Top Travel Tips July 2015

ENGLAND

Summer is high season in the the Lake District, Cotswold’s and the New Forest, but view these areas in September and early October, before the weather turns cold! Off season rates at Chewton Glen and the spa-centric Barnsley House offer shoulder season rates you can’t ignore.

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TURKEY

From SEP 5-NOV 1 visit Istanbul and enjoy the 2015 contemporary art-focused Biennial with venues along the Bosphorus. You’ll also get excellent fall rates at hotels, including the new Raffles Istanbul and St. Regis Istanbul.

 

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NEW ZEALAND

Now is the time to visit new Zealand! Thanks to the strong US Dollar, which is up 10 percent. Enjoy the Annandale Resort, near Christchurch and the restaurant Oliver’s Lodge, outside Queenstown.

 

The Downside of Not Taking Vacations

Vacations. Everybody wants them, but not everybody takes them. And the negative consequences of not taking a vacation is significant; such as too much stress, declining health and even poor performance and productivity at work.

What is amazingly is that Americans and Canadians are given some of the fewest paid vacations and holidays in the world, and still don’t take all the days that are allowed.  Read More

So make a New Years resolution to plan some quality time off to vacation with your family.

 

World’s Friendliest Cities

Travel is usually more enjoyable when the locals are friendly and helpful.

A recent Conde Nast Traveler Readers Choice survey voted Melbourne, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand the world’s most friendly cities.

Among North American cities Charleston, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia and Victoria, British Columbia in Canada made the top ten list.

Early Bookings Give Extraordinary Value and Savings!

In a sign of strengthening demand, vacations are being booked early for next year and even 2016!

Normally, this time of year savvy travelers are booking their holiday vacations for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.  Families already are planning from their children’s work/school calendar and taking advantage of our promotional rates for Asia, South Pacific, Africa, Caribbean/Hawaii, Europe and South America.

Multi generational vacations are popular and many include a focus or a ‘theme’ ~ culinary tours, historic/cultural trips, soft adventure, etc.,  And many are being booked for 2015 and 2016!

With multigenerational travel, you’ve got to plan ahead or its gone.  Booking early is the key for scoring the best travel deals.  Clients have strong preferences and specific needs – if they want to go on a bike tour to a particular place, there are only so many spaces ~ they want what they want.  Same goes for river cruising – once the 140 or 150 staterooms are booked, that’s it.  Looking for a family suite or connecting rooms?  Most resorts/luxury hotels have limited availability.

Our focus on wine and culinary vacations have increased dramatically.  Food travel has emerged as something to experience after the explosion of cable TV cooking shows.  We put together wonderful cooking classes with added amenities that people can’t get on their own and they love the attention to detail.  Couples, singles and families alike; love trying local dishes and talking and connecting with cooking activities.

Of course romance/honeymoon/anniversary trips are always big with guests.  Creating a memorable stay with fun activities is paramount.  With our ‘insider connections’ at select luxury properties; it’s always nice to include a luxe option to surprise our clients.

~ Donna Salerno, CTC, DS, MCC
Certified Travel Consultant, Destination Specialist, Master Cruise Counselor
Escape Artist Extraordinaire

World’s Best Airline

If traveling internationally, then you are probably  flying. How was the experience?

Well, if you are looking for a change perhaps you might consider Cathay Pacific, which was awarded The World’s Best Airline. Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines were next best.

To see who was in the Top Ten, read more >

See Paris For Free

Have you been planning that trip to Paris for years and just need that little extra something to help? Well Google has just the thing.

With Google Maps you can explore all the interesting sites of Paris. Call us to make your travel plans and “voila”, off you go on the best vacation ever.

Google has many interesting destinations to explore. But be careful, this website can be very addictive!

See it now

World’s Best Beaches

After a long cold winter with more snow than most people can remember in their lifetime, thoughts turn towards summer with long lazy days at the beach.

Trip Advisor announced their readers choice for the World’s Top Beaches. Baia do Sancho in Brazil is number one.

For US beaches, Lanikai Beach in Oahu, Hawaii came out on top.

See the other top winners to help plan your next vacation.

Cruiser’s Choice Best Cruise Ships

Cruises continue to grow in popularity. There are so many choices of size and destination. Read the 2014 Cruisers Choice Awards for ideas.

What is the best way to get unbiased recommendations for your next cruise? Well of course you should contact Donna Salerno Travel.

2014 Forbes Travel Guide Star Award Winners

Luxury is a term that is often over-used these days for everything from automobiles to electronics. In travel we often associate luxury with resorts, spas, cruises and fine dining.

Forbes Travel Guide has come out with their 2014 Star Award Winners with the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton mentioned often. Take a look at this outstanding list from around the world.

Safe Travel Advisories

The Canadian government has a helpful map that offers advisories on the level of safety for travel to countries around the world.

As information is subject to change, make sure to check before planning your next trip abroad. See information