Ten Practical Travelling Tips for a Happy Snowbird Vacation A snowbirds guide to a vacation away from home.

Fall is in the air and with its a rrival marks the official kick off of thousands of Canadians 55-years-old and ol der heading to the warmer climates of the south. Toronto, CA, September 12, 2011 -- Fall is in the air and with its arrival marks the official kick off of thousands of Canadians 55-years-old and older heading to the warmer climates of the south. These travellers are commonly known as snow birds. Of the many snowbirds who migrate from Canada every year, many are out of the co untry for two to six months. Given this extended leave from Canada, snowbirds ar e wise to buy travel insurance for snowbirds especially when travelling during h urricane season. With travel insurance coverage, snowbirds can avoid paying exce ssive medical fees ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars in the United S tates or the Caribbean should they require medical attention while on holiday. In addition to snowbird travel insurance, quote comparison website Kanetix.ca pr ovides the following 10 travel tips for snowbirds to make their extended stay fr om home, stress-free and enjoyable: 1. Snowbirds must make sure they have a valid passport and enough pages in their passport for custom officials to place a stamp. Depending on some travel destin ations, a traveller may also require a travel visa. Whatever the case, before tr avelling it is a good idea to verify what travel documents are needed - whether a passport, visa or both. 2. If travelling outside of North America, most travel authorities recommend get ting immunized especially against the flu with the threat of H1N1 and also hepat itis A. 3. Snowbirds should call their doctor to either schedule a physical or check up to verify if it is safe to travel for an extended period of time. It is vital fo r travellers to not forget to pack their medications and vitamins, especially if they have pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressu re. 4. Have enough cash on hand to assist with purchases just in case credit or debi t cards are not accepted. It is a good idea to create a budget to keep track of all of your expenses. 5. Before scheduling an extended vacation, snowbirds should find out from their province how long they can stay outside of Canada without losing their health ca re eligibility. If someone exceeds the amount of time outside of their province, they may have to go on a waiting period to re-establish their eligibility for h ealth care after returning home. 6. Most snowbirds drive to their destination. A call to their car insurance prov ider before leaving can help snowbirds make sure they have the appropriate insur ance coverage and information to assist in the event of an accident. Some snowbi rds prefer driving a rental car instead of their own and most rental car compani es offer additional insurance. If a snowbird is looking for other options, they can call their credit card company and personal auto insurer to verify what is a vailable to them if choosing to rent. 7. It is common for snowbirds to travel with their laptop, tablet or smartphone. When travelling with these devices a snowbird traveller can save a lot of money by getting a cell phone plan that allows for international texting and data. Ha ving a plan that allows for unlimited international texting will reduce roaming

fees. Where possible, take advantage of free internet Wi-Fi coffee shops. 8. Make a list of emergency contact numbers. Give this list to a close family me mber or friend. This will save invaluable time during an emergency. 9. Have a friend or family member check on the house while vacationing. They can remove all unwanted junk mail and keep track of important bills. Snowbirds can protect their home from burglars provided someone watches over their home in the ir absence. 10. Do not forget to cancel or suspend all magazine and newspaper subscriptions while away. While most snowbirds travel south to avoid harsh Canadian winters, many migrate to catch up with old friends or make new acquaintances. Whatever the case, Kanet ix reminds snowbirds it is important to know how and where to get help in the ev ent of an emergency or lost passport. A good place to start is Foreign Affairs a nd International Trade Canada. About Kanetix Launched in October 1999, Kanetix was Canada's first online insurance marketplac e. The Kanetix.ca marketplace has since grown to include not only online insuran ce comparisons, but also mortgage rates and credit cards making it Canada's lead ing national, online insurance, mortgage and credit card comparison service. The Kanetix comparison shopping service brings together insurance, mortgage and credit card providers in a one-stop shopping environment for consumers looking t o save money. Each day, thousands of consumers visit the Kanetix website at www. kanetix.ca to compare insurance and mortgage quotes as well as credit cards from a variety of Canadian financial product suppliers. Users select the product of their choice, obtain a quotation and complete an online application or, with the help of Kanetix, connect with the provider to purchase or apply for the product over the phone. For more information, visit Kanetix.ca or contact: Contact : Kanetix Kanetix Ltd 20 Camden St. Toronto, ON M5V 1V1 1-888-854-2503 publicrelations@kanetix.ca. http://www.kanetix.ca/