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• Per Diem Lookup

Travel resources

Per diem look-up, 1 choose a location.

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Rates for Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. Territories and Possessions are set by the Department of Defense .

Rates for foreign countries are set by the State Department .

2 Choose a date

Rates are available between 10/1/2021 and 09/30/2024.

The End Date of your trip can not occur before the Start Date.

Traveler reimbursement is based on the location of the work activities and not the accommodations, unless lodging is not available at the work activity, then the agency may authorize the rate where lodging is obtained.

Unless otherwise specified, the per diem locality is defined as "all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city, including independent entities located within those boundaries."

Per diem localities with county definitions shall include "all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city as well as the boundaries of the listed counties, including independent entities located within the boundaries of the key city and the listed counties (unless otherwise listed separately)."

When a military installation or Government - related facility(whether or not specifically named) is located partially within more than one city or county boundary, the applicable per diem rate for the entire installation or facility is the higher of the rates which apply to the cities and / or counties, even though part(s) of such activities may be located outside the defined per diem locality.

City Pair airfares

Visit City Pair Program to learn about its competitive, federally-negotiated airline rates for 7,500+ domestic and international cities, equating to over 13,000 city pairs.

• Search for contract fares

Note: All fares are listed one-way and are valid in either direction. Disclaimer - taxes and fees may apply to the final price

Taxes and fees may apply to the final price

Your agency’s authorized travel management system will show the final price, excluding baggage fees. Commercial baggage fees can be found on the Airline information page.

Domestic fares include all existing Federal, State, and local taxes, as well as airport maintenance fees and other administrative fees. Domestic fares do not include fees such as passenger facility charges, segment fees, and passenger security service fees.

International

International fares do not include taxes and fees, but include fuel surcharge fees.

Note for international fares: City codes, such as Washington (WAS), are used for international routes.

Federal travelers should use their authorized travel management system when booking airfare.

• E-Gov Travel Service for civilian agencies.
• Defense Travel System for the Department of Defense.

If these services are not fully implemented, travelers should use these links:

• Travel Management Center for civilian agencies.
• Defense Travel Management Office for the Department of Defense.

GSA lodging programs

Shop for lodging at competitive, often below-market hotel rates negotiated by the federal government.

FedRooms provides federal travelers on official business with FTR compliant hotel rooms for transient and extended stays (up to 29 days). The program uses FEMA and ADA-compliant rooms with flexible booking terms at or below per diem rates. Federal employees should make reservations, including FedRooms reservations, via their travel management service.

Visit GSALodging for more details on FedRooms and for additional programs offering meeting space, long term lodging, and emergency lodging.

Privately owned vehicle (POV) mileage reimbursement rates

GSA has adjusted all POV mileage reimbursement rates effective January 1, 2024.

* Airplane nautical miles (NMs) should be converted into statute miles (SMs) or regular miles when submitting a voucher using the formula (1 NM equals 1.15077945 SMs).

For calculating the mileage difference between airports, please visit the U.S. Department of Transportation's Inter-Airport Distance website.

Plan a trip

Research and prepare for government travel.

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Federal Travel Regulation Table of contents Chapter 300—General Chapter 301—Temporary Duty (TDY) Travel allowances Chapter 302 - Relocation allowances

Group Travel

Want to take a trip with your troop or family?

Girl Scout travel is a lifelong journey that builds skills, memories, and friendships.

Every Girl Scout, beginning with Daisies or Brownies, can take the first step on this journey with a group field trip followed by an overnight or weekend trip. Learn travel basics as you plan, budget, and pack.

Girl Scout Juniors and above can take three- or four-night regional trips. And once you’re a Cadette, the world is truly your oyster! Using Girl Scout planning tools, you can make your dream trip a reality, whether it’s exploring the California coast, discovering the Swiss Alps, or visiting any of the WAGGGS World Centers around the globe.

Whether you’re traveling with your family, your troop, or on your own with a group, you’ve got Girl Scout resources and ideas to help every step of the way.

Let’s get going!

Getaways: ready-made experiences

Check out these curated events hosted by Girl Scout councils and partners. Your troop can just register and go! (Be sure to let your home Girl Scout council know you are traveling.)

Take a road trip—and stay with Girl Scouts!

There are so many amazing places to explore across the U.S., and there are Girl Scout properties near so many of them! Whether you’re looking for a troop house in a cool, small city, or a campsite in the beautiful wilderness, there are Girl Scout places waiting for your group.

Use this interactive map to explore Girl Scout properties—and contact the site to learn more. Once you have your Girl Scout accommodations booked, use the “Travel in the USA” guide below to plan the rest of your trip.

Plan your own adventure.

Start with a day trip and build your experience to plan a big trip in the U.S.—and eventually overseas. Use these resources to start planning your troop’s dream trips. 

From local day trips to coast-to-coast treks, find fun ways to explore the country!

It’s a great big world out there. Discover new places, new cultures, and new friends.

Every journey starts with a single step. See how travel skills develop at every age and stage.

Travel independently if you're in sixth grade and above. Explore the world and make new friends.

Travel and Destinations

Girl Scout Trips and Travel Opportunities

You’re going places, girl scout. .

Whether you dream of heading to one of our national parks, scoring seats to a Broadway play, checking out incredible Girl Scout history in Savannah, Georgia—or even traveling to a whole different country—you can make it happen!

Thinking about planning your own trip with your troop, family, or friends? Start now with these resources made just for you.

The ultimate adventure for Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Girl Scouts!

Work together to plan the adventure of a lifetime with your troop!

If you’re in sixth grade or older, you can travel independently and meet Girl Scouts from around the world on Girl Scout Destinations!

Girl Scout Destinations generally happen during summer, range from a few days to two weeks, and focus on a variety of topics. Past Girl Scout Destinations have included dog sledding in Minnesota, kayaking in Alaska, engineering in Missouri, astronautics in Alabama, and a service challenge in Costa Rica. Financial assistance may be available. Priority is given to Girl Scouts traveling on Destinations for the first time. Girl Scouts must participate in the Fall Product Program and Cookie Program to qualify. Check out  upcoming Girl Scout Destinations! (New Destinations are typically posted in August.)  The annual deadline to apply for Girl Scout Destinations is November 1. Girl Scouts may apply for up to four Destinations to increase their chances of being selected. Drop off applications at any Girl Scout Service Center, email or mail to: GSWISE Attn. Destinations, 131 S. 69th St. Milwaukee, WI 53214.

You'll soar to new heights on group travel experiences! You'll develop self-confidence and leadership skills by working together to plan the adventure of a lifetime. To plan a safe and enjoyable trip, refer to the  GSWISE Travel Guidelines and Safety Activity Checkpoints.

For a one-two night trip to a non-council owned site more than 100 miles away from troop’s community or a trip of three or more nights, complete and submit a  Troop Trip Application  and an  Emergency Contact Form .

The  Troop Trip Budget and Itinerary  can be used to help plan the troop trip. The  medicine permission form  will also be helpful while away on your adventure.

Additional insurance is required for all participants traveling on an International Trip. Submit a  Plan 3PI insurance enrollment form  at least three weeks prior to travel.

Use these resources to plan your next adventure.

Whether traveling locally or globally, Girl Scouts and adults can work together to start creating your dream adventure right now with these trip planning tools:

• Guide to U.S. Travel —guide for help getting started with travel planning in the U.S.
• Exploration: The Girl Scout Guide to Global Travel (Girl Guide )— step-by-step guide providing information on structure, timeline, tips, and to-do's to start any international adventure

Our Customer Care team is ready to answer your questions, connect you to resources, and more!

See the world!

From field trips in elementary school to global adventures as teens, girl scouts are traveling near and far., if your troop is planning a trip, make sure you are ready to go:.

• Take Overnight Troop Readiness in gsLearn ( My GS )
• Turn in your Trip Approval
• Apply to raise any needed funds
• Complete the Activity Insurance Form

The  Troop Travel Resource Guide  can be helpful for leaders planning a trip for the first time. Girls will want to work through the  Girl Travel Planner  as they plan their own travel experience as well.

Did you know you can bank program credit earned in the Fall Product and Cookie Programs?  Learn more  about saving troop funds for travel.

More ways to travel with Girl Scouts:

Join our road trip adventure to discover the special, unique, and weird sites across our council region. Girls and their families or troops can take road trips to locations that make our communities unique and achieve the Wild Goose Chase patch. Embrace adventure and join our wild goose chase today!

Complete the Wild Goose Chase challenge for each region over the next five years to collect all of the Wild Goose Chase patches.

• Southern Region Challenge
• Quad Cities Region Challenge
• Northern Region Challenge
• Central Region Challenge
• Dubuque Region Challenge

Complete a region? Submit your photos and order your patch !

Travel to New York City

Girl Scout attendees must be entering grades 6-9 in the fall of 2024.

June 25, 2024 - June 28, 2024 Departing from Cedar Rapids, Iowa

See the big city lights of New York! Catch one Broadway musicals and discover how shows are produced with a workshop. Visit iconic sites like Central Park, Rockefeller Center, and Metropolitan Museum of Art. This trip welcomes all Cadettes to travel with Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois to experience a new region of the country!

Price: 2239.00*

Cost includes:

• Round-trip transportation from Eastern Iowa International Airport
• 3 overnight stays in hotels with private bathrooms
• Breakfast daily (except on arrival day)
• Dinner daily (except on departure day)
• Full-time services of a professional Tour Director
• Guided sightseeing tours and city walks as per itinerary
• Visits to select attractions as per itinerary
• Overnight security chaperone

*Price is subject to change

Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees or fees for any required passport or visa.

Note: Optional excursions, optional pre-paid Tour Director, and multi-day bus driver tipping, among other individual and group customizations, will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included.

Travel to Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, and London

Girl Scout attendees must be entering grades 9-12 in the fall of 2025 or graduating from high school in the spring of 2025.

June 10, 2025 - June 20, 2025 Departing from Chicago, Illinois

Experience the food and culture of Western Europe! Girl Scouts  are invited to travel with a group from the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois council to Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, and London. See, taste, and enjoy the cuisine, music, and lifestyle created by a mix of migrating populations in Europe. Learn about unique traditions and share experiences and recipes from your family’s culture with friends on the tour.

Girl Scout Seniors (grades 9-10) can work on their Sow What journey on this exploration.

$5,148.00 – commit before 9/30/23 $5,348.00 – commit after 9/30/23

• Round-trip airfare
• 9 overnight stays in hotels with private bathrooms
• Full European breakfast daily
• Dinner daily
• Full-time services of a professional tour director
• Tour Diary™
• Local guide and local bus driver tips

Note: On arrival day, only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided

Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees or fees for any required passport or visa. Optional excursions, optional pre-paid Tour Director, and multi-day bus driver tipping, among other individual and group customizations, will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost if included.

Want to take a trip with your troop or family?

Girl Scout travel is a lifelong journey that builds skills, memories, and friendships.

Every Girl Scout, beginning with Daisies or Brownies, can take the first step on this journey with a group field trip followed by an overnight or weekend trip. Learn travel basics as you plan, budget, and pack.

Girl Scout Juniors and above can take three- or four-night regional trips. And once you’re a Cadette, the world is truly your oyster! Using Girl Scout planning tools, you can make your dream trip a reality, whether it’s exploring the California coast, discovering the Swiss Alps, or visiting any of the WAGGGS World Centers around the globe.

