• Heavy packables to throw out

    Travel clothes today are easy, leggings have replaced trousers/ washables have replaced cotton. So why is your suitcase so heavy?   Travel doctors tell us that back issues are the number one health problem for traveling women. Moving your heavy case in the hotel room is one reason. So here are some weighty things to leave home.

    Shoes: toss  heavy shoes and replace with light walking shoes. Merrell is one brand that produces solid but light walkers. Also: Easy Spirit, some Rockports, Keen.…

     
  • Dip in Tourism is Brief after Terrorism

    Dip in Tourism is Brief after Terrorism

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    I just returned from Istanbul with  The Women’s Travel Group 19 women, and then London for a wedding. In both places, the tenor of life is very different from that in the States. First of all, people are not scared of their shadows, as they are veterans of both world wars in their backyards.  Europeans do not stop traveling with each headline.

    European newspapers reported in Paris, of course. However, front pages still included domestic politics, arts features, climate, etc. TV news was the same: balanced and matter of fact- not hysterical and frenzied.…

     
  • How to assess danger in travel

    How to assess danger in travel

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    Our group of 19 women returned from Istanbul 3 days ago- see photo at left. The Women’s Travel Group looks at the US, UK and Canadian State Department notices for ongoing news. There had been an incident in Ankara; 1 or 2 women called nervously. What has now happened in Paris is sad and ironic for those who worried about Turkey! We found Istanbul not only safe but so welcoming to us as women and Americans.

    After problems, security is tightest combined with the local population being on alert.…

     
  • 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. …

     
  • 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?…

     
  • 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. …

     
  • Robbery on Overseas Trips

    The Women’s Travel Group has experienced very little crime during our 23 years of tours. But it can happen in rare instances. Here are a few examples and how we handled them happily:

    A lady was pick pocketed in a major European city. She was called at the hotel from someone purporting to have her wallet. We went with her to a public place to meet this person. Yes, he had found it minus the cash, but with all credit cards in place.…

     
  • Icky Toilets and Women's Travels

    Women are skittish about using bathrooms overseas. Frankly speaking, it is harder for us to ‘activate’, right? Our noses never had the ‘locker room experience’, and we are more prone to infections.

    The Women’s Travel Group tries to find the cleanest facilities on all our trips. Our guides know where to take us; many will forewarn if the bathroom is an un-preferred situation. In India, our guide uses the terms: happy bathroom or unhappy bathroom. You get it.

    Advice on bathrooms i personal, however here is mine: Wear pans or leggings you can roll up to at least your knees.…

     
  • Uber Services  Frenemies? Or Friends?

    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.…

     
  • Craziest Airline Meals

    Some years ago, a Women’s Travel Group member ordered a vegetarian meal for her flight. Here is what she got: a snickers bar and an apple! Well the trip was to our favorite spa, Ixtapan Spa, and she joked the entire time about ‘selling her snickers’ bar to us dieters’. Joking aside, how to make the most of lousy airline food is not impossible.

    Lets start with what NOT to eat. Airplanes make you gassy so avoid any foods like broccoli,onions,beans, carbonated drinks that already do that effectively.…

     
 
 
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