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Airline Fees: Yikes
Shortly The Transportation Dept will be requiring airlines and travel agents to list all fees on your ticket. These fees include the usual like security, agriculture etc but now the list is growing longer and longer. Services like checked bags, preferred seating. extra luggage (mainly on discount airlines in Europe) and other fees are involved. Spirit Airlines even charges for carry on bags!
Approximately 18% of the entire ticket is today only fees….. Airlines of course say that this new listing requirement would be expensive.…
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Regroup on a Group tour?
Have you ever wanted one quiet night on a busy tour? I have and here is what I do besides wash hair and get into jammies.I buy a light dinner from a nearby supermarket. Towards the front where workers buy their lunch one finds. cheese and fruit cut up already plus small bottles of wine- get only a screw top. Supermarkets overseas are often in basement areas of department stores so you need to ask. “Following other people’s bags” is a good way to identify a store or an open air market.…
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Packing for Summer Rain
Summer brings easy packing with light clothes and no coats, but how do you protect yourself again getting wet? And worse than that, from staying wet! A few ideas from The Women’s Travel Group:
Obvious: bring the tiny umbrellas now on sale. The Container Store has a lot of travel items and a slimline umbrella.
Next pack a few cheap or hotel shower caps and wear under a scarf or baseball cap. Mantra: never leave athe free shower cap in the hotel bathroom, they have many uses.…
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Last Minute Summer Travel Specials
This Summer, why go where the crowds go, in the heat and humidity or Europe. Try this Hemisphere and fly south to Argentina and Peru, the two most visited countries in S. America. Avoiding crowds but still getting good weather has benefits beyond those you are aware of.
Flights are less crowded, seating easier and staff less harried. Going a bit off season means cheaper hotels and restaurants that do not need pre-booking. People in the destination have more time to talk with you in shops, and museums and in Argentina are more anxious to give you a deal with US Dollars.…
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Souvenirs Tips: Trash Them or Treasure Them
With our 22 years of women’s trips from The Women’s Travel Club and Group, all of us have loads of souvenirs brought back with love and memories from our travels. Some have true artistic value, some are true horrors. Here are some clean out/ hang up tips for your detritus.
Make piles of small cheap items, arrange by color/shape or materials. If you cannot see an evolving collection, toss.
Move flat items onto a sheet of paper and see if they might look better hanging on the wall.…
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Do Spa and Fitness Trips for Women Require Preparation
Spa and Fitness trips for women require preparation if you want to get the most out of your stay and your $$ investment? Each year we go to Ixtapan Fitness and Spa Resort. several times.
Clothes: This is not a fashion show. Don’t worry about your wardrobe. Bring what is comfortable, especially your shoes and/or walking shoes for rain days. Do not bring brand new sneakers or hiking shoes; you will regret your purchase if they are uncomfortable and you are not near stores.…
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Five Essential Hotel Must Haves for Women 55+
Women Staff Behind the Desk.
Who wants to discuss concerns with male staff who are ‘5’ years old and look through you?
Shower Caps.
Most of us are not in that daily hair washing routine and want to preserve whatever color we pay fortunes for.
Lots of extra toilet paper and not so rough please.
No comment here
Easy to operate alarm clocks.
Even the PHD’s amongst us cannot set many hotel alarm clocks. That also means they sometimes go off at 4AM because the last guest was on Tokyo time.…
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What to do when Your seatmate is Unruly
Today a SWAir jet had to stop in Omaha to get a crazed passenger off the plane (he tried to open the read hatch). What can you do if someone near you is difficult, odd or actually talking scary? The answer is not really much. My experience was with a man who refused to let me lower my seat back on an 8 hour flight. He was aggressive towards me and then towards the crew.
The answer is here: first ask crew for help.…
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India Tourism Award: Women's Trip to India
The Women’s Travel Group is thrilled to tell you that our strategic partners, SITA World Tours have won the prestigious National Tourism Award for Best Incoming Tour Operator to India from The United States and Canada.
In order to bring your country expertise, we partnered with SITA some 18 months ago for India, West and South Africa and certain areas of South America. This partnership has created wonderful experiences for us, to be repeated in our annual India Trip with Pushkar Camel Market extension: October 26-November 4/6 2014.…
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Travel Safety Warnings and What to do about Cancelling
Q: Are Travel Advisories and State Department Warnings Covered?
This information is from TravelInsured our travel insurance company. The question on their newsletter was: does travel insurance cover you if an area is under a State Dept warning or caution. Do note: we do not go to areas under State Dept warnings. Only once did we cancel a trip for 25 going to Egypt; they were all refunded promptly and well before we were paid.Answer from TravelInsured: No, these types of events are not covered under any travel insurance policy unless you purchase the Optional Cancel For Any Reason.…