Fly Away

Traveling abroad is exciting for many reasons. Sampling a new culture, visiting bucket list landmarks, trying an exotic new food or learning key phrases of a foreign language can help us broaden our horizons and see the world in a different way. But we also know that you still have to use common sense and stay aware of your surroundings, which incidentally is good advice when you’re home too! We’ve talked in the past about what to do when things go wrong, but tonight we thought we’d give some tips on how to avoid getting into those situations in the first place, so let’s get started!

Can you see the pickpocket in this video? See if you can spot the pros.

The U.S. Department Smart Traveler Enrollment Program – check it out.

Spain is a country that is one of the top tourist destinations in the world…yet how many people do you know who have visited? Great Britain, France and Italy get a lot of attention from American travelers, and Spain is almost like a little Iberian secret. Rich in history, culture, food, wine, and a bargain to boot! Join us this week as we explore this dynamic destination.

Have you been to Spain? What did you think? Or, if you are interested in a trip, we can help!

Listen in as Elizabeth shared her experience about her recent trip to Costa Rica with Adventures by Disney. Aimee also recently had clients go on the same tour and both families experienced the Disney Difference from Day One on this high-end luxury escorted tour. Elizabeth now has tons of information to share with us both about the country of Costa Rica and the Adventures by Disney experience.

Have you experienced the “Pura Vida” that is Costa Rica? Or the amazing, personal touch that is Adventures by Disney?

It is an exciting time to be a traveling reader. Gone are the days of having to check luggage to bring bulky paper books with you on your trip. But what device should you choose for your travels if you are new to e-reading? An iPad? A black and white reader like a Kindle? Are there times when you might need two devices? Listen and learn about the considerations that help you choose the best e-reader to match your travel style. Each device that can be used for e-reading has merits and drawbacks. We travelers have additional criteria to consider. We don’t want to haul around multiple, heavy devices. Otherwise, we’d haul around those bulky paper books!

A minimalist traveler at heart but a recreational reading librarian by trade, Heidi Barry-Rodriguez has an amazingly fun job, helping adult readers find great books. Let’s get started learning about e-reading, and how you can easily read on the road without the bulky tomes.

 Do you use an e-reader when you travel?

On last week’s show we talked to Elizabeth’s sister, Linda, about her experiences living in Hong Kong. This week we’d like to welcome her back and pick her brain about another bucket list place of mine in Asia – Japan! Japan is made up of almost 7,000 islands, but 97% of it’s land area is comprised of it’s 4 largest islands (Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku). Honshu is where you’ll find the capital, Toyko, which is the hub of Japan’s love affair with pop culture. You will also find Kyoto on this island, where you can visit Buddist temples and gardens.

 Want to check out Japan? Let us know, we can help!

A former British Colony, Hong Kong sets itself apart from mainland China in many ways, and who better to fill us in than someone who has lived there!  Learn about visa requirements, where to stay, “must do” attractions, food, customs and more. We would like to welcome back to the show this week Elizabeth’s sister, Linda. Way back in episodes 54 & 55 we talked to Linda about San Francisco and also a very broad overview of Asia. This week we are going to delve deeper into Hong Kong, where Linda lived for four years.

Being in the travel industry has taught us a thing or two. Always keep your passport current. Travel insurance is important. The cheapest price is not always the best value. One of the big things we’ve learned is just how many different types of trips there are out there. One of the most exciting trends is Adventure Travel. What does that mean? Well, have you ever wanted to ride an ATV or zipline through the jungle? How about kayaking near a glacier? Sailing to some of the world’s off-the-beaten-path beaches? We’ve come across some fantastic suggestions to give you something to think about for your next vacation, so listen up! What is your dream adventure destination or trip? We can help you make it happen!

We’ve talked in the past about how Americans take significantly fewer vacation days than In our industry, things start picking up right after Christmas. People are done with the holiday rush, getting ready to file their taxes, and begin to look forward to the year ahead. We spoke last week about the importance of taking that time off, so this week we thought we’d help you decide where to go. We get requests for all over the world and we wanted to talk about what trends we’re seeing this year, for summer in particular, so let’s get started!

What are your summer plans? Don’t have any yet ? We can help!

We’ve talked in the past about how Americans take significantly fewer vacation days than our counterparts in other countries. There are also reports that show workers are actually leaving vacation time on the table. As vacation planners we can’t imagine how this is possible! A recent study by Alamo Rent a Car offers an explanation: “Vacation shaming”. According to their survey results, about 60% of millennials feel the pressure to not take vacations. I think we all here agree that vacations are important, so we wanted to delve a little deeper into this phenomenon and see if we can help find some solutions.

Have you experienced vacation shaming? Do you use your vacation time?

It’s a great time to be a Star Wars fan! Disney has recently announced several changes coming to the parks that feature the iconic film series and its many brands. Tonight we want to focus on one of their more unique experiences – Star Wars Day at Sea on Disney Cruise Line. These special voyages were announced last year and have been taking place on certain 7 day sailings on the Disney Fantasy since January. Recently Disney confirmed that they are going to have several sailings next year as well. Last month Elizabeth and her family sailed away on one of these special itineraries and want to tell us all about it. We thought we’d switch things up a little and get things from a kid’s perspective, so for our first segment we’re going do a short interview with her kids, and then we’ll be joined by her husband Chris to talk about what the adults thought of it. 

So, are you and Chewy headed for the seven seas? Let us know!