This country’s crown is crooked.

Liz Hough on

 

Favorite Place #1 – Budapest Hungary

 

I am so excited that we have finally reached my favorite destination.  But first, I want to say thank you to everyone who read my last three favorite destinations and has shared them on social media to all of their friends.  We have had an amazing response to each of them. 

 

Now this last destination is not going to be a country like the others.  Though I did enjoy the country side, there was so much to see and do in this city that I have to share my top five favorite places in…Budapest!  If you have been to Budapest, you know how amazing this city is with its’ various periods of architecture, delicious food, interesting culture, and endless entertainment and shopping.  Because there is so much that I loved about this city, it was hard for me to pick my top five favorite spots, but here they are.

 

Top 5 Favorite Places in Budapest

 

#5  Heroes’ Square  or in Hungarian, Hősök tere – The square is surrounded by the Museum of Fine Art and Palace of Art, but to me it wasn’t about what surrounded it, it was about what it stood for: Freedom.  In the front of the monument is a large stone dedicated to the memory of the heroes who gave their lives for the freedom of their people and their national independence for over a thousand years!  That is right, a monument dedicated to those who fought in wars and battles a thousand years ago.  A country that didn’t forget anyone and built a monument to remember everyone.  It really is something amazing to be standing in this semi-circle of statutes and monuments that was built over a 100 years ago.

 

#4 Matthias Church – If you didn’t know Budapest is actually split by the Danube river into two parts, one side of the river is the Buda side and the other side is the Pest side.  Matthias Church on the Buda side in the Buda Castle District.  When you come upon the church you are expected to be in awe by it’s massive steeple and architecture, but what catches my eye every time is the multi-colored roof.  This orange and yellow roofing stand out on top of the light gray, almost white façade.  This church was where coronations of Kings, and burials of royalty took place, and when you walk into the church you can see why it was the chosen venue.  Ceilings so high you think they touch the sky, and ornate stained glass windows, and a large amount of seating. 

 

 

 

 

#3 – Fisherman’s Bastion – Believe it or not, the Fisherman’ Bastion is actually a terrace on the Castle hill.  To me it appears to be an ornate wall protecting the Castle hill, or what we typically call the wall to a fort.  This wall does get its’ name from the guild of fishermen that were responsible for defending the stretch of land in the Middle Ages, and the seven towers represent the seven Magyar tribes who settled into the region in 896.  There are several stairways, and walking paths that boast the most beautiful views of the Danube river and the Pest side.  On a clear day you can get amazing pictures of the Hungarian Parliament building.  Since you will be doing a lot of climbing stairs and walking, just down the way is a mascarpone shop that showcases amazing edible art and demonstrations on how to make some of their pieces. 

 

#2 – Bridges of the Danube – The Bridges that connect the Buda and Pest sides are each different.  Some have enormous rock statues in front of them and other are more modern with large gateways as an entrance.  When we took our tour we were told that during World War II throughout Europe several bridges where destroyed, but Budapest was one of the few cities whose bridges were not destroyed. 

There are eight bridges in total, and my two favorite bridges are the Chain Bridge and the Liberty Bridge.  The Chain Bridge is very close to the parliament building and gives easy access into the main cultural center of Budapest.  This stone bridge was built in the early 1800’s and was the second bridge to be built over the Danube river.  Stone lions guard over the passengers who come and go, and at night they light the bridge up beautifully so that you can get really good pictures of the bridge in the foreground and Castle Hill in the background.  The Liberty Bridge acted as a toll bridge for some time and this can be seen by the houses that were built at both ends of the bridge.  There are four Turuls statutes, one on each pillar of the bridge.  If you don’t know what a Turul is that is ok, neither did I, they are falcon-like birds, prominent in ancient Hungarian mythology.

 

#1 Hungarian Parliament Building – I had seen pictures of the inside of this building prior to actually going into it, but seeing it in person was absolutely breath-taking.  You first walk up a grand staircase fit for a king into an area where all the walls are gold!  That is right, gold!  It is absolutely breath-taking and unfortunately, my pictures won’t do it justice.  Guided tours are the best way to get around this building as there are so many rooms, and some of them are very long with nothing in them.  They are called waiting rooms, but I could fit two of my house into this long, wide room.  I must say I was a bit surprised when we came upon the Holy Crown of Hungary.  A beautiful crown with a slightly crooked cross on top.  We had asked our guide if that was symbolic for something, and he told us no that someone has either dropped it or knocked slightly resulting in the cross tilting to one side.  It surprised me that no one wanted to fix it but after 300 years of it being this way, I guess it is now a tradition. 

 

 

 

 

I love ending my newsletter about the food of the country.  Hungary is known for its paprika and this bright red colored pepper is used in every dish. It may appear to an outsider that the Hungarians even worship this pepper as it is embroidered onto table clothes and proudly displayed in shops.  Make sure to buy some to bring back with you.  If you are used to the paprika here in the states then it can be a bit overwhelming at first, but it is sure to make your tastebuds dance!  I was pleasantly surprised how flavorful fresh paprika is and when properly used, can really make a dish pop in color, flavor, presentation.

