7 travel strategies in an age of coronavirus

Sydney Opera House under a cloudy sky (c) 2020 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

To live is to travel, and for those of us for whom travel is our greatest passion, the coronavirus poses unwelcome questions. Here are three items that recently have come across my desk.

• Hoping to enjoy the breathtaking seascapes at Six Senses Yao Noi, an Australian client became concerned about her trip to Thailand. She asked me for ideas about alternate warm-weather destinations in the South Pacific. Instead of Phuket, they are traveling to Fiji.
• Las Vegas has gaming and entertainment that never stops, but the hotels are SO large. There are thousands of hotel guests with even larger crowds milling through the casinos, all in an environment with sealed windows and forced air ventilation. My client was worried and chose to cancel her reservation.
• What could be more fascinating than Japan in May? Late spring is the perfect time of the year to explore Japan, before the summer brings heat and crowds. My client is taking a wait-and-see approach, seeing how the situation looks at the end of March before making any decisions.

So what should you do about your existing and future travel plans? Here are some thoughts.

#1 — It's your decision, and ultimately you have to be personally comfortable with what you decide to do. Neither I, nor anyone else, can tell you what your decision should be.

#2 — Get the facts. Here's a very useful map maintained by Johns Hopkins University showing the number of reported incidences around the world. The CDC regularly updates their website with a Coronavirus Situation Summary. The State Department maintains this page of travel advisories.

#3 — Use common sense. Avoid crowded places — large museums, movie theaters, casinos, and indoor sporting events.

#4 — Take normal hygienic precautions. Wash your hands regularly, and carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer. Cough into your elbow and avoid anyone who is coughing and sneezing.

#5 — Wait-and-see. As long as you're outside the cancel deadline of your hotel or resort, you have the luxury of time, of waiting to see how things turn out in your destination. If a week out from your trip, there are reports of vacationers contracting COVID-19 and being quarantined, yes, of course I would cancel.

#6 — Develop a Plan B. Feeling nervous about Asia or Italy? You can have an incredible vacation at home in the United States. Explore a Hawaiian island where you've never been. Or relax at one of dozens of Virtuoso resorts in secluded, uncrowded destinations — ranches in the American West; seaside resorts in Georgia, South Carolina, or California; or luxurious getaways in Vermont, upstate New York, Tennessee, or Wine Country.

#7 — Consider Medjet Assist. If the need comes up, your Medjet policy will provide medical evacuation to the hospital of your choice back home. I've had a policy for my wife and myself for years, and fortunately I've never used it.


What am I doing about my own travel? I have several upcoming trips — going to the Big Island in 20 days ... and to Amsterdam in 6 weeks with my wife to enjoy a Tauck River Cruise to Basel. I am very much looking forward to both trips and have every intention of taking them ... unless the situation deteriorates dramatically. I think I have a greater risk of contracting COVID-19 on a plane rather than on the ground, but I'm not a doctor and do not take this as medical advice. I'm not going to stop traveling. Travel is my greatest pleasure in life and, as they say, I'm not getting younger.

copyright (c) 2020 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

bouillabaisse for lunch in Cassis

outdoor café in Cassis, France (c) 2019 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

One of the coolest things about a cruise is that you can go to sleep in Italy and wake up in France. Our first stop, after leaving Rome aboard the Seabourn Ovation, was in the port of Bastia (on the north coast of Corsica). The next morning, we awoke in Toulon, a small town in Provence on the Cote d'Azur.

Did you know that we can arrange private shore excursions? You're not limited to the group tours that cruise lines offer. Our visit was designed by Virtuoso onsite We Travel France. It included a wine tasting experience at the E. Bodin winery in Cassis, followed by a visit to the Port de Cassis. My highlight of the day was the utterly fabulous lunch I enjoyed at Chez César. Right on the water, their bouillabaisse was utterly authentic (and unlike what passes for bouillabaisse in the US).

Cassis is a cute town with at least a dozen open-air restaurants overlooking its small harbor. I captured the image above in our free time following lunch. I recommend a visit!

copyright (c) 2019 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

packaged group tours | good or bad thing?

example of a expertly designed tour offered on the Tauck Tours website

Who cannot relate to the impassioned question posed by a confused traveler on fodors.com.

