AFTER YEARS OF TRAVELING- A FEW THINFS I’VE LEARNED (AND USE).
100 years of traveling the world - such great experiences and lots of little tips I’m sharing to make things less stressful.
GLOBAL ENTRY & DIGITAL PASSPORT - I applied for my first Global Entry the first week it was available - had to fly into LA to apply and, of course, snags ensued. Well, it’s come a long way since - I spent exactly 2 minutes getting through Customs after our last trip. Get one. Saves so much time and stress. The Digital Passport is another great trick. Everything on your phone. AMERICAN EXPRESS will reimburse the fee (every 5 years).
CLEAR - Moving through CLEAR is like being invited to a party at the airport! The staff is amazing and the trip through is lightening fast. And, they escort you past the regular line so you go directly into baggage scanning. Apply and use to save more time.
SPLURGE - On Concierge Service. Your Concierge meets you at the jetway and gets you through Customs and Baggage. They deliver you to your hotel relaxed and ready for adventure. THE NICE ROOM/SUITE - Everytime I travel I hear someone say “Why pay for the nice room when I am out and about all day in tours?” Ok, I hear you, but after the long flight, trip through airport, ride to hotel and check-in - I want the million-count sheets, the super-soft robe, the slippers, the heavy towels, great view AND huge soaking tub. Can you hear the bath being drawn? Smell the great bath salts? Treat yourself to the nicer version. Never hesitate to ask for an upgrade. And, ask for the goodies you actually eat/drink to be stocked.
GIVE YOURSELF SOME GRACE - Now that I am a bit older and traveling I’ve made the executive decision to add some “cushion” days to the agenda. For example, for this last Christmas Market jaunt, I flew to LA two days ahead of my International flight so I could see family and recharge before the long flight. So relaxing and you deserve it. These little “recharge” days are likely to be found inbetween countries we visit too. It really maximizes your energy for the rest of the trip.
THE BEST-LAID PLANS - You’ve been planning for months - but, something comes up - it always does. We recently landed in NY and were looking forward to staying in our favorite hotel. Upon arrival we could see that something was amiss. Half of the hotel was closed for remodeling. Never mind that we’d spoken with this hotel several times in the weeks leading up to our arrival - the legendary bar (it is jaw-dropping) was draped in plastic and unusable as was the rooftop. When this happens, feel comfortable asking for the manager and asking for an upgraded room/suite AND, if you’ve used points, ask that they be returned to you for the inconvenience.
USE YOUR HOTEL CONCIERGE - We’ve had great luck getting into popular spots having the hotel concierge make a call. We actually got into an evening concert of Vivaldi in Venice this way. The concierge also arranged a couple of dinners we wouldn’t have found on our own.
There are so many teeny little tweaks you can use to save time, money and your sanity. I hope these are of help to you on your next trip!
Please share your travel photos - I love seeing what everyone else is doing:)
