Traditions, customs, habits, beliefs, attitudes, whatever you wish to call them, we all have them. The holiday season seems to bring them out in full force.

Whether it be lighting the Menorah that has been passed down in your family for generations, or heading out to the local tree farm to choose the perfect Christmas tree, they are part of who we are.

Through the years these traditions are perhaps tweaked or even evolve through circumstance. Not everything has to stay exactly as it was through the years.

Growing up, I remember my Mom staying up all night on Christmas Eve to put together teh finishing touches for not one, but two hosted meals on Christmas Day.  We would start our day hosting brunch for friends and neighbors. Later in the day, family would arrive for a grand Christmas feast. 

I needed a few items to finish off my mantle decorations last week, so I popped into Michael’s on a Saturday afternoon. I was immediately overwhelmed I sent a text to an interior decorator friend that read “I just spent 47 seconds in a Michael’s store and nearly hyperventilated.” Luckily she came to my rescue and the result of her work is pictured below. 

It made me think about how few things really overwhelm me but also realizing that I needed to delegate this task to get the outcome I had been envisioning. While decorating my mantle for Christmas certainly isn’t on the same scale as planning all the steps to a vacation, they can both be overwhelming. 

Have you ever turned to google to get a quick answer to a travel question and gotten 6.2 million results in .4 seconds? Have you planned out what you think will be the perfect itinerary only to find out that the museum you had your heart set on visiting is closed the day you tried to visit? Have you ever thought you would just hop in an Uber when you arrive at the airport to take you to your hotel only to learn that Uber doesn’t service the airport you flew into? Each of these scenarios can be overwhelming, but when you rely on the services of a travel professional to plan your vacation you won’t have to deal with any of these. 

When faced with the task of decorating, something I don’t do very often, I was overwhelmed, just as many of you are when faced with the task of planning your annual vacation. I turned to an expert when I was in need. You should do the same. The average traveler takes only one vacation a year lasting over a week. I plan them every day. From the moment you and I have our first planning session about your vision for your vacation until you return home I take care of every detail.

The best part of my job is the opportunity to help clients realize their dreams of seeing the world.

Leave the details to me and you get to sit back, relax and enjoy the memories. Contact me, or one of the other travel professionals at Slaydon’s Travel. We can make getting there as easy as being there!

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Questions? I’ve heard a ton of them about our family vacation this month to Italy! This week I’ll tackle the three I’ve heard most often, let me know if you have others that you’d like answered. 

#1 – Why did  you spend most of your time in one spot rather than seeing more of Italy while you were gone?

We had 9 nights in Italy and there are a ton of different options we could have done. The most popular perhaps being Rome, Florence and Venice. Our big draw for this trip was to visit dear friends who live along the coast near Naples. We had visited the Amalfi Coast briefly several years ago we knew that it was an area we wanted to explore more in-depth. Even then I was met with queries as to why not do a few days there then do two nights in Rome, 2 in Florence and 2 in (insert any destination, I heard them all)? Did we have time? Of course we did, but we didn’t want to spend all of our time in transit to the next spot. By spending the first week along the coast we were able to really get a feel for the area and relax. We got off the beaten path and visited sites that we hadn’t been able to get to before during our brief visit. We were able to slow down and enjoy the area rather than see it out of a window as we sped through in a few days. We chose to spend our last two nights in Rome so we could schedule a photo session with Flytographer, take a kid friendly tour of the Vatican Museums and more easily prepare for our return flight from Rome rather than take an early train that morning. 

#2 – Why would you want to go there in the Winter instead of “in season”?

Sure, November is known as the rainy season along the coast, but we had some really great weather. Aside from one or two days where we had a brief shower, I hardly wore a jacket. Actually, the heaviest jacket I took with me was a raincoat. We had beautiful sunny days and temps averaging in the mid 60’s. We were able to drive the Amalfi Coast road only seeing a handful of cars instead of inching along in bumper to bumper traffic as we would have done during the summer. We visited archeological sites that were thousands of years old and had one of them to ourselves, in Capua. We probably saw 10-15 other people at Paestum and the day we visited Pompeii the crowds were very very light until we were getting ready to leave and the cruise ship excursions arrived for their afternoon tour. We had our choice of outdoor cafes in Sorrento and even in Rome. 

#3 – Isn’t school important to your daughter?

