Venezia, a city unlike any other! Not just in Italy, but NO OTHER. Show me a bucket list of travel destinations and I will be SHOCKED if Venice is not on it.
City on Water
I will NEVER forget the MAGICAL moment stepping into the water taxi and
watching the city come to life. Typically you will arrive in the morning and as your water taxi motors you to your hotel, you watch in amazement . . . supplies arriving from the mainland and just the idea that there are NO CARS. It is fabulous . . . the Grand Canal, the quiet hidden canals, narrow bridges!! Travel CAN change your life and it sure did that for me!
DON'T
Relax, breathe, slow breathing now, you're in the greatest travel destination I can think of!! It's Italy and its slow and easy here. Don't expect FAST service, enjoy the slow eats and slow living. It's part of the Venice charm!! Don't attempt to see all the sights I include on your itinerary . . . This is just plan B, C, & D depending on area you are in. Don't miss the Bellini or Proseco!
No stress way to enjoy your Venice vacation
- Book early so that we can get you a quaint hotel in a great location with back access (you really don't want to pull your luggage on cobblestone streets).
- When is the best time to go to vacation in Venice? ANYTIME!! I like April/May, it's always busy, but LESS busy and the weather is great.
- Take a locally guided tour of the HOT SPOTS and see them properly. Sometimes if you don't know the story behind things, you can't fully appreciate the beauty and significance of it. How many times have you looked at something iconic and wonder "what's so great about that?"
- Hire assistants to transfer you at the airport, to the train station (and sometimes to your gondola ha ha-you can and WE DID get lost-we could see it but with the alleys that just end, we just couldn't get there). I do believe in no-stress traveling.
- Hire drivers that will be waiting for you at the end of the train tracks.
- Take a walking guided tour with reputable, Italian based company. Don't you want to hear unique stories of locals that were born and raised in Venice. Oh the stories, they are amazing! Skip the ques and get access to the sights, guides have pre-ordered priority access (included in tour) and you will make your way straight up to the mezzanine. Get a close up view of the
gold mosaic St. Mark's Basilica with marble inlays (this time I happened upon the Basilica right in time for mass-it was so beautiful). Soak up all of the history, guides will take you a step back in time to the city's glorious past!! As you walk along the corridors of Doge's Palace, your guide will share fascinating history of the Republic of Venice. Truly, don't skip the guide for St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace. Oh and Cross the Bridge of Sighs and imagine for a moment the sadness of the prisoners taking their last look at beautiful Venice. Ask about the most famous prisoner.
- Pick a couple of must-see spots, enjoy them, take it ALL IN!!
Private, serenade Gondola Ride (most people think they all include serenade, not so). Definitely a highlight for me, the sweetest and most passionate serenade you can imagine--feels like you are the only people in Italy.- Because everything in Italy revolves around food, take a Cicchetti Crawl. Enjoy appetizers while sipping wine in a typical bacari and wander from the Cannaregio District to Strada Nuova and to the Rialo area. With private tours, the owners will have your tapas and wines ready and waiting as you arrive.
Throw away the map
- Then throw the map away and wander, wander the Jewish Ghetto, hidden alleys, campo, piazza, cross the bridges. Enjoy the fact, that you are walking in a maze. Allow yourself to be surprised by venice in every turn. Enjoy getting lost in Venice.
- Use all of your senses, not only see all of the beauty, but take time to hear the beautiful Italian conversations, the chiming church bells, the serenades. Smell the wonderful fragrant, fresh fruit stands, or the earthy scent of truffles or pastries, spices as you pass the restaurants and salt water in the canals.
When you feel like it's a dream come true, it just keeps getting better!
The most important thing is to enjoy your Italy vacation. Be a traveler, not a tourist. Sharpen your photography skills so you can capture "a snapshot in time" to remember the experience and preserve the memories forever as you explore Venice, the city on water. Looking at my photos BRINGS ME BACK and its always such a beautiful memory! Justin Murphy shares some cool photo tips in this previous blog article.
I truly hope you get to go to Venice, call me, I would LOVE to help you plan the perfect Trip of a Lifetime! Please tag us when you show off your Venice Travel Adventure @VIPTravelExperience! (P.S. don't get too caught up in the photos that you MISS the moment)
Read more
Topics:
#girlstrip,
#bestvacation,
#viptravelexperience,
travel planner,
planning the right trip,
travel concierge,
travel consultant,
#passportpassion,
why use a travel agent,
Best Vacation Value,
group travel,
Italy Vacation,
Italy Travel,
Italy Photographer,
Italy Travel Tips,
Anniversary Travel,
Honeymoon
Whether you’re catching a flight for a business trip or splurging for that dream vacation of a lifetime. Trying to keep a schedule while taking in every little experience you can get your hands on from event to event, hiring the elite, skilled, professional help of a chauffeur service is the always the way to go. Chauffeuring is an extremely handy, affordable, view finding means of transportation that provides exorbitant benefits, and no one knows those benefits better than our on the ground, experience based, knowledgeable company’s drivers. Having served satisfied customers of the all over Europe.