 

 

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

Heads Up originated here.

Liz Hough on

Are you ready to pack your bags?

 

Favorite Place #3 – Great Britain

 

Many Americans prefer that their first visit to Europe be to Great Britain because the main language is English.  It is an easy transition and the most people feel comfort in knowing that if something were to go wrong, they know the language and can communicate easily.  One thing that we tend to feel a bit uncomfortable doing in Great Britain is driving, as they drive on the opposite side of the road and some of the lines on the roads are confusing (have you seen those squiggly lines?).  A great way to get around easily, and quickly is by train.  There are also several motorcoach tours with various activity levels and timeframes. 

 

John, did you know that Great Britain is actually made up of four countries?  Well, it is actually called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.  The island of Great Britain itself is comprised of England, Scotland, and Wales which is where I am going to pick my top 5 favorite places.

 

Top 5 Favorite Places in Great Britain

 

#5 York – York is about a four-hour drive north of London, but it is worth the drive!  When you think of England and a tour with Tudor style buildings, this is that town.  You can easily walk around to the various shops, enjoy a meat pie, or walk along the castle wall.  My favorite part of the town is the oldest street in all England called Shambles.  This street was even said to be mentioned in the 1086 book DomesDay, but to me it felt like I was walking down Diagon Alley, for all you Harry Potter fans.  Crooked buildings, tight streets, crowds of people, and tiny stores make up this street and it is really something to see.

 

#4 Highlands – The Highlands is not a city but a region of Scotland that contains a lot of hills, lochs, and mountains.  Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in Great Britain, and on a clear day you can really enjoy the beauty of the surrounding area.  We were there in October, typically the rainy season, but each day we had beautiful weather and clear skies, which gave us the most amazing pictures.  Seeing Loch Ness was really something that I always wanted to do so standing next the Loch getting our picture taken seemed so surreal and exciting.  Unfortunately Nessie decided not come out that day.  Taking a boat ride on Loch Lomond was another highlight as the surrounding area is so lush and beautiful.  When in Scotland, make sure not to miss out on seeing a Scottish Cow, pronounced Coo by the Scottish.  Also keep an eye out for jewelry made out of Heather.

 

 

 

 

#3 London – There is one thing that I clearly remember I loved about London: the public transportation.  It was very easy to get around whether we took the iconic red bus or the Underground, we were able to easily get to our destination.  We decided to do all things Royal so we visited the Tower of London to see the royal crown and jewels.  As much as I appreciated the jewels, I was more interested in the armor and weapons that they had cached 300 years ago!  Room after room, it felt like it was never ending.  We also opted to take a tour of Kensington Palace to see the Princess Diana collection.  So many beautiful dresses to see but the building itself was a bit outdated and plain inside.  While in London, you must take a walk in one of their many parks.  You never know what type of art or activity you may come across, but on a beautiful, warm day there are plenty of activities to do.  Grabbing a pint at a local pub is a must, and this was where I was introduced to Strongbow a “dry” cider produced in Great Britain.  Having this on draft was a smooth as a lager and not sweet like a hard cider you would get in the states.  Since we have been to London, you can now purchase Strongbow here in the states and it is now produced in several flavors.  I have not had it since London, as I am afraid the formulation has changed to suit the American taste buds. 

 

#2 Bath – Bath has been a bucket list item for me since I was a teenager.  The white townhouses all lined up in a half circle, the beautiful country side, and of course, the Roman Baths.  Seeing pictures of people in the early 1900’s in their bathing suits soaking in the baths hoping for some healing or enjoying the warmth of the water, is something that had me curious.  The Roman bath building is quite large containing the main bath area, but there are also several springs that are equally fascinating.  The water is so clear that it is hard to believe that it is unfiltered.  I will warn you that there is a sulfur concentration in the water so there can be an unpleasant smell while you are there, especially in warmer weather.  You can also taste the water from a special fountain found in the restaurant on site.  I did not as I was told it tasted really bad, and was a darker color than they had expected.  There are several archaeologists that have been digging and uncovering artifacts from hundreds of years ago.  You can also view and even touch some of these pieces. 

 

#1 Edinburgh – Edinburgh is my second favorite city in all the places that I have visited.  You sense the great things that happened in this town, and because the façade of the buildings has been virtually untouched, you get this feeling of going back in time.  It is very easy to get around Edinburgh but make sure to bring good walking shoes, as the Royal Mile is something to really see but hard on the feet.  I really enjoyed walking through “Closes” which are alleyways that sometimes underground.  Many people hang their clothes out to dry in these areas, and this is also where the saying “Heads Up” originated as they would throw their bed pan material out the window to the street below.  My favorite tour was of Mary King’s Close which is an underground city that has been untouched since medieval times.  Seeing how people lived at that time is sad but a good reminder of how much we have progressed in the world.  Edinburgh Castle is a must and if you are there when the Military Tattoo is being held, I highly recommend seeing this show.  Once you are done at the castle a stroll down the Royal Mile to get in some shopping and/or whiskey tasting is must.  Once at the end, make sure to visit Holyrood Palace, home of the Queen of Scots! 