Absolutely, school is important, but equally important is enhancing her education beyond her classroom. We take full advantage of school holidays and the week we were gone she had two days off school. She completed several tests and assignments before we left town and kept up with the work while we were gone so she did not have any tasks to make up when she returned. She studied Ancient Rome last year and was able to share a lot of what she learned as we toured the sites. But more important, to me, was that she was able to really put into context what she had read in those textbooks. She was able to wander around and explore the underground chambers of  Capua, the second largest amphitheater in the Roman Empire and dating back to 600BC. The best description in a book or even a video can’t replace that experience.

When you’re ready to start planning your next vacation, and you want a professional to have your back while you travel, I would love to help.  Click here to set up your appointment and we can get started today!

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Happy Thanksgiving from the Slaydon’s Travel family to yours.

We hope you are planning to enjoy a day filled with all that you love. This season of thanks we are most grateful for the family of clients that we are able to serve. It is a pleasure helping all of you realize your dreams to see the world. 

If you are a black Friday shopper, enjoy your early morning bargain hunting. I on the other hand will be following the lead of popular outdoor outfitter, REI and enjoying the beauty of some time outside with the ones I love.  #OptOutside #VacationForGood

I took my own weekly advice and went on a family vacation. I got back in the office yesterday after almost two weeks away. We had a wonderful time visiting friends in Italy, but I did want to share with you some of the unexpected surprises that we encountered along the way, and how we made the best of things. 

We were scheduled to fly to Europe on the evening of Friday, November 3rd. I received a text from the airline on Tuesday, October 31st saying that our flight had been cancelled. Now what? I’m the person I tell you to  call when things like this happen. I jumped on the phone to the travel professional help desk withthe airline and avoided the long hold times that the airlines are famous for. Within minutes my flight was rebooked for Thursday, instead of Friday and we had an extra day of vacation on the books.Unfortunately, it also meant that I had one less day to get my family ready to leave for vacation.

We had an easy drive to the airport for our flight and arrived in London for our connection to Rome in a very thick fog. This meant that most flights from London were cancelled for the remainder of the day. With another stroke of luck I was able to talk my way into the First Class service line. This meant that there were only 4 travelers infront of us waiting for a representative, as opposed to the hundreds of travelers waiting in the economy line. Even with the short line it was still an hour before we reached a representative and had a new plan. She tried several different routes to get us to Italy that day, but none would work.

We decided to make the best of it and stay in London overnight. As light packers we had all of our bags with us as carry on instead of checked baggage so we were prepared. The airline booked our hotel, gave us vouchers for breakfast, lunch and dinner for all three of us and round trip transportation vouchers to get from the airport to the hotel and back.

The best decision we made was to choose an afternoon flight the next day to get to Rome, rather than the earliest available flight. By choosing a later flight we had the opportunity to sleep in the next morning and avoid a ton of jetlag!

We checked into the hotel, dropped our bags, freshened up and hopped in an Uber to explore London. Sure, we could have just crashed at the hotel and complained about the fog and the cancelled flight, but why? The fog lifted and we had a lovely day walking the streets of London from Trafalgar Square  past Buckingham Palace and then to Harrod’s department store, which was completely decked out for Christmas.

The next morning, instead of setting an alarm for 3am to make a 7am flight we slept in, had a lovey breakfast at the hotel (using our voucher) and arrived at the airport just before 10am for our flight to Rome.

The weather was a bit rainy, but luckily there was no fog in sight. We arrived in Rome on schedule. Ironically, exactly on our original schedule! We then took the train to Naples and spent a lovely week along the coast before returning to Rome for a few days at the end of the trip. I’ll share more in the coming weeks about why we decided to concetrate so much time along the coast instead of “seeing all of Italy” in the 10 days we were gone. We had a lovely trip that easily could have been sent off kilter by the cancelled flights we encountered at the beginning, but we made the best of it and have some wonderful memories.  

When you’re ready to start planning your next vacation, and you want a professional to have your back while you travel, I would love to help.  Click here to set up your appointment and we can get started today!

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Has the fear of jet lag after a long flight have you putting off the vacation you’ve been dreaming about?

