The Visa Waiver Program has been around for over 20 years, although it has reached greater awareness and prominence in the post-911 era of travel.  The program has been modified over the years, with additional countries added to the list and an electronic travel component added, but the underlying purpose of the plan remains the same.
Visitors from specific countries are permitted to travel to the United States for a period of up to 90 days (for business or pleasure travel) without having to get a Visa.  There are specific requirements for countries to get on the waiver list, including …read more

In celebration of Columbus Day, today’s post harkens back to my summer vacation in Italy.
Lake Maggiore, with its low key atmosphere, has an extensive network of ferry service around and across the lake.  In fact, ferries have landing stages in nearly every town along the lake, making it quite easy to get most places by boat.  In addition to the traditional (and slower) ferry, there is also hydrofoil service.  Not only is it a faster boat, but it has more direct service, rather than stopping at all the smaller towns.  The boats generally operate between 7 am – 8 …read more

A question that I always get asked, and the answer is always different!
Q.  Where are you vacationing next?
A.  This is a question that every Flight Attendant loves to talk about, because there are usually so many places on our list of places to visit.
Here’s how my travel calendar is shaping up for the rest of the year:

October will probably be a long weekend in southern California (most likely Palm Springs, but possibly San Diego instead).  I have vacation time coming the end of the month, so there may be time for another short trip somewhere close to home.
In November …read more

Our hectic pace of life takes its toll on our physical and emotional health, so when it’s vacation time, why not consider a trip that’s part of the Slow Cities movement.  The movement, started by the Italians in the 1990’s, is a way of protecting traditions and traditional ways of living.  You remember those – before gadgets and communications systems demanded that we be available 24/7?
Slow Travel gives you an opportunity to connect to a place and its people, rather than racing through a bunch of cities.  It’s about experiencing culture and heritage, not just about finding the nearest fast …read more

This summer was my second trip to Italy, and while some of the familiar things from last year were incorporated in to the journey, it was important to me to add on some new experiences as well.  I knew our intrepid group would be flying into Milan, and then three of us would have a few days that weren’t otherwise booked, before heading to Tuscany to pick up our fourth traveling companion.  We were up for anything, but the planning was going to fall to me.
I started mapping out what was do-able from Milan, and would still allow us to …read more

For most of my life I spent Thanksgiving with one family member or another (or all of them), eating a huge turkey dinner, listening to football-related yelling, and navigating the delicate balance between family arguments and peaceful co-existence.  If that sounds familiar, and the thought of spending another holiday like that is truly painful, consider taking a Thanksgiving vacation this year.
And I’m not talking about a vacation to go visit family – I’m talking about a real vacation – for everyone!
I first tried the holiday vacation plan nearly 10 years ago, and while I don’t do it every year, it’s …read more

It’s been a busy week of travel for me, with overnights in Vancouver BC and Chicago, but I still managed to find some great travel posts to share with you this weekend.
Velvet Escape tackles the weighty topic of. . . refrigerator magnet.  I love them!  And now, I think I’ll start a collection of my own.
The Paris Traveler shares a whiff of the Paris exotic with information about how to get your very own custom French fragrance.  What a delightful, and practical memory of a great vacation.
The Trends explain about a sort of reverse pick-pocketing going on in London.  Instead …read more

I picked up this matchbook earlier this summer when I was visiting Croatia.  There is still a fair amount of smoking is this country, and it is not looked down on as much as it is elsewhere.  Since many of the restaurants where we ate were outdoors, it didn’t seem too overwhelming, however it was still an adjustment.
These matchbooks were picked up at a little corner store in Cavtat, a town on a bay just south of Dubrovnik.  Matchbooks weren’t available for FREE restaurants or bars, they were sold in local shops.  They cost about 10 kuna, which is …read more

Hello fellow travelers!
I’ve gathered up some great weekend reads, so grab a cup of coffee, and settle in.  These posts are sure to make for great Sunday (or any day) reading:
Filipina Soul introduces us to the Ayala Museum which houses world-class collections based on the history of the Philippines.  Beautiful!

Travel Writers News lists the best online travel resources.  I was aware of most of these, but picked up a few that I’ve now added to my list.  You’ll find this very helpful.
The Los Angeles Guide introduces to the mobile food vendors are the latest, hippest, dining experience to hit LA, …read more

I am constantly reading all the other great travel posts, both for information and inspiration.  Sometimes, these posts expose me to new places or things that I put down on my must-see list.  Other times, they convey the emotions of travel, a destination, or experience.  Sometimes they’re fun and just downright silly.
Whatever the reasons a post catches my eye, it makes me feel part of a very special group of people – travel bloggers.
Here are some great reads from this past week:
My Bella Vita explains her theory on how to learn Italian – an entire month without speaking anything but …read more