So, you’re getting pretty tired of being grounded. Many are beginning to reach out and start the planning process for your 2022 vacation. The common theme seems to be “Where do we even begin?”

This week I’ll share some of my advice on jumping back into the travel pool.

#1 – Be Flexible – I can’t stress this enough moving forward. Things are different than they were back in 2019 when most people took their last big trip oversees. 2022 is chock-a-block full with vacation reservations that were moved from 2020 to 2021 and now 2022. If you are navigating a calendar already full of swim meets and sports games, giving you a tiny window during which everyone can get away, call me now! We need to get started while some availability is still out there.

#2 – Check your passports – especially if your kids were under 16 when they got their last passport. Passports need to be valid for 6 months AFTER your vacation. These last two years with little to no international travel has meant that passports are safely tucked away and forgotten about. Passports are good for 5 years (really 4 1/2) for those under 16 at the time of issue. For those 16 and up, they are good for 10 years (again, really 9 1/2). If your child’s passport wasn’t new when you traveled in 2019, chances are it will be close on that expiration date for 2022 travel.

#3 – Set your budget expectations – the cost of travel has risen dramatically since many of you traveled in 2019. With the “perfect storm” of high demand combined with limited availability we are regularly seeing pricing 40% – 60% higher than what we saw pre-pandemic.

#4 – Plan ahead – it’s already late to be planning Summer 2022 vacations, but if we act quickly and keep the three tips above in mind there is still time. Now is the time to start planning your fall getaways for 2022. It’s also not too early to start thinking about 2023. Many of our contacts have already started to fill for 2023. Should it be too early to confirm availability for 2023 we can at least make a plan so we are ready to confirm that space when it does open for the year.

#5 – Don’t DIY – regulations change weekly, if not daily. This is not the time to try to take on planning yourself. Turn to a professional, if I’m not a great fit for the vacation you have in mind one of my agents most likely will be. Still not a great fit? I’ve got a network of colleagues all over the US, I’m certain I can connect you with someone who will be the right fit for your travel needs.

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I trust that each of you celebrated a lovely Thanksgiving, and that by now, you’ve run out of leftovers. I wanted to share with you some of the random travel tips that I collect over the course of the year that really don’t fall into any particular category. So, this week, in a nod to one of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions, the leftovers, enjoy these “leftover” tips.

~ The Real ID Act deadline for States to meet minimum ID standards has now been extended until May 3, 2023. Should your drivers license be up for renewal in the near future it’s worth putting in a little extra work on your part to make sure your ID is compliant with the new regulations. Don’t wait until 2023.

~ The ETIAS, electronic travel authorization system for Non-EU citizens has been pushed back to 2022 with full implementation by mid-2023

~ Leave your camo themed clothing at home. Did you know it’s illegal to wear camouflage in nearly a dozen different countries?

~ Before you leave home, check with your mobile provider to see what options you have for upgrading to an international plan. Or, better yet, unplug and enjoy your vacation!

~ Regardless of whether you are putting your mail on a vacation hold or having a neighbor collect it while you’re gone, did you know that with the USPS informed delivery program that you can see what is being delivered each day? You’ll get an email each morning showing what is scheduled for delivery and know whether or not you are missing anything important when you return home.

~ Don’t throw your packing list away when your suitcase is packed. Instead, put it in your suitcase so when it’s time to pack to come home you can use it to make sure nothing is missing.

~ When you are on vacation don’t eat at any restaurant that you can eat in at home. Stick to local restaurants, not chains. Seriously, you didn’t fly half way around the world just to eat a Big Mac.

~ Allocate 10% of your vacation budget to spend with local artisans and in turn support the local community and its citizens.

~ Give the gift of travel – this holiday season, more than most, our desire to travel is stronger than ever. The holidays are a great time to start planning that next vacation. I would be more than happy to help you plan out an itinerary to present this holiday season for travel in 2022 and beyond.

