We recently talked about Tamara's trip to the Galapagos but today we are talking more about the logistics about traveling to Ecuador and some travel tips. Tamara spent 17 nights in Ecuador, including 5 nights in the Galapagos and found it a warm and welcoming country with beautiful and diverse landscapes. Amazing Ecuador helped Tamara organize her trip.

• Most flights from the U.S. come into Quito or Guayaquil
• It is only 3.5 hours from Miami
• There are many regions including the Cloud Forest, Rainforest, volcanoes and mountains, National Parks, Galapagos, and more
• Tamara spent: 5 nights in the Galapagos, 1 night at Hacienda La Danesa, 2 nights in Cuenca, 1 night in Cotopaxi National Park, 3 nights in Quito, 2 nights in the Cloud Forest at the Mashpi Lodge, 2 nights at Hacienda Zuleta
• It helps to work with someone to figure out your priorities and build an itinerary around your interests
• Generally you want to spend at least two to three nights in each place
• Cuenca is a UNESCO heritage city with plenty of outdoor adventure nearby too
• Cotopaxi is at a higher elevation, making hikes challenging
• If you just have a week, fly in and out of Guayaquil and do the Galapagos and Hacienda La Danesa
• Safety - you need to be very careful after dark in Quito and other cities and beware of pickpockets. Don't walk around after dark, especially alone
• Ecuador uses the U.S. dollar as their official currency but most places also take credit cards but you will want small bills for tipping and the handicraft markets
• Many of the hotels are all-inclusive with meals and some activities
• Ecuador is a huge exporter of roses and through some regions you will see many roadside stands of 25-50 roses for less than $5
• Tamara recommends getting a driver because the roads are not very well marked, some aren't in the best condition, Google Maps isn't reliable, and drivers are very aggressive
• There are a range of four star boutique hotels and luxury hotels
• Ecuadorian food is very fresh and utilizes year-round produce of veggies and fruit
• Most meals start with a soup and then have a salad or vegetables. Fish and ceviche is quite popular. Quinoa is a popular grain
• You shouldn't drink the tap water in Ecuador but the produce at good restaurants and hotels are washed in filtered water
• Guinea pig is also popular in Ecuador as it is in Peru
• Chocolate and coffee are also grown in Ecuador and very popular
• Ecuador is the most densely populated country in South America
• If you have liked Costa Rica or Belize, you will probably also like Ecuador

• Galapagos cruise
• Mother-daughter trip to Peru
• Winelands of Chile
• Chile's Atacama Desert

Kim and her daughter Mia just got back from a mother-daughter trip to Switzerland. They celebrated her high school graduation with a grad trip and since Mia loves mountains and she was already going to be in France with a school trip, Switzerland was her top choice!

They visited Geneva, Zermatt and the Jungfrau Region because they really wanted to focus on the mountains. Altogether they spent eight nights in Switzerland and they moved around a lot. The itinerary included:

• 1 night in Geneva
• 2 nights in Zermatt to see the Matterhorn
• 2 nights in Grindelwald
• 2 nights in Wengen
• 2 nights in Lucerne

If you are going to Switzerland and you really want to spend time in the mountains, skip Geneva and Lucerne and focus more on the smaller towns, not the cities. Their favorite town was Zermatt for hiking and also wine tasting.

Grindelwald was the other favorite because of the hotel and the view of Eiger.

Some of the activities included:

• Visit the old town in the cities (e.g. Geneva)
• Hiking (which are harder than you might expect even on trails described as easy, use Google Maps to see elevation, buy or bring hiking poles if you can and are checking a bag)
• Cable cars (which are pricey)
• Matterhorn Glacier (you can also ski even in the summer)
• Alpine slides / mountain coaster / ziplines

The train is a great way to get around the country and if you use a Swiss Rail Pass you also get transportation on some of the cable cars (but not all). It makes it very easy because you don’t need to worry about buying tickets. First class will give you more seating options and it is less crowded so it is quieter. It is hard to use the trains if you have large luggage as some of the trains are more for locals/commuters. Try to pack light if you can or use a luggage forwarding service.

