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“Why did I buy it”?
Women like to scratch their shopping itch when traveling abroad. Here are a few items to reconsider.
Shoes. Shoes in Western Europe, especially Portugal, Spain and Italy are mouth-wateringly attractive and cheap. Bear in mind the following: the ‘last’ used in European shoes can be different from the ‘last’ used in shoes made for the American market. European shoes can be narrower, with sizing based on centimeters not inches. The difference in measurement can alter the shoe fit.…
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Be Your Own Concierge
Even in a group tour like The Women’s Travel Group, you might want to book an extra goody, with guaranteed transportation. You can use a concierge; but be aware they might get a commission and might only offer expensive suggestions.
Some apps we use in North America can be used overseas. Uber is the best example. When in another country, your Uber app works, debits your credit card with a fair US exchange rate. Not sure Uber is available? Click on the app and it will show asap if it works in say Tokyo or Bangkok.…
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Women and Travel Constipation
It is not The New York Times we grew up with. An excellent recent article in the Travel Section was about Travel Constipation. We, women relate. Some of us fret. Some worry ahead of time. Worst, some women do not travel at all for fear of mixed up “internal” health.
The Times has the following suggestions and we added more.
Drink more liquids on the plane and on the trip.
Don’t sit in one position the whole time.…
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Airline App Lesson 101
How likely are senior women to load electronic travel apps on smart phones? I say: highly unlikely. Most of us are half in the modern and half in the non-electronic world. We love sending photos with phones; we hesitate to manage flights on the smart phone airline app.
Here is why it is best to learn the airline app and get on with it.
You have control over your reservation. You have easy access to the record locator or id number of your flight and its departure times.…
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What Traveling Women Fear
Travel advertising is a turn off to us senior women. Brochure photos show clothing often associated with hiking, and the outdoors. Jackets by Patagonia? Shirts by Columbia? Parachute pants by LL Bean? Women travelers often analyze clothing especially shoes to assess the group. Women travelers do not relate to groups wearing fly fishing outfits. In sum, travel clothing in industry brochures is a turn off to senior women. We are retired or still working professionals; we need to be a teeny bit of a slob on the road. …
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Women & Packing Obsessions
I am guilty of being a perfectionist. Similarly many woman are obsessed with minutiae when they travel. Here are simple packing solutions to make you less fraught when you join The Women’s Travel Group.
Leave home most make up. Honestly no one cares in Florence, if your skin glows less without your serum.
Wear socks twice, no one will mind; there are no socks’ police in Japan.
Tiny spot on your tee shirt? Enjoying your bistro meal on the Cote D’Azur, no one sees it.…
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Senior Women love Hotel Lotions?
Women, especially senior women love mini bottles in hotel bathrooms. We hoard tiny bottles of fancy lotions, shampoos, conditioners. The Women’s Travel Group is telling you, these bottles are going going gone. Major hotel chains are ending these goodies, because single use plastic is toxic. There is push back, particularly by younger guests who are their market more than are we, the female seniors.
In 2019, industry leader, Marriott announced the end small plastic amenity bottles.…
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Scots Irish Smile at Americans
Why do these two areas feel connected to Americans? We can start with the language: English. When you visit Scotland and Ireland and hear local English, you might think it is a foreign language. Both can be heavily accented to our ears. Some areas are influenced by Gaelic and some by England’s English. Posh accents like those of Ewan McGregor or Sean Connery are familiar to movie buffs. Connery is especially known to us from James Bond.
We are family. 5 million Americans have Scottish ancestry; the Scottish diaspora remains connected via church, culture, and the many societies we see in parades.…
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How to Get an Airline Upgrade
What is the deal with airline upgrades? If you are not an ultra frequent flier, you will rarely get a free upgrade. Below are a few insider tips to up the ante. The Women’s Travel Group offers excellent airfares with our award winning tours to Scotland and Ireland plus Sicily and Malta.
1-Flying with a friend, book separately. Recently I was number one for a Delta upgrade. I fly more than my husband so have higher status.…
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New Refund Rules
Refunds? New Rules for Air Ticket Refunds
The Biden White House announced new rules for consumers regarding our plane tickets. A few items are below. Some of the rules are still grayish; it is still worth a careful reading of the full statement.
Currently you get a refund if the airline cancels the flight not due to weather. NEW A consumer is entitled to a refund if the airline cancels a flight, regardless of the reason, and the consumer chooses not to travel.…