was allowed to lapse in late June.

By the end of the year, however, travelers may be able to renew their passports online: President Biden signed an executive order in December mandating the creation of an online passport renewal system, but it’s not up and running yet. State Department officials say they launched a pilot program in February with a limited audience of 25,000 volunteers, and are planning for a nationwide launch before the end of 2022.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places for a Changed World for 2022.

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places: Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai: Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto: The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland: The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas: Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

How much does it cost to process a US passport in 2024?

Before making travel plans, it’s best to check that your passport hasn’t expired. how much does it cost to renew or apply for an american passport in 2024.

The passport is an important document as it serves as proof of identity , and is necessary to travel outside the United States. Now that peak travel season is approaching, it is useful to check if your passport is still valid, and to know how much you need to pay to renew it. First-time applicants should also consider the cost of getting a passport and add it to their travel budget .

According to the usa.gov website , to be eligible to apply for a passport a person must be a U.S. citizen by birth or naturalization or a qualified non-US citizen national.

What is needed to apply for a US passport?

If you are applying for your passport for the first time, you must do so in person at a passport acceptance center . This procedure cannot be done online or by mail. The requirements for a person applying for an American passport for the first time are the following:

Application (Form DS-11)

You can complete the DS-11 form online and print it. You can also download it and complete it by hand. Another option is to visit your local passport acceptance center or regional agency to request the form.

It is important that you not sign the DS-11 form until you are at your appointment and the passport acceptance officer tells you to do so .

Personal documents

These include original proof of citizenship, an acceptable photo ID, and a photocopy of your citizenship document and photo ID.

Passport photo and fee

You must also submit a photograph that follows the guidelines set by the Office of Consular Affairs, as well as pay the processing fee.

It’s true – we're thinking about passports all day, every day. And while we don’t expect you to do the same, it’s a good idea to know your passport’s expiration date and set a calendar reminder to renew at least six months before it expires. 😊📅✅ pic.twitter.com/SvXZrZpYg2 — Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) April 16, 2024

Prices of the American passport in 2024

To apply for a passport for the first time, you need to cover the cost of the application as well as the execution fee.

First-time passport fees for adults over 16 years of age are as follows:

Passport Book: $130 (application) and $35 (execution fee)
Passport Card: $30 (application) and $35 (execution fee)
Passport Book and Card: $160 (application) and $35 (execution fee)

The passport prices for children and adolescents under 16 years of age are:

Passport Booklet: $100 (application) and $35 (execution fee)
Passport Card: $15 (application) and $35 (execution fee)
Passport Book and Card: $115 (application) and $35 (card)

READ ALSO: The average tax refund amount in 2024

For passport renewal , the passport book alone costs $130, while renewing a passport card costs only $30 . Opting for both will cost $160. The execution fee is not paid in the renewal process.

To speed up the processing of your passport, you must pay for the expedited service, which has an extra cost of $60. If you have questions, you can consult the fee calculator on the State Departments website.

How long does the American passport process take?

Processing time for passports often varies. As of December 18, 2023, passport applications are processed within six to eight weeks for ordinary service and two to three weeks for expedited service.

These projected processing times do not include the time needed for mailing.

It is advisable to apply for your passport or renew it at least six to nine months before you intend to travel, so you can have enough time to plan your trip. For more information about the US passport, visit the Department of State’s website .

Already planning to see the next solar eclipse in 2026? What travelers need to know.

Umbraphiles feeling the post-eclipse blues should start checking the expiration date on their passports.

The next total solar eclipse is set to happen on Aug. 12, 2026, over Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and a small part of Portugal, according to NASA .

In North America, only a partial eclipse will be visible, so if April’s event made you an eclipse chaser and you want to see totality, you’ll need to head overseas.

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

Here’s what you’ll need to know before packing your bags:

Do you need a passport or visa for the best destination?

The path of totality for the 2026 eclipse mostly goes through places Americans can travel visa-free with their passport, so long as they’re planning to stay for less than 90 days.

Spain, Portugal, Iceland and Greenland all allow visa-free tourist travel for U.S. passport holders.

Spain, Portugal and Iceland are also members of the Schengen Area, which allows for visa-free travel in much of Europe, meaning if you decide to make a multi-country trip out of your eclipse adventure, you won’t need to clear customs if you’re coming from much of the rest of Europe, either.

