Vacation Mavens
Tamara is hosting an all-women small group trip to Portugal this fall and she would love for you to join her! . In this episode, Tamara talks about her two-week German Christmas Markets road trip! If you have this magical holiday trip on your radar, make sure to give this episode a close listen and check out the following articles:
info_outline Barge and River Cruising Through FranceVacation Mavens
Before we say goodbye to summer and pull on our flannels and break out the pumpkin spice, Tamara and Kim are back with a recap of Tamara's European summer travels including a month spent exploring France by river and barge cruise! Tamara first spent two weeks in the United Kingdom, on a road trip through both Scotland and Wales with two other travel writers. She then took the Eurostar down to France and spent one week cruising through the Canal Nivernais on the Hotel Barge Elisabeth. Next, she went to Bordeaux and her husband joined her for a weeklong river cruise with AmaWaterways. Tamara...
info_outline 217: Scottsdale and Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka)Vacation Mavens
Well it has been a minute since we had a chance to catch up and record a podcast but in this episode Tamara shares her insights and experience from her recent family trip to Japan. Kim and Tamara also share their love for Scottsdale, Arizona and some of the things they did on a girls' trip together. Read more at: Tamara also talked about her time in Paso Robles, California. You can read her to get inspired to visit this wine region. Kim attended conferences in Walt Disney World (read her tips for using DVC points to ), Disney Land, and San Antonio. She also took a family cruise to...
info_outline 216: Ireland and Northern IrelandVacation Mavens
Kim took a last minute spring break trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland with her younger daughter and this week on the podcast, she tells us all about it! She flew into Dublin and then stay at a country estate hotel in Northern Ireland before visiting Belfast, the Causeway Coast, Derry/Londonderry, and Galway before looping back to Dublin. See Kim's articles on: Ireland Trip Highlights: in Northern Ireland Belfast - Titanic Belfast and city architecture - Carrick-a-Rede bridge, Giant's Causeway, Dunluce Castle in Derry - walk the walls around the city Galway - Kim...
info_outline 215 Oceanside Disneyland CaliforniaVacation Mavens
Spring break is almost here and on this episode Kim and Tamara share their experience on a girls' trip in Oceanside, California and then their mother-daughter trip to Disneyland with their girls. If you want some inspiration for a SoCal getaway, be sure to listen in!
info_outline 214 Northern Italy + Big AnnouncementVacation Mavens
Happy New Year! We are back and apologize for taking so long to release a new episode. Moving forward, we will strive to have one episode a month to share our travels and tips, as we continue to each put more time into our respective websites. But first, Tamara has a big announcement and that is that she is hosting a women-only small group trip to Iceland in September 2023! You can get all the information on and she really hopes that some listeners will be able to join! Note that there is a discount of 15,000 ISK if you register by January 15, 2023. Next Tamara tells us all about her...
info_outline 213: Glacier Country, MontanaVacation Mavens
This episode is sponsored by Glacier Country Tourism. All opinions are our own. This week, Tamara shares what it is like to visit Glacier Country, Montana on a girls' trip and Kim shares her thoughts on this scenic part of Northwestern Montana. From Missoula to Whitefish, Kalispell to Glacier National Park -- if Montana is on your bucket list, give this episode a listen! Read more: Things to do in Glacier Country, Montana Glacier Country is a tourism region of Northwestern Montana that covers eight counties To get to Glacier Country you can fly into Missoula or Glacier Airport in Kalispell,...
