Of course, if you are traveling to Canada or Mexico by land or sea, you may not need your passport at all. These countries only require your driver's license and a copy of your birth certificate when coming from the US - but if you are entering by air, you will still need a passport here as well.

You needn't worry about getting your passport renewed, however, because this isn't as difficult a process as getting a new passport can be. Today, you can get your passport renewed without having to be in attendance at a passport acceptance facility - unless you choose to do it that way.

Instead of renewing your passport in person, you can now choose the easier way of renewing your passport through the mail. You can download the forms you need off of the Internet through the government's website, so you don't even need to leave the comfort of your home to start the process.

There are some rules to renewing your passport through the mail. You must have been at least 16 years old when your passport was issued, and your passport may not be more than 15 years old (it's ok if it has expired). You can have held a minor passport and still renew as an adult.

If you are renewing through the mail you have to make sure that your existing passport is not ruined, or destroyed beyond any and all recognition, because authenticity of the passport must be verified. If it is too mangled, you will need to apply for a new passport in person instead of through the mail.

If you have changed your name since you received your last passport, you unfortunately can't apply for renewal through the mail. All name changes, be they because of marriage or any other reason, must be processed in person at a passport acceptance facility in person.

Sending in your passport renewal info is easy. You just need to enclose your application for renewal, your old passport and your passport photos. Those will be two identical 2"x 2" photos taken with a passport photo camera. You'll also enclose your renewal fee for the passport.

Unfortunately, the wait for a renewal passport is just as long as for a new passport, so make sure to leave plenty of time for the government to process your passport request before heading out on that trip. Apply for your passport well in advance of your next overseas vacation.