One major change for travelers to Europe from the U.S., however, is that electronic preauthorization will become a requirement beginning in mid-2025. The European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) requirement will apply to all four open countries in the path of totality.

Depending on the state of the Ukraine war, travel to Russia may or may not be an option for most Americans by 2026, so it’s unclear what the paperwork requirements will be by then.

Is it better to see it from the beach?

Beaches can be a great place to see the eclipse because there are few natural obstacles blocking observers’ views of the sky. The 2026 path of totality passes over beaches on Spain’s northern and southeastern coasts, as well as over islands in the Mediterranean Sea including Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza. The eclipse will also pass over coastal areas in Greenland and Iceland, according to the National Solar Observatory .

Cruising Altitude: What it was like to see the eclipse from a plane

Will there be eclipse cruises or flights?

Almost certainly, although most operators have not announced specific plans yet.

Cruise lines will also offer more viewing opportunities. Princess Cruises “has created a bespoke itinerary aboard Sky Princess to position the ship near Spain on that date,” according to a spokesperson for the line. The cruise will open for bookings on Princess’s website on May 23.

Cunard Line has sailings on its Queen Mary 2 , Queen Victoria and Queen Anne vessels that will put passengers in prime spots to watch .

'The ship can move': Why you should watch next solar eclipses from a cruise ship

Holland America Line is also planning multiple sailings around the event, though details are still to be announced. “Guests have reacted positively to our 2024 eclipse cruises and with the next full eclipse in 2026 we plan to have three sailings in Europe that will align with the path of the eclipse,” Paul Grigsby, the line's vice president of Deployment & Itinerary Planning, previously told USA TODAY in an email.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Already planning to see the next solar eclipse in 2026? What travelers need to know.

April 8: Players for the Cleveland Guardians watch a total solar eclipse before a game against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field.

Wake County, NC

Wake County Register of Deeds to help residents navigate passport application process at one-day fair

Passport fair takes place monday, april 29.

If international travel plans are in your future, you’ll want to mark your calendar for the Wake County Register of Deeds Passport Fair on Monday, April 29. The fair runs from 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m. in Room 100 of the Wake County Commons Building, 4011 Carya Drive, Raleigh .

The Passport Fair is open to the public, and appointments are not necessary — you can drop in at any time. Parking is free and easy.

“We’re looking forward to providing a seamless, stress-free way for people to navigate the passport application process,” said Tammy Brunner, Wake County Register of Deeds. “Our dedicated passport unit staff — along with additional ROD employees — will be on hand to ensure a smooth, convenient experience.”

Passports will not be issued on site, but staff will mail your applications and documents to the U.S. Department of State for you. It currently takes about eight weeks for passports to be processed routinely (plus mailing time). Expedited processing and delivery options are available. More details can be found at travel.state.gov .

This is the first large-scale Passport Fair the office has held since opening its Passport Acceptance Facility in 2022. Smaller events held at county regional centers have been extremely popular, with spots filling up in two to three days.

Who can get a passport at the Passport Fair? To be eligible to participate in the Passport Fair, you must fall into at least one of the following categories:

You are applying for your first U.S. passport.
You are younger than 16.
Issued when you were younger than 16
Issued more than 15 years ago
Lost, stolen or damaged.

If you need to renew your current passport, you can do it by mail. Information is available at travel.state.gov .

What do I need to bring? It’s critical that you bring all required documents, so double check that you have everything before heading over! A complete checklist is available on the Register of Deeds website.

A completed passport application form
Proof of U.S. citizenship — certified birth certificate, expired passport or naturalization certificate. If you were born in North Carolina, you may pick up a copy of your birth certificate in our vital records office.
Proof of identity — driver’s license, military ID or other government-issued ID
Passport photo — you can bring your own or have one taken at the fair for $12. A list of photo requirements can be found at travel.state.gov .
Application and execution fees. A full list of passport fees can be found here . Please note that some of these fees can only be paid with a check or money order.

For more information, visit the Register of Deeds website at wake.gov/ROD or email [email protected] .

March 2024's Median Price of Wake County Real Estate increased by $27,000 to $459,000

Wake county register of deeds will be closed friday, march 29, 2024, in observance of good friday., february 2024's median price of wake county real estate decreased by $4,500 to $432,000.

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I Wore This Viral Lululemon Belt Bag Across Italy for 10 Days, and Now I'll Never Vacation Without It

It has so much space that I could easily fit my passport, wallet, sunglasses, and more.