First, I booked a cruise to Italy. then dumped it. Then I booked a group tour to Italy. Still have that one, but the time for losing my deposit is almost up. 

But through it all I have a friend who keeps telling me it's ridiculous. She says I should get on travelocity and book a flight and some hotels and just go on my own. She says Italy is the easiest place to visit; you can see everything and move around easily with trains.  

That friend speaks fluent Italian, was raised in Italy, and goes back every year with her husband, and they have a lot of money. I am exactly the opposite. I've never been out of the country except to England, speak only English, and going with another woman who has never traveled in her life. Money is an issue. I'm also not sure of all the sites I'd want to see. 

Do you have any advice about which way to travel? I'm already lost and I haven't even left yet!

She probably chose the wrong forum to ask for advice. Fodors is an exceptional resource for travelers who revel in planning every element of their own trip. Go to booking.com, they told her. It's so easy to book your hotels. It's so easy to travel by train. It's so easy to find the best prices this way, they claimed.

But it's also so easy for inexperienced travelers to make expensive mistakes. All of us have made and learned from our travel mistakes, especially professional travel advisors. In fact, the wisdom we've learned the hard way is the very best resource we can offer our clients. We will think about neighborhoods that are safe, attractive, with an easy walk to where you want to be. We will research days on which favorite attractions may be closed to tourists. We will advise when you should buy tickets in advance, avoiding wasting hours needlessly spent in queues.

The most basic travel question is the task of creating an itinerary that makes sense. And that's why, for this particular traveler, a packaged group tour is probably her wisest choice. She'll buy an itinerary that makes sense with knowledgeable tour guides everywhere. She'll probably enjoy better pricing than if she booked everything on her own. Best of all, she will awaken each day anticipating a ready-made experience ... instead of trying to figure out what to do and how to do it.

Can a travel advisor help if you want a packaged group tour? Definitely, yes! Tour companies are not created equal, and the quality of group tours differs markedly. A travel advisor can point you to vetted tour companies whose group tours offer exceptional experiences, companies like Tauck Tours, Backroads, and Abercrombie & Kent. And, yes, we'll get a commission from the tour company ... but it won't cost you an extra penny to book that tour through us.

copyright (c) 2019 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

traveling soon? check your passport...

Traveling out of the country? Here's something you should do immediately: check the date of expiration for every passport of your traveling party. Ensure each passport is valid for at least six months beyond the completion date of your trip. Most countries will deny entry — and many airlines will refuse boarding — if your passports do not meet this criterion.

Do any of the countries you're visiting require visas? Note that US citizens traveling to England, France, Italy, Canada, Mexico, and many other countries do not need to obtain a visa... but other countries require visitors to apply in advance. You can apply online for visas for many (but not all) destinations. Use the CIBT website to verify visa requirements for your trip.

In a hurry to apply for (or renew) your passport? Google "passport expedited service" for companies that can assist. If you live near a major US metropolitan area, you may be able apply in person. Make an online appointment at one of 27 U.S. passport agencies where you'll be able to submit your application on the spot. A traveler I know could not find her passport just prior to her trip to Mexico; she was able to obtain a new one with same-day service at the Chicago passport office. Note that there is a $60 expedite fee for this service.

But don't wait! If you're planning to travel internationally in the next year, check your passport NOW! Luxury travel is all about traveling stress-free, so plan ahead so you can relax and enjoy your trip.

from Ourisman Travel's Terms and Conditions: It is Customer’s responsibility to verify that all the visas required for your trip have been obtained, that the visas for each country are valid for the entry and exit dates of your visit, that your personal details are accurately reflected and that your passport is valid for at least six months beyond the completion date of your trip.

copyright (c) 2018 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

come back to ... America!

a graphic representation in the drop of foreign travel to the US since 2015

In 2015, the US global travel share was 13.6%. By 2017, according to the US Travel Association, the US global travel share had dropped to 11.9%. It's hard to do math in a blog, but the stick figures above put the drop in graphical terms: of every eight foreign visitors who chose the US in 2015, only seven chose the US in 2017.

