Éclat Travel's Blog

Posts Tagged ‘vacation’

What with rising gas prices, natural disasters seemingly everywhere, and unrest in parts of the world it’s enough to make some people want to just hold up in the back yard with a tent and a barbecue for the family vacation this summer and call it good.

Villa Dubrovnik

If, however, that is not your idea of a proper holiday and you are still tempted to forge ahead with your vacation plans this year, here are five very good reasons to travel now, and why using a travel pro to arrange the details is one of the smartest things you can do to maximize the value in your vacation and minimize the risks.

1. Sometimes waiting to purchase travel is the worst thing you can do. Prices can and do go up (Continental and United have already announced fare increases).
2. Availability at your favorite hotels, cruises, and attractions sell out quickly.
3. Incentives are often available when you book early. A great travel advisor has access to unadvertised specials and incentives, and knows how to get you the most vacation value for your money.
4. Yes, gas prices are rising, but there are still ways to enjoy a great vacation and not spend a fortune. When you’re building a custom vacation you have the flexibility to build it any way you want to. One cost-saving idea is to consider building your vacation around emerging destinations that may be better deals than well-established areas. And if you’re not quite sure about that, try visiting a popular destination in its off-season when rates are lower. Added benefits to traveling during the off-season include better availability, fewer tourists, and lower costs for attractions.
5. And, finally, the best reason to book your travel plans now is that tomorrow may never come. I’m a firm believer in valuing today because we never know what tomorrow will bring. Ask yourself, “if not now, when?”

Blue Mosque

If you’ve “always dreamed” of going somewhere, or doing something special, start planning it now – it’s exciting and fun, gives you something positive to look forward to, and you’ll be glad you did. And, if you have the expert guidance of a travel professional, we will be able to help you find exclusive offers, unique destinations, and provide savvy travel advice that will make your trip exciting and memorable.

Contact me for a free custom travel quote.

Cheers!

Cheryl
Custom Travel Specialist
Cheryl@EclatTravel.com
www.EclatTravel.com

Spice up your next vacation by including attendance at, or participation in a special event. The more unique the better.

Machu Picchu

One of the most memorable trips I took was for a very unusual kind of a race in Ravenna, Italy. I wasn’t racing, but I was chaperoning the person who was, Rachael Scdoris.  Rachael is a professional sleddog racer from Bend, Oregon. Hers is an amazing story. I was fortunate to meet and get to work with Rachael and her dad Jerry, while I helped to coordinate a world championship sleddog race in Oregon, in a past life.

Mercedez Benz

Rachael was invited to participate in a different kind of race involving dogs, popular in Europe called dryland racing. It is where the dogs pull their racers along either on carts, bicycles, or on-foot (canicross). Rachael ran behind a dog along a course, much like a cross country race. She was tethered to the dog with a harness and they raced together. Obviously, this is not your run of the mill event, and Rachael is not your run-of-the-mill athlete. She is legally blind. 

Rachael’s participation in this event exposed us to not only a beautiful part of Italy, Ravenna, known for it’s mosaics, but also a new and interesting competition, that as Americans we hadn’t been exposed to.

I’ve put together a list of 20+ anniversaries of historical events that will be acknowledged in 2011 in a variety of ways. Some of the listed anniversaries will have events planned around them. Choose one or more of these to include in your next custom designed vacation.

What is a “custom made journey”? Custom travel, to me, is the ultimate unique vacation experience. When I travel, I like to have choices and flexibility. The creation of a custom made journey is to design the vacation experience around your personal likes, desires, interests and budget. Basically, we are answering who, what, why, where, when and how of travel as it relates uniquely to you.

Camel Trek

Yes, you can just book the package and be on your way. But does that type of vacation offer you flexibility and choice, and does it meet your requirements for a spectacular vacation? For many people it does, and that’s OK. I’m talking about taking your next vacation to another level. It’s the difference between ordering off the menu, or “having it your way.” A little more of this here, and a little less of that there, and your meal is much more to your liking. No pickles for me, thanks.

Custom travel offers maximum flexibility, freedom of choice and maximum control. You decide when and how you travel, what to do and when, where you will go and how much it will cost. How is this different from any other travel?

Any type of travel has its advantages and disadvantages. Custom travel helps you maximize the advantages and minimize the disadvantages. Vacations tailor-made to fit you perfectly. Will you fly

Patagonia Penguin

 (commercial, private, charter, economy, business or first), or cruise to Europe? Will you travel by river boat, camel, or private driver guide? Will you join an expedition to Antarctica or the North Pole, take a culinary class in Brussels, or drive a formula one race car? Before or after you learn to make sake? Stay in a Bed and Breakfast so you can interact with the locals, a private villa, or historic hotel? The choice is yours. A great travel advisor will be able to combine and coordinate all of the right elements of your trip to create the perfect vacation.

TIP: Start with a hobby or something you would like to learn more about. What’s yours?

Cheers!
Cheryl