Whether you’re traveling with your family, your troop, or on your own with a group, you’ve got Girl Scout resources and ideas to help every step of the way.

Let’s get going!

Girl Scout Destinations are the ultimate adventure for girls ages 11 and older! With different trips every year, there’s something amazing for everyone. Girls can apply to up to four different Destinations but must complete the application for each trip.

Steps to take a life changing adventure: 

• Discover upcoming Destinations
• Apply for up to four trips
• Pay a deposit to lock in your spot
• Contact [email protected] for information on applying for GSUSA grant money to help with financial cost of the trip

Missed a deadline? Don’t worry, apply to any Destination which isn’t listed as full might have openings. Need more information on these types of trips? Please reach out to [email protected] .

If you’ve got a Girl Scout in your life, you’ve come to the right place.

Start exploring badges and awards—and a world of possibility.

Outdoor events, camping, summer camp, horseback riding, and more!

• Travel Patrol

Girl Scouts love to travel—from the field trips they take as Brownies to the global adventures they go on as teens.

If you love exploring different places and cultures, then Girl Scouts is the place for you.

You can experience all that our country has to offer, whether you’re “blasting off” at  Space Camp  in Alabama, taking in a  Broadway show  in New York City, or visiting the birthplace of Girl Scouts’ founder, Juliette Gordon Low, in Savannah, Georgia. And you can plan even bigger  adventures around the world , traveling with other Girl Scouts who share your love of adventure.

Check out  Girl Scout Destinations , the ultimate adventure program for girls ages 11 and older. With a ton of different trips to apply for every year—from  surfing  camp on the east coast and breathtaking  hikes  out west, to the crazy-cool wonder of new  cultures abroad —there’s something amazing for everyone to experience.

Make friends from all over the country as you travel with Girl Scouts from different states, see and learn new things, and  pack your bags  full of inspiring, life-changing experiences and memories.

Global Travel

Where can you go places like china, costa rica, switzerland, patagonia, peru, scotland, germany, mexico, and more.

How far will your Girl Scout experience take you? That’s up to you!

Girls can travel with the troop or individually through the Destinations Program.

Troop/Group Travel Guidelines

Travel Application

Travel Update

Travel Itinerary

Steps to San Francisco 

Girl Scout Guide to U.S. Travel 

Global Travel Toolkit 

Whether you travel around the world or around the block, some of the most memorable moments in a Girl Scout’s life happen while taking trips! Check out our  Troop/Group Travel Guidelines  for information on all things travel! Learn about Travel Progression, requirements for trips, and tips and tricks for girl-led travel. 

Our volunteer-led  Travel Patrol  is the perfect option for Girl Scouts who are looking to travel outside of their troop, troops who would like additional support on their first big trip, or Juliettes wanting a group experience. Planning for this trip is girl-led, with girls taking the lead in designing their dream travel experience.

Girls meet once per month to plan the trip and activities, learn tools for traveling, and build friendships with their sister Girl Scouts. One adult from each troop is eligible to apply to attend for every 5 girls registered.

To register, please complete the  online interest form . 

Check out  Girl Scout Destinations , the ultimate adventure program for girls ages 11 and older. With a ton of different trips to apply for every year—from surfing camp on the east coast and breathtaking hikes out west, to the crazy-cool wonder of new cultures abroad—there’s something amazing for everyone to experience.

Make friends from all over the country as you travel with Girl Scouts from different states, see and learn new things, and pack your bags full of inspiring, life-changing experiences and memories.  Find your trip today .

• Apply: 2022 and select 2023 trips are now posted.  Check it out here .
• Deadlines: Round 1 - Applications are due December 1st to February 1st. Round 2 - Applications are due May 1st to June 1st. Summer/Fall note: Many Destinations continue to receive applications until full. Contact hosts directly to inquire if there is still open space, then APPLY!
• Questions: Please contact  Customer Care .

Questions about Travel? Need help planning a trip? Please contact our  Global Action Team .

Patch Program for all Girl Scout levels!

Girls Looking Outward, Beyond Any Limitation! Girls will enjoy hands-on activities in four areas:

• Global Awareness
• Global Citizen
• Troop/Group Travel
• Look Wider Still

• GSOC Global Girl Scout Patch Program
• Global Girl Scout Patch Daisies and Brownies Booklet
• Global Girl Scout Patch Juniors and Cadettes Booklet
• Global Girl Scout Patch Seniors and Ambassadors Booklet

Patches available for purchase at   girlscoutsoc.org/shop

Travel Documents

GSOC Field Trip Resource Guide

Troop/Group Travel Packet

**For additional travel information and documents, visit  Forms & Docs  and search "Travel" **

Are you ready for the ultimate adventure?

Girl Scout Destinations are the ultimate adventure for individual Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Girl Scouts. Push past your comfort zone by applying for a trip on your own, and make friends from all over the country as you travel with new Girl Scout friends. There’s a unique, life-changing experience for everyone. View Girl Scout Destinations  

Interested in traveling? See the world with a Travel Patrol.

Not a Girl Scout yet? It's easy to join to get access to these amazing trips.

Destinations fill up quickly, so get your application in today!

Why is there an application process for Destinations?

Destinations are the ultimate Girl Scout travel experience. Each Destination is made up of a group of Girl Scouts who are passionate about the experience and have the prior travel experience to make their participation a success. Your application helps tell the Destination host that you’re ready to take this step, and exactly why this is the best Destination for you. (Plus, it’s good practice for the college and job applications coming in your future!)

I am a parent or troop leader. Can I attend a Destination with my Girl Scout?

Destinations are for Girl Scouts who already have some travel experience and are ready to take an independent journey. The Girl Scout councils and partners planning these trips have the adult chaperone roles covered; parents and troop leaders may not attend.

Can my troop sign up for a Destination?

Destinations are designed for individual Girl Scouts, with a range of options to help every Girl Scout find the trip that really sparks their interest. Troops interested in planning a trip should check out the Group Travel page for opportunities. [LINK]

Does Girl Scouts of the USA run these trips?

No. Each Destination trip has a “host,” which is either a Girl Scout council or a Girl Scout partner. Girl Scouts apply for Destinations, and if accepted, they enroll with that host organization. Girl Scouts of the USA does not organize or run any Destinations.

Who can answer my questions about the itinerary or trip details?

Look on each Destination page for the “host” information; that contact can answer your questions about their trip.

These seem amazing, but also expensive. How do Girl Scouts pay for Destinations?

Through Girl Scouts of the USA’s D-Pass grant program, more than one-third of Girls Scouts who enroll on Destinations receive a financial grant from their local council. Check with your local council about grant availability. Many Girl Scout councils also allow Girl Scouts to use proceeds from the cookie program and fall product sale to support participation, and there may be opportunities to link up with other Destination participations for some group money earning. Destination participants also often work at part-time jobs to finance their participation.

How can I create a Destination?

Girl Scout councils have the opportunity to propose new Destinations each year in late winter or early spring. Get in touch with your local council if you have a hosting idea.

From local day trips to traversing the globe, discover quick getaways and road trips.

Every Girl Scout deserves a chance to see the world! Whether you’re exploring your own neighborhood, going on an overnight camping trip, or flying across the globe—you’re always expanding your horizon with Girl Scouts. 

NEW : Check out our  travel partnership with Alaska Airlines to learn how your troop or group can save on your next travel adventure!

Extended Travel

If you are planning any extended travel (more than two nights), an Intent for Extended Travel form must be completed and emailed to [email protected]  (see timeline below). International travel should be submitted at least 12 months in advance.

• June–September travel: Intent for Extended Travel form due November 1 
• October–December travel: Intent for Extended Travel form due June 1
• January–May travel: Intent for Extended Travel form due October 1

The Application for Extended Travel is step two of the travel application process. Applications are due on a rolling calendar based on your travel dates. Trips may be assigned alternate due dates at the discretion of the council program manager. 

• June–September travel: final application due April 1
• October–December travel: final application due September 1
• January–May travel: final application due November 1

Travel applications for short trips (in-state and fewer than three nights) should be emailed to your service unit manager or volunteer support manager for approval at least one month prior to your date of travel.  

Late or incomplete submissions of applications may result in delayed or cancelled trips.

Learn more about our council's safety guidelines regarding program activities. 

Trips and Travel Progression

Volunteers without any travel experience probably aren't ready to shepherd a group of 12+ Girl Scouts through an airport. Likewise, not all Girl Scouts will approach travel with the same comfort level or ability to follow rules while away. Troop leaders, troop volunteers, and Girl Scouts must all start with small, local trips before working their way up to regional, national, or international travel. 

Every group is different and has unique experiences, but there is a standard trip and travel progression for all Girl Scouts to follow. You can view Girl Scouts of the USA's Travel Progression Chart for a reference of this progression.

Please Note : Regional travel for Juniors is defined as travel to the following states: Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho.

Travel Resources

From your first day trip to a multi-week trek through Peru, these handy checklists will help you fill out all the correct forms for your next Girl Scout getaway!

• Trip Action Plan
• Domestic Travel Emergency Plan Summary
• International Travel Emergency Plan Summary
• Non-Commercial Rental Property (AirBnB or Similar) Site Safety Checklist
• Day Trip Travel Checklist
• In-State Weekend Travel Checklist
• Out of State and International Weekend Travel Checklist
• 3+ Day in State Checklist
• 3+ Day Out of State Checklist
• 3+ Day International Travel Checklist
• Girl Scout Global Travel Toolkit
• Travel Application for Short Trips
• Intent for Extended Travel Application
• Application for Extended Travel
• Extended Travel Girl Scout Youth Health Forms
• Medical Treatment Authorization for Adults
• Permission to Travel for Minors
• Insurance Plan 3P Enrollment Form
• Insurance Plan 3PI Enrollment Form
• Ways to Travel as an IRM

NEW: Alaska Airlines Group Travel Discount

To continue encouraging Girl Scouts to expand their horizons and seek out travel adventures, we're thrilled to announce a new travel partnership with Alaska Airlines! This partnership will provide a discounted rate on group bookings of ten or more tickets beginning on March 1, 2024, for a two-year period.

All group bookings will be made via Alaska Airlines Groups Desk.

Please reference the contract ID GF45 when contacting them.

You can contact the Alaska Airlines Groups Desk to make your booking by phone or email using the contact information listed below.

Alaska Airlines Group Desk Email: [email protected] Phone: 1(800) 445-4435

Hours of Operation Monday–Friday: 6:00 AM–6:00 PM Pacific Time Saturday: 7:30 AM–6:00 PM Pacific Time Closed on Sunday

Council Trips

Note : We are looking for one additional adult trip advisor for each of the following travel opportunities. These are not caregiver/Girl Scout trips, and caregivers of travelers will not be selected for these roles.  Apply Now »

Australia and New Zealand - Summer 2025

Join Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts for a 13-day trip to New Zealand and Australia to see Kia Ora Auckland, Rotorua landmarks, Sydney landmarks, Cairns, and the Great Barrier Reef!

Travel meetings and money earning will take place in the northern counties (Snohomish and Skagit).

Cost: Approximately $5,900 per person. Includes all activities, lodging, airfare, and most meals.

This travel opportunity is open to Girl Scouts who will be entering grades 10 and up to graduating 12th graders at time of travel.

• Youth Application Form:  Apply Now »
• Youth Reference Form:  View Here »

Email  [email protected]  for more information!