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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.

During 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.

2020 and 2021 have been challenging, to say the least. We are thankful that vaccines are once again making it possible for the majority of our clients to begin planning those vacations they have been unable to enjoy for nearly 2 years.

When you are comfortable making plans for your next vacation we would love to help you navigate the new protocols in place. Availability is quickly dwindling in certain destination for those traveling during school breaks such as Spring Break and Summer 2022.

November 16, 2001 the first Harry Potter movie debuted in theaters around the world. Now 20 years later a new generation is engrossed in the book series and movies, my own daughter is part of that group. Through her love of all things Harry Potter we have had the opportunity to visit some of the most popular sites associated with the series and have several more on our to do list.

Top 3 sites to immerse yourself in the magic of Harry Potter

London is chockablock full of film sites for the movie. You can stroll through Leadenhall Market where scenes of Hagrid and Harry were filmed before they entered Diagon Alley. You can walk over the Millennium Bridge which can be seen in three of the movies. A visit to Kings Cross Station and platform 9 3/4 is a must for any fan. As is a visit to the Warner Brothers Studio, a short ride from downtown. It’s at the Studio where you can go behind the scenes and visit the original movie sets, costume department, art department and many other unique sites.

Universal Studios Orlando, Hollywood or even Japan. A completely different experience than the Studio tour in London, these parks provide fans the opportunity to feel like they are part of the movie. Rather than just visiting the movie set. In the Orlando parks you can walk through Diagon Alley or even Knockturn Alley, visit Ollivander’s Wand Shop and enjoy butterbeer in a number of different forms. Then, catch the Hogwarts express to Hogsmede to continue the experience. It’s not unusual to see park guests in full costume, even on the hottest of days, sporting house colors and full robes.

Scotland – No Harry Potter fan can resist the opportunity to ride through the Scottish countryside on a steam train. The Jacobite Steam Train crosses the 21 arches of the Glenfinnan viaduct made famous in the films.

When you’re ready to plan a trip for the Harry Potter fan in your family please don’t hesitate to reach out. We would love to help, sign up here for more info:

On this Veterans Day we wanted to thank those who have served and are serving. When you reach out for guidance on your next vacation please make sure we have your service record in your traveler profile. This insures that you receive all of the benefits you have earned through your service as you travel.

Through the years we have worked with countless numbers of service members, however this week I wanted to highlight the top three destinations that seem to draw those who have served.

#1 – Hawaii – many of our service members were once stationed in Hawaii and often want to return to take family members and introduce them to the destination. Others who have not been stationed in Hawaii still have a strong desire to visit Pearl Harbor.

#2 – Normandy – much like the draw of Pearl Harbor, the beaches of Normandy still hold a deep connection for service members young and old.

#3 – Sicily – like Hawaii, many of our clients were either stationed in Sicily or visited during a Mediterranean Sea tour. Often they return with the entire family for an extended.

Is there a spot that you visited while serving that you would like to return to? Or perhaps one that a family member served in that you are longing to connect the stories you grew up with to the destination? We are here to help you plan when the time is right.

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Great strides are being made with regards to a return to travel with vaccinations beginning this week for ages 5 and up! With Thanksgiving just three weeks away, Hanukkah beginning a few days later and Christmas Eve in just over 7 weeks, all thoughts are on the festive season. What better time to think about giving the gift of travel?

Many people are still working from home and spent a good bit of their time grounded cleaning out the clutter in their homes. The holiday season is not the time to re-introduce more clutter! Imagine the stories you will share in the years to come of the time you gave the whole family airline tickets to visit your ancestral homeland? What if instead of giving Grandma another pair of slippers and a new robe again you go in with your other family members and plan a weekend away as a family? There comes a time in every family where you seem to be exchanging the same gift cards year after year. Maybe it’s time to pool that and hit the slopes instead?