 

I always like to end these segments with food of the region!  Fish and chips can be purchased everywhere throughout Great Britain, but the best Fish and Chip places that we found were those where the construction workers would eat.  Once place was just a Fish and Chip store with no seating, and it was the best Fish and Chips that I have ever had.  Another interesting food that is easy and quick is the meat pie!  You don’t have to get meat as there are cheese and vegetable options, but these great to get when you are hungry but want to still walk around to take in the sites.  Let’s end with some Haggis!  A food staple in the Scottish culture and one of the most flavorful dishes I have ever had.  If you don’t know what haggis is or how it is made, skip knowing, and try it.  Believe me, your taste buds will thank you!

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

Disney Dining Plan, Is is worth it?

Liz Hough on

Disney easily comes up in conversations with random people I meet, but when they find out I am a travel consultant they always ask me if the Disney Dining Plan is worth the money.  I have read so many different opinions on various Disney blogs, Facebook pages, and travel agent outlets about people’s views on this subject matter.  It seems like people are split, some love it and some say it is a waste of money.  Well, we recently went to Disney and I decided to add the Disney Dining Plan to our package so I could see if it is worth it. 

Before I go into if is it worth or not, I must explain that there are several dining plans available through Disney.  Because of the variety, I am wondering if those who feel that the Dining Plan is not worth the money may have been talked into the wrong Dining Plan for their family, see chart below for quick reference.  Why so many options?  It is easy to understand, there are many cultures and different types of families that go to Disney so they are really catering to everyone.  One family may say that a particular plan has too many meals for their family while another may say this is the perfect amount for us.  I will tell you, that no matter which plan you choose for your family, it will be perfect. 

 

For our family we choose the Disney Dining Plan which includes 1 quick service, 1 table service, and 1 snack per person per night of stay and 1 resort refillable mug.  The refillable mug can be used at your resort.  You cannot use this mug in the parks to get refills, but I will tell you that we did take our mugs along with us to the parks and asked for ice water, which is free.  We then transferred our ice water into the mugs.  With each table service meal, we were able to choose one entrée from the menu, one dessert, and one non-alcoholic beverage.  When you choose an entrée you are not limited to a select menu specifically for those on the dining plan.  You receive the same menu that everyone receives and get to choose any of the entrées including steak or salmon.  Dessert at Disney is fantastic!  It is gourmet and no matter what you choose it will not disappoint.  However, having dessert every day could be a lot for some people, as it was for me.  There is a little known fact that isn’t shared by the wait staff, but some restaurants now allow you to substitute your dessert for an appetizer.  You have to ask your server when you sit down if this is one of the participating restaurants and which appetizers are included, but you may have an option of a salad instead of the that rich chocolate cake.

 

Quick service meals are just like the combo meals that you get at any of your local fast food places, and snacks include a variety of foods including popcorn, cookies, cupcakes, a banana, or the famous Mickey Mouse ice cream bar. 

 

Now the Disney dining plan was the perfect amount of meals and snacks for my family, but some families have teens or growing, hungry children who eat a lot more or need more snacks, so purchasing another plan to fit their family’s needs would be a better option.  I have put together some additional information in the chart below that shows the various dining plans available and what is offered with each dining plan.  This will help make it easier to find what will work best for your family. 

When you purchase a dining plan that has several table services with it, you must make your reservations in advance.  You can start to make your dining reservations up to 180 days prior to your arrival date for the entire length of your day, but not to exceed 10 days of stay.  What this really means is on the 179th day you can call to make your reservations.  I would recommend calling to make your reservations.  It is much faster and you will also be able to make any additional reservations such as Pirate’s League or any tours, all with one phone call.  If you don’t make a reservation in advance, you could be told that the restaurant is full for the day or you may have a two-hour wait.  A two-hour wait with hungry children is not fun for anyone!

 

So are you ready to find out if the dining plan is worth the money?  For a family of four going to Disney for seven nights, who elect the Disney Dining plan, it is a little over $1000.  (Now that is just for the Dining plan, not including park tickets or resort stay.)  For four people on this seven day Disney vacation, it comes to between $33 to $40 per person per day.   One character meal is around this same cost, so if you do one character meal you have paid for your entire day right there!  Even if you are doing non character meals, your meal cost with entrée, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage can easily reach the $40 to $50 range per person.  When you look at the numbers you really see that you are paying for table service but getting a quick service meal and snack for free.  I, personally, find that the dining plan is worth the money and saves me time when we are there.  My meals are planned out, they are paid for, and everyone is happy because the food is so good. 

 

Now, one thing you must know is that tip/gratuity is not included.  The suggested tip is based on your total meal cost prior to deducting your plan.  It is up to you, how much you want to tip unless you are a party of six or more than 18% is automatically added to your bill.  When you receive your bill it will tell you how many of that service you have left.  So if you had six table services to start and just finished eating, then your bill will show that you have five remaining.  You can always get your entire amount of allotted meals from the concierge or guest services area at your hotel.  It is important to note that meals do not roll over after your stay.  If you don’t use them up you will lose them so I highly recommend planning out your meals for each day you are at Disney.  Also, the meals are to be used at your discretion.  If you want two table service meals on one day and two quick service meals another day, it is up to you how you use them, but again, use them up!