“ I cannot express to you enough, how much this trip meant to all of us!!"
-Tom
"We saw wonderful places and the views were so much better and I know we would not have been able to see as much as we did, if we had tried to drive ourselves or small group!!"
-Sara
"Our favorite part of the whole trip were the drivers! They were all awesome!! Especially in Ireland our driver searched for 3 days to get the perfect authentic shillelagh”
-Linda
"Thank you for suggesting the private driver in St. Thomas/St. John." We saw so much more than we imagined AND hearing the stories and suggestions of local, good eats--great value!"
-Lynn
Having a driver serves multiple benefits from punctuality to the ability to seamlessly handle rough weather with a drivers’ years of experience, hiring a professional chauffeur service for your next trip could change the way you feel about transportation to the airport, make a country side tour much more insightful, an exploration into hidden gems only the locals know about, and with that one on one experience that lets you decide what you want to do and where you want to go offering wide range of other locations off the beaten path waiting to be explored.
Highest Trained Professional, Personable Drivers:
- All of our suppliers’ professional chauffeurs are held to the best of safety standards that make other transportation services pale in comparison. Any destination, anytime, you can be stress free that no matter what comes your way your driver has been trained and is ready for it.
Our Drivers are On Time, Every Time:
- These highly trained professionals are always on time. Our suppliers can solemnly swear that they do everything in their power to ensure they are present and awaiting your arrival and you waiting in line somewhere trying to rent a car, or standing on side of the road in the rain waiting to catch a cab (believe me, it happens).
Luggage Support:
- Our entire registry of suppliers offer the most personable of drivers that take care of every one of your travel needs. While their drivers can’t go in and meet our clients at the baggage claim, our friendly greeters are more than happy to assist in gathering, carrying, and transporting any luggage you may no matter how big or small.
We Offer Suppliers All Over the World:
- Be proffessionally Chauffeured is perfect for almost any occasion. It just adds that little extra touch of luxury to any type of destination for any motive including business meetings, bachelorette or bachelor parties, themed trips, medical appointments, or just a fun night out.
Bad Weather, No Worries:
- The extremely trained professional drivers of a chauffeur service are qualified in handling any type of inclement weather, reassuring any worries of staying on schedule. We make sure you’ll make it to your destination safely and on time.
As I hope you can see by now, hiring a professional, vetted chauffeur has many diverse benefits that insuring the decision of hiring the service a no-brainer. These are just the few reasons we want to help your next experience in a new land something that you’ll always remember and to adventure somewhere you’ll never forget. So call VIP Travel Experience the next time you need a reliable ride.
Read more
Topics:
#girlstrip,
#bestvacation,
#viptravelexperience,
travel planner,
planning the right trip,
#passportpassion,
why use a travel agent,
Best Vacation Value,
Italy Vacation,
Italy Travel,
Italy Travel Tips,
Anniversary Travel,
Honeymoon
Venezia, a city unlike any other! Not just in Italy, but NO OTHER. Show me a bucket list of travel destinations and I will be SHOCKED if Venice is not on it.
City on Water
I will NEVER forget the MAGICAL moment stepping into the water taxi and watching the city come to life. Typically you will arrive in the morning and as your water taxi motors you to your hotel, you watch in amazement . . . supplies arriving from the mainland and just the idea that there are NO CARS. It is fabulous . . . the Grand Canal, the quiet hidden canals, narrow bridges!! Travel CAN change your life and it sure did that for me!
DON'T
Relax, breathe, slow breathing now, you're in the greatest travel destination I can think of!! It's Italy and its slow and easy here. Don't expect FAST service, enjoy the slow eats and slow living. It's part of the Venice charm!! Don't attempt to see all the sights I include on your itinerary . . . This is just plan B, C, & D depending on area you are in. Don't miss the Bellini or Proseco!
No stress way to enjoy your Venice vacation
- Book early so that we can get you a quaint hotel in a great location with back access (you really don't want to pull your luggage on cobblestone streets).
- When is the best time to go to vacation in Venice? ANYTIME!! I like April/May, it's always busy, but LESS busy and the weather is great.