Great Alaskan Adventure - Summer 2025

Join Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts for an amazing seven-day Alaskan adventure! 

There will be quarterly opportunities for money earning, and participants will help plan the final itinerary of activities based in Fairbanks, Alaska. Monthly meetings will be in South Seattle. 

Cost: $2,500 per person. Includes all activities, lodging, airfare, and meals. 

Open to Girl Scouts that will be entering 10th grade up to graduating 12th graders at time of travel. 

• Youth Application Form:  Apply Now »

Email [email protected] for more information!

Questions About Travel? Need Help Planning a Trip?

The travel support team is a group of dedicated and experienced Girl Scout volunteer trip advisors. If you'd like to reach out to them to connect with a travel coach,  just let us know !

Check out travel workshops »

Destinations

Girl Scout Destinations are the ultimate adventure for individual Girl Scouts ages 11 and older! Pack your bags full for life-changing experiences and make friends with other Girl Scout travel buddies from all over the country. Destinations Trip Options   

Volunteer-Led Girl Scout Trips

Looking for more travel options? Volunteer-led trips offer a variety of opportunities for individual Girl Scouts. Planning for these trips is youth-led, so Girl Scouts can design their dream travel experience.

Are you interested in helping with a volunteer-led council-wide trip? Contact our travel team for more information .

Scholarships

Scholarships are available to help you explore the world! Learn more about the Val Manuel Take Action Travelship .

Explore Your World, Girl Scout!

Girl Scouts love to travel—from the  field trips  they take as Brownies to the  global adventures  they go on as teens. If you love exploring different places and cultures, then Girl Scouts is the place for you.

Check out  Girl Scout Destinations , the ultimate adventure program for girls ages 11 and older. With a ton of different trips to apply for every year—from  surfing  camp on the east coast and breathtaking  hikes  out west, to the crazy-cool wonder of new  cultures abroad —there’s something amazing for everyone to experience.

Make friends from all over the country as you travel with Girl Scouts from different states, see and learn new things, and  pack your bags  full of inspiring, life-changing experiences and memories.  Find your trip today!

Where can you go? Places like China, Costa Rica, Switzerland, Patagonia, Peru, Scotland, Germany, Mexico, and more!

How far will your Girl Scout experience take you? That’s up to you!

Find your destination.

GSUSA destinations are Nationally sponsored trips exclusively designed for Girl Scouts. Where can you go? Places like China, Switzerland, Patagonia, Peru, Scotland, Germany, and Mexico! Or visit any of the many destinations in the US. These are just a few of the possibilities; there are many more to choose from!   Visit GSUSA for more information .

Girls apply individually for these trips. Each trip has its own application form that is downloaded from that destination's page on the GSUSA web site.

For more information on Girl Scout Destinations, contact GSNYPENN's Customer Care at 1.315.698.9400 or 1.800.943.4414.

Upcoming Trips & Travel

Have you ever wanted to see the world and experience another culture firsthand? Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways is offering 2 dynamic international trips in 2024 and 2025! Pack your bags, 'cause we’re going on an adventure!  In 2024, Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways heads to the Galapagos Islands to explore the diverse flora and fauna of a pristine wilderness! In 2025, we head to England, Ireland and Wales to soak up the charm and whimsy of the British Isles! These trips are for solo girls 14+, and for girls 12+ with their troop/ troop leader or guardian. Adult spots are limited, as these trips are girl-led!  For more information or to register for one of these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, click the links below. All you need is $95 down and a sense of adventure! 

For questions, please contact  [email protected] .

Curious what type of travel is best for you?

Check out our travel progression chart . 

Whether a local field trip or independent travel, the Girl Scout travel progression allows girls to learn the skills they need to become competent travelers.

GSTOP welcomes girls to travel with other girls from GSTOP on adventures built specifically for Girl Scouts. GSTOP is excited to offer GSTOP-sponsored and GSTOP-partner travel opportunities.

Girl Scouts are also encouraged to apply for GSUSA Destinations, the ultimate adventure program for Girl Scouts ages 11 and older.

Cookie Credit Policy for all trips:  GSTOP Cookie Credit may be used to cover 50% of the costs of new registrations for all trips with the balance of the trip paid by the Girl Scout family.

Ages based upon grade entering Fall 2024.

Deposits are required.

Registered, background checked adult chaperones needed. Interested in joining GSTOP as an adult chaperone. Complete the interest form today. 

NASA Houston June 8-9 Brownie and above Total Price: $325 Price using Cookie Credits: 325 cookie packages plus $162.50 cash payment. Register today.

A Wildlife Adventure Trip: Belize June 14-20, 2024 International travel in partnership with EF Tours Registration has closed.

U.S. National Parks: Grand Canyon, Bryce, and Zion July 22-27 In partnership with EF Tours Cadette, Senior, Ambassador Total price: $3,474 (price subject to change) Price using Cookie Credits: 3,474 cookie packages plus $1,737 cash payment. Cash payment is subject to change based upon registration date. Register today .

Girl Scout National Convention in Washington D.C. July 2026

Leaders in Girl Scouts: WAGGGS Center Pax Lodge & Our Chalet Trip England, France, Switzerland Summer 2027 International travel in partnership with EF Tours Reservations coming soon

Check out  Girl Scout Destinations , the ultimate adventure program for girls ages 11 and older. With a ton of different trips to apply for every year—from surfing camp on the east coast and breathtaking hikes out west, to the crazy-cool wonder of new cultures abroad—there’s something amazing for everyone to experience.

Make friends from all over the country as you travel with Girl Scouts from different states, see and learn new things, and pack your bags full of inspiring, life-changing experiences and memories. Find your trip today!

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Compensatory Time Off for Travel - Questions & Answers to Fact Sheet

