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Is it Odd to Travel Solo for Christmas?
Do we all fit the image of ‘happy family with turkey and gifts under the tree”? Or are you with no family, and friends who invite you because you make a great cake? You are not an oddball; we hear this all the time.
No matter what your religion, going away for Christmas removes you from the intensity, memories, and obligations of the season. Leaving home and family, if you have any, means more than ‘taking a trip’. It is a form of refreshing independence. …
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Quick Efficient Way to find out if a Place is Safe
This question came up today from a woman who is thinking of going to Iran with The Women’s Travel Group in August 2015. So here are a few quick ways to self-comfort and hush your family/friends about travel to unusual places:
Will our general travel insurance cover you? If the insurance company will cover you, then breathe easily. (Iran by the way, is covered by major travel insurance companies including ours, Travel Insured).
Is the place on a DO NOT GO actual warning from major Western governments?…
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Winter Travel Clothes: What to Wear Where to Buy
The Women’s Travel Group offers some trips during winter, like Paris for The Holidays Dec 21-28. Although we visit the world capital of fashion, there is no reason to ‘dress up’ for the trip. Just be comfortable. Here is our suggested wardrobe for European cities in winter. And for winter river cruises like New Year’s on The Rhine with us. From top to bottom, here is what works:
Winter coat, gloves and if you get cold easily, wear a down jacket under your coat.…
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What You Never Thought to do in Paris
The Women’s Travel Group city trips are also for 2nd time visitors; we always include trending places. Join us on one of the few remaining places by sending in a booking form. Info below.
When you join us in Paris for the Holidays Dec 21-28, Christmas markets will be ending. However, there are street markets all year. If you wander past an organic market, scour it for herbal perfume and soap- delicate flavors of times past. Blvd Raspail has a Sunday market worth a few minutes. …
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Super Cheap Gifts to Grab on our Paris Holiday Tour Dec 21-28
So you are going to Paris with us for Christmas Season, and you are going solo. For those of you on the sidelines: Dec 21 depart or leave earlier as some women are doing, and return Dec 28. If you leave earlier, we book you into our centrally located hotel and put you in touch with the other early birds. Come alone, shares are guaranteed. Limited Space Left.
How about treating yourself with some cheap and cheerful gifts
Here are five goodies to bring home, no matter how slim your budget.…
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Who hates Reading Lists?
The Women’s Travel Group usually supplies a list of recommended books plus movies filmed in the area we are visiting. This is not school, so why bother?
Some books like The Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo open up the under belly of a Indian community that the tourist might not notice. Others celebrate a historic Indian Raj romance that brings history to life: Heat and Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala.
Some are fictionalized versions of real events: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghes, set in Ethiopia, and others are straight history: Charles King’s The Black Sea about Turkey.…
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Uber Services Frenemies? Or Friends?
Today I read in travel news that Virgin America in Dallas Love Airport is giving free rides by Uber for passengers. Besides being frequent flyers, most of us are also frequent taxi to the airport people. Who do you use?
Taxis can be hard to find during bad weather, holidays, even Fridays after work. In some cities regular taxis now at least have a smart phone app like Uber offers. Radio cabs which you can book on line usually charge a few more dollars than taxis but they are reservable.…
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Why Hotel Rooms Frighten Women
On a first solo trip many of us are scared in the hotel room. The Women’s Travel Group (www.thewomenstravelgroup.com) hears that from its members. We might be veteran travelers, but we are not veteran single occupiers. Can we order room service and calmly open the door? Is the lock working? Who in the hotel knows we are alone? What if we get sick? If the alarm clock malfunctions? If we fall in the shower?…
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Is Godzilla Your Travel Mate?
Many women want to save money by sharing a room on a Women’s Travel Group tour. However, they fear the imagined consequences. Here are some situations and how women solved them:
A woman talked non stop. Her share elegantly said: I am a very quiet person and I live alone in a very quiet apartment. She got the idea and stopped.
Another lady hogged the bathroom counter. Just move the stuff and create a fair division. Duh.
One of my shares broke her foot and needed constant help. …
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Airport Dangers and Preventatives
So we are ready for that fantastic trip. We called our bank to say we would be overseas, rechecked all our passwords and hid them somewhere, stopped the paper, rechecked tickets and passports for the nth time. What now can possibly go wrong?
The most common mistakes are so easy to make!
You don’t separate out the small change you will need for a taxi or airport food. Then you pull out a wad from your money belt, and drop some of it.…