 

Next time you are at Disney, consider using one of the dining plans that will work best for your family.  It is well worth the money. 

Don’t forget that at Life is Better Traveling we have a whole Disney Concierge service available for your next Disney vacation.  For a small Disney stress-free vacation planning fee, we will set-up everything for you including your My Disney Experience, dining, FastPasses, tours, Magical Express, and spa services.  You don’t have to plan a thing, we will do it all for you with our daily itineraries that are specific to your family’s Disney needs and wants.  Planning a multi-generational family Disney vacations?  No problem, we will have the whole family enjoy together time and some alone time, that it will be your best Disney vacation yet!  At Life is Better Traveling, we want you connecting with your family and friends and enjoy more of the vacation and less time planning it!  Call us today about your upcoming Disney vacation planning.

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

 

Free Wi-Fi, how to get it when traveling!

Liz Hough on

Are you paying for Wi-Fi when you travel?

How to get Free Wi-Fi…

 

Is Free Wi-Fi important in your hotel stay decision?  I recently read an article about how having free Wi-Fi in your hotel is becoming an increasing popular demand among guests.  Surprisingly, it is not just the millennials who are demanding it but Generation Xer’s and Baby Boomers.  I have to be honest, as I am very connected to my email, internet surfing, Facebook, Twitter, and text messages as it is all right on my phone.  I try to do everything over a Wi-Fi connection so I can keep my data usage down for the month and I get faster downloads.  But I do find every time I stay at a hotel that download speeds are much slower and I am constantly having to sign into the Wi-Fi connection only to be kicked out a minute later.  I can see how easily one can become frustrated and if I were at any of these hotels for a week and needed to do business, I would be very frustrated.

 

So how about hotels where you have to pay for the Wi-Fi?  I have paid for Wi-Fi once when I was at a travel conference and it was very expensive for a day’s use.  I have to admit though that I did have faster speeds compared to when I have used free hotel Wi-Fi.  I think this is why more people are willing to pay for their Wi-Fi upfront in packages that the hotel offers when booking your stay with them.  Yes, I said it.  Hotels are offering packages that includes the room and Wi-Fi use in the pricing.  A packaged deal that more and more people are wanting to buy upfront because it is cheaper to buy it as a package then get to the hotel and pay per day.  Some hotels have a pricing chart for you next to the bed along with the card that says “our company is green and saving water….”.   

Some places want to charge you as much as the cost of a steak dinner just for a one-day use! 

So how do you get around paying extra for Wi-Fi at a hotel?  Find a Panera or local café close to your hotel that provides free Wi-Fi.  Head over there for a cup of tea or coffee and take an hour or two to get some work done or surf the internet.  Also, look for hotels that provide free Wi-Fi.  When you go to book a hotel, check the amenities section of the that specific hotel.  In this section they will tell you if free Wi-Fi is provided throughout the hotel, in their café area, or just in the rooms.  When the hotel has specific areas that it provides Wi-Fi they will typically provide you with a password or passcode to login.  Some hotels will give free Wi-Fi to their rewards members, so consider joining some of these programs, especially if they are free to join. 

 

When it comes to Wi-Fi on your next cruise, I would skip paying for it.  Several cruise lines now offer internet minute packages that can be purchased prior to your cruise.  Packages are anywhere from one dollar per minute to five dollars per minute, which means for 60 minutes of internet you can pay up to $300.  Download times are painfully slow and by the time you get the pages you need you have used up your allotted minutes.  If you must do work, consider not taking an excursion and head to a local café that provides free Wi-Fi.  You may want to just forget work all together, after all you are on a cruise!

Here are some tips to remember about Wi-Fi on your next vacation:

 

1.Check the hotel or resort amenities section before booking to find out if they provide free Wi-Fi and where in the hotel/resort they provide it.

 

2. If your hotel or resort doesn’t provide, look for local Panera’s or cafes that provide free Wi-Fi beforehand. 

 

3.Compare internet package pricing vs. internet day pricing.  If you are at a conference and need internet, then consider a package if it is much cheaper.

 

4. Skip the internet packages on your next cruise.  Slow download times leads to frustration and no work done.

 

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

 

Have you learned this lesson from traveling?

Liz Hough on

Do you know the number 1 lesson learned when traveling?

Here it is….

 

Despite all of the things that have happened around the world in 2017, traveling in 2018 is still booming.  Why?  Because those who love to travel will always travel and they have learned an important lesson when they travel.  The lesson is that there are kind and amazing people everywhere you go.  I have traveled to third world countries, and despite some of the things that had or were going on there, I never felt in danger.  I had kind people surrounding me and wanting to show me what their culture was all about.  Whether they were preserving thousand year wooden churches that the entire town still went to every Sunday or the legends that surrounded their region, I never felt in danger.  Most of the time they would thank me for visiting for their town.  Actually seeing a country and their culture, not what the news outlets make them out to be, is why traveling is a learning experience for me.