The world's top twelve world destinations are listed in the chart below. Long-haul world travel has increased by 7.9% over the past two years, but two of the top twelve destinations experienced significant declines over the same period. Turkey has the worst decline — a 6.7% — and the United States is second worst with a 6% decline. Here's the list:

Australia +22%
Canada +21.2%
Saudi Arabia +20.3%
United Kingdom +17.5%
United Arab Emirates +16.5%
Thailand +13.9%
China +9.3%
Germany +8%
France +4%
Italy + 2.2%
United States -6%
Turkey -6.7%

Turkey's decline I understand. While the country is an incredible destination, it has recently suffered through a lot of domestic unrest and violence. But why the US? Has a stronger dollar, making foreign currencies worth less, discouraged foreign travel? Have more stringent visa regulations caused some travelers to visit elsewhere? Are visitors staying away in reaction to the policies of the current occupant of the White House? I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.

Come back to ... America! The US has so much to offer from the redwood forests of California to the majestic rocky mountains, from the midwest's amber waves of grain to the white sand beaches of Florida, from great cities from San Francisco to New York. Take advantage of some of the current premium cabin deals from various European destinations to the US ... and plan a trip to the United States for your 2018 summer holidays.

copyright (c) 2018 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Villa Dei Sogni | overlooking Lake Como

Due to a last minute cancellation, the private villa featured in the video is available at a 25% discount. This hilltop villa features panoramic views of Lake Como and sleeps up to 8 (2 King-bedded rooms, 2 Twin-bedded rooms). Overlooking the village of Bellagio, Villa Dei Sogni is ideally situated for a stay in the Lake Como region.

Available from today until June 17, 2017, the villa available for any length of stay at 1,000€ per night, 250€ per bedroom through an exclusive offer made to us. (The normal rate is 9,330€ per week, and normally a Saturday-Saturday booking is required).

If your travels are taking you to Lake Como in the next five weeks, what a great place for a family or group of friends to share for a vacation in Italy. Email us to take advantage of this offer.

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

will Americans need visas to visit Europe?

Have you seen this headline? Is it anything to worry about?

EU Parliament Urges Visas for US Citizens Visiting Europe

The backstory. There is an ongoing dispute between the European Union (EU) and the United States over the requirement that citizens of Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Romania, and Cypress obtain visas before visiting the United States. US citizens have the right to visit any EU country without obtaining visas, and the EU is understandably concerned over the lack of reciprocity.

So the EU Parliament made a symbolic gesture to make its point. A simple "show of hands" was taken on a motion to urge the EU develop a new regulation requiring Americans to obtain visas before visiting any EU nation.

The facts of the matter. No such regulation has been formally proposed. Once approved, it would have to be approved by the European Union countries, a process that could take years. And it is not in the interests of countries like Italy, France, or Spain to take such a step, as Europe receives much economic benefit from American tourism.

My guess is that there's nothing to worry about. Of course, I would also have guessed that Britain would have voted "no" on Brexit and that the US would have elected Hillary Clinton ... but the smart money says that this is only a negotiating ploy.

Bottom line: this is a great time to visit Europe as the exchange rate is highly favorable. 100€ = $105.45. I remember when it was 140 dollars to the euro.

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

non-googleable experiences

from icbellagio.com, the premier Virtuoso onsite for Italy

Just back from Brownell Travel's annual meeting in Atlanta, #BrownellAcademy. This was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with the best travel consultant colleagues in the industry ... along with dozens of industry sales reps there to share with us the latest news about luxury hotels, cruise lines, and custom tours.

One phrase among many captured my attention last weekend: non-googleable experiences. Google, first a number, has become a noun, then a verb, and now has been incorporated into adjectival form. I was attending a class conducted by IC Bellagio, a premier company based in northern Italy that crafts the finest custom tours in that country. One of the things they offer: non-googleable experiences.

Non-googleable experiences ... what does that mean? Many travelers plan their vacations by googling their destinations — for instance "best things to do in Italy" — and are presented with millions of possibilities, webpages such as "the top ten things to do in Italy." Put those ten activities on your Italy bucket list, and you'll have a pretty routine trip — along with the thousands of other tourists queueing up to do the exact same thing at the very same time as you.

Instead of responding to "what did you do in Italy?" by listing the ten bucket lists items that everyone sees, what if you could tell your friends about an utterly unique experience that hardly anyone even knows about. That's where our Virtuoso tour partners become very useful. They can help plan dozens of unique experiences that will give you the trip of your dreams, paying you a lifetime dividend of priceless memories.