• Q1. What is compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Compensatory time off for travel is a separate form of compensatory time off that may be earned by an employee for time spent in a travel status away from the employee's official duty station when such time is not otherwise compensable.
• Q2. Are all employees covered by this provision? View more A. The compensatory time off provision applies to an "employee" as defined in 5 U.S.C. 5541(2) who is employed in an "Executive agency" as defined in 5 U.S.C. 105, without regard to whether the employee is exempt from or covered by the overtime pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended. For example, this includes employees in senior-level (SL) and scientific or professional (ST) positions, but not members of the Senior Executive Service or Senior Foreign Service or Foreign Service officers. Effective April 27, 2008, prevailing rate (wage) employees are covered under the compensatory time off for travel provision. (See CPM 2008-04 .)
• Q3. Are intermittent employees eligible to earn compensatory time off for travel? View more A. No. Compensatory time off for travel may be used by an employee when the employee is granted time off from his or her scheduled tour of duty established for leave purposes. (See 5 CFR 550.1406(b).) Also see the definition of "scheduled tour of duty for leave purposes" in 5 CFR 550.1403. Employees who are on intermittent work schedules are not eligible to earn and use compensatory time off for travel because they do not have a scheduled tour of duty for leave purposes.
• Q4. What qualifies as travel for the purpose of this provision? View more A. To qualify for this purpose, travel must be officially authorized. In other words, travel must be for work purposes and must be approved by an authorized agency official or otherwise authorized under established agency policies. (Also see Q5.)
• Q5. May an employee earn compensatory time off when he or she travels in conjunction with the performance of union representational duties? View more A. No. The term "travel" is defined at 5 CFR 550.1403 to mean officially authorized travel—i.e., travel for work purposes approved by an authorized agency official or otherwise authorized under established agency policies. The definition specifically excludes time spent traveling in connection with union activities. The term "travel for work purposes" is intended to mean travel for agency-related work purposes. Thus, employees who travel in connection with union activities are not entitled to earn compensatory time off for travel because they are traveling for the benefit of the union, and not for agency-related work purposes.
• Q6. An employee receives compensatory time off for travel only for those hours spent in a travel status. What qualifies as time in a travel status? View more A. Travel status includes only the time actually spent traveling between the official duty station and a temporary duty station, or between two temporary duty stations, and the usual waiting time that precedes or interrupts such travel.
• Q7. Is travel in connection with a permanent change of station (PCS) creditable for compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Although PCS travel is officially authorized travel, it is not travel between an official duty station and a temporary duty station or between two temporary duty stations. Therefore, it is not considered time in a travel status for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel.
• Q8. What is meant by "usual waiting time"? View more A. Airline travelers generally are required to arrive at the airport at a designated pre-departure time (e.g., 1 or 2 hours before the scheduled departure, depending on whether the flight is domestic or international). Such waiting time at the airport is considered usual waiting time and is creditable time in a travel status. In addition, time spent at an intervening airport waiting for a connecting flight (e.g., 1 or 2 hours) also is creditable time in a travel status. In all cases, determinations regarding what is creditable as "usual waiting time" are within the sole and exclusive discretion of the employing agency.
• Q9. What if an employee experiences an "extended" waiting period? View more A. If an employee experiences an unusually long wait prior to his or her initial departure or between actual periods of travel during which the employee is free to rest, sleep, or otherwise use the time for his or her own purposes, the extended waiting time outside the employee's regular working hours is not creditable time in a travel status. An extended waiting period that occurs during an employee's regular working hours is compensable as part of the employee's regularly scheduled administrative workweek.
• Q10. Do meal periods count as time in a travel status? View more A. Meal periods during actual travel time or waiting time are not specifically excluded from creditable time in a travel status for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel. However, determinations regarding what is creditable as "usual waiting time" are within the sole and exclusive discretion of the employing agency.
• Q11. What happens once an employee reaches a temporary duty station? View more A. Time spent at a temporary duty station between arrival and departure is not creditable travel time for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel. Time in a travel status ends when the employee arrives at the temporary duty worksite or his or her lodging in the temporary duty station, wherever the employee arrives first. Time in a travel status resumes when an employee departs from the temporary duty worksite or his or her lodging in the temporary duty station, wherever the employee departs last.
• Q12. When is it appropriate for an agency to offset creditable time in a travel status by the amount of time the employee spends in normal commuting between home and work? View more A. If an employee travels directly between his or her home and a temporary duty station outside the limits of the employee's official duty station (e.g., driving to and from a 3-day conference), the agency must deduct the employee's normal home-to-work/work-to-home commuting time from the creditable travel time. The agency must also deduct an employee's normal commuting time from the creditable travel time if the employee is required—outside of regular working hours—to travel between home and a transportation terminal (e.g., an airport or train station) outside the limits of the employee's official duty station.
• Q13. What if an employee travels to a transportation terminal within the limits of his or her official duty station? View more A. An employee's time spent traveling outside of regular working hours to or from a transportation terminal within the limits of his or her official duty station is considered equivalent to commuting time and is not creditable time in a travel status for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel.
• Q14. What if an employee travels from a worksite to a transportation terminal? View more A. If an employee travels between a worksite and a transportation terminal, the travel time outside regular working hours is creditable as time in a travel status, and no commuting time offset applies. For example, after completing his or her workday, an employee may travel directly from the regular worksite to an airport to attend an out-of-town meeting the following morning. The travel time between the regular worksite and the airport is creditable as time in a travel status.
• Q15. What if an employee elects to travel at a time other than the time selected by the agency? View more A. When an employee travels at a time other than the time selected by the agency, the agency must determine the estimated amount of time in a travel status the employee would have had if the employee had traveled at the time selected by the agency. The agency must credit the employee with the lesser of (1) the estimated time in a travel status the employee would have had if the employee had traveled at the time selected by the agency, or (2) the employee's actual time in a travel status at a time other than that selected by the agency.
• Q16. How is an employee's travel time calculated for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel when the travel involves two or more time zones? View more A. When an employee's travel involves two or more time zones, the time zone from point of first departure must be used to determine how many hours the employee actually spent in a travel status for the purpose of accruing compensatory time off for travel. For example, if an employee travels from his official duty station in Washington, DC, to a temporary duty station in San Francisco, CA, the Washington, DC, time zone must be used to determine how many hours the employee spent in a travel status. However, on the return trip to Washington, DC, the time zone from San Francisco, CA, must be used to calculate how many hours the employee spent in a travel status.
• Q17. How is compensatory time off for travel earned and credited? View more A. Compensatory time off for travel is earned for qualifying time in a travel status. Agencies may authorize credit in increments of one-tenth of an hour (6 minutes) or one-quarter of an hour (15 minutes). Agencies must track and manage compensatory time off for travel separately from other forms of compensatory time off.
• Q18. Is there a limitation on the amount of compensatory time off for travel an employee may earn? View more A. No.
• Q19. How does an employee request credit for compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Agencies may establish procedures for requesting credit for compensatory time off for travel. An employee must comply with his or her agency's procedures for requesting credit of compensatory time off, and the employee must file a request for such credit within the time period established by the agency. An employee's request for credit of compensatory time off for travel may be denied if the request is not filed within the time period required by the agency.
• Q20. Is there a form employees must fill out for requests to earn or use compensatory time off for travel? View more A. There is not a Governmentwide form used for requests to earn or use compensatory time off for travel. However, an agency may choose to develop a form as part of its internal policies and procedures.
• Q21. How does an employee use accrued compensatory time off for travel? View more A. An employee must request permission from his or her supervisor to schedule the use of his or her accrued compensatory time off for travel in accordance with agency policies and procedures. Compensatory time off for travel may be used when the employee is granted time off from his or her scheduled tour of duty established for leave purposes. Employees must use accrued compensatory time off for travel in increments of one-tenth of an hour (6 minutes) or one-quarter of an hour (15 minutes).
• Q22. In what order should agencies charge compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Agencies must charge compensatory time off for travel in the chronological order in which it was earned, with compensatory time off for travel earned first being charged first.
• Q23. How long does an employee have to use accrued compensatory time off for travel? View more A. An employee must use his or her accrued compensatory time off for travel by the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned or the employee must forfeit such compensatory time off, except in certain circumstances. (See Q24 and Q25 for exceptions.)
• Q24. What if an employee is unable to use his or her accrued compensatory time off for travel because of uniformed service or an on-the-job injury with entitlement to injury compensation? View more A. Unused compensatory time off for travel will be held in abeyance for an employee who separates, or is placed in a leave without pay status, and later returns following (1) separation or leave without pay to perform service in the uniformed services (as defined in 38 U.S.C. 4303 and 5 CFR 353.102) and a return to service through the exercise of a reemployment right or (2) separation or leave without pay due to an on-the-job injury with entitlement to injury compensation under 5 U.S.C. chapter 81. The employee must use all of the compensatory time off for travel held in abeyance by the end of the 26th pay period following the pay period in which the employee returns to duty, or such compensatory time off for travel will be forfeited.
• Q25. What if an employee is unable to use his or her accrued compensatory time off for travel because of an exigency of the service beyond the employee's control? View more A. If an employee fails to use his or her accrued compensatory time off for travel before the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned due to an exigency of the service beyond the employee's control, the head of an agency, at his or her sole and exclusive discretion, may extend the time limit for up to an additional 26 pay periods.
• Q26. May unused compensatory time off for travel be restored if an employee does not use it by the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned? View more A. Except in certain circumstances (see Q24 and Q25), any compensatory time off for travel not used by the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned must be forfeited.
• Q27. What happens to an employee's unused compensatory time off for travel upon separation from Federal service? View more A. Except in certain circumstances (see Q24), an employee must forfeit all unused compensatory time off for travel upon separation from Federal service.
• Q28. May an employee receive a lump-sum payment for accrued compensatory time off for travel upon separation from an agency? View more A. No. The law prohibits payment for unused compensatory time off for travel under any circumstances.
• Q29. What happens to an employee's accrued compensatory time off for travel upon transfer to another agency? View more A. When an employee voluntarily transfers to another agency (including a promotion or change to lower grade action), the employee must forfeit all of his or her unused compensatory time off for travel.
• Q30. What happens to an employee's accrued compensatory time off for travel when the employee moves to a position that is not covered by the regulations in 5 CFR part 550, subpart N? View more A. When an employee moves to a position in an agency not covered by the compensatory time off for travel provisions (e.g., the United States Postal Service), the employee must forfeit all of his or her unused compensatory time off for travel. However, the gaining agency may use its own legal authority to give the employee credit for such compensatory time off.
• Q31. Is compensatory time off for travel considered in applying the premium pay and aggregate pay caps? View more A. No. Compensatory time off for travel may not be considered in applying the biweekly or annual premium pay limitations established under 5 U.S.C. 5547 or the aggregate limitation on pay established under 5 U.S.C. 5307.
• Q32. When are criminal investigators who receive availability pay precluded from earning compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Compensatory time off for travel is earned only for hours not otherwise compensable. The term "compensable" is defined at 5 CFR 550.1403 to include any hours of a type creditable under other compensation provisions, even if there are compensation caps limiting the payment of premium pay for those hours (e.g., the 25 percent cap on availability pay and the biweekly premium pay cap). For availability pay recipients, this means hours of travel are not creditable as time in a travel status for compensatory time off purposes if the hours are (1) compensated by basic pay, (2) regularly scheduled overtime hours creditable under 5 U.S.C. 5542, or (3) "unscheduled duty hours" as described in 5 CFR 550.182(a), (c), and (d).
• Q33. What constitutes "unscheduled duty hours" as described in 5 CFR 550.182(a), (c), and (d)? View more A. Under the availability pay regulations, unscheduled duty hours include (1) all irregular overtime hours—i.e., overtime work not scheduled in advance of the employee's administrative workweek, (2) the first 2 overtime hours on any day containing part of the employee's basic 40-hour workweek, without regard to whether the hours are unscheduled or regularly scheduled, and (3) any approved nonwork availability hours. However, special agents in the Diplomatic Security Service of the Department of State may count only hours actually worked as unscheduled duty hours.
• Q34. Why are criminal investigators who receive availability pay precluded from earning compensatory time off when they travel during unscheduled duty hours? View more A. The purpose of availability pay is to ensure the availability of criminal investigators (and certain similar law enforcement employees) for unscheduled duty in excess of a 40-hour workweek based on the needs of the employing agency. Availability pay compensates an employee for all unscheduled duty hours. Compensatory time off for travel is earned only for hours not otherwise compensable. Thus, availability pay recipients may not earn compensatory time off for travel during unscheduled duty hours because the employees are entitled to availability pay for those hours.

A. When an employee who receives availability pay is required to travel on a non-workday or on a regular workday (during hours that exceed the employee's basic 8-hour workday), and the travel does not meet one of the four criteria in 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2)(B) and 5 CFR 550.112(g)(2), the travel time is not compensable as overtime hours of work under regular overtime or availability pay. Thus, the employee may earn compensatory time off for such travel, subject to the exclusion specified in 5 CFR 550.1404(b)(2) and the requirements in 5 CFR 550.1404(c),(d), and (e).

Under the provisions in 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2)(B) and 5 CFR 550.112(g)(2), travel time is compensable as overtime hours of work if the travel is away from the employee's official duty station and—

(i) involves the performance of work while traveling, (ii) is incident to travel that involves the performance of work while traveling, (iii) is carried out under arduous conditions, or (iv) results from an event which could not be scheduled or controlled administratively.

The phrase "an event which could not be scheduled or controlled administratively" refers to the ability of an agency in the Executive Branch of the United States Government to control the scheduling of an event which necessitates an employee's travel. If the employing agency or another Executive Branch agency has any control over the scheduling of the event, including by means of approval of a contract for it, then the event is administratively controllable, and the travel to and from the event cannot be credited as overtime hours of work.

For example, an interagency conference sponsored by the Department of Justice would be considered a joint endeavor of the participating Executive Branch agencies and within their administrative control. Under these circumstances, the travel time outside an employee's regular working hours is not compensable as overtime hours of work under regular overtime or availability pay. Therefore, the employee may earn compensatory time off for such travel, subject to the exclusion specified in 5 CFR 550.1404(b)(2) and the requirements in 5 CFR 550.1404(c), (d), and (e).

• Q36. If an employee is required to travel on a Federal holiday (or an "in lieu of" holiday), is the employee entitled to receive compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Although most employees do not receive holiday premium pay for time spent traveling on a holiday (or an "in lieu of" holiday), an employee continues to be entitled to pay for the holiday in the same manner as if the travel were not required. Thus, an employee may not earn compensatory time off for travel during basic (non-overtime) holiday hours because the employee is entitled to his or her rate of basic pay for those hours. Compensatory time off for travel may be earned by an employee only for time spent in a travel status away from the employee's official duty station when such time is not otherwise compensable.
• Q37. If an employee's regularly scheduled tour of duty is Sunday through Thursday and the employee is required to travel on a Sunday during regular working hours, is the employee entitled to earn compensatory time off for travel? View more A. No. Compensatory time off for travel may be earned by an employee only for time spent in a travel status away from the employee's official duty station when such time is not otherwise compensable. Thus, an employee may not earn compensatory time off for travel for traveling on a workday during regular working hours because the employee is receiving his or her rate of basic pay for those hours.
• Q38. May an agency change an employee's work schedule for travel purposes? View more A. An agency may not adjust the regularly scheduled administrative workweek that normally applies to an employee (part-time or full-time) solely for the purpose of including planned travel time not otherwise considered compensable hours of work. However, an employee is entitled to earn compensatory time off for travel for time spent in a travel status when such time is not otherwise compensable.
• Q39. Is time spent traveling creditable as credit hours for an employee who is authorized to earn credit hours under an alternative work schedule? View more A. Credit hours are hours an employee elects to work, with supervisory approval, in excess of the employee's basic work requirement under a flexible work schedule. Under certain conditions, an agency may permit an employee to earn credit hours by performing productive and essential work while in a travel status. See OPM's fact sheet on credit hours  for the conditions that must be met. If those conditions are met and the employee does earn credit hours for travel, the time spent traveling would be compensable and the employee would not be eligible to earn compensatory time off for travel. If the conditions are not met, the employee would be eligible to earn compensatory time off for travel.
• Q40. May an agency restore an employee's forfeited "use-or-lose" annual leave because the employee elected to use earned compensatory time off for travel instead of using his or her excess annual leave? View more A. Section 6304(d) of title 5, United States Code, prescribes the conditions under which an employee's forfeited annual leave may be restored to an employee. (See fact sheet on restoration of annual leave .) There is no legal authority to restore an employee's forfeited annual leave because the employee elected to use earned compensatory time off for travel instead of using his or her excess annual leave.

A. No. Compensatory time off for travel may be earned by an employee only for time spent in a travel status away from the employee's official duty station when such time is not otherwise compensable. The term "compensable" is defined at 5 CFR 550.1403 to make clear what periods of time are "not otherwise compensable" and thus potentially creditable for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel. Time is considered compensable if the time is creditable as hours of work for the purpose of determining a specific pay entitlement (e.g., overtime pay for travel meeting one of the four criteria in 5 CFR 550.112(g)(2)) even when the time may not actually generate additional compensation because of applicable pay limitations (e.g., biweekly premium pay cap). The capped premium pay is considered complete compensation for all hours of work creditable under the premium pay provisions.

