Under-vacationed America. In the US, we excel at so many things, but we really fall behind in using vacation time. We suffer from "Vacation Deprivation" !! I remember when I first moved to the US, I was shocked at the limited amount of vacation time people took. I had come from Europe where we take our full 2 week vacation every year (all at once!) What ??!!! People looked at me like I was crazy and were scrambling to take [...]
If you live in these 9 States, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma,Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Washington, your ID requirements for air travel ANYWHERE are changing in 2018. Starting at the beginning of next year, residents in nine states will need to have passports in order to take any kind of flight, whether it is international or domestic. TSA will only accept state-issued driver’s licenses or identification cards if they are issued bya REAL ID compliant state or a non-compliant state with an extension. As [...]
Here are some tips make your overseas journey easier. (courtesy of Travel & Leisure) Hotel business cards. Take a business card from the front desk when you check in, that way, if you ever get lost, you have the name and address of the hotel in the local language. Having something in a local language that can be shown to locals and taxi drivers is an extra bit of insurance. The six-month passport rule. The U.S. lets you use your [...]
What you need to know and how you can prepare for the laptop travel ban - Please note - THIS IS NOT IN EFFECT YET- Here is the fact sheet for Dept. of Homeland Security. https://www.dhs.gov/news/2017/03/21/fact-sheet-aviation-security-enhancements-select-last-point-departure-airports (Courtesy: WendyPerrin.com http://www.wendyperrin.com/how-you-can-prepare-for-the-laptop-travel-ban/) The (DHS) is expected to expand the laptop ban to include flights coming into the U.S. from Europe. Less than two months after the first ban required that fliers arriving from several Middle East countries pack their laptops, tablets, game consoles, digital [...]
Packing tips and checklist for the smart traveler - (courtesy of Travel + Leisure) Throwing a suitcase together may sound like a no-brainer, but we can always offer a few pointers to make the whole process better. We keep tabs on the latest in packing innovations (like machines that pack your suitcase for you), tips (like how to get your Thanksgiving dinner past airport security), and news (remember the time that man wore all his clothes at once to avoid [...]
Hilarious complaints from travelers (courtesy of Newsroom24) THESE ARE REAL COMPLAINTS RECEIVED BY “THOMAS COOK HOLIDAYS” FROM DISSATISFIED CUSTOMERS 1. “On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don’t like spicy food.” 2. “They should not allow topless sunbathing on the beach. It was very distracting for my husband who just wanted to relax.” 3. “We went on holiday to Spain and had a problem with the taxi drivers [...]
(Eating your way through Europe ) I love food !!! How often do you hear that phrase. When travelers talk about their trip to Europe, one of the things that people remark on is the food !!!! The Food !!! Europe is so diverse when it comes to different tastes and traditional dishes in each country. There is a thriving “food tour” business, offering “secret” local restaurants and tastes in many different cities. Check out some of the options: Italy: [...]
“There’s an APP for that”!! Best travel apps that you’ll actually use. (courtesy of The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/feb/06/top-10-useful-travel-apps These days, there’s an App for everything, but it’s sometimes confusing and difficult to know if you’re using the best app for something. Traveling abroad can be overwhelming especially if you are dealing with foreign language, currency, traffic, schedules etc. The Guardian has put together a list of the best Travel Apps that you’ll actually use ! In addition, we do have [...]
St .Patrick’s day is known all over the world and celebrated on March 17th in observance of the death of St. Patrick who brought Christianity to Ireland and died in the Fifth Century. What began as a religious feast day in the 17th century has evolved into a variety of festivals across the globe celebrating Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, and a whole lot of green. Traditionally in Ireland, we would go to Catholic Mass in the [...]
8 Ways Travel Agents add value to your vacation (Courtesy Travel Market Report) There’s no do-over for a vacation gone wrong Every moment of the time you take off from work, whether traveling alone or with family and friends, is priceless. And yet travel always involves a certain element of risk, depending as it does on Mother Nature and complicated machines to work together to get us where we want to go. It’s a scenario that calls for an expert. Here [...]