Want to discover more about the wonders of the world — and experience them in style? That's what Brownell, Ourisman Travel, and Virtuoso are all about. Fill out our travel request form to start planning your next trip!

copyright (c) 2015 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Italy, I'm lost!!!

That was the title of a post on the Europe forum of fodors.com — click the link to see the post. Fodors is an excellent resource by which experienced travelers provide valuable information to travelers planning their own travels, but the Fodors community has a definite bias against using travel consultants.

Don't get me wrong… many travelers can and do successfully plan their own trips. In fact, most professional travel advisors began by doing just this, eventually deciding to combine their passion for travel with a great career. But this traveler on Fodors conveyed such an air of desperation that he seems like the perfect candidate for using a travel consultant.

He is planning a five week trip to Europe with his wife and two teenage sons. He is "trying to cram as much of Europe into [a] bucket list trip as we can." Here are some assorted thoughts he posted: Fly to London. Train to Paris. Train to Marseille. Car rental to the French Riviera. Drive into Italy or fly to Rome. Likes trains but not the feeling of dealing with luggage. Asking about stays in motor homes interspersed with stays in hotels and villas. Wants to "sneak" into Munich and maybe Switzerland. You get the idea.

Google is not a travel consultant, and the first step to planning a life-changing trip doesn't have to start in a google search box. Your best first step may be to find a travel consultant who is thoroughly knowledgeable about your destination, who has planned dozens or even hundreds of trips to that very place. She or he can help you avoid bad ideas that will waste time and money. You'll still be in charge — an active participant in dreaming and planning your trip — but you'll have an experienced partner to sweat the small stuff … allowing you sit back and enjoy!

copyright (c) 2014 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

top 10 gardens in Europe

The Chelsea Flower Show is celebrating its 100th Anniversary, and in commemoration of this event, Abercrombie & Kent has just published this list of the top 10 gardens in Europe. In fact, A&K has four itineraries featuring gardens — two in England, one in The Netherlands and Belgium, and on in Italy.

Here's the top 10 list:

1.    Monet's Garden, Giverny, France
2.    Generalife, Alhambra, Granada, Spain
3.    Isola Bella, Lake Maggiore, Italy
4.    Gardens of Versailles, île-de-France, France
5.    Powerscourt, Dublin, Ireland
6.    Luxembourg Gardens, Paris, France
7.    Keukenhof Gardens, Lisse, The Netherlands
8.    Highgrove, Tetbury, UK
9.    Villa D'Este, Tivoli, Italy
10.  Hidcote Manor Garden, Chipping Campden, UK

Interested in a garden tour with all the arrangements made, or prefer me to book your Virtuoso hotels (with the exclusive value-added amenities I can offer as a Virtuoso travel consultant — upgrades, free daily breakfast for two, and other perks) while you plan your own tour? Just drop me an email.

top 10 gardens in Europe (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Verona | undiscovered Italy

the Roman amphitheater in Verona, Italy

One of my best tips for avoiding crowds in Italy is to visit places that are not on the radar of most tourists. Verona is one such town. A very attractive city with great shopping, Verona is an UNESCO World Heritage Site with two claims to fame. 

(1) The Roman Arena pictured above is the third largest Roman amphitheater in Italy. More than an archeological site, operas are performed in this arena during the summer months and are extremely popular.

(2) Verona has an unique place in literary history, being the setting for three Shakespearian plays: Romeo and Juliet, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and The Taming of the Shrew. You can see the balcony from which Romeo called to Juliet.

Where to stay in Verona? Palazzo Victoria is a new luxury hotel, part of the Salviatino Collection. It is an engaging mix of old and new, built within an old palazzo yet with all the comforts of a contemporary five star hotel. Breakfast is included, as is free WiFi for guests. I spent two evenings at Palazzo Victoria last week and very much enjoyed the hotel and its superb restaurant and spa!

Update — Conde Nast has listed Palazzo Victoria as one of the hot new hotels of 2013.

Palazzo Victoria (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2012 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website. .

how long to visit Italy?

Should we visit Italy for one week or two? This was the question posed in an email I received this morning. The writer explained that she could save $400 on airfare if she returned after one week instead of two. She wanted to visit Italy and see Rome, Tuscany, Florence, Siena, and Pisa. Could she do it all in a week? What did I think as a travel advisor?