It is better to stay longer in each destination as you spend a lot of time transiting up and down the mountains via train/cable car. Basing yourself in Murren or other smaller towns ends up with a lot of time waiting for transportation. It makes more sense to stay in Grindelwald, Interlaken, or Lauterbrunnen.

When planning a trip, be sure to plan at least six to nine months in advance if you want to stay in town and at the better hotels. Also, when considering different hotels, the hospitality is wonderful but look closely at the amenities that are offered. Most don’t have air conditioning but it wasn’t needed in the mountains. Some hotels have screens on the windows but not all and there are a lot of flies and some mosquitoes.

Keep in mind that shops close early (6-7 pm) and that busses also stop running by 7:00 pm in small towns. Hotels and meals are very expensive in Switzerland, especially now that the dollar is weak against the CHF and Euro. Main entrees are 30-50 CHF per person, salads 12-19 CHF, and beer was cheap but wine was expensive. To save money, you can buy wine or beer at the grocery store to enjoy before you go out. Drink sizes are also very small.

The food is a lot of fondue, cheese, pasta, raclette, and chocolate. Other regions might have more regional specialties. Otherwise there are a lot of burgers and international cuisine. If you do have allergies, there are a lot of peanuts and other nuts being served as a snack or included in dishes.

Credit cards can be used almost everywhere. In all the tourist areas, everyone spoke English. They were less accommodating in the city or non-tourist establishment.

Be sure to pack and wear sunscreen. It is hard to find places to refill a water bottle so you may want to carry your own snacks and drinks.

Tamara is just back from a 5-night Galapagos Islands cruise on board the Galaxy Yacht. She was hosted on this trip by Galaxy Expeditions but all opinions are her own.

Galaxy Expeditions operates a number of yachts in the Galapagos and also can arrange for land travel in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. The Galaxy Yacht has eight cabins for a maximum of 16 passengers.

• You need to fly to the Galapagos from either Quito or Guayaquil in Ecuador (1.5 - 2 hours)
• At the airport before leaving the mainland, you need to purchase your tourist card and have your luggage inspected and zip tied to protect the islands from bringing in invasive species
• A delegate from Galaxy Expeditions met her at the airport to walk her through the process
• Once you arrive in the Galapagos, you need to pay an entrance fee to support the National Park ($200 per person) and they reinspect luggage, which takes about an hour on arrival
• You then meet your group and take a bus to the port where you load onto zodiac boats to get to the yacht
• A 5-night cruise was a nice amount of time to reach many of the islands and see a ton of wildlife but longer would be more tiring and could get a little repetitive
• Most of the cruises in the Galapagos are 16-32 or maybe 50 passengers
• If you are prone to motion sickness, you will feel it, especially at night as they moved from place to place
• The engines are also loud so bring ear plugs or a sound machine to help drown it out
• I'd recommend bringing Dramamine or seasickness meds as well as sleep aids
• On board, there were two solo travelers, a few couples and a mother-daughter duo from Germany, Switzerland, Spain, and the USA
• The food was really good and breakfast was usually a buffet and lunch was a buffet or served and there were usually two options for a dinner entree
• They also served light snacks and fresh juice or tea after excursions
• Excursions and meals are included (alcohol is not)
• Excursions start early and stay busy all day. The first excursion of the day is usually at 6 - 7 am
• There are typically two hikes per day and one to two snorkeling excursions per day
• They provide wet suits and snorkel gear on board
• The week started busy and got a little less so towards the end, which was appreciated
• Tamara saw sea turtles, fish, penguins, frigate birds, blue, red, and brown-footed boobies, sea lions, iguanas, and Galapagos tortoises
• There is a naturalist guide on board that leads every excursion and provides so much information about the wildlife and ecosystem
• The islands Tamara visited on Galaxy Yacht itinerary C are: Santa Cruz, North Seymour, Bartolome, Santiago, Genovesa, South Plazas, and San Cristobal

• Land-based trip to the Galapagos
• Mother daughter trip to Machu Picchu
• Atacama desert in Chile

On this episode we are sharing some of our top tips for finding good guided day tours or special experiences when you are traveling. We will walk through how to find them, how to book, and tips for taking city tours.

