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Can You Travel with Friends?



When traveling with friends, it’s important to put in some time and effort to ensure the trip runs smoothly for everyone. 
Before anything is booked, you should all discuss your individual needs, goals and preferences to ensure that you are compatible with your fellow travelers. Ask yourself and your companions these questions…
Do you want a relaxing holiday or do you want to take in all the sights?
Do you have a budget?
Is everyone okay with the expenses?
Do you need vaccinations?
Do you want to do group activities?
Do you know what is necessary for the trip?


Does everyone have the correct papers and travel gear?
Is everyone open to adding activities?
Is it okay to change plans during the trip?

These may seem like overplanning…but a few upfront questions may make your trip more enjoyable.
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Be Polite in France


Think about these few suggestions next time you’re in France…

Want Produce at le Marché?
Strolling through a local fruit and vegetable market is one of the many simple pleasures awaiting you in France. Everything is so fresh, so appealing, so artfully displayed, perusing and purchasing produce can be a highlight of your trip. However, be forewarned that poking, prodding or picking up the goods is not accepted. There’s an unspoken hands-off policy at a French marché . Let the vendor pick up the produce for you, and just point if you want to select a specific item.
Greet the Shopkeeper
In some countries, it’s okay to just nod, smile or ignore the staff when you walk into a shop. Here, when you walk in and out of a small boutique, bakery, pharmacy or shop, you should always acknowledge the clerk with a crisp bonjour – better yet, bonjour Madame or Monsieur. Mercis are always appreciated as well.
Ask Your Waiter to Bring You the Bill
The French are very laissez fair about hanging out in cafes, bistros or restaurants as long as you’d like. There’s no pressure to turn tables here, and so you can nurse a glass of wine or a cup of coffee to spend all day at a coveted spot on a sidewalk table should you choose. The flip side is the waiter won’t anticipate your need for the bill or present it to you in a timely manner unless you specifically ask for it. To them, handing out the check is akin to rushing you out the door. They’re not necessarily ignoring you, neglecting you or providing poor service. They’re just happy to have you linger.
Drinks with Your Meal
In many countries, it’s okay to have a cup of coffee, sip soda, or drink a flavored beverage throughout a casual meal. Sometimes we expect the refills to keep coming. Not so in France. Water or wine are the accepted liquids to accompany food. Sure, you can order a Coke or juice or whatever you like, but you’ll be going against the grain here. If you don’t want to stand out like a sore foreign thumb, do like the French do. A glass of wine is usually cheaper than a soda, and tap water is free (no need to pay for the bottled stuff), so this shouldn’t be a problem.

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Is This the Right Hotel for You?


Check the exact hotel location
View the map and look at street view if you want to make sure the location is as great as it seems on the website. Busy roads, tracks, and freeways might be too close for your comfort.

Check review sites
Look at all reviews…not just the bad ones or the fantastic ones. Weigh what is being said and if the same issue comes up several times…you may want to rethink your hotel. Also, check what reviewers have to say about room location, extra options, shuttle services, and nearby attractions.
This could save you time and money in many ways.

Check parking availability and cost
If you will have your own car, check both availability and pricing on parking at the hotel. Many times, hotel parking can add anywhere from $10 to $35 or more to your daily hotel cost.
If no hotel parking is available, check where the nearest parking ramp is and the cost of parking there.

Breakfast
What does the hotel offer? Coffee and pastries…or a full breakfast.
You can usually find out this information on the hotel website or by calling the front desk directly. If you are concerned about budget…this is an important question to ask.

Internet access
If you absolutely need Internet access…ask if it is included or what the charge is. It may be free for loyalty members, but not for others.

Loyalty Members
Usually, I recommend booking directly through the hotel if you are a loyalty club member. You can ask questions about upgrades, points, etc. Also, you can make sure they have your member number in order to receive points for this stay.

Sign up for the rewards program
If you are not yet a member and it is free to sign up for a hotel’s loyalty program, do it. You may receive some complimentary services for doing so. One more reason to call the hotel directly.

Don’t be afraid to ask for a better rate
Again…if you call directly, you can ask for a better rate. Be polite and ask about specials or deals. Sometimes websites do not list programs like AARP or AAA, but the reservation desk will.

Again…don’t be afraid to call the hotel directly
You’ve read the reviews and looked at the website. Maybe you still have questions about the Wi-Fi cost, or if the room you want is pet friendly, or their cancellation policy. By calling, you can get your questions answered. It’s also a great way to get a feel for the vibe of that hotel.

