You must have the proper documentation if you want to cross U.S. borders either by land, sea or air.  The U.S. Department of State’s website has extensive information for international travelers and is the place to go if you have questions about how to get a U.S. passport book or card.

On the State Department's home page click the Travel & Business tab at the top and you will see links to emergency phone numbers, how to register with embassies, etc.  From this page, go directly to travel.state.gov to get to the passport requirements and other pertinent info for traveling to another country or a U.S. territory.

To get a U.S. passport book, go to the top of the page and click on the Passports tab.  If applying for your first passport, click on the Get or Renew Passport tab, First Time.  Click Where to Apply in the U.S. and type your zip code to find the location nearest you.  To print forms, click the Applications and Forms tab.

Have you heard about the new passport card?  It is for land and sea travel between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean, and is part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.  The passport card is NOT used for air travel.  This explains the differences between a passport book and a passport card, including fees.

Finally, just what exactly is in your passport file?  The State Department answered that question recently in their blog after certain security breaches made headline news.

Watch for a list of international travel websites next week!