- Take a locally guided tour of the HOT SPOTS and see them properly. Sometimes if you don't know the story behind things, you can't fully appreciate the beauty and significance of it. How many times have you looked at something iconic and wonder "what's so great about that?"
- Hire assistants to transfer you at the airport, to the train station (and sometimes to your gondola ha ha-you can and WE DID get lost-we could see it but with the alleys that just end, we just couldn't get there). I do believe in no-stress traveling.
- Hire drivers that will be waiting for you at the end of the train tracks.
- Take a walking guided tour with reputable, Italian based company. Don't you want to hear unique stories of locals that were born and raised in Venice. Oh the stories, they are amazing! Skip the ques and get access to the sights, guides have pre-ordered priority access (included in tour) and you will make your way straight up to the mezzanine. Get a close up view of the gold mosaic St. Mark's Basilica with marble inlays (this time I happened upon the Basilica right in time for mass-it was so beautiful). Soak up all of the history, guides will take you a step back in time to the city's glorious past!! As you walk along the corridors of Doge's Palace, your guide will share fascinating history of the Republic of Venice. Truly, don't skip the guide for St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace. Oh and Cross the Bridge of Sighs and imagine for a moment the sadness of the prisoners taking their last look at beautiful Venice. Ask about the most famous prisoner.
- Pick a couple of must-see spots, enjoy them, take it ALL IN!!
- Private, serenade Gondola Ride (most people think they all include serenade, not so). Definitely a highlight for me, the sweetest and most passionate serenade you can imagine--feels like you are the only people in Italy.
- Because everything in Italy revolves around food, take a Cicchetti Crawl. Enjoy appetizers while sipping wine in a typical bacari and wander from the Cannaregio District to Strada Nuova and to the Rialo area. With private tours, the owners will have your tapas and wines ready and waiting as you arrive.
Throw away the map
- Then throw the map away and wander, wander the Jewish Ghetto, hidden alleys, campo, piazza, cross the bridges. Enjoy the fact, that you are walking in a maze. Allow yourself to be surprised by venice in every turn. Enjoy getting lost in Venice.
- Use all of your senses, not only see all of the beauty, but take time to hear the beautiful Italian conversations, the chiming church bells, the serenades. Smell the wonderful fragrant, fresh fruit stands, or the earthy scent of truffles or pastries, spices as you pass the restaurants and salt water in the canals.
When you feel like it's a dream come true, it just keeps getting better!
The most important thing is to enjoy your Italy vacation. Be a traveler, not a tourist. Sharpen your photography skills so you can capture "a snapshot in time" to remember the experience and preserve the memories forever as you explore Venice, the city on water. Looking at my photos BRINGS ME BACK and its always such a beautiful memory! Justin Murphy shares some cool photo tips in this previous blog article.
I truly hope you get to go to Venice, call me, I would LOVE to help you plan the perfect Trip of a Lifetime! Please tag us when you show off your Venice Travel Adventure @VIPTravelExperience! (P.S. don't get too caught up in the photos that you MISS the moment)
Read more
Topics:
#girlstrip,
#bestvacation,
#viptravelexperience,
travel planner,
planning the right trip,
travel concierge,
travel consultant,
#passportpassion,
why use a travel agent,
Best Vacation Value,
group travel,
Italy Vacation,
Italy Travel,
Italy Photographer,
Italy Travel Tips,
Anniversary Travel,
Honeymoon
So I think what most of us, travellers, stress and dread the most about our vacation is the packing, or at least for me it is. Trying to figure out how many bags to brings, how many outfits, pairs of shoes, jackets, etc. Well I'll give you one tip to right off the back: GET ORGANIZED BEFORE YOU PACK! This usually includes making a check list of everything you will need.
Here is a link for an example of a packing checklist: Packing List
Narrow it Down. Gather all of your clothes that you need to bring, want to bring, and think you mightneed. Now cut your choices in half, and then separate what you'll definitely need from things you want to bring. Now put together different outfits and lay them out on your bed, spare bedroom, or couch, etc. Now time for the tough part, you need to make choices. Choose which outfit goes with each day. A plan saves you time later so you dont have to decide each day what you want to wear. Contrary to what you might think you don't need 3 outfits for 1 day. Now that you've narrowed down all your outfits take what you didn't choose as an outfit and put that back in your closet. (Travel Tip: Pack clothing that be used for multiple things, ex. yoga pants can double as pajama pants or a sarong can double as a swimsuit coverup, or scarf)- Drape longer pieces like pants. Fold pants in half (leg over leg) and lay flat at bottom of suitcase and line up waist lines with center of suitcase (ex. 2-3 per side) with the pant leg draped over the sides hanging out of the suitcase. (After you have put all of your rolled clothing on top of the pants inside the suitcase wrap the legs over the top of the rolled clothes to keep it tightly packed all together.)