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

Travel + Leisure / Reese Herrington

Back in 2022 I embarked on a 10-day trek across Italy, and if there was one thing I knew I needed to pick up before the journey, it was the Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag . At the time, the popular bag — the one you’ve likely seen all over the Internet — was sold out online as well as in most of the other stores across Manhattan, but the very morning of my flight I made a last ditch call to the location near my apartment and was met with nine thrilling words: “We just got them back in stock — but hurry.”

After traveling with my new bag through an airport in Norway on an unexpected layover, to the city streets of Rome, I knew that I would never go on another vacation without my belt bag — and two years later that remains to be true. Plus, right now you don’t have to search high and low for these bags like I did, because the $38 pack is currently fully in stock in 14 stunning colors on the Lululemon site, including new shades like the spring-ready Paradise Green.

Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag

This versatile bag is everything you could possibly need in a functional travel pack: At 7.5 inches by 2 inches by 5 inches and with a capacity of 1L, it’s spacious enough for my sunglasses, wallet, passport, keys, and phone, and is easily adjustable to fit across my body when wearing just a tank top and even when I'm tucked away in my winter coat. The primary pocket features mesh pouches on either side, which I usually pack my keys and a lip balm into, and an additional slim pocket on the back of the pouch is my favorite way to ensure my passport stays safe and protected.

Water-repellent nylon fabric makes this bag perfect for both rainy days and sweaty adventures, and unlike most bags with adjustable straps that leave one long piece left hanging, this pack is made with a thin piece of elastic that evens out the loop for a more streamlined appearance. It can even be worn as a traditional fanny pack (which I use for running outside), as well as across your body for easy access to your essentials while hurrying through the airport. Thanks to its functional and versatile design, the Everywhere Belt Bag made it onto our list of favorite fanny packs to take hiking .

Travel + Leisure / Merrell Readman

I can get overwhelmed if I have too much to carry while I’m traveling, and this bag has shown me the joys of a hands-free vacation experience. It made it much easier to get through TSA and boarding my flight because my passport was always just a short reach away, and even on outings in Florence and Rome, I was happy to not worry about my purse getting snatched off my shoulder if I were to let my guard down.

I’m not the only shopper that swears by this versatile fanny pack for travel now, and other Lululemon customers can’t help but rave about this sleek and functional bag. One shopper noted that they “travel a lot” and admitted that the bag is now “indispensable,” adding that it is the “perfect size with convenient compartments to keep well organized without the heavy bulk of a traditional purse.”

Another shopper raved that this pack is “nice if you’re traveling or just doing errands” because “if you have to pull your phone out or your wallet, [they’re] right there instead of digging through your purse to find whatever you need.”

It’s very rare that an item is actually worth the hype that it has garnered, but in this case the Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag has earned every ounce of praise it has received. Not only can it fit a frankly impressive amount of essentials (I’m an overpacker), but it’s also comfortable to wear, sleek, and has quickly become one of the most-used bags in my collection.

Right now, the shopper-loved belt bag is available at Lululemon starting at $38, and is currently in stock in 14 stylish shades. Just don’t wait too long — it’s notorious for selling out quickly.

And if you're looking to elevate your travel style with other comfy and functional essentials, keep reading to find more must-have items to shop at Lululemon.

More Travel Essentials at Lululemon

Chargefeel 2 low women's workout shoe, scuba oversized hoodie, tapered-leg mid-rise 7/8 length luxtreme, restfeel women's slide.

At the time of publishing, the price started at $38.

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First-timer’s guide to Hawaii: 14 days, four islands, five flights, three rental cars and two missing hiking poles

Updated: Apr. 19, 2024, 1:52 p.m. |
Published: Apr. 18, 2024, 9:26 a.m.

Spectacular Waimea Canyon on Kauai, one of the highlights of a 14-day tour of the state. Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com

Susan Glaser, cleveland.com

HONOLULU, Hawaii – Fourteen days, four islands, five flights – a lot could go wrong, I feared, as I planned my first-ever trip to Hawaii.

I’m happy to report that almost nothing did.

I could attribute that to good planning, but I know it took a good bit of luck, too.

Before and after my trip, the Kona airport on the Big Island was shut down due to cracks in the runway; Kilauea Volcano, also on the Big Island, threatened to erupt, possibly upending my plans; and high-wind warnings were keeping visitors out of the ocean early during my stay.