So where will your learning experience be in 2019?  Here are some tips to help you decided where you want to travel in 2019:

 

Tip #1:  Distance.  It really does depend on how far you are willing to travel.  Maybe you just took a vacation in 2018 that required several flight changes, and/or several hours on a plane, and you are still recovering.  That’s fine.  Pick an amount of time that you are willing to travel via plane or car, and look at the places that are in that time frame or distance from origin. 

 

Tip #2: Budget. This is a tough question to ask yourself sometimes but figure out how much you willing to spend on a vacation or your budget for all of your vacations for 2019.  Once you have a budget set then you can start to figuring out tip #3. 

 

Tip #3: Ask yourself what type of vacation to you want to take.  Are you in the mood for an organized motorcoach tour?  Or maybe this is the year of the river cruise?  How about finally staying at one of the Deluxe Hotels in Walt Disney World and taking a Disney behind the scenes tours?  Figure out what you want out of your vacation. 

 

Tip #4: Gathering the troops!  Group travel is so much fun and most of the time when you are traveling as a group, the group comes up with where to go.  Maybe the answer of where to travel in 2019 lies with the troops, so set a dinner date and start discussing tips 1 through 3. 

 

Tip #5: Want vs. Need.  There are times when we “need” to travel, i.e. work or a family thing, but make sure that you plan a vacation that you “want” to take.  It is not fun when you have planned a vacation and you are on the fence about taking it.  If, or when, things go wrong on the vacation then you are more likely to tell yourself that you shouldn’t have taken that vacation in the first place.  So make sure you “want” and are very excited about your vacation that all of your friends and family know too!

 

January is a great time to start asking yourself these questions.  Planning earlier in the year allows you to cross it off your list of things to do in 2019 and guarantees that you get a spot on that motorcoach tour or river cruise or behind the scenes tour at Disney!  Let’s start planning together!

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

 

Have you been to Atlanta lately?

Liz Hough on

I have and here is why you need to go…

 

We recently took the whole family on a two week adventure.  Traveling with two little ones can give anyone anxiety let alone having to take multiple flights into different cities over a 12 day period.  Again, we were that family on the plane who were complimented on how well our children behaved and I am so thankful to have such sweet angels.  However, getting them up at 3am is not their favorite thing and by the time 3pm rolls around they were exhausted, screaming, and ready to take a nap. 

 

The first leg of our trip was to Atlanta, Georgia.  I have been to the Atlanta area several times for work but I have never actually stayed downtown and enjoyed the sites of downtown Atlanta.  We stayed at the Georgian Terrace hotel which is a few blocks from great restaurants and shopping, but just out of walking distance.  When you walk into the lobby of the hotel you are taken back to a time when this hotel was considered first class for the Rockefellers and Jones.  The hotel’s opulence clearly comes out with its white marble columns and stairways.  They still have the old lantern light fixtures but updated them to have electricity.  I really felt like I was transported back in time to the early 1900’s when the hotel was first built.  Another great feature of the hotel is their panoramic view of downtown Atlanta from the roof top pool.  We decided to visit during sunset and the view was breathtaking.  They also had a restaurant and bar in the hotel and a full service fitness area. 

 

We opted for a two-bedroom suite. Even though there were many great amenities in our room like the full washer and dryer and kitchen, the furniture was a bit out dated.  They also did not provide any silverware or utensils for the kitchen which made it difficult to eat our late night dessert.  It should be noted though that they were starting to renovate all of the rooms on our floor on the day we checked out, so maybe the furniture will be better and the kitchen will be fully stocked soon. The kids had plenty of space to run around but I must warn you, if you have little ones and are staying on a higher floor, you must watch them by the elevators.  The railings are wide enough for a toddler to get through and there is no glass or paneling to prevent this from happening.  Overall, the hotel was quite nice but I would prefer to stay in a hotel where restaurants and shopping were within walking distance. 

 

Since we have never enjoyed the sites of Atlanta, we decided to buy the CityPASS®. A CityPASS® is a booklet of tickets for various attractions in the city you are visiting for one low price. 

There are several major cities in the US who participate including New York City, Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco to name a few.  The CityPASS® includes admission to some of the most popular attractions in those cities.  For Atlanta, it included admission to the Georgia Aquarium, The World of Coca Cola, the Atlanta Zoo, Inside CNN studio tour, Fernbank Natural History Museum, College Football Hall of Fame and the Center for Civil and Human Rights.  Some vouchers make you choose admission to one of two places, but if you decided that you wanted to visit both places in the back of the booklet they give you a discount on admission to the other place.  It really is a good deal for anyone who is visiting one of the CityPASS® cities and plans on seeing the places in the booklet. The booklet expires 9 days from initial use.