Of course you know I’m going to remind you that the pro’s of seeing the World far outweigh the con’s of flying! However, I also wanted to share these tips that may help convince you:

10 tips to making long flights more bearable

#1 – now is the time to pack those cool travel accessories that you really don’t need to lug around for short hops. Specifically the eye mask and  the neck pillow (preferably inflatable for space saving, but the J-Pillow is highly recommended by several of my colleagues)  

#2 – start your preparation a few days early by trying to acclimate yourself to the timezone you’ll visit – certainly easier said than done for some destinations. Australia for example is 14 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. However those traveling from the East Coast of the US to Europe will find the time change much more manageable.

#3 – keep away from caffeine and alcohol. You’re better off sticking to water to stay hydrated. We all know how dehydrated we can get on a short flight – it’s really important to stay hydrated on long haul flights as well. I like to take along an empty water bottle to fill once I get on the plane. This way I don’t have to rely on the tiny cups of water being refilled each time the attendant is walking by.

#4 – drinking all that water pays off when it’s time to wander down the aisle to the restroom. Take advantage of the “fasten seatbelt” sign being turned off and make a few slow laps around the aisles to get some exercise. 

#5 – when you do get stuck in your seat for long periods of time, it’s important to move around and stretch as often as you can. Do ankle rotations, neck rolls, look over each shoulder, anything you can do to keep from getting stiff. Did you see the Slaydon’s Travel Facebook post last week about yoga poses you can practice in-flight? 

#6 – now is the time to binge watch those TV shows your friends have been raving about, or the newest movie releases that you’ve been too busy to catch. You’ll have plenty of time on even a cross country flight to catch more than a few hours worth of entertainment.

#7-  once you board the plane go ahead and change your watch to the local time in your destination

#8 – when it gets to be your normal bedtime in your destination, that’s a good time to use the cool accessories we talked about in tip #1 and try to get some rest.  Make sure you stick with your normal bedtime routine as well, such as getting up to brush your teeth, wash your face, etc. This helps trigger your body into it’s normal routine. It also helps to have children change into their favorite pair of PJ’s just before trying to nod off.

#9 – pack a pashmina, light blanket or a sweater in your carry on. We all know how cold airplanes can get at times.

#10 – bring along a few of your favorite tea bags, especially those that you find help you sleep, calm your stomach or perhaps even give you that morning jolt, although remember tip #3 about staying away from caffeine!

Hopefully you were able to get a few nuggets to add to the “pro” column when considering that next trip.When you’re ready to start planning your next experience, I would love to help.  Click here to set up your appointment and we can get started today!

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It’s that time of year again! When talk around the water cooler turns to how much vacation time you still have on the books. It’s not too late to plan a last minute getaway and avoid the inevitable “honey do” list if you use that vacation time to do work around the house.

“This forgone time results in $61.4 billion in forfeited benefits annually.” as reported by Project Time Off 

If you are one of the many Americans not utilizing the benefit of your paid vacation days, what are you waiting for?

Here are 3 hot European destinations to stretch your vacation budget and use those days in 2017 before you lose them! 

 #1 – London

London is an easy hop for those of you who don’t have a full two weeks to spend abroad. Full of culture and fun it’s an easy destination to get away for a short vacation to reconnect with your spouse while you catch a broadway quality show and enjoy the pub scene.

#3 – A river cruise visiting the European Christmas markets

For the past several  years  these ships would fill up months and months in advance. More recently so much inventory has been added with the release of new ships that believe it or not, there are still a few cabins available for sailings between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. There are some wonderful promotions for European airfare during this time as well – there is no better time to experience Europe via the rivers!

Hopefully I’ve given you some food for thought as you make plans for the rest of 2017. Don’t let the benefit of your vacation days go to waste. The travel professionals here at Slaydon’s Travel are ready to help you make the most of your vacation time. Click here to get started using those days before you lose them! 

I had the pleasure of attending a luncheon yesterday with one of our vendors, Holland America Line. I listened to updates on their ship renovations, the new ship they are building and the new itineraries they are introducing, but one thing stood out. There was a short segment on experiences. Oprah starts the video by saying “you are going to remember this experience on Holland America in a way that you wouldn’t remember if you spent the money on a thing”  Click the photo to watch. 

I really love what she says about guests of her show who attended the filming of the episodes that highlighted Oprah’s Favorite Things. These episodes were all about the swag and receiving material things. As she reflects in the video above she says that if you go back now and ask the people who were there about those episodes, “they won’t remember the stuff, they will remember the experience of being in the moment where something magical happened.”