In other words, even though an employee may not receive overtime pay for all of his or her travel hours because of the biweekly premium pay cap, all of the travel time is still considered to be compensable under 5 CFR 550.112(g)(2). Under these circumstances, the employee has been compensated fully under the law for all of the travel hours and the employee may not earn compensatory time off for any portion of such travel not generating additional compensation because of the biweekly cap on premium pay.

• Q42. May an employee who receives administratively uncontrollable overtime (AUO) pay under 5 U.S.C. 5545(c)(2) earn compensatory time off for travel? View more A. If such employee's travel time is not compensable under 5 CFR 550.112(g) or 5 CFR 551.422, as applicable, and meets the requirements in 5 CFR part 550, subpart N, the employee is eligible to earn compensatory time off for travel for time spent in a travel status.
• Q43. If a part-time employee's regularly scheduled tour of duty is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and the employee is required to travel on a Friday from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., is the employee entitled to earn compensatory time off for travel for those 2 hours? View more A. It depends. If the travel qualifies as compensable hours of work under 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2)(B) and 5 CFR 550.112(g)(2)—i.e., the travel involves or is incident to the performance of actual work, is carried out under arduous and unusual conditions, or results from an event which could not be scheduled or controlled administratively—the employee may not be credited with compensatory time off for travel hours. (Such travel time outside a part-time employee's scheduled tour of duty, but not in excess of 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, would be non-overtime hours of work compensated at the employee's rate of basic pay.) If the travel time does not qualify as compensable hours of work and meets the other requirements in 5 CFR part 550, subpart N, the part-time employee would be entitled to earn compensatory time off for those 2 hours. We note travel time is always compensable hours of work if it falls within an employee's regularly scheduled administrative workweek. (See 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2)(A) and 5 CFR 550.112(g)(1).) For a part-time employee, the regularly scheduled administrative workweek is defined in 5 CFR 550.103 as the officially prescribed days and hours within an administrative workweek during which the employee was scheduled to work in advance of the workweek. An agency may not adjust the regularly scheduled administrative workweek normally applied to an employee (part-time or full-time) solely for the purpose of including planned travel time otherwise not considered compensable hours of work.
• Q44. Does an upgrade in travel accommodations impact an employee's entitlement to compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Allowing an employee to upgrade his or her travel accommodations (e.g., to business class) does not eliminate his or her eligibility to earn compensatory time off for travel.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about booking travel, how to book flights or rail, enter your destination, then origin.

• Go to Concur at travel.gsa.gov
• In the shortcuts menu on the upper left hand corner, select Travel - New Booking
• Click on the Air/Rail icon (this should be already selected). If you need to travel by train only, choose the Rail icon instead.

*Note: If you need to travel by both air and rail, call AdTrav at (877) 472-6716 and they will make your reservations for you. An hour after your call, skip ahead to this step to submit your AdTrav reservation for approval.

*Note: The destination city is entered before the departure city

• Click Search to move onto the next screen.

How to Choose a Flight

When choosing flights, you may notice they fall into four different categories:

• Govt. Contract Discounted: the preferred option. In general, these fares are only available 15 or more days in advance, so try to book your travel as early as possible.
• Govt. Contract: the standard option, based on the city pair rate , the agreed upon rate for government flights between two cities. These are preferred if no govt. contract discounted fares are available.
• Non-contract Government: these fares are also acceptable to book if the timing is more advantageous. All these fares are within the City Pair rate and are fully refundable. No additional approvals are required to book a non-contract government fare.
• Lowest published: while these fares may come at a lower cost than the contract options, they also come at increased risk to the government because many of these fares are nonrefundable. Any flight that is nonrefundable must be explicitly approved by the authorizing official before the TTS travel team can approve. If you think that choosing a "Lowest published" nonrefundable fare is your best option, skip ahead to securing your approval email now , and then come back to book later. You'll want to ensure you secure the approval before you book because these fares expire quickly, often before authorizing official and travel team approval can be reasonably obtained.

*Note about flights with policy violations:

If you need to take a flight which indicates a policy violation, the type of violation will inform what steps you need to take next. Click on "View Fares" to pull up additional details about your flight selection.

If any part of the fare that you chose is nonrefundable, or exceeds the City Pair rate (note that lookup values here are for one-way fares), you will need an additional email approving the risk of nonrefundable airfare and/or additional costs from your authorizing official sent to [email protected].

What justifies using a non-contract fare?

• Select the lowest cost, most compliant fare available by clicking on the blue button at right with the price. This will take you onto the confirmation page.

• This will take you to the Trip Overview . This page also lists your current reservations.

By choosing "I will book a hotel now." you will be allowed to book your hotel directly in Concur. Before doing so, please ensure that your travel card is saved in your Concur profile .

Book lodging

*Note : If you don't have a travel card yet, make sure that you've applied for one (it is required by GSA policy), then choose "I will book a hotel later". Call AdTrav at (877) 472-6716 to reserve your hotel (and rental car if needed) on your personal card in the meantime. Assuming you've already booked your flight or train in Concur, mention the authorization number associated with your itinerary so you don't get a second overlapping authorization for your hotel and/or rental car. You can verify your authorization number by going to the "Authorizations" tab in Concur and finding the number in blue on the left side associated with your travel dates. An hour after you call with AdTrav, proceed on to completing trip information .

How to Book a hotel in Concur

*Note: if you are coming back to this step after going back to the main menu of Concur, make sure your saved authorization is selected, go to Travel Home , reopen your itinerary, and then choose "Hotel" under "Add to your Itinerary".

*If you didn't need to book flights or rail, you can go to the Travel tab of Concur and make your reservations selecting the "hotel only" option.

Enter check-in and check-out dates, location, any preferred hotels, and then click next.

Confirm the per diem location and click next. The maximum lodging rate and M&IE allowance is indicated below.

Choose a hotel from the list of search results. Unless you have approval otherwise, or intend to pay for the difference in price personally, sure that you pick a hotel with a nightly rate equal to or less than the government maximum for the area listed here . In the side bar you can filter your search results to only those under the Per diem rate by checking Hide hotels over Per Diem limit ($XXX.00) .

Click on View Rooms , to view a detailed list of rooms within the hotel and select the room by clicking on the listed price at right.

Review and Reserve Hotel On the review screen:

• Select your hotel room preferences
• Choose a credit card
• Agree to the hotel's rate policies.
• Click on Reserve Hotel and Continue

You will now be taken back to your trip itinerary. Note that the hotel has been added to the flight.

Scroll down and click Next and complete your trip information , or if needed, continue on to reserve a rental car .

Can I book outside of Concur?

Unless there are extenuating circumstances, you should use Concur for all reservations (flights, hotels, and rental cars). If you choose to book a hotel outside of Concur, include a justification that corresponds with one of the following (from the Federal Travel Regulation):

• When you are attending a conference where the conference sponsor has negotiated with one or more lodging facilities to set aside a specific number of rooms for conference attendees and to ensure that a set aside room is available to you, you are required to book lodging directly with the lodging facility.
• When your travel is to a remote location and it is not possible to book lodging accommodations through the TMS or ETS (Concur).
• When such travel arrangements are so complex and circumstance will not allow you to book your travel through an online self-service booking tool (Concur).

If you need to book a hotel outside of Concur, check if booking comes with any nonrefundable fees. If it does, make sure that you get your authorizing official to approve the approximate amount of what is nonrefundable and send the email to [email protected]. Nonrefundable hotel fees that are not pre-approved are the traveler’s liability. Should booking a hotel in Concur or via AdTrav not be possible, , external, Fedrooms offers hotels within government maximum rates that have flexible cancellation policies.

When you are finished booking your hotel, proceed on to complete trip information .

Booking a Rental Car

Before booking a rental car ensure that manager or client who approved your travel explicitly approved budget for a rental car-- in certain situations, rental cars and parking charges are not as advantageous to the government as common carriers such as taxis and/or public transit. Government vehicles may also be available-- check out the guide , external, TTS-only, here for more details.

*If you didn't need to book flights, rail, or hotel, you can go to the Travel tab of Concur and make your reservations selecting the "rental car only" option.

How to Book A Rental Car in Concur

• From the itinerary page, choose "Car" under "Add to your Itinerary" and then select the trip leg when prompted.
• Indicate pick-up and drop-off dates, location(s), car type, and preferred vendor(s).

*Note GSA employees are required to use the lowest cost compact car unless approved for a larger vehicle based on meeting one or more of the justifications listed in FTR §301-10.450(c) .

• Confirm your email address and travel card information, and then Reserve Car and Continue.

Important notes:

Be aware that the rental company you select must participate in the , external, Defense Travel Management Office's (DTMO) Rental Car Program . Rental car companies participating in the program established ceiling rates; unlimited mileage (except for one-way rentals); vehicle contract will be ready upon arrival; if size/class reserved is not available, the company will offer an upgrade at the same cost; no underage drivers’ fee for drivers between the ages of 18-25; no minimum rental period; no cost for additional drivers; and full coverage insurance for damages resulting from an accident while performing official travel.

The Government is self-insured and rental vehicles under the DTMO agreement include full coverage for damages resulting from an accident while performing official travel. Employees on TDY travel within CONUS will not be reimbursed for collision damage waiver (CDW) or theft insurance available on commercial rental contracts. Employees will be reimbursed for collision damage waiver or theft insurance while on TDY in non-foreign areas in accordance with FTR §301-10.451 . Personal liability insurance is considered a personal expense and will not be reimbursed.

Once you have reserved your rental car, continue on to complete trip information .

Questions about securing approvals

Completing trip information.

On the Trip Booking Information page you must enter some general information in order to ensure that your trip gets billed to the right client and/or budget.

*Note: If you called Ad Trav to book travel, you'll need to open Concur about an hour after your initial call to AdTrav, going to the Authorizations tab, clicking on your authorization, and selecting Edit Authorization . This will open up the document, where you can go to the General tab and see the fields that are presented below:

How to Complete Your Trip Information

Trip name: Identify the budget of your trip here, based on the type of project you are traveling for:

• Billable projects: for 18F and CoE, include the exact name and number of the project as it appears in , external, TTS-only, Tock . For PIF billable travel, simply indicate the project is billable.
• All other projects: include the name of the team budget that is paying for this travel (a list of options is in cell C5 of the , external, TTS-only, TTS Budget and Accounting Lookup

*Note: If you are traveling for multiple projects (whether billable or not), list all of the relevant Tock name and numbers and budget names as appropriate.

• BILLABLE: 18F / HHS / CMS FY19 #997
• BILLABLE: CoE / USDA Phase 2 / Cloud Adoption #980
• BILLABLE: PIF - DHS
• NONBILLABLE: OPP Smarter IT Solutions Division (QXD)
• NONBILLABLE: 18F Strategy Branch (QEAD)
• NONBILLABLE: Cloud Adoption CoE

Type Code: "SINGLE TRIP". Trip Purpose: “Mission (Operational)” in most cases, unless attending a conference or training. Document detail: Brief summary of the purpose of the trip. Will this travel be a detail to another location? No.