- Roll don't Fold. Tighly rolling your softer, wrinkle-resistant garments, like T-shirts and cotton pants, and place them along the base of the bag. Jeans should be rolled, too. Also if your suitcase has separate pocket/storage for undergarments those should be rolled as well.
- Fill In With Smaller Items. Look for nooks and crannies to fill with smaller items, like bras and socks. (Travel Tip: Stuff the cups of your bras with rolled-up socks to maintain bra shape and snake belts around the perimeter of the bag.) Then cover the whole pile with a dry-cleaning bag that can double as a dirty clothes hamper while you're on vacation plus thanks to the bag’s slippery surface, clothes won’t stay in one place long enough for creases to set.
- Choose Shoes Wisely: As a general rule pick three pairs of shoes, like a casual sandal or loafer, sneakers, and an evening shoe –go for styles that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. Wear the heaviest pair en route and pack the others along the sides of your suitcase in resealable bags. (Travel Tip: If shoes are dirty you can put in gallon ziplock bags or strech a shower cap around the bottoms to keep them together and protect them from dirtying your clothes.
- Pack Your Jewelry: Are you tired of spending tons of time untangling bracelets, necklaces, and earrings from one another after you unpack? Stow inexpensive jewelry in a seven-day plastic pillbox or a 35-millimeter film canister. Wear any fine jewelry en route to ensure it won’t get lost or stolen.
- Last But Certainly Not Least, Cross Pack! If traveling with another person try to cross pack between each other's suitcase putting at least 2 outfits in the other's suitcase. Also if checking bags make sure to have at least a clean pair of underwear, 1 outfit, and a swimsuit in your carry on just incase your luggage doesnt make it the same time you do to your destination.
Bonus!
Airplane Tote Packing Tips!
- Laptop. A laptop computer is always a good idea to bring especially if traveling for business, just be sure you'll have a safe place to store it in your room when you get to your destination. Access to the internet in this day and age is crucial.
- Small Pouch for Toiletries/Essentials: small pill case with allergy medicine, travel Advil, Chapstick, travel lotion, travel tissues, floss, etc. Just remember if bringing any liquids on board they must be less than 3 fl. oz. I carry this pouch with these contents daily. While traveling I make sure to have lotion and chapstick with me because my hands and lips get dry on long haul flights. I also MUST have headache medicine. I once had a migraine in flight and no one around me had medicine. It was absolutely AWFUL.
- Reading Material. All that time strapped in your seat on a flight I often like to take the opportunity to journal, read my bible, book, or magazine (Travel Tip: This time is also great to look over your printed out itinerary from VIP.) Otherwise, I'm working on my computer on the flight. If driving I don't carry these things in my tote and opt to pack them in my suitcase instead.
- Small wallet. My daily wallet is much bigger, but when you travel you should always try to bring less. A little pouch is all I need to hold cash and essential credit cards.
- Headphones & iPhone Charger. These are two essentials to all of my travels, and they MUST be in my carry-on. I've been stuck on long layovers one too many times with low battery and no charger to have learned my lesson. Also, in case I had to check luggage and it gets lost, I don't want to be without a charged phone. (Travel Tip: An old glasses case that is not being used is great for storage for earphones and chargers it also makes them easier to find and not get all tangled.)
- Sunglasses with a little pouch or case. Sunglasses are a must for me on any vacation, but I strongly reccomend them for all my caribbean travelers. Also bring something to clean them with.
- Water bottle & Snacks. Make sure it is empty until through customs and security. A water bottle is an absolute must, and it also helps to have something insulated to keep cool longer. A good example is a stainless steel and insulated, keeping water cold (if you put ice in it) for up to 24 hours and hot up to 6 hours, and snacks because traveling hangry is bad for everyone involved.
- Light Layers. A Light cardigan. I get cold on flights, so I always bring an extra layer. (Travel Tip: I've noticed window seats are colder than aisles.) I try not to bring a super thick layer because I don't like carrying heavy or bulky stuff through the airport. The extra layer needs to fit nicely in the tote, along with everything else, without taking up the entire tote.
Read more
Topics:
#girlstrip,
#bestvacation,
#viptravelexperience,
travel planner,
planning the right trip,
different travel styles,
travel concierge,
travel consultant,
#passportpassion,
why use a travel agent,
Best Vacation Value,
group travel,
Italy Vacation,
Italy Travel,
Italy Photographer,
Italy Travel Tips,
Anniversary Travel,
Honeymoon
Venezia, a city unlike any other! Not just in Italy, but NO OTHER. Show me a bucket list of travel destinations and I will be SHOCKED if Venice is not on it.