I worried about all these things and more, mostly for naught.

The weather cooperated, no flights were delayed and I got to swim in the water everywhere I went.

This was one of the more complicated trips I’ve planned, and I admit to being a bit nervous -- starting with my 6 a.m. departure from Cleveland on a blustery Saturday in February.

I booked a flight to Honolulu on United Airlines with a scant 50-minute connection in San Francisco. Turns out, it was plenty of time.

The only glitch? Apparently you’re not supposed to pack hiking poles in your carry-on bag. But even then, Transportation Security Administration officers waited to enforce that rule until I was headed back to Cleveland – so I was able to use the poles during the whole trip before leaving them behind at Lihue Airport on Kauai.

Traveling with only a carry-on bag was important to me because I was booked on five flights – from and to Cleveland, plus three interisland hops. A carry-on bag is typically free on both United and Hawaiian airlines, but a checked bag would have cost as much as $40 per flight.

So I packed light (kind of) and kept the souvenirs to a minimum.

I started my tour on Oahu, where my husband and I spent a single night. Although I enjoyed the afternoon on Waikiki Beach, our main reason for starting here was to tour Pearl Harbor National Memorial . It’s a must-see for every American.

From Honolulu, we flew to Maui for three full days of touring, followed by five days on the Big Island and five days on Kauai.

I scheduled Kauai last because I figured it would be my favorite island, as well as the most relaxing. I figured correctly on both counts.

We flew home from Kauai on an overnight flight to Denver, where we connected to Cleveland.

Among the highlights:

* Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island

* Supporting the businesses and chronicling the comeback of West Maui after devastating wildfires last summer

* The Road to Hana on Maui

* Hiking the Napali Coast on Kauai

* Snorkeling Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island

* Doors-off helicopter tour of Kauai

* Waimea Canyon on Kauai

There were certainly activities and attractions that we missed – notably stargazing atop Mauna Kea, the Big Island’s massive 13,796-foot-high volcano. Traveling from Cleveland in February, I wasn’t excited about donning full-winter gear for what typically is a cold, blustery tour. Still, I’m certain I missed something special.

Keeping costs down

No way around it – Hawaii is a very expensive destination, from hotel prices to rental cars to food. Though I considered this a bucket-list trip – and I wasn’t trying to keep to a strict budget -- I didn’t want to (completely) break the bank. I tried to keep overnight costs below $300 a night, and for the most part, I succeeded.

The helicopter tour was the single most expensive activity we did – $324 per person. But it was spectacular.

Food was expensive, too. We had access to a kitchen at most of the places we stayed and typically ate breakfast in our condo before heading out for the day. We could have made it cheaper by cooking dinner in our condo, but we opted to eat most dinners out.

Mai Tais at Duke's Kauai on the final night of a two-week Hawaiian tour. Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com

A taste of Hawaii

We ate seafood every day, tried Spam, poke and lots of shave ice. Among the highlights:

* Many, many Mai Tais. I’m not sure I’d ever had one of these rum drinks before, but I made up for it on this trip. The traditional Tiki drink combines rum, curacao, orgeat syrup and lime juice. The best I had was at Nalu’s South Shore Grill in Kihei, Maui. The food at Nalu’s was terrific, too.

* Spam musubi, a traditional Hawaiian lunch that was popular with plantation workers. It combines a slice of Spam, rice and nori (seaweed). I wasn’t sure I would like it, but I did – enjoyed at the Pine Tree Café near the Kona airport.

* A smorgasbord of traditional Hawaiian fare at the Island Breeze Luau at the Courtyard by Marriott Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel on the Big Island. Among the buffet items: poke, kalua pork, haupia, and poi – the bland, starchy paste that is made from the taro plant. It was the only Hawaiian food that I didn’t care for.

* Lots and lots of shave ice. I figured this was just a fancy snow cone, but I was wrong. The best shave ice I had combined delicate ice shavings atop ice cream, mochi, boba and a rainbow of flavors at a place called Aloha Icelabs in Waikiki.

Experiencing Hawaiian culture

I made an effort, too, to learn some Hawaiian history and experience culture during the trip.

Among our stops: Hulihee Palace , the summer house for King Kalakaua and Queen Kapiolani on Kailua-Kona; Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park , also on the Big Island, where the sacred Hikiau Heiau temple once stood; and Wailua River State Park on Kauai, where the remains of four major temples are part of the Wailua Heritage Trail.