• Proceed by clicking Next to finalize the reservation.

Additional step if you booked your hotel outside of Concur or Ad Trav

*Note: If you did not book a hotel from Concur, a policy violation will be flagged. If this applies to you, briefly justify your hotel choice .

Additional step if you are extending travel for personal reasons

Deleting hotel expenses which auto-populate on your authorization is relatively straightforward, but an additional step is required to remove M&IE. In some cases, Concur may not allow you to do this on the authorization. If that's the case, proceed as normal and return to this step when creating your voucher after you get back.

How to Justify Rental Cars and Personal Vehicle Mileage

In most cases, you can proceed straight on to stamping and submitting for travel team approval at this point . However, since "common carrier" transit (e.g. public transit, flights, trains, buses, shuttles, taxis, etc) or a , external, TTS-only, government car are the preferred modes of transit for official GSA travel, additional justification is required if you intend to incur the following expenses:

• Rental Cars: You must add a comment on the "Expenses and Receipts" page justifying the use of a rental car as advantageous to the government (considering both cost and time) compared to common carrier transit or a government car.
• Mileage: You must add this in as an expense on the "Expenses and Receipts" page and then justify the mileage claim as advantageous to the government (considering both cost and time) compared to common carrier transit, government car, and rental car. Mileage from your home to the airport (plus associated parking fees or round-trip travel in case of a drop-off) need only be justified as advantageous compared to taxi and public transit, as it is understood that obtaining a government car or rental car is impractical over such a short distance.

How to Stamp and Submit for Travel Team Approval

Following this step will ensure your authorization or voucher is in SUBMIT TO APPROVER status, which is required for your request to be reviewed, approved, and ticketed. Before you submit, you can review , external, this Checklist to ensure you've addressed all potential issues that can result in your request getting rejected or returned for correction.

• Click Document Actions -> Submit Document (in the upper right hand corner of your authorization)
• You will be taken to a document history page. If your “Status to Apply” is “Submit to Approver” , then click Stamp and Submit Document at either the top or the bottom of the page and continue. If not, please correct any other failures.
• The next page will show you your pre-audit results . These will let you know if anything might be awry, which is represented by either a FAIL or a HARDFAIL . Many of these are not a cause for concern as long as you secure approvals in the right way. For a more detailed guide on what to do for each FAIL or HARDFAIL , read on , external, TTS-only, here . As long as you don't have any hardfails, you are clear to Continue Stamping the Document
• If you successfully stamped the document, you be taken to a page with the button Close Post Stamping Document Closure Screen . It doesn’t look like it, but when you see that button, you are done! Your authorization has been submitted. You don’t even have to click the button again (but you can if you want).
• In the case of authorizations, your travel will be approved by the TTS travel team once you have secured approval from your authorizing official . Ensure this is complete by 3:30 PM Eastern, else your travel will not be approved until the next business day. If you require approval after business hours, see the guide for after-hours and emergency travel here .

*For vouchers, your travel will be approved within 3-5 business days.

• Once you have been approved by the TTS travel team, you should receive a notification from Concur. Please note that in most cases, government contract airfare does not ticket until 72 hours before departure , so you may not receive official confirmation of your itinerary until then. Don't worry about this, the TTS travel team is not aware of any situations where approved travelers have not been issued tickets :)

*For vouchers, reimbursement will be issued to your personal account and travel card 3-5 business days after travel team approval. For issues with reimbursement, read on more here

Once your authorization is approved and ticketed, you might want to take a look at what to expect while traveling !

How to secure authorizing official approval

You must formally request your authorizing official's approval* via email and forward it to [email protected], unless you are traveling to a training, conference, speaking event, or other "IRL" or large team gathering, in which case you must follow the event request process instead . Who is my authorizing official? The body of the email must include the following: See an individual template here and a group template here

• Names of individuals traveling What if this changes?
• Start and end dates of travel What if I am extending travel for personal reasons?
• A brief description of work to be done on the trip
• Identified budget that will be paying for the trip How do I identify my budget?
• Origin and destinations for each individual What if I am returning to or traveling from a location other than home?
• Estimated expenses for each individual, including a sufficient budget for local travel and miscellaneous expenses such baggage fees How should I estimate my expenses?
• Include the travel expenses estimator as an image in the body of the email to make the travel approver's life easier.

* Note that in many cases, your engagement manager or team lead may request approval on behalf of the group-- reach out to them before emailing your authorizing official.

Who is my authorizing official and what is my budget?

Your authorizing official must be a supervisor or director at GSA.

If your travel is non-billable , and coming from your team's budget, your authorizing official would be your supervisor or director. If expenses will be paid out of another team's budget (list of budgets available in cell C5 of , external, TTS-only, this sheet ), you will need a supervisor or director from that team to approve.

If your travel is billable , you will need to have the Account Manager of the project or Director of the team overseeing the project verify the budget prior to submitting the travel request. Please use the following process to document the verification:

• Project teams should send travel request(s) with estimated costs via email to the Account Manager
• The Account Manager will reply with either "Approve" or "Reject" and provide additional context if they deem necessary
• Once approved/rejected the Account Manager updates the comment session for the project in Airtable.
• Submit the travel request(s) to the appropriate approver as listed below

The following list provides Concur approvers for billable travel:

• 18F: 1st Line Supervisor (verify with the project's Account Manager first per instructions above)
• 10x: Nico Papafil
• cloud.gov: Ashley Mahan until a new cloud.gov director is selected
• login.gov: Dan Lopez
• Centers of Excellence: Jenny Rostami.

What if I am traveling for multiple projects?

Secure approval from each authorizing official as you would normally, but with an eye on which project will be covering each expense. When completing your trip information in Concur , ensure that either the Trip Name or Document Detail mentions that the travel will be split between multiple projects. If more than one authorizing official has approved expenses for a particular day or leg of the itinerary, clarify which project will be paying for each part of the trip, either via email to [email protected] or comment in the Trip Name or Document Detail sections of Concur. Splitting overall trip costs by a percentage is acceptable as well, as long as the split is agreed upon by all parties.

Another common situation which arises when splitting travel across multiple projects is having days in between, such as a weekend in between travel for two projects. Having official travel approved for the days in between, including weekends or leave is possible as long as the following conditions are met:

• It is not possible to reschedule one of the meetings or events to avoid having days in between.
• Considering both the travel time and overall cost, it is advantageous to the government to pay for the hotel and meals for the time in between rather than the round trip travel cost of having the employee return home.
• One or both authorizing officials agree to cover the costs of the time in between.

* Note that this same situation may arise when travel is required for one project on both sides of a weekend-- the same considerations apply.

How can I get my travel approved to attend a training, conference, speaking event, or other "IRL" or large team gathering*?

Instead of obtaining an email of approval, you must follow the event request process . You may book your travel in the meantime. However, if you will be extending your trip at your own expense , flying to or from points that are not either your duty station or location of the event , or combining your event travel with travel for some other reason, you must secure an email from your authorizing official approving of the revised itinerary.

*The threshold for a large team gathering is over 6 employees traveling for an internal management meeting (not day-to-day business) and/or more than $10,000 in estimated travel expenses for the group. Requests for approval of these events is typically handled by the organizer of the meeting.

What if who is traveling changes?

A follow-up to the original email from the authorizing official indicating who the new travel is, and if there is any change in dates or estimated cost is sufficient.

What if I am extending travel for personal reasons?

Include language that specifies which days will be at your own expense, and acknowledge that "I understand all other travel expenses including lodging and meals before or after the official travel dates specified above are my own responsibility." You may remove hotels and M&IE from your authorization in Concur if you haven't already.

Alternatively, you may book your official travel and have it approved as normal. Once your travel has been approved by the travel team in Concur, you may then call AdTrav at (877) 472-6716 and request to be re-booked on a different flight for personal travel. In the case of most government contract flights, there is no additional charge. However, if there is an additional cost compared to your original itinerary, AdTrav will request you provide a personal credit or debit card number to pay for the difference.

What if I am returning to or traveling from a location other than home?

If you were previously scheduled to be on leave or telework at the other location*, the full cost of travel from or to that location can be approved at the discretion of your authorizing official. Ensure that there is language in the email that reflects your itinerary.

If you'd like to schedule personal travel that's incidental to your work trip (i.e. planned after the work trip), after your official work itinerary has been approved in Concur, you can give AdTrav a call at (877) 472-6716 and request that your itinerary be changed for personal reasons, with you covering any difference in cost that may arise.

*Note that while GSA travel policy doesn't explicitly forbid being approved to travel from a foreign location, travel to or from foreign locations must be requested in Event Tracker for GSA Administrator approval at least 7 weeks in advance, making approval in these circumstances extremely unlikely.

International travel

All official international travel taken by GSA employees, regardless of funding source, requires Salesforce event approval. Please reach out to [email protected] at least 7 weeks in advance in order to coordinate this.

Teleworking from locations outside the U.S. while on personal travel is not allowed.

How should I estimate my expenses

In the case of individual or small group travel, you may estimate your expenses based on the total amount of your authorization in Concur, plus an reasonable allowance for any additional expenses such as taxis, parking, and baggage fees.

For larger group travel, it is recommended to use this , external, TTS-only, travel expenses estimator template which automatically calculates most airfare and per diems.

Questions about reimbursement

How do i create a "voucher from authorization".

Visit Concur at travel.gsa.gov . Click "Vouchers" in the top bar and then "New Voucher" in the next-to-top bar. In the field Document Type, select "Voucher From Authorization" and click Next. You will be led through creating a voucher from your authorization that you got approved prior to traveling.

• Under Document Search, you’ll see a list of your “open” authorizations (i.e. your authorizations that don’t have vouchers yet).
• Hit the pencil button to select the authorization you’d like to be reimbursed for. You will be moved onto the next step, Reviewing and completing trip information on the Document Information screen.
• TIP : If you can't figure out which authorization is your recent trip by name, look at the departure date column.

Once you've selected your authorization and continue, you'll be taken to the Document Information page. This should all be auto-populated, so unless some of the details of your trip changed, no further action is required here and you may continue on to Create Document and start adding your expenses . More guidance on what receipts or justifications are required can be found here

What if I can't find my authorization listed here?

If you can't find your authorization on this list, it may be because an amended authorization was generated for you. If you changed your trip such that trip dates or locations fall outside what was originally approved, you'll need to submit that amended auth for approval by going to the Authorizations tab, selecting the amended authorization corresponding to your trip, and going in to Open Document .

However, in some cases, Concur will generate an amendment in error. If you suspect this is the case, head to the Authorizations tab, select the amended authorization corresponding to your trip, and Delete Document

How do I create a local or miscellaneous voucher?

Upon selecting the Local voucher option, you will be taken to a blank Document Information page. Here's what you need to include for each field:

• Trip Name This should follow the same naming conventions you would use for a travel authorization . Ensure you have an email from your authorizing official approving all of the expenses you'd like to claim sent to [email protected].
• Type code and Trip purpose If the voucher is for local travel (taxis, mileage, etc.), choose Local travel . For any other sort of reimbursement, choose Misc voucher .
• Document detail Enter a brief description of what the reimbursement is for here.
• Click on Create Document

Proceed on to entering your expenses . Note that any local transit over $25 requires a receipt, and all expenses claimed on a miscellaneous voucher require receipts.

How to add, edit or delete expenses

Adding expenses.

Expenses can be added by clicking the Add expense button either above or below. Make sure to save and click the Add expense button again before creating a new expense.

