Some good places for a romantic getaway

 

I think, I hope, I may have a travel agent host to work with. Finding one is going to be a big relief because I’ve been looking for one for the last few months, and to put it simply, having a host is what allows me to do business. [That didn’t work, so I’ve contacted several other agencies, and we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.]

January was the month where I got to see most my siblings. People were in and out for the first half of the month. And then I had my big trip to Cyprus. I’ll probably start writing about that trip on Saturday. So the whole month kind of felt like a holiday to me. But I know that’s very unusual. If January has been “all work and no play” for you, you might want to consider getting away with the one you love for Valentine’s Day. Today let’s look at some places you might want to consider.

•  The Napa Valley comes up first on U.S. News’s list. This place is known for having some of the best vineyards the country. And because so many people are getting more interested in wine these days, they have more and more nice hotels and restaurants for you to enjoy while you are there.
• Is Hawaii on your bucket list? Why not go to Kauai? This is a place where you are going to find a lot of nice beaches. Are you looking for a place to take long walks on the beach, or is taking adventures more your thing? You will also find a lot of nice villas to stay in here.
• Or maybe you want to go to Maui. Is staying in a luxury resort your idea of fun? There are a lot of these resorts on Maui. And again, you are going to find beautiful beaches where you can enjoy many of your favorite sports?
• Looking for something a little closer to home? Maybe you should try Charleston? This is a great place to enjoy looking at historic homes and some great museums. You will find fantastic southern cuisine in this city too.

I would love to know your thoughts about any of this. Please let me know.

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Some good cities to take a family vacation

I have several other things I would like to get to today. I still need to work on figuring out a host agency. Well actually, I think I’ve found the right one, I just need to join. I’m also wanting to get into this writing article project more.

First, let’s take a look at why taking a vacation in a city might be a wise idea. In cities things are usually pretty compact. You are likely going to be able to walk to a lot of different places from your hotel. Cities are also more likely to have public transportation. You are also going to have some fun options when it comes to what to eat. So now let’s look at some individual cities.

• I know I’ve brought this one up before, but the nation’s capital is a great place to take a vacation. My favorite aunt used to live near D.C., so I’ve been there a few times. They have the National Zoo there, which is nice whether you love animals or just want to get out and do something with people you love. They have the Smithsonian which is a whole system of museums you can explore.
• Looking for a city that will have lots on the Revolutionary war? Why not try Boston? This is where a lot of the Revolution took place. They will also have an excellent aquarium as well as some nice parks.
• Think Vegas is just for adults? Think again. There is a lot of amusement park stuff on the famous Strip. There will also be some nice parks and museums for your enjoyment.

Food on airlines

I am going to attempt to do this. I’m fighting jetlag, but I’m ready to get back into a more normal working routine. So let me get started on this.

I was on the plane for about ten hours yesterday, and I was on another plane about five the evening before. On the five hour flight, we were given nothing to eat or drink. I guess this was because it was a night flight. On our way over on the shorter flight, we were given several opportunities to buy refreshments. On the way over, the long flight was the night flight. On each we were given two meals, but on the flight home, we were given more snacks. So that got me wondering about what the guidelines are when it comes to food when you are flying.

• First, you are allowed to bring food in your carry-on. It looks like the main restrictions on that are, you still have to meet the weight guidelines, and you have to be really careful when it comes to bringing liquids  with you on a plane. And they’ll consider things like yogurt to be liquid.
• First class flyers are going to get nicer food and beverages. That is just something they’ll do for you when you pay the higher price. And unless you are on an extremely short flight, you can count on being fed.
• But what about us regular folks? Well, it depends on which airline you’re flying with. Each airline is going to have certain points of time where they are going to give you a meal or snacks on the house. That is going to vary considerably. Your best bet is going to be to check with the airline you want to fly with.

I’m heading out of the country soon, and I have no idea what the internet situation or schedule is going to be like. This week didn’t turn out the way I thought it might.. But my hope is that things will be back to normal the twenty-ninth of January. Thanks for your patience

Mom/daughter getaways

I am sorry about Saturday, we’re having internet problems at home. That kind of figures, I have several things I’m trying to do. I will figure this out, but let’s get down to business.

We talk about getting away by ourselves. We talk about getting away with our girlfriends. We talk about going on trips with our husbands.. But there is something kind of special about doing a mother/daughter trip. Let’s look at some things you should think about if you want to do a mother\daughter trip.

• First, pick a spot that ill be special to both of you. [If this is something you and your sister are doing, pick somewhere special for everyone going.] Think about things you will like to do together, and decide on a place everyone will look forward to and enjoy.
• This is not a time where you have to make a plan and stay with it no matter what. Be open to do whatever. And always be opened to compromise. It’s fun to do spur of the moment things, especially when you’re on vacation.
• This is a time to know each other as adults. Have those conversations you’ve never had. Ask the questions you were afraid to growing up.

I hope to get back to this tomorrow, but we’ll have to see what happens.

Think you can’t afford a travel agent?

 

When you go to a doctor, you don’t get out of there without paying a fee? [Okay, maybe that’s not the best example, because there is insurance to consider.] But what do you do if you need a plumber or electrician? You’ll pay them, right? A lot of people consider working with a travel agent something they simply can not afford. Today we are going to look at some reasons why that might not necessarily be true.