• On your arrival day, don't schedule a guided tour since your plane may not be on time and you may be tired from traveling. If anything, look at doing something impromptu like a hop on hop off bus or just walking around on your own.
• On your first full day in a city, it is helpful to take a guided tour to get the lay of the land and get recommendations from a local
• Some common tour booking platforms are Viator and Get Your Guide. Just understand that these are platforms advertising different tour companies or operators, the tours aren't actually run by Viator or Get Your Guide
• Often you can find the tour operator name on the listing and if you want, you can look up that company and book direct to support small businesses
• Be sure to read the details of what is included on the tour and whether or not you are going inside points of interest or just seeing it from the outside
• Pay attention to the meeting points and end point to choose ones that are fairly convenient for you based on where you are staying
• Make sure you look at the reviews and ratings before booking a tour
• Look at the number of people that are on the tour. It will often list the maximum number of passengers on a tour.
• Some tour companies, like Shore Excursions, offers a back-to-ship guarantee, which is great if you are booking cruise excursions
• Look at what tickets are included
• Put in the date when you are looking at pricing as it can vary depending on the season, day of the week, etc. Also, go through the full checkout screen to see what additional fees or taxes are added when building your budget
• Some other tour companies that we like are: Walks (or Take Walks), Livtours (small groups), Devour Tours (food tours), Eating Europe (food tours), Tours by Locals, The Tour Guy, and City Experiences
• You can also Google "free walking tours" to find pay as you go or tip-based walking tours by locals
• Always plan to arrive 10-15 minutes before the tour starts to check in
• Map out the meeting place before you go and know how you will get there
• Know if you need to be dressed a certain way (headscarf, covered shoulders, etc) or if you can't bring bags/backpacks, etc.
• Private tours are great for families or if you have mobility issues because it is easier to customize them
• Don't forget to tip a good tour guide. Group tour tip is typically $5 per person and a private tour is $10-20 per person if it is a half day or full day
• Have small bills handy for tipping
• Rick Steves has great audio tours for Europe, GPS My City has self-guided tours, and VoiceMap is another app for self-guided audio tours that are more cost-effective than a guided tour.

What should you look for when choosing a hotel, and what are some pitfalls you can try to avoid? Get ready for summer travel with this week's episode full of tips and laughs.

• Pay attention to the bathroom layouts when viewing photos and reviews as a new hotel trend has been for more open bathroom layouts or glass doors/walls which may not be great for families or friend groups
• Hotels are getting better at sustainability initiatives but many are just paying lip service so if this is important to you, look for companies truly dedicated to environmental issues and offer things like bottle refill stations
• If you want to check out the location of the hotel, look at the Google Street view to see more what the area is like
• Keep in mind that suburban hotels off the highway are more likely to offer free parking, laundry facilities, and free breakfast
• When booking city hotels, make sure that it is located near public transportation but avoid hotels near train stations or bus stations
• When selecting a room, look at the square footage to compare the various room categories
• Keep in mind that when you are traveling internationally, it is hard to find rooms with two queens or doubles. It is even harder to find rooms that sleep five. Typically the rooms will have a double/king or two twins
• Sofa beds are not always clean so always ask for clean linens, just keep in mind that you will need to make them up yourself
• Accessible rooms sometimes have lower closets, which might not be great for longer dresses, and the showers might have roll in showers and the floor of the bathroom can get really wet
• Request a room location away from the elevator / ice machine and a higher floor if near a loud highway
• Connecting rooms have thin doors and there is a lot of noise that comes through so put in your special request "no connecting room door"
• Be sure to read reviews and look out for red flags about noise, cleanliness, location, and service
• Bring a sleep mask or something to cover the glowing appliances and lights in the room
• Travel with a white noise machine
• Look out for daily resort fees and high city taxes
• Some brands or boutique hotels offer happy hours or cookies throughout the day
• Don't expect upgrades - book the category that you want
• Check out what the parking situation is and whether or not it is indoors or outdoors. Parking garages will sometimes list the clearance height
• Tipping housekeeping for good service is appreciated so it helps to carry some smaller bills

Tamara is just back from a multi-generational trip to the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar. If you have ever wondered what it is like to stay at one of the popular Baha Mar Resorts, now is your chance to get the scoop and see if it is really the vacation of your dreams or not.