Editing expenses

Expenses can be edited by clicking the pencil button and then making changes on the right hand side. Don't forget to save any changes you make!

Selecting payment type

Make sure you correctly indicate what was paid on the travel card vs personal means of payment to avoid issues with reimbursement .

• Use IBA for anything paid for on the travel card. Not seeing this option? Add your travel card to your Concur profile
• Use CASH for anything paid for using cash or a personal card.
• CBA is only used for air and rail expenses paid through Concur directly.

Attaching receipts

You can attach receipts by clicking on the Add receipt to lodging button (looks like a slip of paper with a checkmark, just to the right of the pencil button for editing expenses.

Deleting expenses

Expenses can be deleted by clicking the checkbox next to the expense and then clicking the Delete selected expenses button either above or below.

When are receipts or further justifications required to claim expenses?

Simple expenses.

The following expenses can be entered as-is without further receipts, written justifications, or other considerations, provided that each expense is under $75:

• Airfare or Amtrak tickets booked through Concur or AdTrav
• Airplane wifi
• Fees for one checked bag per leg of itinerary
• Laundry expenses, if official travel is at least 4 nights
• Tolls, if government car, POV mileage or rental car is pre-approved
• Meals and Incidental Expenses
• Public transit expenses of $25 or less.

Expenses requiring receipts

The following expenses require receipts:

• Flights or Amtrak booked outside of Concur (Requires additional justification and is only approved on a case-by-case basis)
• Rental cars and gas for rental cars (also requires additional justification
• Any other expense exceeding $75, including local transportation (This threshold is $25 for local vouchers)
• Any expenses claimed on a miscellaneous voucher.
• Professional liability insurance

Expenses requiring further justification:

The following expenses don't require receipts, but do require brief descriptions to justify claiming them:

• Local transportation expenses of $75 or less per trip (Metro, taxis, personal vehicle mileage, etc.)
• Checked baggage fees for more than one piece of luggage per leg of your trip.

Questions about entering specific expenses

How should i claim meals and incidental expenses.

• The allowance for Meals and Incidental Expenses (M&IE) is a flat rate given to a traveler regardless of what they actually spent. No receipts or justification is needed to receive M&IE.
• For example : Consider a trip taken between 9/16 and 9/18. M&IE is $69 per day in DC, and is 75% of $69 ($51.75) on the first and last days of a trip. We see that the three days of M&IE has been added automatically.

How should I claim meals paid on the travel card?

When meals are paid on the travel card, there are a few different ways of documenting it:

• One can create a new M&IE expense with expense method IBA in the amount spent on meals per day. The amount of M&IE reimbursed to your personal account will be automatically reduced accordingly (you will see negative charges appear that correspond with this). If you document all expenses correctly, your travel card bill will be paid off exactly.
• One can change the payment method of M&IE expenses to IBA so that all reimbursement is routed to the travel card. If the entire allowance was not used, any amount left over will show up as a positive balance. You may call the customer service number on the back of the card and request that a check be mailed for that remaining amount.
• One can leave the payment method of M&IE expenses as the default, CASH . After the voucher is processed, there will be an outstanding balance remaining. This will need to be paid-- call the customer service number on the back of the card for more details on making a payment.

How can I remove extra days at personal expense from my authorization or voucher?

If you were authorized to extend your trip at your own expense and need to delete M&IE, there are some special instructions that you should follow:

• Edit your first full day of travel at your own expense by clicking on the pencil icon.
• Click on the View Per Diem Conditions . You should see a menu expand below.
• Choose M&IE Override , then Override by amount , and 0 .
• Check On leave . Use Other leave , 8 hours .
• If you are requesting leave for multiple days, return to the top and enter in the last full day you are traveling at personal expense.
• Save. Your M&IE should show as zero for the day. If it didn't work, just go ahead an add in a comment about the days you would like to zero out in the comments field, and the travel team will take that into account when they review your voucher for approval.

How should I claim hotels and lodging taxes?

If you booked a hotel in Concur, your actual hotel expenses should populate automatically. However, that automatic amount will often lump in the taxes, which should be considered a separate list.

First, attach your receipt to the first night of lodging only, unless you have multiple receipts. Note that Concur will flag all expenses needing receipts

Then, correct the lodging expenses so they reflect the actual nightly rate paid, not including taxes.

Finally, add a new expense for lodging taxes in , keeping in mind the following:

• Create Expenses Through: Enter the last night you were checked into the hotel, and each night’s lodging tax will be copied through.
• Expense Date: The night that you checked in.
• Expense Description: Lodging Tax
• Cost: Tax per night (tax can also be reported as a lump sum, though lodging itself must be broken out per night)
• Payment Method: Travel card -> IBA , and other form of payment -> CASH

Don't forget to Save!

How should I claim air or Amtrak booked outside of Concur

Any airfare or Amtrak tickets booked outside of Concur are at your own risk and may not be approved. If you are seeking reimbursement for personally booked airfare or Amtrak, you must choose Other - Miscellaneous as the expense description, and in the comments section under Show other details , you must provide a justification as to why it was not possible for you to book your travel via Concur or AdTrav.

How can I get reimbursed for professional liability insurance?

Supervisors may be reimbursed for up to half the cost of professional liability insurance, up to $150. In order to claim reimbursement, get an email from your supervisor approving the amount of the reimbursement you intend to claim and send it to [email protected]. Then, create a miscellaneous voucher in Concur and attach the receipt you received after purchasing the insurance.

How should I claim local transportation expenses?

For public transit, taxis, rental cars, POV mileage and other forms of local transportation, you may add the expense as normal , choosing whichever expense description reflects the nature of the method used. Choose the payment method used , and upload a receipt only for rental cars, rental car gas, or any other expense greater than $75 (this threshold is $25 for local vouchers .

Any local transit expense other than public transit under $25 requires a brief comment describing the origin and destination of the travel (e.g. "from airport to office").

You can add this by clicking on Show other details and filling out the Comments section that pops up below.

For public transit over $25, a “blanket entry” describing generally the origins and destinations of travel paid for is acceptable.

For rental cars and mileage claims, the comment should also include an additional justification as specified here .

For mileage claims over $75, instead of attaching a receipt, attach a screenshot showing a map of your itinerary with the calculated distance.

Issues with reimbursement

I received a bill for an outstanding balance on my travel card. should i pay it.

A: First, verify that your most recent voucher was paid to the travel card account. Go to the Vouchers tab of Concur, then click on the voucher number you want to view and choose View Summary . In the voucher view, navigate down to the Totals and travel advances section and verify the amount on the Pay to Charge Card line. This amount should match with a payment made to the travel card in your travel card statement. TTS-only, More information about logging into and managing your travel card account. If it does, and there is still a remaining balance, it is likely that you used the travel card to pay for something that was either claimed as CASH on the voucher, or not claimed at all.

If you discover a valid charge to your travel card that you need to be reimbursed for after your voucher is initially approved, you may create an amended voucher .

If you were reimbursed to your bank account for a charge made on your travel card, you will have to pay the bill for it. Contact the number on the back of your travel card for details on how payment can be made.

Positive balance on travel card

If you have a positive balance on the travel card, it is likely that you claimed an expense as paid for on the travel card when you actually paid for it via a personal means of payment. You can call the number on the back of your travel card and request that they mail you a check in the amount of the positive balance.

My reimbursement never arrived!

If it has been over a week after your voucher has been approved and your reimbursement hasn't arrived (whether to your travel card account or personal account), contact [email protected] and describe the issue you are having. cc [email protected].

How do I amend my voucher after it is approved?

To amend a voucher, go to the Vouchers tab of Concur, then click on the voucher number you want to view and choose Amend voucher . Provide a brief reason for the amendment, then proceed with adding your revised expenses and resubmitting for approval . Note that if you want to revise a voucher that has not yet been approved, you can simply Edit Voucher instead of amending.

Note: Vouchers should NOT be amended in the case of revising the payment method ( IBA to CASH or vice versa , or reducing a claim on an already-approved expense. If you were over-reimbursed for something, you will need to mail a check for that amount, made out to GSA to the following address:

USDA-OCFO Financial Operations & Disbursement Branch Attn: Bryan DeLeve - 2SE 2300 Main Street Kansas City, MO 64108

Reference the authorization and voucher number along with the payment.

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• , external, Book office hours

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Review: Harley Benton GS-Travel Mahogany

• January 21, 2024 January 21, 2024

*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.*

Today, we’re diving into the world of travel guitars, specifically focusing on the Harley Benton GS-Travel Mahogany .

As someone who’s strummed hundreds of guitars, from vintage classics to modern masterpieces, I’ve developed a keen ear for what makes a guitar more than just a piece of wood and strings

In this article, I’ll dissect this compact yet charismatic instrument to give you the lowdown on its performance, style, and value.

TL;DR – What You Need To Know About This Guitar

• Compact Size: Perfect for on-the-go musicians without compromising on sound.
• Mahogany Body: Offers a warm, rich tone that’s typically found in more expensive guitars.
• Value for Money: A wallet-friendly option for both beginners and experienced players.
• Versatile Sound: Suitable for various music styles, making it a great all-rounder.

So let’s dive in and let’s see what exactly makes this axe so popular!

Table of Contents

About Harley Benton GS-Travel Mahogany

Out of my experience, I’ve learned that the essence of a good travel guitar lies in its ability to blend portability with quality sound. The Harley Benton GS-Travel Mahogany does just that.

Its mini travel grand symphony style is a nod to traditional craftsmanship, while the natural matte finish gives it a modern edge.

Body & Neck

When it comes to travel guitars, the body and neck are crucial for determining the instrument’s tone and playability. This model boasts a body crafted from selected mahogany , a wood revered for its rich, warm tonality and durability.

The natural matte finish isn’t just pleasing to the eye; it allows the wood to resonate freely, enhancing the overall sound quality. This guitar’s size may be compact, but don’t be fooled – it packs a punch in terms of volume and projection.

The neck, made of Okoume , complements the mahogany body beautifully. Okoume is known for its light weight and strength, making it an ideal choice for a travel guitar’s neck. It contributes to the instrument’s overall balance and comfort.

For those who want to read more about Okoume tonewood, I wrote an article about it .

The V profile of the neck is a classic design, preferred by many players for its ergonomic feel, especially when playing for extended periods. This is crucial for a travel guitar, as it needs to be comfortable to play, whether you’re lounging in your living room or jamming by a campfire.

The Amaranth fingerboard is a standout feature. This wood choice is not only visually striking but also offers a smooth, fast playing surface. The dot inlays are tastefully done, providing clear fret markers without being overly flashy.

With a 381 mm fretboard radius , this guitar strikes a sweet spot – it’s flat enough for easy chording but curved enough for comfortable string bending and soloing.

The scale length of 596 mm and nut width of 43 mm make this guitar accessible to a wide range of players. Whether you have large hands or are more petite, the dimensions of this guitar are designed to accommodate.

The 20 frets are well-finished, with no sharp edges, ensuring a comfortable playing experience up and down the neck.

The sound of a guitar is its soul, and the Harley Benton GS-Travel Mahogany has a soul that sings with a warm, rich voice, thanks to its mahogany body . This wood is known for its ability to produce a sound that’s both deep and articulate.

What’s fascinating about this guitar is how it maintains a full-bodied tone despite its smaller size. It’s proof that good things indeed come in small packages.