City on Water
I will NEVER forget the MAGICAL moment stepping into the water taxi and watching the city come to life. Typically you will arrive in the morning and as your water taxi motors you to your hotel, you watch in amazement . . . supplies arriving from the mainland and just the idea that there are NO CARS. It is fabulous . . . the Grand Canal, the quiet hidden canals, narrow bridges!! Travel CAN change your life and it sure did that for me!
DON'T
Relax, breathe, slow breathing now, you're in the greatest travel destination I can think of!! It's Italy and its slow and easy here. Don't expect FAST service, enjoy the slow eats and slow living. It's part of the Venice charm!! Don't attempt to see all the sights I include on your itinerary . . . This is just plan B, C, & D depending on area you are in. Don't miss the Bellini or Proseco!
No stress way to enjoy your Venice vacation
- Book early so that we can get you a quaint hotel in a great location with back access (you really don't want to pull your luggage on cobblestone streets).
- When is the best time to go to vacation in Venice? ANYTIME!! I like April/May, it's always busy, but LESS busy and the weather is great.
- Take a locally guided tour of the HOT SPOTS and see them properly. Sometimes if you don't know the story behind things, you can't fully appreciate the beauty and significance of it. How many times have you looked at something iconic and wonder "what's so great about that?"
- Hire assistants to transfer you at the airport, to the train station (and sometimes to your gondola ha ha-you can and WE DID get lost-we could see it but with the alleys that just end, we just couldn't get there). I do believe in no-stress traveling.
- Hire drivers that will be waiting for you at the end of the train tracks.
- Take a walking guided tour with reputable, Italian based company. Don't you want to hear unique stories of locals that were born and raised in Venice. Oh the stories, they are amazing! Skip the ques and get access to the sights, guides have pre-ordered priority access (included in tour) and you will make your way straight up to the mezzanine. Get a close up view of the gold mosaic St. Mark's Basilica with marble inlays (this time I happened upon the Basilica right in time for mass-it was so beautiful). Soak up all of the history, guides will take you a step back in time to the city's glorious past!! As you walk along the corridors of Doge's Palace, your guide will share fascinating history of the Republic of Venice. Truly, don't skip the guide for St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace. Oh and Cross the Bridge of Sighs and imagine for a moment the sadness of the prisoners taking their last look at beautiful Venice. Ask about the most famous prisoner.
- Pick a couple of must-see spots, enjoy them, take it ALL IN!!
- Private, serenade Gondola Ride (most people think they all include serenade, not so). Definitely a highlight for me, the sweetest and most passionate serenade you can imagine--feels like you are the only people in Italy.
- Because everything in Italy revolves around food, take a Cicchetti Crawl. Enjoy appetizers while sipping wine in a typical bacari and wander from the Cannaregio District to Strada Nuova and to the Rialo area. With private tours, the owners will have your tapas and wines ready and waiting as you arrive.
Throw away the map
- Then throw the map away and wander, wander the Jewish Ghetto, hidden alleys, campo, piazza, cross the bridges. Enjoy the fact, that you are walking in a maze. Allow yourself to be surprised by venice in every turn. Enjoy getting lost in Venice.
- Use all of your senses, not only see all of the beauty, but take time to hear the beautiful Italian conversations, the chiming church bells, the serenades. Smell the wonderful fragrant, fresh fruit stands, or the earthy scent of truffles or pastries, spices as you pass the restaurants and salt water in the canals.
When you feel like it's a dream come true, it just keeps getting better!
The most important thing is to enjoy your Italy vacation. Be a traveler, not a tourist. Sharpen your photography skills so you can capture "a snapshot in time" to remember the experience and preserve the memories forever as you explore Venice, the city on water. Looking at my photos BRINGS ME BACK and its always such a beautiful memory! Justin Murphy shares some cool photo tips in this previous blog article.
I truly hope you get to go to Venice, call me, I would LOVE to help you plan the perfect Trip of a Lifetime! Please tag us when you show off your Venice Travel Adventure @VIPTravelExperience! (P.S. don't get too caught up in the photos that you MISS the moment)
Read more
Topics:
#girlstrip,
#bestvacation,
#viptravelexperience,
travel planner,
planning the right trip,
travel concierge,
travel consultant,
#passportpassion,
why use a travel agent,
Best Vacation Value,
group travel,
Italy Vacation,
Italy Travel,
Italy Photographer,
Italy Travel Tips,
Anniversary Travel,
Honeymoon
