Before You Leave

DOCUMENTS / PASSPORTS:

U.S. citizens currently require visas for Australia. The Australian Government offers Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) visas for tourists and business purposes. ETA visas are issued electronically at the time your airline tickets are issued; therefore there is no stamp or label placed inside your passport.
At the time of your final payment, you need to send Classic Escapes a copy of the first two pages of your valid and signed passport.
U.S. citizens do not require a visa for travel to New Zealand for visits less than 90 days in length.
A passport valid for at least 6 months after your travel ends is required.

Foremost, allow sufficient time (up to 6 weeks) if you need a new passport to be issued. You will need two recent photos, plus proof of citizenship or your expired passport. The fee for an adult is $85 for a first-time passport and $55 for a renewal, with delivery by mail in 3-4 weeks. Call the National Passport Information Center toll free at 877-487-2778 for information or email them at npic@state.gov. You can also visit their website at http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html for further information. Same day service costs an extra $30; frequent travelers should request a 48 page rather than the 24 page passport when renewing.

When you travel, we recommend that you make two copies of your first passport page; keep one copy at home in the unlikely event that your passport is lost, and take one copy along to use as an ID when cashing traveler's checks should you leave your passport behind in the hotel safe deposit box.

SINCE AIR TICKETS MUST BE IN THE SAME NAME THAT APPEARS ON YOUR PASSPORT, PLEASE MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU ARE REGISTERED ON YOUR CLASSIC ESCAPES PROGRAM IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport, onward/return ticket and proof of sufficient funds are required. Visas are required for Australia but not New Zealand.

CUSTOMS: Each traveler over 18 years of age can bring into Australia 40 oz. of alcoholic liquor and 250 cigarettes or 9 oz. of tobacco products duty/tax free. For other goods, including those intended as gifts, a duty/tax-free allowance of $A400 per person or $A200 per person under 18 is available. These articles must accompany you through Customs and must not be intended for commercial purposes. If you bring in or take out of Australia more than $A10,000 cash or the equivalent in foreign currency (travelers checks excluded), you must declare it to Customs. Failure to do is an offence. Medicinal products brought into Australia are subject to strict controls and should be declared on arrival. It is advisable to have a letter or prescription from your doctor describing your medical condition and the medication.

TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF

INNOCULATIONS: Vaccinations are not required unless you have come from, or visited a yellow fever infected country or zone within six days before arrival. No other health certificate is required to enter Australia or New Zealand. You are unlikely to encounter any serious diseases as sanitary standards are high and the health system is excellent. Please consult your physician, local health authority or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for International travelers at 877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747) or via their web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel for any additional health precautions. For further information on outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization's web site at http://www.who.int/en/. Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/iht.

FOOD AND WATER: Cities and towns in Australia and New Zealand have excellent public water supplies; tap water is safe to drink. Food is fresh and carefully prepared; be sure to try crayfish and the Green-lipped mussels. You can eat salad or a piece of fruit without concern. Quality beef, lamb, shellfish and other seafood are superb. A wide range of excellent domestic wine and beer is available. You will notice a variety of cuisine; Australian, French, Chinese, and Middle Eastern may be found. Hamburgers, pizza, fish and chips and other fast-foods are readily available. In New Zealand, local specialties include whitebait fritters, meat pies, cream cakes and scones, and desserts such as pavlova, or "pav", a light fluffy meringue topped with freshly whipped cream, strawberries or kiwi. New Zealand also has award-winning wines and beers.

IN SHAPE: To enjoy your trip to the fullest, you should be in relatively good physical and mental health. Your exploration will include some touring on land or sea and occasional nature walks. These walks last several hours but are given at a decent pace in order to closely examine the flora and fauna of the area. If your program includes any exploration by sea (cruising the Great Barrier Reef for example) there will be moderate movement of the vessel while navigating. Most passengers are not affected. If however, you are prone to motion sickness, we strongly urge you to bring some type of medication to prevent or diminish it.

HIGHS AND LOWS: Australia and New Zealand are not known for high altitudes. As a matter of fact, both countries are known for their sea-level destinations. Altitude sickness should not be a problem when traveling in this region.

ALTITUDE CHART:

Australia	Altitude (feet)
Adelaide	236
Ayers Rock	2,319
Alice Springs	1,998
Brisbane	82
Cairns	3
Canberra	1,998
Darwin	0
Hobart, Tasmania	364
Melbourne	377
Perth	416
Sydney	3

HEALTH ABROAD: You will receive information on optional health insurance coverage and we highly recommend you register for this coverage.