The mini travel grand symphony style body contributes significantly to its sound profile. It offers a balanced tone, with enough low end to give it warmth and enough high end to keep it crisp and articulate.

This balance makes it an incredibly versatile instrument, suitable for a wide range of musical genres, from fingerstyle blues to strumming folk tunes.

This guitar responds well to both a light touch and more aggressive strumming, showcasing its dynamic range. The factory strings are decent, but swapping them for your preferred gauge can further enhance the sound.

In terms of volume, this guitar is surprisingly loud for its size. It projects well, making it ideal for impromptu acoustic sessions. The sustain is commendable, with notes ringing out clearly and evenly across the fretboard.

Here’s the sound demo.

Pros & Cons

• Compact and Portable: Ideal for travel and on-the-go practice sessions.
• Rich and Warm Tone: Thanks to the mahogany body.
• Versatile: Suitable for various musical styles.
• Affordable: Great value for its price.
• Comfortable Neck Profile: The V-shaped neck is ergonomic and player-friendly.
• Limited Bass Response: Due to the smaller body size.
• Factory Strings: Might need replacement for a better sound.
• Fret Access: Upper fret access can be a bit limited.

What Could Be Better

While the Harley Benton GS-Travel Mahogany is a solid choice for a travel guitar, there’s always room for improvement. First, the upper fret access could be better. For those who like to venture into the higher register, this might be a slight hindrance. An improved cutaway design could solve this issue, providing easier access to the upper frets.

Another aspect is the bass response . While it’s understandably limited due to the smaller body, experimenting with the internal bracing could enhance the lower frequencies without compromising the guitar’s compact size. This tweak could elevate its sound profile, making it even more appealing to players who crave a bit more depth in their acoustic tone.

Lastly, while the included factory strings are adequate, offering a selection of string types as part of the purchase could be a nice touch. Different string types can dramatically change the sound and playability of a guitar, and giving players the option to choose at the point of purchase would add value to an already great instrument.

Would I Get It?

As an experienced guitarist who has played and tested countless instruments, would I add the Harley Benton GS-Travel Mahogany to my collection? Absolutely, yes. Its compact size makes it a perfect companion for travel and spontaneous jam sessions. The rich and warm tone it produces, despite its smaller body, is impressive and satisfying.

This guitar is a fantastic option for both beginners and seasoned players. Its affordability makes it accessible, and its quality ensures that it’s not just a travel gimmick but a genuinely playable instrument. The comfortable V-shaped neck and the overall playability make it a joy to play, whether you’re practicing scales or strumming chords around a campfire.

For those looking for a budget-friendly, portable, and versatile acoustic guitar, the Harley Benton GS-Travel Mahogany is definitely worth considering. It’s a testament to how far travel guitars have come in terms of quality and performance.

Alternative Option

When considering alternatives to the Harley Benton GS-Travel Mahogany , one notable mention is the Harley Benton CG-45 . This guitar, also from Harley Benton’s lineup, is a bit cheaper and offers some different features that might appeal to different players.

This model falls under the Standard Series and sports a folk-style design. Like the GS-Travel Mahogany, it has a mahogany body , known for its warm and rich tonal characteristics. However, the CG-45 features X-Bracing , which is a traditional bracing pattern known for balancing strength and resonance, potentially offering a different sound characteristic.

The neck of the CG-45 is also made of mahogany , ensuring stability and a consistent tonal quality. The fretboard, however, is made of Roseacer (thermally treated maple wood) . Roseacer is known for its durability and smooth playability, and the thermal treatment enhances these qualities.

In terms of aesthetics, the CG-45 features cream-coloured bindings on the body and neck, and an abalone rosette sticker , giving it a classic and elegant look. The neck profile is a modern C , which is a bit different from the V profile of the GS-Travel. The modern C profile is known for its comfort and versatility, suitable for a variety of playing styles.

With a scale of 650 mm and a nut width of 43 mm, the CG-45 is slightly larger than the GS-Travel, which might suit players looking for a more traditional size. It also comes with gold-coloured diecast machine heads and is strung with .10 – .47 strings, making it ready to play out of the box.

The Harley Benton CG-45 is a great option for those who prefer a more traditional folk-style guitar and are looking for an affordable, quality instrument. Its different bracing pattern and fretboard material offer a unique playing experience compared to the GS-Travel Mahogany.

My Experience With Harley Benton Guitars

Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of playing several Harley Benton guitars , and they’ve consistently impressed me with their quality and value. One thing I’ve noticed is the brand’s commitment to making guitars that are not only affordable but also play and sound great.

If you want to see all reviews of Harley Bentons that I had throughout the years, make sure to check out my YouTube channel .

Harley Benton guitars, including the GS-Travel Mahogany and the CG-45, are known for their thoughtful design and quality materials. The brand seems to understand what guitar players are looking for, whether they are beginners or seasoned musicians. They don’t cut corners on important aspects like build quality and playability, which is commendable in this price range.

My experiences have shown that Harley Benton guitars often punch above their weight in terms of sound quality and playability. I’ve used them in various settings, from quiet practice sessions at home to lively gatherings with friends. They’ve proven to be reliable, versatile, and enjoyable to play.

What stands out about Harley Benton is their ability to cater to different player needs. Whether you’re looking for a travel guitar like the GS-Travel Mahogany or a more traditional model like the CG-45, they have options that deliver on both quality and value. This inclusivity in their product range is something I deeply appreciate as a guitarist.

Final Thoughts

The Harley Benton GS-Travel Mahogany impresses as a compact, affordable travel guitar. Its mahogany body delivers a warm, rich tone uncommon in smaller guitars. Comfortable to play, with a thoughtful design, it’s ideal for musicians seeking portability without sacrificing sound quality.

While it has minor limitations like limited bass response, its overall value and performance make it a standout choice for guitarists of all levels. In short, it’s a top pick for anyone needing a reliable, high-quality travel guitar.

What do you guys think? Leave a comment down below!

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Card/Account Holders and Approving Officials Travel Training

Introduction: Welcome to the Course

Welcome to the gsa smartpay® travel training for card/account holders and approving officials.

As a federal government employee going on official government travel, you are expected to be familiar with the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) and other government travel policies.

This training course is intended to teach you the basics about your roles and responsibilities as a card/account holder or approving official and can be used as refresher training as required by your agency. We encourage you to also learn about your agency’s specific travel program requirements and policies. After reviewing each lesson, click on the button to go to the next lesson. The quiz is only available on the website and can be accessed after you complete the final lesson.

Note: The GSA SmartPay training website is an independent training system and does not connect/communicate with any other agency training systems.

training.smartpay.gsa.gov

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How strong is a 4.8 earthquake? Quake magnitudes explained.

The 4.8 magnitude earthquake that struck New Jersey Friday generated shaking that could be felt from Washington, D.C. to north of Boston.

About 55 earthquakes a day – 20,000 a year – are recorded by the National Earthquake Information Center . Most are tiny and barely noticed by people living where they happen. Click here to see the USDA shake map for the most recent earthquakes.

Worldwide there are on average about 16 major earthquakes in any given year, 15 in the magnitude 7.0 range and one 8.0 or greater, according to records going back to 1900.

The United States typically has around 63 earthquakes of between magnitude 5.0 and 5.9 each year, according to USGS , about five between 6.0 and 6.9 and less than one between 7.0 and 7.9.

A major 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan on Wednesday morning , killing 9 people and injuring over 1,000. The strongest earthquake there in a quarter century was followed by a series of aftershocks, reaching up to 6.4 magnitude.

More earthquakes are being recorded around the globe, but that doesn’t mean there are more earthquakes happening , according to the US Geological Survey. Instead, it’s because there are more measurement devices, called seismometers that record vibrations, which have been deployed in more places.

Earthquakes are a natural part of life on Earth, a geologically active planet , with seven major tectonic plates. These are continent-sized slabs of rock that glide over the planet’s mantle, constantly but very slowly reshaping the Earth’s landscape.

What does magnitude mean in an earthquake?

Magnitude is a measurement of the strength of an earthquake . Officially it's called the Moment Magnitude Scale . It's a logarithmic scale , meaning each number is ten times as strong as the one before it. So a 5.2 earthquake is moderate while a 6.2 is strong.

The magnitude and effect of an earthquake, according to Michigan Technological University :

• Below 2.5: Generally not felt
• 2.5 to 5.4: Minor or no damage
• 5.5 to 6.0: Slight damage to buildings
• 6.1 to 6.9: Serious damage
• 8.0 or greater: Massive damage, can totally destroy communities

Intensity scales, measured in Roman numerals, are used to describe how strong the earthquake felt to people in the area.

According to the California Earthquake Authority , an intensity of I is typically felt only under especially favorable conditions. A IV, which leads to light shaking, is felt indoors by many, but not typically outdoors. It might awaken some people at night and lead to a senation like a truck striking a building. A parked car would rock. Intensities VI and above would be strong, frightening and felt by all, with the damage increasing up to a X where the shaking would be violent. Some well-built wooden structures would be destroyed and most masonry and frame structures along with their foundations would be ruined.

While you might have heard the term " the Richter Scale " used to describe earthquakes, it is no longer commonly used because it was only valid for certain earthquake frequencies and distance ranges.

Why does an earthquake's depth matter?

Magnitude measures how strong a quake is. That said, how much the ground shakes depends on an earthquake's intensity, which in turn depends on two things: how far away the actual site of the temblor was and what kind of soil it occurs in.

This is why an earthquake's depth is often given. The epicenter of the Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles in 1994 was in the San Fernando Valley, the point where the quake was strongest. But the hypocenter , the location where the quake actually occurred, was more than 11 miles underground. If it had been closer to the surface the 6.7 magnitude quake would have been even more devastating.

The type of ground matters too. Bedrock shakes least, sand and gravel as much as two times more and mud and landfill as much as five times more, a major factor in why some areas of San Francisco suffered more than others in the Loma Prieta quake of 1989 .

Why real earthquakes aren't like in the movies

Though movies like San Andreas and Earthquake show enormous entire coastlines dropping off into the ocean, it's not going to happen.

According to the US Geological Service, while a "mega-quake with a magnitude of 10 or larger is theoretically possible, it's very unlikely .

The magnitude of an earthquake magnitude depends in part on how long the geological fault it occurs on is. Longer faults result in stronger earthquakes.

There are no known faults capable of generating a magnitude 10 or larger. The San Andreas fault of movie fame couldn't produce a quake larger than about 8.3 given its length, according to USGS.

The largest earthquake in US history was the 1964 Good Friday quake in Alaska , a 9.2 magnitude quake which killed 131 people. It lasted four and a half minutes and ran along the Aleutian fault.

What's the chance of an aftershock?

Any time there's an earthquake, one concern is that it was merely a foreshock to a bigger quake that's coming.

Globally, the probability one earthquake will be followed by a large earthquake within 3 days is somewhere just over 6%, according to USGS .

That means whenever there's an earthquake, there's about a 94% chance that it wasn't a foreshock and there won't be any more quakes linked to it.

The numbers are a little different for California, which is very seismically active. There, about half of the biggest earthquakes were preceded by foreshocks, according to USGS. But that means half were not.

Unfortunately, it's impossible to know if any one quake is a foreshock.

Aftershocks  are defined as smaller earthquakes that happen in days after a larger quake. As USGS puts it, they represent "minor readjustments along the portion of a fault that slipped at the time of the mainshock."