With summer coming up on all of us so quickly, some of you might be planning your family vacations already. Kudos for you for planning ahead! Vacations can be expensive and starting a budget plan early in the year can allow you to save more money for one.

Even if you haven’t started planning yet, and you are planning to drive your family out of the country, here are a few tips to get your on-ground transportation planning started.

If you are going to Canada and bringing your vehicle:

• Your current Auto insurance should cover your vehicle and family during your vacation in Canada.

• You should look into getting the “Canada Inter-province” insurance card (typically at no extra charge) from your current Auto insurance provider. This will be the proof of insurance you will need to show and it may help you avoid any fines.

• If you are planning to move to Canada, you will need to switch your Auto insurance to a carrier located within the Canadian provinces.

• You will still need to carry multiple forms of identification as well as the title to your vehicle.

• If you are renting a car in Canada, make sure you plan for renters insurance as well!

If you are planning on driving to Mexico:

Things get complicated with the laws between US auto insurance and Mexican Auto insurance requirements. Here is the easiest way to make sure your vehicle and family are fully covered:

• Consider purchasing a temporary Mexican automobile policy that covers: Civil liability coverage of at least $25,000, legal assistance, travel assistance (similar to AAA here in the US), and medical expense coverage.

• Make sure you know how far south you are planning to travel because the distance can affect the level of insurance coverage you want to look into.

• Check about what forms of identification you will need to have on hand as well. Again the further south you head, the more it changes. Also some forms of US proof of insurance is not accepted in some areas so knowing this and having the proper documentation will allow an much easier trip.

The most important tips we can offer are:

1. Do research before you leave. This will allow you to know what you must have and will give you time to acquire those forms of identification that will not only save you time and hassle, but money too!

2. Check with your Auto insurance agent. They should be able to provide you with the most up-to-date information about international driving laws and necessary forms of ID. In addition, they should be able to get you some of the documents you require.

3. Check all of your insurance before you leave! Make sure your auto, including your international auto insurance policy contains MedPay. If you need more information about the questions to ask check out our post about MedPay.

We at Southern Colorado Insurance Center want to make sure we offer you some valuable information to help keep you and your family safe and prepared for everything we can. If you are looking for more information on ways Southern Colorado Insurance can help you, or if you want to get a quote, call Debbie at (719) 329-4441 or email her at youarefirst [at] scicteam [dot] com.