Do you need travel insurance? Thousands of travelers stranded due to flight cancellations caused by the recent cloud of ash ejected by an Icelandic volcano are probably wishing they purchased travel insurance.

Trip insurance provider InsureMyTrip.com released a statement last week saying, “Travelers who purchased insurance on or before April 13th when this situation first became a public phenomenon, have important coverage benefits available to them,” explained Jim Grace President and CEO of InsureMyTrip.com. “Despite the bizarre nature of this event, travel insurance can and does provide very real protection for a situation that no one could have predicted.”

From personal experience, 95 percent of this blogger’s trips have gone smoothly but there have been hiccups such as flight delays causing misconnections resulting in unexpected hotel stays and lost luggage.  And boy, was I glad I had trip insurance.

In one instance, this is how it worked for me. Due to a flight delay I missed my connection to my final destination and ended up fending for myself. I had to find accommodations on my own (although a travel agent was willing to help) and upon returning to American soil, contacted the trip insurance company who sent me a claim form to complete. Wish I had saved all of my receipts during that travel hiccup because in addition to reimbursement of the hotel stay, I could have received reimbursement of meals and taxi fare.  Not bad for a minor investment.

There are dozens of travel insurance providers such as InsureMyTrip.com, Travel Guard and Access America and many times airlines offer it after booking airfare. It’s important to do your homework before selecting a plan. Among things to consider when purchasing a trip insurance plan are duration of trip, what’s already covered under your personal insurance and cancellation policies of services to be utilized during your trip. And be sure to read the fine print to determine if Acts of God events are covered in the policy.

Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and thunderstorms cannot be controlled but travelers can take control of their vacations by being smart. If investing thousands of dollars on a vacation, investing a few extra dollars more to protect your dream vacation is smart.

Those who love those groovy photostrips from a photobooth will absolutely love this new product from Shutterfly (the online photo sharing and publishing site) called Wink photostrips™. Users can create a photostrip with three, four or five images using their own photos.

Log onto wink.shutterfly.com with your Shutterfly account (if you don’t have one, register, it’s free) and upload images from your account, computer, Facebook or Flickr. Or download the free “Wink from Shutterfly” iPhone app to also upload images from your phone. Determine which template you want and insert photos. Like special effects? Choose from vivid (makes colors more vibrant), sepia, black and white or no effect. Type in a special message – in true social media style, you’re limited to 140 characters. Then, send to someone you love for only $2.50. The site uses PayPal so you know your order is safe.

The photostrip can be emailed to the recipient so they know to expect it and can be uploaded to your Twitter and Facebook accounts.

About a week later you or the recipient will receive a photostrip in a slick envelope. This is a fantastic tool to use while traveling. No need to spend time searching for the right postcard or postage. Take your own snapshots, write your own message and let someone else take care of the postage. Write a snappy note encapsulating “wish you were here” or “miss you” while sending images of you sipping a margarita while vacationing in Cancun. Imagine how the recipient will feel when receiving this one-of-a-kind memento from the road. For $2.50, this will be sent to anyone in the world. Heck, this is even less expensive than most Hallmark cards out there.

Give it a try. Until further notice, your first Wink photostrip is free with no strings attached.

The acclaimed flick Up in the Air starring George Clooney as business traveler Ryan Bingham who’s traveling the country to earn ten million frequent flyer miles, is available on DVD and Blu-ray Tuesday, March 9.

Through racking up all those miles, Ryan has learned the tricks of packing light and saving time when traveling. Following are his 6 business travel packing tips, we’re sure you can relate to one or two. And, be sure to bring home the flick to learn an important lesson about life.

Tip #1: Pack your belt, don’t wear it. You’re holding up the line for an accessory.  Watching you fumble with a buckle makes my eyes bleed.

Tip #2: Your watch won’t set off the metal detector.  So stop putting it in your shoe.

Tip #3: Tourists are amateurs.  They carry way too much electronic equipment and their brains are on vacation.  You see a sun visor—go to the next line.

Tip #4: Please, for the love of God, stop waving goodbye to your family as you’re going through the metal detector.  Kiss your loved one at the curb and be done with it.

Tip #5: Pick up your trays on the other side of the conveyor belt.   Don’t cause a traffic jam.

Tip #6: More people to avoid:
–the guy with the oversized musical instrument.
– the high school softball team that’s too excited to be traveling.
–the angry senior citizen who will get into an argument with the TSA officer.
–the stoner… obvious pat down.

If you’ve racked up thousands of miles like Ryan Bingham, you deserve some R&R with loved ones or a solo escape. Redeem those miles to take you away. Check out Resort Rental’s variety of destinations to plan your vacation, ranging from sandy beaches of Playa Joca in Costa Rica to the serenity of the red rocks of Sedona.