Touring Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor, a history lesson and memorial service all in one

Maui after the fires: Hawaiian island is open, welcoming and absolutely stunning

Exploring the Big Island (which isn’t all that big): From Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to the Kona coast

No, you don’t need four-wheel drive in Hawaii, and other car rental tips

Five days on Kauai: North Shore vs. South Shore, and the view from a doors-off helicopter tour

No, you can’t take hiking poles in your carry-on bag (and other TSA misadventures)

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Watch CBS News

U.S. issues travel warning for Israel with Iran attack believed to be imminent and fear Gaza war could spread

By Debora Patta , Tucker Reals

Updated on: April 13, 2024 / 5:25 PM EDT / CBS News

Update: Iran launched drone attacks against Israel on Saturday. Read CBS News' latest coverage here .

Tel Aviv — Israel is bracing for a worst-case scenario that U.S. officials believe could materialize within just hours — the possibility of a direct attack on Israeli soil by Iran in retaliation for a strike almost two weeks ago that killed seven Iranian military officers. Iran has vowed to take revenge for Israel killing its commanders, who were hit by an April 1 strike on the Iranian embassy in Syria's capital.

Two U.S. officials told CBS News that a major Iranian attack against Israel was expected as soon as Friday, possibly to include more than 100 drones and dozens of missiles aimed at military targets inside the country. Sources have told CBS News the retaliation could include attacks carried out both by Iranian forces, and proxy groups around the region that it has been funneling additional arms to for weeks.

The officials said it would be challenging for the Israelis to defend against an attack of that magnitude, and while they held out the possibility that the Iranians could opt for a smaller-scale attack to avoid a dramatic escalation, their retaliation was believed to be imminent.

Asked Friday how imminent he believes an attack is, President Biden responded, "I don't want to get into secure information, but my expectation is sooner than later." The president urged Iran not to move forward, saying his message to Tehran was: "Don't."

Tehran has not indicated publicly how or when it will return fire, so it's unclear how far Iran's leaders will go. If they decide to carry out a direct attack on Israel, there's fear it could blow Israel's ongoing war against Iranian ally Hamas up into a much wider regional conflict.

With the Iranian retaliation expected at any time, the U.S. State Department on Thursday warned Americans in Israel not to travel outside major cities, which are better protected from incoming rocket fire by the country's Iron Dome missile defense system. The latest guidance noted that travel by U.S. government employees in Israel could be further restricted with little notice as things develop in the tinderbox region.

"Whoever harms us, we will harm them," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Thursday as he visited troops at an Israel Defense Forces airbase. "We are prepared … both defensively and offensively."

Iran-Burning Flags Of The U.S. And Israel

On Saturday, all U.S. embassies in the Middle East were put on high alert and required to hold emergency action committee meetings. Diplomats in Lebanon and Israel were specifically told not to travel to certain areas within those countries.

Sima Shine, a security expert and former official with Israel's national intelligence agency Mossad, told CBS News it was a dangerous moment for the region, and the "most worried" she has been. She said anxiety over an all-out war was likely just as high "on both sides, in Israel and in Iran."

If Iran does choose to strike Israel directly, it could involve a complex missile and drone attack similar to the one Iranian forces launched against a Saudi oil facility in 2019 .

"They will try to do it on the military or some military asset," Shine predicted. "But the question will be the damage. If there would be many injured people, killed or injured … I think it has the potential for a huge escalation."

Iran- International Jerusalem Day Rally In Tehran

Shine stressed, however, that she still believes neither side actually wants a regional conflict.

U.S. "really trying to avoid war"

The U.S. sent a senior general to Israel this week to coordinate with the close American ally on any response it might make to an Iranian attack. Speaking Friday on "CBS Mornings," America's top military officer said, "we're really trying to avoid war."

"This is part of the dialogue that I have with my counterparts within the region, to include the Israeli chief of defense, who I talked to yesterday," said Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr., adding that the U.S. military was "doing things not only to prevent a war, but at the same time, one of my primary things is to make sure all the forces in the region are protected."

"My role, as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, is to plan and prepare," Brown said. "That's one thing we do very well."

Brown's Israeli counterpart, Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, "completed a comprehensive situational assessment on the readiness of the IDF for all scenarios," Israel's military said Friday.

