Beyond Know How

Several resorts in downtown Jacksonville offer excellent accommodations for the business trip or city vacation. The Omni Jacksonville Hotel, a four-star rated facility, is walking distance from the business center and the Riverwalk.

The Wyndham Jacksonville Riverwalk Hotel also offers luxurious accommodations near the business center and the Riverwalk. In the same vicinity, with city and river views as the two previously named hotels, is the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville. This hotel features a rooftop pool, whirlpool and sauna, and fitness center.

All three hotels are close to many entertainment options such as sports functions, fine dining, concerts, and nightclubs. Some nice golf courses are also located nearby. Whether you are vacationing and looking for an exciting city experience or attending business meetings, you will find a Jacksonville resort and activities to fulfill your needs and desires.

photo credit: woodleywonderworks

For senior citizens over the age of 70 looking to travel there are many restrictions and penalties attached to their travel insurance. This is because of their age and the risks involved with insuring anyone over 60.  Not to mention the problem they will have if they have any pre-existing medical conditions. There is often extra fees added to the already high premiums if they do. This makes finding over 70 travel insurance difficult especially if they are on a fixed budget.  So how do you find senior travel insurance?

There are two main places you can look to find travel insurance providers: in your local phone book or online. Online is probably your best bet to find what you’re looking for. You can find rates as well as what they cover much easier and without the hassle of calling each company up individually. Look for insurance websites that specialize in travel insurance over 70 if you can. You are likely to find what you need there.

photo credit: garryknight

If you’re looking to find travel insurance and are 80 years of age or older, you may think it is impossible to find affordable coverage. But that is entirely untrue. There are many insurance companies that will insure senior citizens and in fact there are several that deal specifically with seniors and travel insurance. But just because there are many available, it doesn’t mean it will be easy to find the price you are looking for. Premiums for travel insurance over 80 can be quite high because of the risk involved to the insurer. Insurance companies make their money by getting people to pay in more than the company has to pay out. This is unlikely to be the case with senior citizens, especially those in their 80’s. So how to find a travel insurance plan that you can afford?

Researching is the best way to find just about anything and the best place for research is the Internet. Look for the top travel insurance providers and see if they will insure you. Also check with those that specifically deal with seniors like Ageconcern.

photo credit: frankh

As more and more people reaching retirement age, the demand for elderly travel insurance increases. These newly retired individuals are looking to enjoy the years they have left so they are seeking to travel the world abroad. It can be to visit relatives or just to see popular tourists destinations. It doesn’t matter, the importance is the same.

For seniors 65 and older it is important to have insurance when traveling overseas because of the many different risks involved with travel to foreign countries. Older people are at even higher risk than the rest of us and travel insurance for the elderly can help to diminish these risks. But don’t expect it to come without a cost. Premiums for travel insurance for those over 65 is much higher than that over a person only in their 20’s or 30’s. That is not to say you’ll have to pay an arm and a leg either. You just have to research to find the best companies with the best coverage that you can afford and go from there.

My grandfather was one of the typical old guys who always had a story to share. As a veteran of World War II it was not surprise; he had seen a lot and, if you had more than a minute of down time, he would make sure you heard about it. What’s interesting is that despite the amount of history he lived through and the places he saw, his stories always focused on people and personal connections and not physical places or battlefields or other information about historical sites.

For example, there was the story about the family of Jews my grandfather’s company found while raiding a French village being occupied by the Nazis. Apparently the family had been hiding in the barn of a very brave gentile family and was lucky to have gone undetected by the Germans for as long as they had. In addition, there was the story of the little German boy they found in the country side and took all the way back to camp – and eventually America. I sure do miss my grandfather and I also miss his stories. He was a great man and an American hero.

Most first world countries besides the United States have some form of universal healthcare provided by the government. While they may pay very high taxes for the privilege, their citizens are able to walk in a receive care no problem. In some countries that is also true for travelers, but often they may be expected to pay out of pocket for their care. It is unfortunate, but true. For this reason, it is important to find travel insurance before traveling out of your home country.

There are numerous websites and companies that offer programs, but I have found Worldnomads to be wonderful. They offer programs for both electronics (laptops, personal computers, .mp3 players, cameras, etc.) and health situations (hospital visits, doctor visits, prescriptions, emergency room visits, etc.). Both of these programs have various options and levels of coverage, and they are very cheap to obtain. The most basic coverage is very affordable for even the budget traveler. Besides, the cost of being protected is much less than the potential costs of a health disaster.

A tropical island vacation can be hard to organize if you do not know what to look for. For American citizens, the Caribbean offers the perfect destination for any type of vacation. As an added bonus, flight and accommodation costs are at an all-time low with the horrific recession hitting the United States. Resorts and airlines are desperate to fill rooms and seats, and the consumer can benefit immensely from their desperation.

Good tropical islands in the Caribbean include Jamaica, Cuba (still restricted for United States citizens), Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas. All of these islands have multiple flights from hubs such as Miami coming in every day, and the flights are much cheaper than going to somewhere in the South Pacific or Hawaii. Some of the major airlines flying to the Caribbean include American Airlines, Jet Blue, Delta Airlines, United Airlines, Continental, Air Jamaica, Air Canada, and Northwest Airlines. To keep prices down it is best to fly to Miami on a short hop and then look for a local carrier for the islands.