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Credit card companies generally let you set up alerts for things like large purchases, so you can monitor for fraud. One I have set up on my Chase card is to notify me of any international charges. (This is not a promotion for Chase credit cards, but I did choose it for many traveler-friendly features including no foreign transaction fees, and no need to inform them to my travel plans which saves the hassle of having a purchase declined. Hence my interest in setting up this specific alert, so that I would catch purchases outside the US not made by me.)
When I made my first purchase in London, within seconds I received an email saying “An international charge has been posted to this account” with the details. At first I was annoyed, and thought “I need to disable that alert so I won’t get these emails all week.” But I looked at the email more closely, and realized it showed the amount of the purchase in US dollars, not in British pounds.
Now I may be a bit OCD, but with every purchase in international currency, I immediately start doing the math in my head to figure out what I paid in USD. Yes, there are apps for that, but the exchange rate the app uses is not necessarily the one the bank uses.
I immediately realized how this was a huge perk for me. I started checking for the email immediately after handing over my card, and telling the family “This wasn’t so bad, it was only $—- considering we all had appetizers and bought 2 bottles of wine!” Disclaimer: London is expensive, but being from California, it was pretty much in line with what I would have expected to pay at home. Which confirms how expensive California is!
As a family travel specialist, I solve the problems that frustrate parents when they try to plan a trip overseas. Some of the services I provide include:
– Finding guaranteed connecting rooms or family rooms that sleep 3 or more guests
– Arranging age appropriate activities that are fun for everyone
– Hiring expert guides who can engage even young children
– Arranging family photo shoots to capture the memories forever
My clients also receive exclusive amenities at preferred partner hotels, which may include free nights, daily breakfast, and hotel credits.
Here are offers from some of my clients’ favorite hotels in Europe:
LONDON
The Corinthia Hotel is loved by many clients for its excellent location close to many attractions, luxurious rooms, and huge spa. Virtuoso clients receive a 4th night free through April 22, 2018, and these amenities:
- Daily breakfast for two
- £85 Hotel Credit
- Complimentary high speed Wi-Fi throughout the hotel
- Access to the extensive Thermal Floor at award-winning ESPA Life at Corinthia
- Complimentary 24-hour gym access
- Complimentary Upgrade (if available at check-in)
- Butler Service for River Suites and Penthouses
- Complimentary use of the hotel car within Central London (Zone 1)
For travelers who book by April 9, there are bonus amenities! Get all of the above and a choice of one of the following:
- Guaranteed early check-in
- Guaranteed late checkout
- Guaranteed upgrade to the next room category
* Offer applies to Deluxe King Rooms up to The Whitehall Penthouse
Check out The Crafty Concierge which offers lots of great ideas for families in London.
PARIS
Esprit St Germain is located near Luxembourg Gardens on the Left Bank, within walking distance of the Louvre and Notre Dame. Families love it for the warm hospitality towards children of all ages, making it feel like a home away from home.
They are offering a 4th night free through April 30, which includes the following complimentary amenities:
- Daily American breakfast
- Lobby bar with champagne, wines, spirits AND minibar in room (yes, complimentary!)
- WI-FI
- Access to the fitness centre, steam room, and sauna
- Access to the business centre
- Daily newspaper of your choice
- