Posted by David Porter on July 22, 2016 · Leave a Comment
The Louvre Museum gets 8 million+ visitors each year, and first time visitors without a private or small group guide come away with five thoughts in their minds: the place is wonderful, the place is huge, the place is very crowded, I kept getting lost, and they can’t believe how small the Mona Lisa is in real life.
Click here to read about our visit to the Mona Lisa.
We’ve enjoyed the Louvre numerous times, and on our next visit to Paris, we’ll visit again. We love the Louvre. But, rest assured that when we do visit the Louvre again, we will again hire a guide. The place is a zoo!
However, if you’re going to ignore our advice, the Louvre Museum has just published an App called “My Visit to the Louvre”.
The new App has a geo-locator that helps visitors navigate through the museum, straight to the artworks they want to see. Plus, you can buy tickets, and download audio guides. The $59 million project was designed to make the vast museum and its masterpieces more easily accessible. The App is free on iTunes and Google Play.
In our opinion, every traveler should visit Paris. It’s a fabulous city. And every visitor to Paris simply must visit the Louvre. Our advice: get a guide. But if not, perhaps this new App will be a valuable tool to help you through the mobs of people. 😄
Photo credit: Florence Brochoire/Musée du Louvre
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Posted by David Porter on July 20, 2016 · Leave a Comment
Finding Caribbean honeymoon destinations without a Zika Virus presence is becoming quite difficult. It is causing a lot of consternation with young couples that want to get away to a tropical destination and stay within their budget.
Certainly Hawaii is an alternative, and we’re sending quite a number of honeymooners down to the South Pacific to visit Bora Bora and Moorea. But for some, the extra flight costs and travel time make these destinations impractical.
So, for those who prefer the Caribbean, are there any options left available?
As of this writing, yes.
4 Caribbean Islands Currently Zika Virus Free
Turks & Caicos – with the world’s #1 best beach, this is a wonderful option. You should know that a visit here is all about the beach. There isn’t a whole lot of adventure to be had other than water oriented options.- British Virgin Islands – here you find beautiful beaches, adventure options available, and island hoping is a very popular daytime excursion.
- St. Kitts/Nevis – beautiful beaches, fabulous resorts, and for the adventurous types, ATV tours, zip-lining, catamaran cruises, and more.
- Cayman Islands – the Cayman Islands are best known for their diving and snorkeling. With fabulous beaches, there are also adventures available like hiking, caving, horseback riding, and more.
- Bermuda – while not the Caribbean, Bermuda might be another option. It features pink sand beaches, and it’s also a golfers paradise. However, pay particular attention to the time of year you visit. The winter months will be far colder than the Caribbean and the ocean will be too cold for swimming.
While not the Caribbean, we think Miami and Key West should also come on the radar of honeymooners. I know, it’s not the Caribbean. But, these areas are wonderful for honeymooners and provide a great many things to do.
To keep a watchful eye on the latest Zika Virus information, click here. Also, baby boomer travelers need not be so concerned with the Zika Virus. You can learn more about that here.
To help explore your options, use our hotel + air vacation package finder by clicking here.
If you’d like our expert help to plan your honeymoon, call our travel agency at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.
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Posted by David Porter on July 19, 2016 · Leave a Comment
For luxury baby boomer travelers, renting a villa for a family or couples getaway is a wonderful and seldom considered travel option.
While cruises and resorts have pluses and minuses for these types of getaways, a villa offers families and couples the opportunity to spend time away while sharing a luxury residence. And, in many cases, the net cost to the group will be considerably less than booking a block of rooms in a resort.
While villa rentals may not have all of the sizzle that a resort might have to offer, quite often we find that our clients and readers prefer to have a more quiet getaway and enjoy the amenities of a multi-million dollar villa and have the opportunity to take a deeper dive in their destination.
Chateau du Marquis in Normandy
We just had a family of 16 return home from Italy, and without question, the highlight of their journey was a one-week stay in a beautiful villa in the heart of Tuscany. We arranged for them to have a two cars to explore the Tuscan countryside, had an Italian chef come cook a special meal in their villa, and even arranged for them all to go out on a special truffle hunt in the nearby countryside.
Villas will range in size from one-bedroom properties to 10 bedroom castles in the world’s most exciting destinations. Just imagine getting together a group of your friends and spending a week or so in a Tuscan castle. Talk about a life-time memory!
Villa Tips, Destinations, Booking, & Special Offer
Important Tip: if you’re considering a villa getaway, it’s best to start planning at least a year in advance. With 80,000,000 U.S. baby boomers looking for unique travel experiences, the best options will sell out a year or more in advance.
We have villa rentals available for our readers and clients from the very best villa companies in the world and you can rest assured that they are vetted to assure your complete satisfaction.
Destinations: we have villas available all over the world, but the most popular destinations for villa rentals are the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, Hawaii, and even the top spots in the continental United States.
How to Book a Villa
When considering a rental villa, the best place to start is to explore our collection by clicking here. If you see something you like, complete the information request, or simply give us a call.
Special Offer
We have a special offer running right now where you get 7 nights for the price of 5 on 148 of the villas in our collection. To see the details, click here.
For booking information, call our travel agency at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.
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Posted by David Porter on July 16, 2016 · Leave a Comment
Relax & Rejuvenate
While travel always renews us, some vacations go the distance when it comes to recharging batteries, boosting energy or diminishing stress. The good news: Just a few days away at a spa retreat, a quiet isle, a coastal setting or even the right big-city hotel can do wonders for your body and mood.
Here are our top picks for a relaxing, rejuvenating getaway. And when you book through our travel agency, you’ll enjoy some blissful benefits – such as complimentary nights and spa treatments.
To view our 35 top relaxing and rejuvenating tips, click the image below…
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Posted by David Porter on July 14, 2016 · 1 Comment
Skytrax reveals world’s best airlines in 2016 survey
I’ve ranted about this before, and I’m going to do it again.
When I contemplate our personal travel, the part that I most dread is the flight. Further, in our travel agency business, we get very few complaints. But, if we have complaints from our clients, it generally has to do with the airlines.
Sadly, our nation seems to be addicted to the lowest price when it comes to travel. And, the lowest price and the best are never one in the same. Think about it … if you needed a brain surgeon, would you be looking for the lowest priced brain surgeon?
I know. I know. Travel and brain surgery are two different animals. But, you get my point. Right?
As I scan the list of the top 100 airlines from the millions of people surveyed, you have to go all the way to #35 to find the first American airline carrier: Delta. It’s sad, really.
So, who are the world’s best airlines? Here’s a list of the Top 10 World’s Best Airlines:
1 Emirates
2 Qatar Airways
3 Singapore Airlines
4 Cathay Pacific
5 ANA All Nippon Airways
6 Etihad Airways
7 Turkish Airlines
8 EVA Air
9 Qantas Airways
10 Lufthansa
Carol and I will be flying to Alaska to enjoy another cruise of the Inside Passage in the not too distant future. And you know what? I’m already pissing and moaning about the flight. Just ask my wife. She has to put up with me.
To scan the list of this year’s best airlines, click here.
OK. My rant has ended. Thanks to you too for putting up with me. 😃
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The Roaming Boomers