• This was a multi-generational trip with 14 people ages 17-83. There were a lot of considerations when choosing a destination including budget, activities, direct flights, and mobility issues.
• Tamara also considered the Hyatt in Aruba, the Hilton Zemi Beach House in Anguilla, and the Westin or Kimpton Seafire in Grand Cayman.
• There are three hotels within one resort at the Baha Mar and it has multiple restaurants, making it possible to stay for a week and eat somewhere different every night without taking cabs into town.
• The food is really expensive at the Baha Mar so you need to build that into the budget as it is inline with going out for a nice dinner in a big city, which is similar to many other island resorts.
• The three hotels are:
  • Rosewood Baha Mar - luxury property
  • SLS Baha Mar - good for couples, friends, and more of a party scene
  • Grand Hyatt Baha Mar - good for families and more affordable
  • There is also a "Reserve" section of the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar with suites and lounge access that is a hotel within a hotel
• You fly into Nassau and you fill out a form on arrival and then the immigration line was quite short. They pre-arranged hotel transfers through the concierge.
• There are many pools within the Grand Hyatt but if you don't reserve a cabana, sunbed or premium lounge chair it could be hard to find chairs, especially if you want a larger group to be together.
• They rented a cabana at the Nexus Club, which has an indoor section with a couch, television, fridge, and a full bathroom. It also had a sun bed, a table and chairs with an umbrella, and use of two in-pool loungers. It was a private pool just for those renting cabanas or staying at a certain room category that included a hot tub. It also had its own bar and food service.
• The beach isn't deep but it is longed and it is lined with 4-6 rows of lounge chairs packed in together and the beach was quite busy even in June.
• There is also a waterpark that is included for guests with some big slides and a lazy river, as well as a good restaurant.
• You can do paddle boarding and snorkeling and there are also paid motorized water sports and there is an activities desk that arranges excursions and day trips.
• The Baha Mar also has a kids club with daily activities and there are flamingos that do a "parade" every morning.
• The food at Baha Mar was very good and even Tamara was impressed.
• Regatta is where they serve a huge breakfast buffet but it costs about $44 per person.
• Because Tamara is a preferred partner with Hyatt Prive, she was able to get the following perks and amenities:
  • Free breakfast for 2 people per day per room
  • $100 per room resort credit
  • $50 per room beverage credit
  • automatic upgrade within 24 hours of booking
• There are many pool bars serving food for lunch and there are also food trucks by the beach.
• You need to pre-book dinner reservations and they cover the gamut from Italian, Asian, Chinese, Steak, Mediterranean, and some celebrity chef restaurants like Cafe Boulud and Marcus Fish and Chop House (from Marcus Samuelson)
• In Tamara's opinion, the Baha Mar is better suited for families with teens or adults versus with younger kids as the casino is really the center point of the resort.

• Where to stay in the Turks & Caicos
• Everything you need to know about Beaches Turks & Caicos
• Sonesta Maho Beach St. Maarten
• Caribbean cruise
• Where to go in the Caribbean
• Planning a Barbados vacation
• Planning a Grand Cayman vacation

Get ready for your summer vacation and future travel with these expert packing tips! From carry-on to checked bags, here are some things to keep in mind when packing for your next trip.

