Six Unusual Items to Take on Vacation
Some things obviously need to get packed. Your toothbrush, your underwear, your camera. There are some less obvious things that you may have never considered that might make your vacation even better.
A clothespin: Don’t you just hate how the blackout drapes in so many hotel rooms insist on letting in that little crack of light? I mean, half the reason to go on vacation is to be able to take a nap in the middle of the afternoon, right? A clothespin is just what the doctor ordered. Use it to securely fasten the sides of the drapes together and you can sleep the day away.
Baby Powder: Even if your diapering days are long behind you, baby powder can work wonders on vacation. We all like to dig our toes in the sand, but isn’t it the worst to find that same sand between those wonderful high thread count sheets at night? A sprinkle of baby powder makes the sand magically vanish from your body. Put it in your beach bag and use it when you’re ready to come in.
A Big Plastic Cup: Especially if you’re vacationing at an all inclusive resort, bringing a large cup helps cut down on your trips to the bar. Try to bring an insulated mug like a “Bubba Keg”. These will keep your alcoholic or non alcoholic drinks cold and available for hours.
Half of the clothes you were going to bring: Especially for a beach vacation, you probably won’t go through the clothes you think you will. Especially these days with baggage fees, less is more.
A Color Copy of Your Passport: If you’re leaving the country, pack a color copy of the picture page of your passport in your luggage. This serves two purposes: 1) If you get separated from your luggage it serves as identification to help reunite you and 2) If you lose your passport a copy of it will help you expedite the replacement of it.
A Pen: You wouldn’t think such a commonplace item would be considered unusual to take on vacation. But, if you don’t believe me, just glance around the plane on your next international flight when it’s time to fill out the customs forms. If you want to be really popular, take two pens.
A Power Strip: Many couples and families travel with lots of electronics. In some hotel rooms, power outlets aren’t exactly plentiful. bringing a power strip can be just the thing to keep the peace when cell phones, laptops and gaming systems all need more juice.
What about you? What’s the most unusual item you pack for vacation?
Why We Want To Talk To You
Could you please just email me the quote?
“Could you please just email me the quote?”
It sounds like an innocent request, right? Everyone is busy, and if you just email me the quote I can look at it and intelligently consider it at my leisure. What could be more logical?
The problem is, planning a vacation is rarely that straightforward. You have a whole set of expectations for your vacation, and we have a whole lot of knowledge about how to fulfill those expectations. For that magic to happen, we’re going to have to interact a bit. When you ask us about a certain resort on a certain set of dates, it unfolds a process that happens much more efficiently in a short phone or in person conversation than in an email interchange.
For instance, why did you choose that particular resort, or even destination? With that quick question and answer we can help you avoid an expensive mistake. I know you’ve already researched your vacation and that’s how you’ve come to ask about what you’re asking about. Is it perhaps possible that the information you’ve seem may have been biased or offered by someone with different priorities than yours?
I’m sure you’ve experienced that in an email interchange it is hard to read what isn’t being written. How many times, thought, in a verbal conversation have you heard what isn’t being spoken? All of these clues help us get to the heart of the matter, which is the best vacation for you.
Certainly, after we speak we can send you a short summary of what we talked about. Also, after we’ve worked together on a trip and have developed the sort of relationship where we can speak in shorthand, that sort of communication lends itself more easily to email.
Especially for complicated trips, like your honeymoon..or destination wedding..or family reunion,,doing the initial planning via email just won’t get the job done.
We’re going to have to talk.
Monograms Tours – Independent European Travel
Why Reinvent the Wheel?
People call us all the time wanting help with an independent itinerary.
Some of them are truly unique. Like, for instance, the pastry chef who wanted an itinerary that included a certain chocolate factory in Italy. Or the times we’ve sent people to special events like the Running of the Bulls or Octoberfest.
Many of them are fairly similar though. Take for instance the standard Rome, Venice, Florence itinerary that is pretty normal for a first time trip to Italy. Or, a week in London and Paris. These are itineraries that lots and lots of people do.
Globus Tours has put together these itineraries and many more that are all set up and ready to go. They aren’t motorcoach tours where you’re with the same group of people the entire week. On these itineraries they have already chosen great well located hotels and added the most popular sightseeing tours in each city. You’re on your own, but with a framework to build on.
With a Monograms tour you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, they’ve done all of the work for you. Give us a call and let’s check out which Monograms Tour you’d like to take next.
You’ve Missed Your Flight. Now What?
You've missed your flight. What happens now?
You’ve missed your flight.
What now?
Perhaps you overslept. Perhaps there is bad weather in the area that kept you from getting to the airport in a timely fashion. Maybe there was a 50 car pile up on the freeway and you were held captive behind it.
Whatever the reason, you’ve missed your flight and now your vacation threatens to start without you. What do you do?
The first thing you must do is get to the airport. If you still want to try to make your vacation and not throw away the money you spent on it, you must get to the airport where you stand the greatest chance of catching up to your trip.
Your next course of action is to throw yourself on the mercy of the ticket agent. Especially in the case of a bad weather incident or something else that affects a large number of people, the agent may be sympathetic toward you and let you stand by (or even confirm you!) on a later flight. No matter what the reason, getting short tempered with airline personnel isn’t going to win you any points. Fall on your sword and beg for mercy.
After that, get comfortable. You may have to go through several flights before you actually get on one. Don’t drive home and try to get yourself confirmed on a flight later to avoid this uncomfortable part of the process. The people with the power to help you are at the airport. Unless you get to the end of the day and there are no more options, stay at the airport.
At some point during this process you do need to call your agent to let them know what’s going on so that they can notify the hotel and any ground operators of the change to your schedule. In some cases, your agent may even be able to help you out making alternate arrangements. In most cases though, the people with the power are the airline personnel at the airport.
Be polite, be consistent and BE THERE. That’s the key.
Have you ever missed a flight? What did you do?
Choosing Souvenirs
What is your favorite souvenir to bring home from your journeys? Especially now, in these days of baggage fees, it is a weighty consideration to decide what to lug home with you.
For years, my choice has been refrigerator magnets. I realize that many people prefer a clean refrigerator, but I like being reminded of my travels every time I’m in my kitchen.
Here are a few of my collection:
Guess where I got this magnet? That's right..Corfe Castle in Dorset..(Southern England)
This one is from the Borghese Gallery in Rome. I love ones like this where it is not immediately evident where they are from.
I got this one before I took the train from Anchorage to Whittier to catch a cruise.
Guess where this one was from? I like the one I got from the Houses of Parlament better. Its just the logo...very understated...(It broke though..so I don't have it any more.)
This is the Astronomical Clock in Prague. This one gets extra points because it isn't obvious where it comes from unless you're familiar..plus it was locally handmade.
Do you have a favorite souvenir? What is it? Tell me in the comments.