 

Our agency has access to sell CityPASS® and so we decided to purchase them for the whole family.  This was our first time purchasing a CityPASS® but knowing that we were going to see many of the attractions that were included in the pass, we decided it was a great deal.  How the CityPASS® works is that you purchase it online or, if available, at one of the locations, and they provide you with a booklet of admission tickets or vouchers.  Note that the admission tickets must be intact to be valid.  Once you have your booklet you simply go to any of the locations and hand your booklet to the person at the admissions counter.  They take out their voucher and you’re done.  I found the CityPASS® extremely easy to use and there were even some perks in having the book, like the IMAX presentation that was included in our admission to the Fernbank Natural History Museum.  I would highly recommend the CityPASS® if you are heading to a city that uses it. 

 

Our first stop was to the Georgia Aquarium.  As a fan of the Travel Channel, I had seen the Georgia Aquarium on there as one of the best aquariums to visit in the world.  Having lived near the Baltimore Aquarium for many years, I didn’t believe that there was another aquarium as big or as fascinating.  I was wrong!  The Georgia Aquarium had so much to see and do.  They have some animals that I have never seen in an aquarium or zoo before such as the Beluga Whale and the Whale Shark!  They housed the largest tank that I have ever seen, which currently holds four Whale Sharks and many other fish and sharks.  If you are a certified diver or a good swimmer you can go into the tank with the Whale Sharks and swim with them.  This experience is an extra charge.  The aquarium offers several interactive animal experiences as part of their behind the scenes tours and some of them are very reasonable priced.  If you are looking for something fun to give as a gift, I highly recommend checking out these tours. 

 

There was plenty of activities to keep the kids busy.  They have a 4D short film with their mascot Deepo about conserving our oceans and an interactive talk with Deepo where kids can ask him questions in real time.  They have a Dolphin show, and also there are several employees on hand to answer questions and tell fun facts about the animals.  I was so excited to see my favorite sea creatures of all time, the Sea Dragon.  They are very rare and I had seen a moving exhibit of them at the Baltimore Aquarium many years ago.  They are very relaxing to watch as they almost seem to be dancing in the water rather than swimming.  The whole family really enjoyed the aquarium and there are several activities and exhibits to keep anyone occupied for a few hours.

 

 

More to come next week on whether or not it is worth it to go to the World of Coca Cola.

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

Has TSA searched your luggage lately?

Liz Hough on

Has your checked luggage ever been searched by TSA?

Mine has, and now I have a whole new perspective on how to protect myself.

 

After returning home from my last flight trip I opened my luggage to a friendly letter saying that my suitcase was searched by TSA.  I was part of the random search of suitcases that TSA does on those bags that get checked and placed under the airplane.  I have to say this was the first time that my suitcase was searched and I kind of wonder if it was because of all the baby stuff I packed in there.  Baby bottles, food, and cereal probably do look suspicious in an x-ray machine.

 

After reading several articles and seeing several news outlets talking about TSA agents getting fired for stealing people’s items from their suitcases, I was a bit concerned that something was missing.  After a thorough inspection of my suitcase I was thankful that everything was there.  But this experience had me thinking not just about these corrupt TSA agents but those swipe your suitcase at the luggage carousel.  The luggage carousels are very easy to get to and people don’t need a plane ticket to get in this area.  They just come in right off the street, take a bag, and get back in their car or go to the bathroom and rummage through the suitcase.  I read about one guy who took five suitcases in one day!  This is a bit scary.

 

So how do you make sure that your suitcase isn’t one of the unlucky ones to get inspected by TSA or swiped off the luggage carousel?  Unfortunately, nothing is 100% full proof but here are some tips on how to make sure you don’t lose any valuable stuff.

 

Tip #1:  Don’t pack anything valuable in the suitcase you are going to check.  You can purchase a piece of carry-on luggage surprisingly large enough to fit a lot of your valuable stuff.  What is valuable to you is relative, but for most people it is their electronics, jewelry, souvenirs, camera, wallet or anything they feel personally connected to. 

 

Tip #2:  Buy a luggage lock.  Don’t buy the cheapest lock on the market.  There are a lot of TSA approved locks available at department stores, Amazon, etc.  These locks allow TSA to easily open the lock without having to know your combination.  If you don’t have a TSA approved lock and they want to inspect your bag, they will just cut it off.  Now you don’t have a lock for your luggage for the rest of your trip.  Having a lock does not deter TSA from inspecting your bag, as it happened to me.  However, it will deter someone from swiping your bag.  Think of the guy who took the bags into the bathroom.  Do you think he was going to cut locks off of bags while people were coming in and out?  Probably not, he was targeting bags he could easily open. 

 

Tip #3:  Black, black, black!  Orange is the new black!  Having a black suitcase has some advantages like you don’t see all the scuff marks from rough handling but everyone has one.  When you’re watching suitcases come off the carousel and you see a black one you automatically think it is yours and then it’s not.  Black is so common that it is easy to mistake or swipe.  Think of poor Ben Stiller in Meet the Parents.  Even the airline mistook his BLACK suitcase and when his future father in law went through his bag he found some “interesting stuff” it lead to some embarrassing moments.  Go out of the norm and pick a color that will stand out.  This way you can easily spot it coming off the carousel or even worse, someone walking away with it.