• Use a packing list! It helps you not forget critical items. Start creating your packing list early in your Notes app
• Kim has an outfit planner that you can sign up for on Stuffed Suitcase
• Pay attention to your itinerary to figure out what you need to bring for each activity
• Also pay attention to the weather forecast for your destination
• Try to minimize the number of shoes that you bring on a trip
• Try on your outfits while packing and take a picture of yourself so that you remember what you put together (with shoes, accessories, etc.)
• You can also put the picture into your notes app with notes about what day you were going to wear it to remember
• Packing cubes with compression can be great for saving space
• You can pack the cubes by destination/stop on the trip or daily outfits or just pack all your pants together, all your shirts together, etc.
• If you are flying on an international carrier, make sure to look up their baggage rules to understand the size and weight of carry on and personal items
• Even domestic carriers have different weight limits
• If you are buying new luggage, buy the matching packing cubes that fit perfectly
• Look for packing cubes that zip to a rectangle and not lumpy
• Gonex and Eagle Creek can be great brands to try
• Lay flat bags are great for toiletry bags
• Travelon makes a good organizer for your electronics
• Vodka in a spray bottle can help refresh clothes
• Bring a travel scale to check baggage weights

• Packing tips for family travel

It is summer road trip season so it is time to recap some of our best road trip tips from preparing, planning, packing, and more. Plus, we share some of our favorite road trips.

• Before you head out on a road trip, make sure your car has been serviced recently and check the tires to make sure the pressure is correct. You may also want to top off your fluids and use the bug windshield washer fluid.
• Bring a go-to kit with wipes, sanitizer, tissues, lip balm, moisturizer, sun screen, and eye drops. Also bring a couple of extra baggies or ziploc bags.
• Bring a trash bag for the front and back (or for each kid) and empty the trash at each stop.
• Bring a small cooler and ice pack that you can refreeze each night for left overs and snacks.
• Have a specific spot for your snacks that can be refilled when needed.
• Use a car freshener or car air purifier to help keep food smells away.
• You may want to consider a AAA membership and bring your card with you.
• For longer road trips, consider bringing a carry on bag with a duffle bag instead of a larger checked bag.
• Use a duffle bag to transport what you need in and out each night.
• It is good to have one overnight bag for toiletries and pajamas for everyone that always goes in.
• Bring a laundry bag that you can put your dirty clothes in each day in your car or larger suitcase. Plan an overnight stay at a place that has laundry facilities.
• When choosing where to stay, consider staying just off the highway where you are more likely to find a chain hotel that has free breakfast and free parking (and laundry facilities). Plus it is easy to get on and off the highway.
• Some of the chains like Best Western have summer promotions for multiple stays.
• Some apps to have are Gas Buddy, Road Trippers, and of course Google or Apple Maps. Google Maps is also good at showing you how busy attractions are at different times of the day.
• For road trips in less-populated areas, bring a road atlas or paper maps (you can get free maps at AAA if you are a member)
• Maine Coast road trip - read the full post here: https://we3travel.com/boston-to-bar-harbor-a-maine-coast-road-trip-itinerary/
• Florida Keys road trip - read more here: https://yourtimetofly.com/key-west-girls-trip/
• Canadian Rockies road trip - read more here: https://we3travel.com/canadian-rockies-vacation-itinerary/
• West Coast road trip - read more here: https://stuffedsuitcase.com/west-coast-road-trip/
• Road trip packing list: https://stuffedsuitcase.com/pack-car-road-trip/

• West Coast road trip
• Southwest Grand Circle road trip
• Oregon Coast road trip
• California road trip
• Midwest road trip
• Family road trip tips

Tamara recently took a travel agent FAM trip to Turks and Caicos and spent two nights at The Palms and two nights at The Shore Club. She also visited many other properties and today she shares her insights into each to help you decide where to stay in Turks and Caicos.