"The IDF is very strongly prepared, both offensively and defensively, against any threat," Halevi was quoted as saying in the statement. "The IDF continues to monitor closely what is happening in Iran and different arenas, constantly preparing to deal with existing and potential threats in coordination with the United States Armed Forces."

The IDF said the visiting U.S. general, Central Command chief Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, was taking part in the IDF's situational assessment.

The dilemma for Iran, said Israeli expert Shine, is to figure out how to deliver its promised response to Israel's attack in Syria, but in a way that does not lead to further escalation. Likewise, Shine said Israel could choose to show restraint when it responds to whatever Iran eventually does.

If either side gets the balance wrong, the consequences for the region, and even the world, could be dire.

Weijia Jiang, David Martin, Margaret Brennan and Olivia Gazis contributed reporting.

Middle East
Benjamin Netanyahu

Debora Patta is a CBS News foreign correspondent based in Johannesburg. Since joining CBS News in 2013, she has reported on major stories across Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Edward R. Murrow and Scripps Howard awards are among the many accolades Patta has received for her work.

More from CBS News

Israel blames starvation in Gaza on U.N. making excuses

U.N. official says Israel systematically impeding Gaza aid distribution

U.S. sanctions 2 entities over fundraising for extremist West Bank settlers

Stocks waver and oil prices rise after Israeli missile strike on Iran

IMAGES

Travel Tip: What You Should Know About Traveling With a Passport
What is Travel Document Number & Passport Document
Passport Application for Teens and Minors, Everything You Need to Know
How Long Does a US Passport Have to Be Valid to Travel?
What is a Passport/Travel Document Number? What You Should Know
How To Apply For A Us Passport The First Time