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Will Fingerprints Replace Boarding Passes?



How about this? You may need nothing more than your fingerprint or face to clear airport security and board your flight.
Delta Air Lines has begun testing fingerprint identification for entry into its airport Sky Club at Washington Reagan National Airport, in cooperation with the private company Clear. It plans to test fingerprint scanning for bag check, security, and boarding next.
JetBlue is starting to test the use of facial scans to match travelers flying from Boston to Aruba with their passport or visa photos in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection database.
Experts say this biometric technology to identify people through physical characteristics eventually will become an integral part of the airport security screening process.
Gary Leff, airline industry expert and author of the “View from the Wing” blog, is skeptical about the benefits for consumers. Leff points to, among other downsides, the fact that airlines’ computer systems can crash at inopportune moments: “When they need to process passengers by hand, they can process people with paper boarding passes but not those who need to be scanned.”

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Going to Amboise?






Amboise Sunday Market

We were told the Sunday market in Amboise was not to be missed. “You’ll find everything here. It’s one of the best in the Loire Valley.” We were also told to get there early.

So, we were prepared. Or, so we thought. Abundant doesn’t begin to describe the number of vendors. It was teeming with people, trucks, and their products. Hodgepodge…no. Diversity…yes.

Since we were early, we found a place to park…not an easy feat for those who came a half hour later. Trucks, vans, ovens, tables, and people as far as we could see. Deciding to pass by the first man handing out samples of horse sausage, we moved along through the rows of tables.  

Aromas from grilling meats and just baked baguettes mixed with pungent goat cheeses and spicy olives. It was heaven to stand and sniff. But, first…coffee and a pastry. Fresh, of course. What better way to people-watch?

Then, time to wander through all the market. Cashmere sweaters from Italy? Sure. Mounded high, red and white radishes complete with their green tops lent a festive air. White asparagus, in season, ranged in size from pencil-thin to cigar-fat. All looked delicious. Sausages, jambon, and meats of many kinds lined up next to fresh, ice-encrusted fish from Brittany, and winemakers offered us Vouvray wine from the area. Spices and fresh herbs vied for our attention as we moved along and eyed the plump, bright orange apricots and ruby red strawberries.


Need some clothespins? Take your pick from one of several booths. T-shirts, leather purses, jewelry, garden supplies, the latest invention for hoeing in your garden, furniture, kitchen gadgets of every possible kind…some you didn’t know you needed until you saw it…, and just about any piece of clothing all had their space.


A lady walked past carrying a large, brown box with holes in it. It was clucking. She had come from the end where vendors were selling live chickens and ducks. Not for eating, mind you. These were special, fancy-looking critters in a variety of colors and feathery top-knots. People bought these for eggs. And, every box that walked away was making a noise. The buyers looked happy.

Roasting meat smells drew us down another path, past the artichokes bigger than my head and fresh, purple-colored heads of garlic the size of apples. Here, four trucks lined the edges. Each truck was a portable rotisserie with five racks of chickens in each. Perfectly seasoned and browned chickens rotated slowly around as the vendor periodically inspected them for doneness. Did we drool? You bet.

Then, there was the Paella Guy. I’ve seen large paella pans. This one wasn’t even in the same playing field. At least four feet across, I’m not sure which was more impressive…the pan, the bubbling mixture, or the smells coming from the pan. We watched as he added rice and some more spices. Stirring it sent the delicious aromas into the air. He grinned when he heard us sigh. More drool.
Sadly, it was time to leave. We were loaded down with fresh bread, a variety of cheeses which we may or may not remember the names, enough radishes and leafy greens for a salad, spicy salami, and enough apricots and berries for both dessert and breakfast.

Were we glad we discovered this market? Oh yeah. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday morning on vacation.
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Common Travel Issues…What Should You Do?



Lost Passport
When it happens, it can be your worst nightmare. You open your wallet or backpack and find no passport. Did you lose it or was it stolen? It doesn’t matter, it’s gone. What do you do? Act now. Go back to your hotel or where you are staying and search for it…just in case it slipped out of your pocket. If it’s not there…

Contact the police and then your local embassy. You’ll have to show up in person at the embassy to apply for an emergency passport to get you back home. An emergency passport is only valid for a limited time, and once you are back in the States you’ll have to apply for a new passport.

To be extra prepared, before you leave home pack the items you will need in case you have to get an emergency passport. If you do not have everything you need, you may need to present an affidavit of identifying witness. This will be filled out by a fellow traveler, who can attest that you are who you say you are.
Think about creating an emergency passport kit to take along. 