Saving $400 on airfare is a false economy. Planning travel has to consider more than getting the absolute lowest price, contrary to our compulsive tendency to scour the internet for the best deals. Travel is about creating priceless memorable experiences that enrich our lives.

Do you dream of seeing the Roman Colosseum and the Sistine Chapel with your own eyes? Want to explore Tuscany with its picturesque hill towns and beautiful rows of cypress trees, or stand in front of Michelangelo's David in Florence and Leonardo's Last Supper in Milan? Travel is an investment in life-changing experiences, so give yourself all the time you can afford.

$57 per day. Look at the question a different way: would you spend $57 per day for the opportunity to spend a week in Italy? $400 is a bargain when you look at it that way!


visit Italy (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2011 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
.

low business class fares to Europe

Joe Bracatelli is the publisher of Joe Sent Me, one of the most informative travel websites out there and well worth the annual subscription. He has alerted me to a special 4-Day Sale, New York-Amsterdam, on OpenSkies. Fly business class from $1,609 roundtrip, taxes and fees included, and enjoy a 6-foot long 180º flatbed. You must book by September 12, but you can travel anytime between October 15, 2008 and March 31, 2009 with a three-day minimum stay.

Want an even lower price to Europe? Eurofly has $399 round-trip fares in coach to Italy (inclusive of fuel surcharges, but about $90 in taxes are additional). Book by September 12, and fly JFK to Rome, Naples, Palermo, or Bologna on selected flights in September and October.

After you book your flights, contact your Virtuoso travel consultant to fill out your itinerary with some great values at the world's finest five star luxury hotels.


Virtuoso travel consultant (search here on Google)


copyright (c) 2008 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
.

travel and the weak dollar | three tips

The weak dollar is distressing to those of us who want travel to London, Paris, or Rome and explore the beautiful villages of England, France, and Italy. At one point this week, one Euro was worth $1.60. Many of us remember the days, not too long ago, when a Euro cost only 90¢. The dollar has been devalued, and it hurts!

So what can you do if foreign travel is in your blood? Here are three tips.

1. Visit places where the exchange rate is not so disadvantageous.

South America is relatively undis-covered by most of us in North America, and there is so much to explore. The cities of Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu Falls, Machu Picchu, Patagonia, the Amazon, and the Galapagos Islands are all high on my own to-do list.

Southeast Asia is also an affordable destination. My visit to Thailand was one of the most interesting vacations I've ever taken. Bangkok is a fascinating city, and there are luxurious and affordable resorts in the north (Chiang Mai or the Golden Triangle) and on the beach in Phuket and Koh Samui. Cambodia's Angkor Wat is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and well worth the visit.

Canada offers scenic beauty (from Vancouver Island in the west, to the rugged Canadian Rockies, to Nova Scotia in the east) and cultural diversity. Vancouver is a beautiful, world-class city. Quebec gives you a taste of Europe right in North America.

2. Take advantage of Guaranteed U.S. Dollar Rates.

Many luxury hotels in London and Paris offer these, and Starwood offers a Welcome to Italy package with a deeply discounted U.S. dollar rate (including breakfast and taxes) if you spend a total of seven nights at their properties in Rome, Milan, Florence, and Venice. Because many casual tourists don't know about these deals, a foreign travel consultant can save you time and money in planning a trip.

3. Consider a tour or cruise.

I know the reasons people resist tours. On many mass market tours, you get the feeling you are being hurried through the places you're visiting, and upscale vacationers don't want this. The good news: there are great tour companies that pamper you and do everything possible to help you have the vacation of your dreams. Many tour companies can even put together a private tour for you. You take advantage of great rates available to them because of the volume of rooms they book, and you pre-pay everything in U.S. dollars.

Cruises can also be a bargain, especially if you're willing to take an inside cabin (keep repeating, you only sleep there). I got an email this morning about a 12-day Mediterranean cruise from Venice to Barcelona with rates beginning at $1,199 per person. That's $2,400 for a couple. You get twelve days in Europe with your room, meals, and entertainment included. There are extras, of course, but tours and cruises are good options, if you are concerned about the weak dollar, because the costs are predictable ... and you pay in U.S. dollars before you leave home.

foreign travel consultant (search here on Google)


copyright (c) 2007 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
.

the Duomo in Florence

A front page article in today's Contra Costa Times gives me a renewed appreciation of the architectural and engineering miracle represented by the Duomo in Florence, Italy.