Focusing on experiences rather than “stuff” will provide a lifetime of memories and given the predictions about the delays in the supply chain they certainly can be less stressful than watching your shipping date slide further and further away, as long as you plan correctly.

Of course, I know there are some who completed their Holiday shopping while the rest of us were still enjoying summer vacation. I applaud you, and while you sit back and enjoy this year’s festivities with your loved ones maybe it’s time to think about a future trip to make up for the time we spent grounded in 2020 and 2021.

I am back from an outstanding vacation in France over the past two weeks. I’m getting a lot of questions regarding safety protocols during the trip. I’ll address those here, but please do not hesitate to reach out if you would like a more detailed conversation.

If you are even thinking about going to Europe before the crowds return, grab your passport and your vaccination card and let’s get started. It truly was magical walking hand in hand with my husband throughout Paris on the night we arrived without the typical crowds. The photo above was taken just after 8pm, at most there were 20 people in the interior courtyard of the Louvre.

Here are the top 5 questions I’ve received since my return:

Did you feel safe on the airplane?

Absolutely! When we boarded each flight we were handed sanitizing wipes. We are in the habit of cleaning our seat area when we board, but this made the process even easier than fishing around our bag for our supplies. We wore masks throughout the flight and service was as expected.

What about in Paris?

Again, absolutely! Protocols are strict throughout France. Nearly everyone you pass on the street is wearing a medical grade mask, very few cloth masks were seen. We carried our EU Covid Certification on our phone as well as in my bag to show when entering establishments. Hand sanitizer dispensers were at every doorway as well as bus stops and along the sidewalks.

Were there safety protocols in place on the ship?

Yes! We sailed aboard the AMALyra round trip from Paris along the Seine to the North. Before boarding the ship we provided our vaccine information along with a health form. On arrival our luggage was sanitized and our temperatures recorded. The ship capacity is just under 150 passengers. Our sailing had 43 guests and 43 crew members. Needless to say, service was impeccable. Masks were worn onboard in the hallways, but in the dining room and lounge could be removed once you were seated. Temperatures were also taken each morning as you entered the dining room. One difference we did notice was that we were assigned tables and table mates for the duration of the cruise to help with contact tracing, if necessary.

Did you have to get tested to go to Europe?

We did not since it was not required of vaccinated travelers to France at the time of our trip. These protocols are different for each country and continue to change on a very fluid basis.

How did you get tested to return to the US?

AMAWaterways facilitated the testing three days before our return flight. They arranged for guests to be transported to a local lab for a swab test at our expense (44€ per person). Results were emailed directly to each passenger within 6 hours. We downloaded the results to our phone and were also provided a hard copy by the ship, at our request.

Part two of my packing tips pertains to your carry on bag.

#1 – If you’re booking your own airline ticket, make sure that you are not booking a BASIC ECONOMY ticket that does not allow you to use the overhead bin on the plane.

#2 – A small hard sided carry on bag provides enough room for the average traveler on up to a two week itinerary, depending on the itinerary and weather.

#3 – When making your packing list – start with the shoes! Wear a pair, and pack a pair, but build your outfits around those two pairs of shoes – not the other way around.

#4 – Take an empty water bottle with you so you can fill it before you get on the plane and throughout your travels to reduce waste. This is also one of our #VacationForGood tips!

#5 – Keep your liquids, pastes and gels limited to three ounce containers and keep them all in a quart sized zip lock bag for additional screening at the security check point.

#6 – Carrying powder? powders in your carry on luggage should be less than 12 ounces and if the substance can not be identified by TSA it may not be permitted

#7 – We all know how nice it is to have a snack on the plane and those tiny bags of pretzels aren’t always the most filling. It’s fine to take food with you through the security check point (adhering to the liquid, paste, gel rules) but keep all of your food items together in a large zip lock bag and currently they require separate screening.

