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Travel Tips

Travel Tips

Helpful hints that will make travel a little easier

WolfTreks Reminders

  • WolfTreks will only hold spaces on a trip for 48 hours without a deposit.
  • It is your responsibility to read the travel brochure thoroughly, being sure that you understand the physical requirements needed to fully participate in activities and are aware of the cancellation policies associated with your departure. Each tour operator has a different cancellation policy.
  • If you don’t understand, ask questions. Contact WolfTreks Travel Director Kathy Hart at 919-515-0508 or hart@ncsu.edu. If she can’t answer your question, then she will seek assistance from the tour operator.

Air Travel Tips

  • Key travel tips – Find out everything you need to know about flying from the Transportation Security Administration’s website.
  • Prohibited items – Find out what you can – and cannot – pack in your luggage.
  • Air travel health tips – Stay healthy on your next flight with these tips.
  • Federal Aviation Administration – Look up aircraft and safety information.
  • Airport Guides – Find useful guides to more than 170 of the world’s airports.
  • Seat Guru – Make your flight more enjoyable by reading comparison reviews of seating options.

Airline Baggage Information

Travel Documentation and Assistance

If you do not have a passport, apply for one as soon as you book your trip. If you already have a passport, check it to determine your expiration dates. Many countries require it to be valid for six months beyond your intended return date. If it expires before that, you may be denied boarding or entry upon arrival at your destination and have to go straight home. To be safe, verify that your passport is valid for at least six months after your intended return date. If the expiration date is uncomfortably close to the cutoff, make sure you renew it ahead of time.

Some countries also require visas. Your tour operator will tell you in their confirmation documents if a visa is needed for the country or countries you are visiting. The operator will explain how to secure the visa. Some countries, such as China and Russia, require that the visa be secured in advance of travel. In other countries, you can apply for the visa in the airport upon arrival.

In fall 2021, every U.S. air traveler will be required to present a Real ID-compliant license or another acceptable form of identification, such as a U.S. passport, to board a domestic flight. This is the last phase of implementation of the federal law known as the Real ID Act, which was enacted after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The act tightens national standards for driver’s licenses and identification cards, overhauling how they are issued and produced, to combat forgery and fraud. The program was the result of recommendations from the 9/11 Commission; 18 of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers obtained state IDs, some of them fraudulently.