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1. Can I use credit cards over there?
2. Should I carry cash with me?
3. What’s the best way to get local currency over there?
4. How can you provide money to your fiancé
5. What is the security situation like over there?
6. Can I collect my Frequent Flyer points at Encore Travel?
7. I got my tickets on the web. Can I still use your services?
8. I can get my visa directly. Can I still use your services?
9. I need to budget my activities – what will the cost of the trip be?
10. How can I get emergency help?
11. Can I cover trips by my fiancé under your insurance plans?
12. How do the Gold and Silver plans differ?

13. Can I cancel my trip plans because of financial or family reasons and still be reimbursed by the insurance plan?
14. Do I need to hire an attorney?


1. Can I use credit cards over there?

In most large cities in Russia and the Ukraine, most stores take Visa, MC, and Amex. A few may also take the Discover Card or Optima. You can use the cards for purchases. There are also banks where you can withdraw cash against your credit card.



2. Should I carry cash with me?

En route to the region you will travel through Europe. While you make a connecting stop at the airport you may want to buy a few things or grab a quick meal. For meals at snack bars it is best to have some cash, although airport restaurants will take credit cards. If you pay in cash dollars you will receive change in local currency.

It is best to exchange cash at the airport upon arrival. You will then have cash for incidentals.



3. What’s the best way to get local currency over there?

Minimize public use of cash in any case. Do not flash bills and wads of cash.

Do NOT take Traveler’s Checks – they cost you money when you buy them and will cost you more money to cash or use them.

In large metro areas there are ATM networks that connect to the various networks in the US and you can withdraw money in the usual way. Your bank will usually charge you $3-5 per transaction and the local ATM owner will charge a $1-5 fee as well; consequently, you should take out at least $100 worth of currency to keep the relative costs reasonable. Amex card holders can visit offices of American Express.

If you are going to a rural area, or to one of the smaller, distant countries, then you should carry $300-500 cash per week of stay, in a money belt. You can use the cash dollars to exchange for local currency when you reach the border or local city.


4. How can you provide money to your fiancé?

Sometimes you will legitimately need to provide cash to your fiancé for such purposes as: buying railroad tickets, buying tickets on obscure local airlines, paying for visas, medical certificates, etc.

IF YOU ARE APPROACHED TO PROVIDE MONEY – contact Encore Travel for advice, in order to avoid scams.

It is not practical to send checks over there. The most direct method is to use Western Union (http://www.westernunion.com/info/osMoneyTransfer.asp).

Encore Travel may also be able to make arrangements for EMERGENCY delivery of funds directly. Please contact us to discuss your needs.


5. What is the security situation like over there

The locations to which we normally send customers are ordinary cities. The hotels we use are four and five star hotels with their own security to prevent tourists from being solicited. We have never had a report of any criminal wrongdoing affecting our customers. In short, if you take the same normal precautions that you would use in going to any large city in the US, you should have no problems with security.


6. Can I collect my Frequent Flyer points at Encore Travel?

Most of the airlines that fly into and around eastern Europe offer Frequent Flyer points that can be used by most Americans. We advise you to sign up for their programs. You may also be able to use partner programs that tie into American, United, Delta or Continental in some cases. We will be happy to insert your number, from whatever source, into your itinerary so that you can earn points on every trip..


7. I got my tickets on the web. Can I still use your services?

The itineraries we develop in support of your visits are complex and include multiple kinds of services. We cannot control the delivery and timing of these services if portions of the visit are purchased elsewhere. We therefore strongly advise you to discuss such notions with us before you buy a non-refundable, unchangeable “good deal” on the web or from other agencies.

What’s more, you are unlikely to save any money in this way, because our prices are low and we are able to bundle multiple services to you. When you break the package up, not only do you subject yourself to extra hassles and risks, but you raise the costs of other components.


8. I can get my visa directly. Can I still use your services?

We will be happy to service you in any case, but please note that other visa services may not understand the details of the itinerary, or the need for special visas, or the latest changes in process. By using other services you subject yourself to risks such as:

  • Inaccuracy in type, number of entries,
  • Incorrect dates
  • Misspelled names
  • Misplaced paperwork
  • Deliveries to wrong addresses
  • Visas delivered too late – causing reschedules, late fees, hassles

Encore Travel manages the process to make sure that all the paperwork matches your needs, names, and travel details. Our relationship with the embassies allows us to work issues for you directly. Moreover we use FedEx to deliver important paperwork when time is critically short.


9. I need to budget my activities – what will the cost of the trip be?

There are several phases in these relationships. Encore Travel handles only the logistics aspects, which do NOT include the legal fees or the agency fees. First you travel to the area and meet the women. At some later point you may decide to test the relationship and have a particular woman come to the US to live with you as your fiancé. We offer pre planned programs for these activities and can give you estimates. Other trips and ideas can be priced once the requirements are known.

The typical costs for the first phase break down into several components:

  • Getting the visa issued – from $160
  • Two way tickets, hotels, transfers – from $500
  • Gifts, miscellaneous – not included in our services

The typical costs for bringing your fiancé to the US, including the prior arrangements

  • Medical Exams – Not included in our services
  • Package of travel to US Embassy for interview and visa – from $375
  • Travel to the USA – from $500


10. How can I get emergency help?

Call Encore Travel – see the Contact Us page
When you travel with us, your package will include local numbers for assistance. Likewise, your fiancé will receive instructions on how to get help when she travels with us.


11. Can I cover trips by my fiancé under your insurance plans?

Your expenses can be covered, but not your Fiance’s expenses. Covered persons must have resided in the US or Canada for the prior 6 months. With a K1 Visa, your fiancé can only remain in the US for 90 days. So you can see that she can usually not be both your fiancé and a coinsured.


12. How do the Gold and Silver Travel Insurance plans differ?

The Gold plan you will cover you if any of the travelers is “too ill to travel” in the judgement of a physician. The Silver plan will only cover you if NON traveling family members become very seriously ill, and require your attendance at their bedside.


13. Can I cancel my trip plans because of financial or family reasons and still be reimbursed by the insurance plan?

The plans do not cover the following sorts of situations:

  • Change in travel plans of any kind
  • Financial issues that come up in the family
  • Business or work issues that affect your vacation plans

If you find that these kinds of things come up, contact us and let us work with you to ameliorate the impact of the changes on your wallet.


14. Do I need to hire an attorney?

No, you can do it yourself, we’ve seen dozens of people do so. However, we’ve also seen many people who’ve hired an attorney for the K-1, and there’s no doubt that attorney-prepared petitions have a significantly higher rate of first day visa approval than do-it-yourself petitions (about a third of the do-it-yourself cases are turned down the first day, and the fiancees are naturally upset). In our opinion, the best lawyer in the field is John F. Roth, Esq..

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