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Five Travel Habits to Erase Today!
We all have some irritating habits and there are 5 travelers must get rid of in order to have the best trip.
1- Second guessing the guide: guides take travelers all the time, truly they know best when it comes to doing their job.2-Overpacking and asking others to help: if you must bring your rock collection…. do not expect others in our group to help you carry it
3-Always being late: we are a pretty punctual group of women, but from time to time we need to chase someone up.…
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Boo Hoo for Frequent Travelers
We all thought that PreCheck was for us special people who did not need as much TSA security at airports. PreCheck people do not have to take off their shoes, remove laptops or light outer garments. Ha, it is of course it is not going to be free for much longer. Here is the bad news: PreCheck has been marketing us so we get used to preferential treatment.
Beginning soon, you will be asked to pay for PreCheck or go back to the end of the line.…
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White Sneakers & Other Travel Do Not's
We used to say: Do not wear white sneakers as it labels you as an American tourist not good for bargaining in markets). Now we say: Can you even buy white sneakers anymore? A shopping excursion for new sneakers for our December 2014 Sicily trip and its walking on Greco-Roman ruins, unveils that sneakers today are neon colored, often psychodelic wild. However many are ultra light in ounces, making them easily packable.
We usually suggest comfy walking shoes, and packing lightly so guess we’ll go with the hot pink Nikes.…
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How To Navigate A Travel Show
If you are planning on coming to The New York Times Travel Show, here is how to get the most out of it and not come home with a broken back.
Wear comfy shoes; the floor of the Javits Ctr is concrete.
Bring a small stapler and simply staple a business card to the info you wish instead of carrying home heavy brochures.
Prepare a business card of your own to drop into info bowls if you wish to be on a mailing list.… -
Sicily: Christmas Markets, Street Processions and Farm Food
A Unique Christmas Markets Trip to Sicily December 4-12 2014
With Christmas Markets, Holiday Street Processions, Archaeological Sites, Wineries Shopping, Farmhouse Food
$2599 land only (until July 1 2014, then $2799) Single: $525 Shares guaranteed for early bookings.December 4 -12 2014
Some of us will overnight in Rome on Dec. 4, staying at the Rome Airport Hilton. (The Rome Airport Hilton has a free shuttle into town and is connected to the airport, making it an easy place to rendezvous.)…
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Holiday Gifts for Women Travelers
Here are our choices for Holiday Gifts for Women who Adore Traveling.
A lesson in using your phone as a camera. A smart phone has many applications which are free or close to free. But for electronic idiots like me, they can be hard to understand. Many camera stores, libraries and Apple stores give lessons. I learned how to take quick unnoticed photos without clicking the aperture! Women travelers are less likely to be electronically savvy.
Better suitcase: the best suitcases for us women are those that swivel so you can drag or ‘walk’ your case.…
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Ixtapan versus Ixtapa
Since we are getting many new requests for Ixtapan Spa Discount Week, Feb. 9-16… let’s spell the place right. Many Mexican words have ‘x’ in them, I think the Spanish substituted x for difficult indigenous words they could not pronounce.
Ixtapan de la Sal (Sal being salt) is a mountain village long known as a place with mineral waters and one where affluent Mexicans have weekend homes. Ixtapa is a beach resort with modern hotels and cruise ships. So if you are planning to come, be aware that we will be in gorgeous mountains in a colonial village, with cool evenings and mainly dry days.…
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Avoiding the Single Supplement
Catherine Hamm of the Los Angeles Times published an article about The Women’s Travel Group’s unique room share guarantee. She asked me why women would share and how do we explain this guarantee when women call us.
Here goes: more women share today than ever, because of the rising cost of hotels and related cost of single supplements. Hotels will not waive this cost so the discussion of getting rid of supplements is a poof in no one’s ears.
We guarantee everyone who asks for a share, that she will get one.…
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Carrying gifts on Airplanes
Like many of you, I will be bringing gifts for my family next week and on that super- crowded Thanksgiving flight. Yes, even we professional travelers end up on the most overbooked flights! Here is my conundrum: how do I pack the gifts so they do not disappear at the TSA scanner? Ideas welcomed from all of you.
So far, I will triple wrap the small things in other containers.
I have alas larger ‘objects’ for the guys in the family.…
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Five Ways to Ruin a Holiday Trip
Read all the scare stories about crowds and overbooking.
(You can easily avoid nerves by getting to the airport early, snack in hand and patience in the brain).
Pack a 40lb carry on bag and expect airline staff to help you hoist it overhead.
(With fashionable leggings, down jackets and comfy walking shoes, who needs this much stuff anymore. Electronic books and mini-computers should be on your personal ‘I want’ gift list this year).
Do not check the weather the night before you leave.…
