Featured analysis
Firsthand Travel reads the official record — U.S. Department of Transportation consumer rules, insurers' published plan documents and policy wording, and manufacturers' published specifications and warranty terms — to rank travel insurance, luggage, and travel services clearly and without hype. We don't take press trips, file claims, or lab-test gear; our ratings come from published documentation.
Travel Insurance
We compared five major U.S. travel insurance providers on published plan structure, Cancel For Any Reason terms, review periods, and assistance services — with every claim cited to the provider's official documentation.
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Travel Gear
A side-by-side look at five widely used carry-on suitcases using official list prices, published dimensions and materials, and each brand's own warranty and trial terms — reported from official product pages, not hands-on testing.
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Straight from the bodies that issue them, in their own words, with a link to the original.
UK FCDO Foreign Travel Advice
Updated information about regional tensions (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
By 6 Oct 2026
UK FCDO Foreign Travel Advice
New information about wildfires reported in the Kilimanjaro area ('Warnings and insurance' page).
By 6 Oct 2026
UK FCDO Foreign Travel Advice
Removal of information about heightened security measures in Santa Marta.
By 6 Oct 2026
UK FCDO Foreign Travel Advice
New information about the 2026–2027 El Niño weather event ('Safety and security' page).
By 2 Oct 2026
UK FCDO Foreign Travel Advice
New information about local elections in Peru on 4 October and the El Niño weather system (see 'Warnings and insurance' and 'Safety and security' page)
By 2 Oct 2026
UK FCDO Foreign Travel Advice
Removal of information about Mount Etna volcanic activity (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
By 2 Oct 2026