• Turks and Caicos is known for its beautiful beaches and not for all-inclusives or as a party island
• Most of the hotels have great accommodations for families with 1, 2, 3-bedroom accommodations and up (including villa rentals)
• When arriving, be prepared for a long wait at passport control/immigration. Expect about an hour and longer on the weekends. When departing, leave 2-3 hours to get checked in and wait in the security line. There isn't a lot of room in the gate area but there is an area upstairs that has more space.
• To save time at the airport, you can pay for Fast Track access starting at $75 per person, each way.
• Private transfers from the airport are about $150 each way, but cabs can be $30+ per person for shared taxis. Taxis throughout the island are priced per person and are pricey.
• It is about a 15-20 minute drive from the PLS (Providenciales) to most of the hotels
• The Palms is on Grace Bay Beach (the most famous beach on the island). It is a luxury hotel with a lush, garden-like setting right on the beach. The style and decor is similar to Sandy Lane in Barbados, a colonial or plantation style.
• Tamara stayed in a one-bedroom suite oceanfront, which was huge with a full kitchen, living room, laundry, dining room, large balcony, bedroom with tons of closet space, and one and one-half bathrooms.
• They recently did a renovation at The Palms of rooms but also of the pool area and added a new pool/beach restaurant and pool bar (including a swim-up bar).
• The restaurants at The Palms were very good. Parallel 23 is fine dining and Sisi is modern Mexican.
• The Palms also has one of the best spas in the Caribbean
• The high season is during Festive (winter holidays) and President's Day weekend. The low season would be July-September
• Pricing in the Caribbean is quite high.
• The Shore Club is across the island on Long Bay Beach. There is a beach-to-beach package so that you can split your week vacation between the two properties.
• Long Bay Beach is breezy and very popular for kite surfing. The beach itself is narrow but long and The Shore Club has plenty of space to spread out. The water here is very calm and you can walk out very far, especially at low tide.
• Shore Club is also a luxury hotel and it has a sophisticated feel. There are villas and multi-bedroom accommodations that would be amazing for a girls' trip or multi-generational vacation.
• The one-bedroom oceanfront suite is huge and great for families with teens because there is a study that has a pull-out couch, full bathroom, and closets and a door that closes off from the rest of the space. There is another pull out couch in the living room.
• There is a sushi restaurant and a comfort food restaurant, plus pool bars and restaurants.
• There is a shuttle between the properties and also the four-star Sands property and guests have signing privileges for all the restaurants.
• The Alexandra Resort is a four-star, all-inclusive on Grace Bay next to The Palms with multi-bedroom suites and restaurants
• The Wymara Resort has a South Beach, sexy vibe that would be great for couples and honeymooners but the rooms are a bit smaller
• The Ritz-Carlton is a high-rise hotel with a smaller beach. The second tower is for Ritz-Carlton Residences and you can't use or earn points for the Residences.
• They are building an Andaz and St. Regis on Turks and Caicos now too.
• The H20 Resort on Long Bay Beach is a small boutique hotel that is good for people that are independent travelers and enjoy watersports as they have a kite surfing school and tons of rentals.
• Tamara is going back to Turks and Caicos in the fall for a Family Travel Association conference at Beaches Turks and Caicos (stay tuned!!)
• On Thursday nights there is a fish fry with food trucks, music, and artisans/souvenir vendors. The Junkanoo band performs and it is such a lot of fun.
• You can island hop by ferry or plane (but there is a separate terminal for domestic flights)
• You can also go scuba diving, snorkeling, charter a boat for fishing or island hopping, or boat out to the tiki bar off Long Bay Beach.

Kim recently took a quick trip to her happy place, Disneyland, to attend a special media preview of its 70th anniversary celebration. This yearlong celebration features new entertainment from fireworks to parades, special celebratory food items, decorations throughout the park, and fun interactive activations.

There are also promotional package deals available through Kim's partner Getaway Today. Learn more here and use code 'Stuffed Suitcase" when purchasing to save an additional $10 off a 2+ night vacation package.

Learn more about Disneyland's 70th celebration foods here: https://disneyparksblog.com/dlr/disney-eats-disneyland-70th-celebration-foodie-guide/

See more of the special events and decorations on Kim’s Insta post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJskA7ZJRKD/

Related Episodes:

• Girls' trip to Oceanside, California and Disneyland
• Disneyland and Irvine, California
• Disneyland Holidays
• Planning a trip to Disneyland
• Disneyland travel tips