 

Tip #4:  I am not going to advocate trip insurance now, but if you have purchased it they give you identification tags to put into your luggage.  This tag is usually printed out from your own computer or your travel agent should be providing it to you, but place this in your luggage.  This tag has your information on it so that if your luggage gets lost or swiped and someone finds it, they know how to reach you through your insurance company.  This also helps the airline if they lose your luggage. 

 

Tip #5:  Luggage tags.  There are so many luggage tags on the market today.  Bright colors, fancy logos, various shapes, large and small, etc.  I highly recommend also putting a luggage tag on your suitcase that will help you spot it.  I give all of my clients luggage spotters to put on their suitcases.  It wraps around the handle, is padded, and they can put their information on the inside.  I usually place their extra trip insurance card in the sleeve just in case.  Try to get something sturdy as your bags does get thrown around a lot on its way to and from the airplane.  I have lost many luggage tags in my day.

 

Having TSA search your luggage can happen to anyone but you can avoid them taking anything of value from you.

 

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

How to bring back those amazing souvenirs!

Liz Hough on

This happens to me every time I go on vacation – I buy too many souvenirs!  When we travel I love to find unique souvenirs.  My favorite type of souvenir are the ones that are conversation starters. When people first come to our house they are surprised by all the pieces of art on our walls and even the crystal lady with a basket on our shelf.  They ask us where we got these amazing pieces and it easily leads into a conversation about one of our many amazing journeys. 

 

Since buying souvenirs is a part of traveling, why don’t we ever plan on how to bring them back?  We always pack way too much into our suitcases in fear that wherever we travel they won’t have something we may need.  This means we always end up over packing. Over the years, I have perfected the amount of clothes I bring on any vacation because I am guilty of the “I may never be here again so I just have to get it” syndrome.  I am here to tell you that this syndrome is a perfect trait to possess because it is true, you may never be there again.  You don’t want to get home and have any regrets about not getting that piece of pottery in Italy or that crystal figurine in Hungary.  I purchased them, and I love using my ceramic octopus plate and staring at my small crystal umbrella toting figurine.  It brings me happiness and it floods me with the memories of those places.

 

But how did I get them back?  There are two ways I bring back souvenirs.  One way is by mail.  Every country in this world receives mail. Most places where you buy your souvenirs, especially the higher end stores have shipping options for you.  Now make sure you weigh your options.  If you buy the pottery for $100 but it costs $300 to ship, then your answer should be no.  Shipping to the United States is expensive, due to the various taxes and fees, and port charges.  The store may also inflate the price of shipping too.  You don’t want to pay a couple hundred dollars for shipping a souvenir unless that shipping cost is 10%-20% of the price of the souvenir.  Find out what the store policy is on shipping.  I have been in stores where they have a flat rate regardless of how much you spend.  Depending on what that flat rate is, you may have to spend over a $1000 for it to be worth it.

 

Group mailing!  Wait until the end of your trip to figure out what you don’t want to take on the plane.  FedEx and DHL are common mail carriers overseas, and you can pack everything or they can pack your souvenirs for you.  REMEMBER!  Stay with your stuff until it is all taped up!  Keep an inventory.  I suggest both written and by photos.  Make sure if there is more than one box it says that on your slip.  You carried these souvenirs the whole trip, you don’t want to lose them now. Also, take into consideration that it will take a couple of weeks for your items to arrive at your door.  They have to go through customs (just like you at the airport) and several channels before they reach your front door.  Make sure you have a way to track your packages. 

 

 

Another great way to bring back souvenirs safely is through your suitcase.  Even if your suitcase is filled with clothing the key is to pack a large foldable, duffel bag in the bottom of your suitcase.  The duffel bag is great because at the end of your trip you can unfold it and put all of your dirty clothing in here while packing all of your souvenirs safely into your sturdier suitcase.  Just take into consideration that you have an extra piece of luggage to check at the airport.  Checking an extra bag maybe less expensive then shipping your items back to the United States. 

 

Now you have a few “I may never be here again so I just have to get it” options on your next vacation to get those amazing conversation starting souvenirs back to the United States.  Happy shopping!

 

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

Kids rainy day beach activities, Fun for All!

Liz Hough on

Do rainy days at the beach with the kids make you want to pull out your hair?

Here are some fun activities to keep them occupied!

What to do with kids at the beach on a rainy day?

Last week we were staying in an amazing house down on Cape Hatteras before the tropical storms forced us out.  This was my first experience staying down that far on the coast line.  We usually stay in Duck, Corolla, or the Kill Devil Hills area but I did enjoy my brief stay on the Cape.  I knew that it might rain and with little kids if you aren’t taking them into the pool or to the beach, what do you do to keep them occupied?  Besides riding in the elevator for a few hours, yes, the elevator kept them happy for a few hours, we did a few other fun activities. 