The Times article describes the $190 million, 224,000 square foot Christ the Light Cathedral currently under construction in Oakland, CA. It is said to be the most expensive church building in American history. Look carefully at the construction photograph to the left, and you will see the scaffolding being used to support the dome while it is under construction.

Consider that the Duomo in Florence was built in the fourteenth century. It was constructed without the use of structural steel. Designed by architect and sculptor Filippo Brunelleschi, the self-supporting dome was built without the aid of scaffolding to support its weight until its construction was complete. With a diameter of 42 meters, the Duomo is one of the largest self-supporting domes in the world.

If you plan to visit Florence (and you should), buy a copy of Brunelleschi's Dome and read it before you get to Florence. Written by Ross King, the book is a great read and tells the story of the construction of the Duomo, the competition that led to the selection of Brunelleschi's design, the political intrigue involved, and life in Florence in the Early Renaissance. The book will greatly add to your appreciation of the entire city, and you will view the cathedral itself with a deep sense of appreciation for the technological miracle it represents.

Then, definitely pay the few euros it costs to climb to the pinnacle of the Duomo. It's a long climb, but you will experience first hand the inner and outer shells of the dome, and you will be able to imagine the human toil that went into its construction. Workers had to make that climb each day, working high above the floor of the cathedral.

If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
.

travel planning | order or spontaneity?

How many times have you seen this kind of question asked by someone planning travel?

We are going to Italy this summer.
Should we book our rooms now?
Or should we just wait until we get there to get a room?

While I have some very definite personal preferences about planning my own travel, I also recognize that people are different and value different kinds of experiences.

Some people cannot relax unless every possible variable has been anticipated and planned for. Their trips are scheduled on a spreadsheet with every detail accounted for. Hotel reservations are printed out on a meticulous itinerary. Sightseeing has been scheduled to-the-minute with maps and commentary reproduced from guidebooks. Dinner reservations have been made and show tickets booked.

This would drive other people crazy. They want to be spontaneous. They want to relax and enjoy themselves. They want to wake up in the morning, leave their hotel, and just go wherever their whims take them. When they come to a metaphorical fork in the road, they want to make that decision in the moment. Sometimes the road less taken leads to serendipitous discoveries, and sometimes it just goes to the city dump. No matter... this is how they do things!

Using the language of the Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator, I am describing Judgers (who like things to be orderly and predictable) and Perceivers (who appreciate spontaneity). If you're curious about your own personality type, try this online test .

My perspective? Sometimes a little bit of structure can maximize your freedom.

You don't want to get off your trans-Atlantic flight, jet-lagged and disoriented, and have to spend the next four hours figuring out where to leave your bags. This doesn't make the first day of your vacation especially enjoyable.

You don't want to arrive in a popular tourist destination in high season without reservations, having to settle for what's left (either the least desirable hotel that nobody else wanted or some exorbitantly expensive suite that was cancelled at the last minute).

And you don't want to wait until the last minute to plan a trip for the week after Christmas or Easter. Any remaining plane tickets will be expensive (if there are empty seats at all), and the resorts you really want to stay in may be fully booked. In fact, it may already be too late (and we're only in the first week of May) to make some kinds of bookings for Christmas week.

So should you book your rooms in advance or when you arrive? There is no right or wrong answer. The important thing is to know what kind of traveler you are ... and plan accordingly.


If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

luxury travel forum

Does the internet need another travel forum?

Many great forums already exist. My favorites are FlyerTalk and Fodors, both of which are large, amazing communities of travelers who freely share wisdom and experiences with one another. No matter whether you need help planning an itinerary for an upcoming European trip, figuring out how best to use airline miles, selecting a good budget hotel in Rome, or solving the inevitable problems that arise in planning travel, these are great places to go. The internet offers incredible resources for planning your own travel.


So it is with genuine humility that Luxury Travel Forum has been launched. It does not replace the valuable resources already being provided by existing internet communities, nor would this even be possible! Luxury Travel Forum seeks to complement these sites by providing a unique set of tools for travelers planning upscale travel. Here's what's unique about this new project.