COMMENTS

How to Get my U.S. Passport Fast
Choose this service if you are traveling in less than 2-3 weeks. If you have not applied, make an appointment online. Your appointment at a passport agency or center must within 14 calendar days of your international travel date. If you have already applied, call us at 1-877-487-2778 . We cannot guarantee an appointment will be available.
How to Get A Last-Minute Passport: Urgent Travel & Same-Day Passport
The agencies will only make you an emergency appointment if you call within 14 days (or 21 days, if you need a visa to enter the country you're visiting) of travel. If your trip is 15 days away, you may not be able to make an appointment. The phone number for the U.S. Passport Agency is 1-877-487-2778.
Get your Passport Application Status
I'm traveling in 14 days or less. I'm traveling in more than 14 days. Call 1-877-487-2778. You must have an appointment to go to a passport agency or center. We cannot guarantee an appointment will be available. ... Processing times + mailing times = total time to get a passport; Urgent Travel: See our Get my Passport Fast page.
Acceptable Proof of Travel Plan Documents to Expedite a Passport
Proof of Travel. Y ou will need to submit proof of travel plans to expedite a passport. Your proof of departure must show your name and your date of departure from the US. See below for a list of acceptable proof of travel documents. An electronic ticket or email confirmation from an airline. An airline reservation.
U.S. Passports
Routine: 6-8 weeks* Expedited: 2-3 weeks and an extra $60* *Consider the total time it will take to get a passport when you are booking travel. Processing times only include the time your application is at a passport agency or center.. It may take up to 2 weeks for applications to arrive at a passport agency or center. It may take up to 2 weeks for you to receive a completed passport after we ...
How to Get an Expedited U.S. Passport in 2023
If you have a life-or-death emergency or urgent international travel coming up within 14 days, you can make an in-person appointment at one of the 26 passport agencies throughout the United States. You must have an appointment to visit an agency, and the only way to make an appointment is by calling 1-877-487-2778. You can also apply via mail.
How to Get an Expedited Passport
To get a life-or-death passport appointment, call 1-877-487-2778 between 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time from Monday to Friday. Outside of these hours and on weekends and federal holidays ...
Waited too long to get a passport? Here's what to do.
Travel to a passport agency with availability. You can get an expedited passport if you have travel booked within 14 calendar days by making an appointment to visit one of the 26 regional passport ...
How To Get A Passport At The Last Minute
Go to the post office to get your routine passport processed. Give yourself a minimum of 20 weeks to get it. Expedited. If you're less than 20 weeks away from your trip, this is the one for you ...
The Passport 3 Month Rule
Short Summary. The 3-month passport validity rule requires passports to be valid for at least 3 months beyond the intended date of arrival, with exceptions and special cases. It is important to research entry requirements, obtain necessary visas in advance, and verify a passport's expiration date before traveling.
Still Waiting on Your Passport? Here's What You Can Do Now
Submitted an expedited application 10 weeks ago. Flying in 5 days. The passport office has put an "urgent travel" notice on my application, but I still don't have it. My congressional office has not returned calls, no appointments are available at any passport office locally or even a reasonable flight away. This is utterly stupid.
How to Get a Passport: Answers to Common Questions
Emergency: Choose this service if you have a life-or-death emergency that requires travel within three business days. Call 877-487-2778 or 202-647-4000, depending on the day and time, to make an appointment at a passport agency or center and provide proof of the qualifying emergency and proof of travel. Another option is to use a private ...
Applying for an Emergency or Urgent Expedited U.S. Passport
Any U.S. citizen who meets one of the following criteria may submit an application for an urgent passport in person at a regional passport agency: Have a Life-or-Death Emergency of an immediate relative requiring international travel within 3 business days; OR. Have urgent international travel within 14 calendar days; OR.
How to Get a Same-Day Passport
These agencies can also process urgent—not just life-or-death—passport requests for travel within 14 business days. Some travelers also make use of expediting services like RushMyPassport.
Passport Wait Times are Up. Here's How Long it Will Take
If U.S. residents have urgent international travel plans within 14 calendar days, or have a life-or-death emergency and must travel within 3 business days, the State Department also offers an appointment-based service at 26 regional passport agencies. To make an appointment, applicants must call 1-877-487-2778. Walk-ins are not accepted.
What to Do If Your US Passport Renewal Status Just Won't Budge—And You
Two weeks ahead of travel (14 days, including the day of travel, I learned), I called the help line so they could flag my upcoming travel, as instructed on the website. To get through, I had to ...
Need a new passport? State Department says apply at least 6 months
The agency is getting about 400,000 passport applications every week. ... People who have to travel within 14 days should call the National Passport Information Center.
Proof of Travel: What You Can Use as Proof of Travel
The U.S. Department of State has 26 locations that issue same-day passports. To qualify for an expedited passport, you must travel within 14 days (or 30 days if a visa is required) and have enough proof of travel. The U.S. Department of State can only process a limited number of emergency passports a day. So, therefore, proof of travel is ...
Urgent (14 day) Passports : My Experience : r/Passports
We don't need you driving at night. You can come back in 2-3 hours and pick up your passport." I paid my $190 fee ($130 for the passport, $60 for the expedite), and he gave me a "claim receipt" that I was to show to pick up my completed passport. He also told me I would need the receipt to get passed security as well.
Another Pain Point in a Summer of Travel Woes: Getting a Passport
The online booking option for appointments at U.S. Passport Agencies — the only way to obtain a same-day passport for emergency travel — was eliminated last summer following reports of ...
Is it possible to get a same-day passport within 14 days of ...
I did not need a visa. Your travel date has to be within 14 calendar days to make an appointment. Call the appointment number until you get through and as long as the travel date you give them is within two weeks they will schedule you. Also, if you do require a visa you can schedule it 30 days out.
How much does it cost to process a US passport in 2024?
For passport renewal, the passport book alone costs $130, while renewing a passport card costs only $30. Opting for both will cost $160. Opting for both will cost $160. The execution fee is not ...
Already planning to see the next solar eclipse in 2026? What ...
The path of totality for the 2026 eclipse mostly goes through places Americans can travel visa-free with their passport, so long as they're planning to stay for less than 90 days.
Wake County Register of Deeds to help residents navigate passport
If international travel plans are in your future, you'll want to mark your calendar for the Wake County Register of Deeds Passport Fair on Monday, April 29. The fair runs from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. in Room 100 of the Wake County Commons Building, 4011 Carya Drive, Raleigh.
The Lululemon Belt Bag Is My Ultimate Travel Hack
The Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag is spacious, sleek, and the best way to enjoy hands-free travel, according to this travel writer who wore it on a 10-day trip to Italy. This high-quality fanny ...
First-timer's guide to Hawaii: 14 days, four islands, five flights
HONOLULU, Hawaii - Fourteen days, four islands, five flights - a lot could go wrong, I feared, as I planned my first-ever trip to Hawaii.
U.S. issues travel warning for Israel with Iran attack believed to be
Iranians stand in front of an anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli banner during a rally commemorating International Quds Day, also known as Jerusalem Day, during a funeral for members of the IRGC Quds ...