The procedures for getting an emergency passport differ depending on which country you’re visiting, but here’s what you’ll probably need, no matter where you are:
A passport-size photo
A photo ID
Proof of U.S. citizenship (such as a copy of your birth certificate or the missing passport)
Travel itinerary (airline or train tickets, etc.)

Travelers often make a copy of their passport and store it in a different place from their actual one. You can keep a PDF of it on your phone.



Missed Flight
Don’t wait until the last minute, thinking the airline will wait for you. They won’t.
Even if you allow enough time, things happen. You may encounter security issues that aren’t even related to you. So, what do you do?
Has your plane taken off without you? Immediately go to your airline’s desk. It is possible that your airline can get you on the next flight. They may charge you. Passengers who miss their flights sometimes must pay full price for a new ticket — and prices are steep when it’s the day of or the day before your departure.

What about your checked luggage? If you have missed a connecting flight and your luggage has been checked, it will most likely go on without you.
Try going to your airline’s ticket counter and ask if it can locate your bags. The airline may be able to hold your bags until you arrive at your destination.

Lost Luggage
Have you ever watched the bags go around and around on the carousel and yours isn’t there? Not a great feeling. Especially when ALL the bags have been taken off. So, what should you do?

First, make sure you have your baggage claim ticket. Find the airline counter or office in the baggage claim area and fill out a missing luggage form. Your bag might just be delayed or put on the wrong plane and it will find you.
If not and the airline is unable to recover it, you can file a claim for damages. In this case, you will probably have to make a list of everything that was in your bag. You will get the depreciated (not replacement) value for the items in your bag. Not a good deal.

Be sure you only have your contact info tag and the one to your current destination on your bag. That way the scanner machines won’t be confused as to where your bag should go.

On the inside of your bag, have your contact info as well.

Illness or Injury on the Road
If you’re in a foreign country, this could be a problem. Do you speak the language? Can you find a doctor?

Call your regular doctor if you need medication. They may be able to call in a prescription for you. Ask the concierge if there is a doctor who can come to the hotel, if your illness is not life-threatening. If not, see if you can get a cab to the nearest emergency room.

If you have a condition which requires a specific medication, be sure to have enough with you and a prescription for additional.
Always have the following information with you:
Your doctor’s office and home/cell phone numbers
Insurance company contact information
Embassy contact information

Contact information for a relative or loved one at home, especially if you are traveling alone
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Stuck in an Airport?

Want to avoid airport delays? Who doesn’t.

Regarding delays, AARP looked at the top 50 airports in the US. Here are some of the findings.
For summer travel, Newark Liberty International in New Jersey was the worst for delays in the summer months. Others included LaGuardia in New York, San Francisco International, JFK in New York, Logan in Boston, O’Hare in Chicago, Philadelphia International, Miami, Ronald Reagan in DC, and John Glenn Columbus International in Ohio.
Planning on traveling through any of those this summer?

How about the best for on-time arrivals?
Kahului and Honolulu International, Salt Lake City International, John Wayne in Orange County CA, Phoenix Sky Harbor, Portland International in Oregon, Seattle-Tacoma International, San Jose, MSP in Minneapolis, and McCarran International in Vegas are your best bets.
The data used? Arrival data opposed to departure data was used because a late departure can still mean an on-time arrival if the pilot can make up the time in the air.
Happy flying…

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TSA Screening Updates





Traveling this summer may be a little different as you go through security. You may be required to remove your Kindle, paperback book, food, and any other tech items larger than a cell phone from your carry-on bag. This new procedure is being tested at 10 airports, reports the TSA.
Why? Several reasons. Passengers are cramming more and more stuff into their carry-on bags and backpacks. This tight packing makes it harder for the agents to properly screen the bags. Therefore, more bags have to be hand screened. This all takes time to ensure proper screening.
The airports where this is being tested are Boise, Colorado Springs, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Boston, LA, Lubbock, San Juan, Las Vegas, and Phoenix.
You will need to remove those items and place them in a bin. Passengers with TSA pre-check may be exempt.
According to the TSA, this should shorten time in the security line as not as many bags will be hand inspected.
Thoughts?

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La Cave Des Climats

The Cave des Climats is located at 35 rue de Verneuil in Paris’ 7th Arrondissements.


With an abundant cellar of wines to choose from, tastings, and food to compliment, this is a spot to gather to taste some new and different wines, or to linger with friends as charcuterie becomes dinner.