Discrete forums will be set up for each destination and type of vacation. Here's the initial list, but it will quickly expand to cover the entire world of travel:

• France
• Italy
• London and the British Isles
• Caribbean Vacations
• South Pacific
• Wine & Food
• Mountain States
• Cruises
• Adventure Travel
• Travel Insurance
• Chemically Sensitive Travel

Each forum will be organized into subforums that make it easy to research a destination. As an example, the Caribbean Vacations forum currently has these subjects:

• Villa rentals
• Great Hotels
• Dining
• Luxury all-inclusive options
• Diving & snorkeling

Each forum will be moderated by a professional travel consultant whose expertise is in that particular area of luxury travel. Their expertise (and that of our readers) will always be offered free of charge, and there's never any expectation or obligation that you will use their services. Ever.

The most valuable resource is you. The internet has made possible the kind of networking that earlier generations could only have dreamt about. There are thousands of travelers with experiences to share and insights to offer around the subject of luxury travel. As the Luxury Travel Forum grows over the years, as valuable observations are shared by fellow travelers around the globe, it will realize its potential. You are invited to become a Charter Member of the Luxury Travel Forum today.

$299 a night at the Gritti Palace?

Are you planning to visit Italy for at least seven days sometime in the coming year? Would you like to stay in five-star hotels? Are you convinced you can't afford them?

Well, this is an opportunity well worth considering.

Starwood Hotels' Welcome to Italy promotion includes some of the finest hotels in Italy.

• The rates are extremely attractive.
  
• They are guaranteed in U.S. dollars.
  (no currency fluctuations).
  
• They include buffet breakfast, taxes, and service charges.
  

You need to stay at least seven nights in any combination of the participating hotels, but those nights don't have to be consecutive. In other words, you can fly into Rome and spend four nights there, take the train to Florence and spend two nights there, spend a few nights on your own in Cinque Terre, then take the train to Milan and spend your final night there. All sorts of itineraries are possible (this was just an example), and of course you can spend more than seven nights in these hotels.

Here's the fine print! You need to prepay 35 days prior to arrival, but your reservation is fully cancellable more than 14 days before arrival, with one night's charge within that deadline. Some properties have supplements for rooms with certain views, and the Venice properties have supplements for weekends during Mid and High season. Blackout dates may apply.

You can stay at some of finest hotels in Italy!

• Rome: St. Regis Grand, Westin Excelsior, Hotel Eden
  
• Venice: Hotel Gritti Palace, Hotel Daniele, Westin Europa & Regina
  
• Florence: Westin Excelsior
  
• Asolo (a charming town 40 miles N.W. of Venice): Hotel Villa Cipriani
  
• Milan: Westin Palace, Excelsior Hotel Gallia
  

Prices vary by season and by the type of room requested (single, double, or suite). As an illustration, double rooms are $379 in low season, $489 in mid season, and $599 in high season with breakfast, tax, and service included. Compare this to advertised room rates of 290€, 375€, and 460€.) And you can actually book a single room at the Gritti Palace for only $299 this August ... or anytime between Nov. 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008.

As this offer is subject to availability, I encourage you to make your bookings as soon as you know your dates. Please email me if I can help you plan your trip and make your reservations.


If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Gritti+Palace five-star hotel Starwood Welcome+to+Italy Rome Florence Cinque+Terre Milan Venice Asolo St.+Regis+Grand Westin+Excelsior Hotel+Eden Hotel+Daniele Westin+Europa+&+Regina Villa+Cipriani Westin+Palace Hotel+Gallia

managing travel stress -- consider a tour

As I wrote two weeks ago, travel can be stressful. Nearly everyone experiences travel stress, but the fact is that different things stress out different people. Today's column concerns the stress of coping with the unfamiliar.

Travel is exciting! It is exhilarating to step off the plane after a long international flight and find yourself in some far-off and exotic place: Italy, China, Vietnam, wherever! But once you make it through customs and to the front doors of the airport, you face the first of a multitude of very practical questions. How do I get some of the local currency? What is the best way to get taken from the airport to my hotel ... without getting taken? What's a fair price to pay? Am I expected to give a tip? How much is appropriate?

Of course, once you reach your hotel (assuming you have a reservation), you have the formalities of check-in to deal with. While most desk clerks at nice hotels have a good command of English, you may have difficulty understanding someone's accent. You may have questions about the rate on the form you are asked to sign; is it the same price that you booked? You may feel stressed out communicating your questions to the desk clerk, fearful that you won't be able to express yourself clearly.