Ultimately, that’s what travel is all about, it’s enjoying the journey, the experience, the magic.

It’s not about checking off boxes on a bucket list, it’s about the serendipity of stepping out of your comfort zone and exploring beyond your front porch.

It’s the people you meet along the way. It’s visiting the restaurant that was recommended by your taxi driver and having the best Rouladen you’ve had since your Grandmother used to fix it on special occasions.

It’s visiting the small village that your Great Grandfather grew up in before he sailed to a new life in America.

It’s strolling down the beach you vacationed with when you were a kid, only now it’s  your parents and your children. It’s all about the experiences.

When you’re ready to start planning your next experience, I would love to help.  Click here to set up your appointment and we can get started today!

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Halloween is just around the corner! It’s a season full of treats, my favorite is the pumpkin ice cream at our nearby pumpkin patch. But anyone with kids knows it’s also the season of tricks! It seems the level of surprise gets more elaborate each year. Travel, on the other hand, shouldn’t be full of surprises!

Have you ever been tricked into believing any of these common travel misconceptions? While there are certainly any number of myths that we could discuss, I’m going to stick to the top 5 travel myths this week.

#1 – “Waiting until the last minute the vacation price will go down.”

Unfortunately, I’ve seen too many times a family, couple or individual traveler put off purchasing the vacation they want because they think the price will get lower as the trip gets closer, in the end the price sky rockets and they miss out on a great deal and stay home. Even if a cruise line or a resort offers a rare last minute deal, often the inflated air cost to get to the destination negates any savings and only escalates the stress level of the traveler. In most cases the further in advance that you book, the better the value.

#2 – “Travelers checks are the way to go when traveling internationally.”

While this may have been the case years ago, and offered a great deal of consumer protection, this is no longer the case. Once the norm, travelers checks have fallen off the radar of many international merchants.

#3 – “Duty free is always a  great deal!” 

This is answer is a bit trickier. Sometimes, in the case of liquor or tobacco this could be the case. While with pricier items or those that are not heavily taxed, such as perfume, cosmetics or sunglasses, the prices you will pay in the duty free shop are often higher than you would pay at home. The moral to this story is to know your prices! While the $5 bottle of Rum might be a great deal, if you’re only saving $2 on the bottle of Scotch is it really worth lugging all over Europe?

#4 – “I will get a better exchange rate if I get Euros before leaving home.”

While it’s always nice to have a few Euros in your pocket before heading overseas it is not always your best value. You have to make sure that you are aware of the exchange rates as well as the fees and/or commissions that your bank is charging. It’s always a good rule of thumb to compare these charges to the ATM charges you would incur overseas. ATM’s are common place in international airports and you can often sidestep the commissions charged for currency exchange. We always recommend that you talk to your banker about where you are traveling and make sure that you can access your account through the ATM machines in those countries.

#5 – “Using a travel professional will cost more than if I book my own trip on the internet.” 

Quite often the opposite is true. Nothing compares to the value that a travel professional can add to your vacation. Trusting a professional can stretch your vacation budget and get added values and amenities that you didn’t even know existed. On the flip side, it can also prevent your investing your hard earned vacation budget on the wrong vacation. Any travel professional would hate to see a client invest their vacation time and budget into the wrong vacation just because the client thinks it’s a good deal.

I hope this has helped to clear up some very common misconceptions about travel and vacations. Now if you hear any of the above, you won’t be tricked!  As always, if there are any questions or concerns that you have about your upcoming vacation, we at Slaydon’s Travel are here to help.

Click here to set up your appointment and we can get started today!

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Collaboration is defined as “the action of working with someone to produce or create something.” It’s also my favorite part of the vacation planning process.

My being able to sit down with a client face to face, or via the phone and put onto paper the ideas and dreams they have for travel is essential. Through this process, I am able to listen to what really excites and interests the traveler.

Together we are able to really get to the root of why a destination has been chosen. Often, travelers focus on price instead of value. Remember, price is what you pay, value is what you get. Of course, we all want a great deal, but if it’s not the right destination, season or property for your wish list, it’s not a good deal, regardless of the price!

There are a lot of “shiny red objects” that distract during the decision process. It is important to make sure that you are “comparing apples to apples” and not getting off track and distracted.

Click here and lets make some plans together to craft the vacation of your dreams.

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