#8 – If you find yourself on a smaller commuter plane the overhead may not be large enough to accommodate your roller bag. Should that be the case, the bag will be “gate checked” for you meaning you roll it down the jet way, they put it in the luggage hold, then when the plane lands you claim it again on the jet way, it does not go to baggage claim. When this happens you also need to make sure that you don’t have any lithium batteries in the bag, or you will need to remove them, the same goes for the battery if you’re using a smart bag.

Good morning from Paris! I’ve just begun my first international trip since the pandemic started. I’ll certainly break down into more detail my experience when I return home. In the meantime you can follow my journey along the Seine between Paris and Le Havre on social media.

Since it has been quite a while since I’ve used these packing tips I wanted to share them with you this week as well.

#1 – Don’t overpack! When  you start packing, lay out all of the items that you are thinking about taking on your trip, then put half of them back. On a two week trip you don’t need 14 different outfits.

#2 – Don’t pack for the worst case scenario, pack for the best case. In the event of unexpected weather you can always pick up a few items.

#3 – Know how much your bags weigh. Put them on the bathroom scale before you leave home or use a handheld baggage scale. Make sure that you don’t exceed the airline limit for overweight baggage. A few pounds extra pounds in your luggage can be a costly mistake.

#4 – Stick to a color scheme with your clothing and use items that are versatile. Mix and match your pants and tops to make the most of the outfits you are packing.

#5 – Leave the hairdryer at home! They are common place in nearly every hotel and cruise ship stateroom.  If there isn’t one in the room, call the front desk, they can deliver one to you in minutes.

#6  – Take advantage of the Pack for a Purpose program and you’ll have extra room built in for souvenirs you may pick up along the way.  This brilliant program allows travelers to bring 5 or more pounds of school supplies, medical supplies or other items that are needed in the destinations you visit.

#7 – Cross pack – If you are traveling with a spouse or other close friend this can be a great way to offset baggage loss. Instead of packing two individual bags, one for him, one for her, pack the same two bags with 1/2 her items and 1/2 his. If one bag does get lost or delayed one person isn’t left with nothing. You each have enough to get you through a few days if necessary.

#8 – Don’t toss your packing list once your suitcase is full. Pack it as well, when you are ready to re-pack your suitcase for your trip home you can use the list to make sure you are not leaving any items behind.

#9 – Keep your valuables and medications with you in your carry on bag. Don’t run the risk of loosing them if your bags become lost or delayed.

#10 – In addition to having identification information on the outside of your bags you need it inside as well. Luggage tags can easily become separated from your bags. It’s a good idea to put id inside your bag too. I recommend placing a copy of your vacation itinerary, along with contact information inside the bag. Place it on top of your items, where it can easily be seen if the bag is opened by airport personnel.

Walt Disney World kicked off their 50th Anniversary celebration this past Friday, October 1st. If you have not yet watched a video of the new show projected on the castle I encourage you to do so, the artwork is amazing. Should you decide to go see it for yourself, you’re in luck! The Anniversary celebration will go on for 18 months – Disney certainly knows how to celebrate.

While Disney is magical for all ages, I’ll never forget my Disney rep, Jeffrey, telling me after my daughter was born that “the magic fades at 6.” My husband and I were not in a hurry to visit, our daughter had been on several Disney cruises and while we were always ready to travel with her, there were other places we would have rather visited. Of course that all changed about 2 weeks after she turned 6 years old. She told her Gran one day that “Princesses aren’t real, they are just ladies dressed up.” Less than 6 weeks later, we were on a plane, headed towards the Magic. We had a wonderful week, although sometimes I think she would have been just as happy never leaving the resort pool.

Sure, the “sweet spot” for a Disney visit may be when your children are between 4 & 6 years old, but there honestly really is never a bad time. From infants to couples celebrating 40th anniversaries and everyone in between the experience is one that is remembered for a lifetime.

When you are ready to start planning the Disney trip of your dreams, our Disney experts, Ashley and Joyce would love to help you with the mind boggling details.