First of all, many of us do not charge a fee for our services. You may be asking how we can do that and still make a living. I’ll explain. When you book any type of hotel, car rental, cruise, theme park, etc. all type of businesses will pay us travel agents a commission any time we book with them. That is why often we won’t charge you a dime to work with you. If you are charged a fee to work with a travel agent, the fee is likely going to be applied to your balance when you do book your trip.

We also keep informed of travel deal . We will work with you to make sure you get the best deals around. In the age of the internet, a lot of ttravel agents work from home, often working through a host agency which is great for you because the travel agents work together and bounce ideas off each other.

I would love to know your thoughts about any of this, or any questions you might have. I would love you to know just how much I can help you.

 

Saving money on travel in 2018

Our world is constantly evolving, especially when it comes to technology. We live in the age of on demand tv and smart phones, where even small children know how to work these phones. Whether you love it or hate it, online shopping is becoming more and more a thing that’s here to stay.. So in this new world of ours, how do we save money on travel. Let’s look at some ways today.

• E newsletters are becoming more and more popular. Do a search for travel newsletters. When you find some that you like, sign up for them. You will likely hear about deals this way.
• Have you signed up for AAA? Do you know that they want not only good for roadside assistance, but can also score you some great deals on discounted air and hotels. Joining AARP can also get you some discounts.
• And who doesn’t love Google Alerts? You will be able to choose how often you receive the assists so you won’t get a ton of e-mail. To save on travel, you will want to search things like “flash flight sale”, “flight deals”, or “hotel deals”.
• Are you on Twitter? Following your favorite travel companies will get you some deals as well.

Newbie cruise mistakes

First, let me say that taking that week off at Christmas seems to have brought back life into my business. I have several projects I want to take on. January is just going to be a crazy month. We have out of town family this week. The last week of January we are going to a conference. And I’m not sure if I am going to work or not, if I do I won’t have much time. I’m hoping February kind of slows down some…

But anyway… Any time you are brand new at something, you are going to make mistakes, that’s just part of life. But reading this might help you avoid some of these mistakes.

• Just because a cruise says it’s all inclusive does not mean you shouldn’t bring money. All inclusive can mean a lot of different things. You should always read the fine print to know what is and what isn’t included, it is best to know this before you leave.
• We were talking about shore excursions yesterday in Shore excursions, but it is usually best to figure out which excursions you want to go on before you board your ship. there are only a certain number of people that they can take on these trips, and they tend to fill up quickly.
• I know that sometimes you don’t really have a choice, but if you can choose to fly at least the day before your cruise leaves. Airplanes are known for being late. They can also lose your luggage. Just avoid that frustration.
• And if the most important thing you’re looking for on a cruise is peace and quiet, don’t go when school is not in session. A lot of families go on cruises. And yes, a lot of cruiselines have excellent children’s programs, but some parents take their children in order to spend time with them. Go when school is going to be busy so that you will avoid children, if that’s something you’re interested in.

Shore excursions

People make all kinds of resolutions at the beginning of the new year. Some people make resolutions about work. Other people make resolutions about spending more time with their family. Others determine to see more of the world. If taking your first cruise is on your bucket list for this year, but you don’t know much about cruising yet, you might want to read on.

First, you may be asking what a shore excursion is. To put it simply, excursions are when you get off your cruise ship to take the tours. Some cruises give you your excursions at no extra charge, other cruises charge for anything extra that you do. Generally, that depends on how much you spend on the cruise in the first place, but there are exceptions to this.

On a typical shore excursion, you will be taken to your destination shortly after you finish breakfast. You will usually be part of a guided tour which will allow you to see a lot more of the city than if you struck out on your own.

A lot of cruises these days have themes. And some excursions will have themes as well.. If you are on a culinary cruise, one of your excursions might be a day with a chef. You might also want to do a more customized excursion if you have been to your particular destination on previous trips.

I would love to know your thoughts or any questions you might have..

Giving tips on cruises

We haven’t talked much about cruises lately, so let’s talk about how you should tips on cruises today.

When you go to a sit down restaurant, you are expected to tip if the person does even a halfway decent job. It is similarly expected when you go to a nicer hotel, tip the bellboy when he helps carry your bags. On cruises, it used to be that you would put money in envelopes for the people who cleaned your rooms or waited on you for your meals. Now it is pretty common for cruiselines to go on and give you an upcharge each day for your tips. We are going to talk more about the “forced tip charge” a little later. Luxury lines are actually adding the gratuities into your actual fare. If you are displeased with the service, you are going to be able to get your gratuity money back, but the article I’m reading says that that rarely happens. They say that the more common thing is that you want to pay your servers even more because they do so well.

Okay, let’s face it, it is rather nice to have everything paid for by the time you step on the ship. That is why a lot of people are going for the more all inclusive cruises. People don’t like to be nickeled and dimed every time they turn around. At the same time, should tips be mandatory? Shouldn’t you reward only the most exceptional service?

This is a debate that is going around in the travel industry. I would love to know your thoughts on this topic.