You will face, at least two times a day, the most practical of questions: Where are we to have lunch or dinner? How can we find a good restaurant where the locals eat, some place whose menu represents real value for your converted dollars, not some tourist trap that dishes out plates of ordinary food to hundreds of tourists each day?

And, then, there's the whole reason you're there: What should we see today? How do we get there? How do I buy a bus or metro ticket? Is there a weekly pass that the locals know about that represents a really good value? Is there a good time of day to get to a particular attraction? Are there tricks we should know to avoid huge lines?

Some people are energized by living spontaneously and are perfectly comfortable exploring, taking wrong turns, and occasionally messing up. That's part of the appeal of foreign independent travel for such folks. Sometimes those "wrong turns" turn out to be serendipitous discoveries that are remembered as the surprising highlights of your whole trip.

While some travelers thrill in this aspect of the adventure, others do not. They stress out at everything I have described above. So I have a suggestion for such travelers: consider a tour. I know, I know ... tours have a bad name. We all have this image of busloads of tourists being driven around a city, hurried through museums, and herded into restaurants. That's not the kind of tour I'm talking about.

I would recommend seriously considering some upscale tour companies such as Backroads. All your logistics will taken care of; you'll never have to figure out how to get to the next place on your itinerary. You'll stay in very nice, sometimes hard-to-book properties in your budget range that the tour company has worked with for years. You won't have to drag your luggage around; when you leave your bags outside your door in the morning, they will magically reappear that very afternoon in your next hotel room. And you won't need to worry about finding places to eat; you'll dine at some of the best restaurants in the area, places that the casual tourist might never find. With some companies, you can order anything you want off the menu; the biggest challenge is passing on the desserts!

You'll have the services of terrific local tour guides, so you won't have to spend each night researching the next day's activities; your days will be well planned. Your admissions to museums and other attractions are taken care of. The group is small enough that you never feel regimented; you're free to go off on your own, and usually they leave one afternoon and one dinner free for you to spend with your travelling companion ... with tons of suggestions if you want them. A well-run tour company takes the hassle out of travel.

So if you love the idea of traveling to strange and exotic places but stress out over the details of being there, consider an escorted tour. They sweat the details so that you can just enjoy your vacation!

Photograph courtesy of Backroads.

travel agent consultant stress tour Backroads exotic anxiety sightseeing restaurant hotel logistics

even farther up front

My partner and I had the recent opportunity, in exchange for 280,000 Alaska Air miles, to experience British Airways First Class flying round trip from SFO to Italy. Two questions piqued my curiosity. (1) What is the difference between First Class and Club World? and (2) Is it worth it?


Both First and Club World have seats that convert into completely horizontal beds. The seat in First is six inches longer and perhaps a couple of inches wider, not of great consequence for a person of average dimensions. Either seat will allow a good night's sleep, assuming you are able to sleep on a plane in the first place. This is not what the fuss is about. The difference is privacy. I was seated in seat 3A which faced forward and slightly to the left toward the three windows of my "suite." From that vantage point, I could not see another soul, not even my partner in seat 2A. She did join me for dinner, facing me from the other side of my table, seated on a small "bumper seat" that was a bit narrow for comfort. If you are an extravert who enjoys striking up conversations with chance seat mates on airplanes, you may find First lonely.

The other difference is service. You can eat what and when you want, as many courses as you choose. The food is good, really good. Hot soup served in a bowl. Dishes that are assembled by an onboard chef. If you are the Death by Chocolate type, definitely avail yourself of the chocolate-filled profiteroles offered during Afternoon Tea.

Is it worth it? From my brief walking tour of the aircraft well into the flight, I saw a number of different flight experiences. Every seat in First was flat, its occupant resting in their own private cocoon. Downstairs Club World resembled a slumber party, the cabin filled wall-to-wall with alternating beds. World Traveller Plus looked like Club Europe, wide-enough seats to have shoulder and elbow room, but no recline to speak of. In World Traveller, most people were up, watching movies.

To my mind, upstairs Club World is the value leader, especially if you have a rear-facing window seat with its six feet of shelf space in front of the windows. But if you're offered an upgrade, by all means take it. First is a very special experience.


British+Airways First First+Class sleeper+seat business+class seat+review