 

One of my favorite activities to do at the beach is to make feet or hand impressions of the kids using the local sand.  I found this activity a few years ago on Pinterest and it is still a favorite of mine and the kids.  You will need to bring a few items with you from home including a few picture frames and some plaster of Paris. The process is simple.  All you need to do is take out the glass from the picture frame, place the frame on some newspaper, fill the frame with dried sand, make the kids impression in the sand, fill in with plaster of Paris, let it dry and now you have the kids’ feet forever.  I love that I have a collection of the kids’ feet in sand from the various years of going to the beach. Just remember to make sure to keep the back to the frame for later use.    

 

Another great rainy day activity is making impressions of the kids’ hands and feet with washable paint.  There are so many amazing things you can do with their hands like make a giraffe or elephant.  Maybe make a Christmas gift for the grandparents with their feet.  The kids love getting paint all over them and parents love it too because it washes right off. 

 

 

 

The Dollar Store is one of my favorite places to pick up seasonal crafts for the kids.  Right now they have all their Halloween crafts and decorations out including spooky stickers.  I don’t know what kid doesn’t love stickers!  Mine love putting them all over the place including all over themselves.  For Halloween they have foam cut outs of witch hats and ghosts so I let them decorate these cut outs with stickers and then glue on a stick on the back, and now we have spooky witches and ghosts running around the house. 

Another favorite in our house is dress up.  Buying fairy wings and wands is a fun way to have a magical day inside our very own Pixie Hollow.  We had to beware of Captain Hook and his fellow pirates, however, we did forget to bring inflatable swords and eye patches for uncles and grandfathers to be the pirate pals.  You have to play pirates at least once when you are in the Outer Banks to pay homage.

 

It seems like when you are packing to go to the beach we always make sure we have all the beach toys and chairs, but don’t consider that there may be one or two rainy days on the vacation.  I just grab a few easy crafts that fit into a shoe box, my sand print picture frames, and a few fairy and pirate outfits and you have two days’ worth of stuff to keep the kids occupied. So on your next trip to the beach don’t forget to take these few essentials that will have you crafting memories of a lifetime and the kids laughing with excitement.

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

 

Ready for a Deal?

Liz Hough on

I have been reading a lot of negative reviews lately on TripAdvisor, Travel Guide, Oyster, etc.  I am finding that a lot of people who leave negative reviews on these websites is because the hotel or resort they booked was not what they thought they were going to get with their “deal.”  I have to laugh a bit because as much as everyone likes a “deal”, why would you want a “deal” for your vacation?  Most Americans only take 2 to 3 weeks off per year so that means they are working 49 to 50 weeks a year.  I would hate to work so many weeks and then when I take my vacation to be staying at a “deal” hotel or a “deal” resort and be completely disappointed or worse, miserable the entire time.

 

There are amazing deals around us all the time.  I go to Target and get stuff on clearance at the end of the season for my kids and they love it, i.e. princess dresses for those of you who know my oldest daughter.  This is a great deal for me because when they are regularly priced they can be expensive and since she wears them every day, they wear out quickly!  Now when we go to Disney in a couple of weeks I will buy her princess dresses there but I know in advance that I am going to have to pay full price and I am hoping that they are better quality.  I know that I am not going to get a “deal” but I am hoping that I am going to get good “value.”  For weeks now, I have been putting aside princess dress money so I can get a better value dress or dresses for her. 

Now when someone finds out that I am a travel consultant they instantly tell me about their worst vacation ever.  I politely listen and when they are finished I asked them if they booked with a travel agency or travel agent/consultant.  Probably 90% of the time they tell me they found a “deal” on the internet when they did their own research.  I ask them where they did their research and they tell me TripAdvisor or the resorts webpage.  Well, the resort will not post bad reviews of its hotel, and TripAdvisor likes to post the good reviews first.  I ask them if they felt like they wasted their money and their time.  Most of the time I hear an unquestionable Yes!  So if you feel like you wasted your time and money then was it a good “deal?”

 

I also hear that people are disappointed because they didn’t receive the same treatment their friends did when they had stayed there.  When doing your own online research, make sure that you are comparing apples to apples.  A lot of times I hear an apples to oranges comparison, and that is why the same services were not provided.  Resorts and hotels change specials frequently, sometimes weekly, so when you are looking for that same “deal” it may no longer be available.  When doing your own online research, if you feel like you just aren’t finding what fits your needs, it may not be out there.  However, a travel consultant may be able to find it in a few minutes because they know where to look. 

 

To avoid becoming disappointed on your next vacation, and possibly leaving a bad review online, try to make your next vacation a “value.”  You should come back from your vacation feeling happy and proud because of the star treatment you received.  You shouldn’t even realize the amount of money you spent.  You should have indulged in fine food and drinks, splurged on souvenirs, and taken private tours where you were the only ones behind the scenes.  These experiences are unforgettable and is what you will be talking about with your friends and family at your next gathering.  People love to hear these types of travel stories, I love hearing about these travel stories too!

 

So when planning your next vacation make sure to catch yourself every time you say “That sounds like a good deal.”  Steer clear and try to catch yourself saying: “That sounds like a lot of fun and something I would not have done on my last vacation.”

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

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