info_outline 212: Summer Travel Catch UpVacation Mavens
We are back from our summer travel and packed a whole lot into a one episode recap! We apologize in advance for some audio difficulties on this one, especially after taking so long to get it live. Thanks for hanging in there with us! On this episode we cover Tamara's summer trips to: Nantucket (read her ) New Brunswick, Canada (, , and ) Prince Edward Island, Canada () Sailing on the And Kim shares about her adventures: Mediterranean cruise on Costa Cruise Lines () Gorilla trekking in Uganda Alaskan cruise on Holland America Graduation trip to Disney World and Universal Orlando ()
info_outline 211: NYC to Bahamas CruiseVacation Mavens
We are still catching up about our spring break trips and this time Kim shares the ups and downs from a Norwegian Cruise Lines voyage from New York City to the Bahamas with stops in "Orlando" and Norwegian's private island. Listen in and see if you are ready to set sail. In NYC, Kim stayed in the Hyatt Centric in Times Square for 2 nights before her cruise. The hotel was part of the American Express Fine Hotels Collection and she was able to get a $200 statement credits on her Amex Platinum Card. The hotel has a good location, but slow elevators and the rooftop bar is not open to minors....
info_outline 210 Paris FranceVacation Mavens
After a long hiatus, we are back with an update! Unfortunately Tamara and Kim both came down with COVID after returning from their respective spring break trips, which has delayed getting a new episode out. But this week Tamara fills us in on her adventures (and misadventures) on spring break and shares some of the highlights and tips from her week in Paris. Paris Trip Highlights This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission. All opinions are our own. Tamara and her family stayed at in the 6th Arrondissement See her full...
info_outlineUgh. As much as we don't want to have to tackle this topic, it is at the top of everyone's minds. This week Kim and Tamara share their decisions regarding spring break plans because of the coronavirus. Find out where to find important information regarding COVID-19 and travel warnings, as well as tips for staying healthy during this challenging time.
ON THE PODCAST
00:30 - Talking with Kim and Tamara
03:08 - Kim’s trip changes
13:03 - Tamara’s spring break plans
23:55 - Tips for protecting yourself
29:55 - Final tips
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CORONAVIRUS TRAVEL DECISIONS
- Cancelling a trip can be a tough decision to make. You put so much time and money into your plans for a dream trip. But if you ever feel like you will need to cancel, look into all of the cancelation policies for airfare and hotels. Having all of the facts may help you make your decision. You may also find that because of something like the Coronavirus, airlines and cruise companies may be more lenient with cancelation fees due to this issue.
- Make sure that you are checking cancellation policies when you are booking so that you have an idea what will happen in case you ever need to cancel a trip.
- Most standard travel insurance does not cover cancelling over fear of something (Coronavirus, terrorism, etc.) or pandemics. For that you would need to purchase Cancel for Any Reason insurance (CFAR). You need to purchase this insurance within a certain number of days of the first deposit for your trip, typically 7-21 days. Also note that CFAR does not reimburse 100 percent.
- If you are traveling with kids that go to school, make sure to contact someone to see if you will be required to self quarantine when you come back. Get yourself prepared if this will be the case.
- In case travel warnings change while you are away, make sure that you stock up on food and other necessities before you leave. It also makes sense to make sure you pet or house sitter is available for an extended period of time, should you be quarantined or delayed getting home.
- Whether you are traveling or not, make sure that you are washing your hands often and wash them for at least 20 seconds. Make sure you are not touching your face and use sanitizer in between or when you can wash your hands right away.
- Wearing a mask may stop you from touching your face but it will not protect you from germs that you are touching and transferring around. You need to make sure that you are washing your hands regularly.
- Wipe down your area on a plane, train, or bus with sanitizing wipes, including the armrests, window shades, tray table, seat belt buckles, etc.
- Now is a good time to walk as much as possible, to avoid being in taxis or Ubers where others may have left germs. If you do take transportation or ride the subway, you should be sure to sanitize your hands right away after leaving.
- If you are planning or thinking of planning a trip somewhere, look into the areas and what is happening there as well as what they are doing in regards of quarantine. This can help you decide on where you want to go or even just where you know you don’t want to go, at least while this virus is going around.
- One resource is the CDC's COVID-19 page and the CDC Travel Health Notices page.
- If traveling internationally, you should also register with the U.S. State Department (for U.S. citizens) and the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.
MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST
What it Cost Me to Cancel My Japan Trip - Stuffed Suitcase
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If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email at [email protected]. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!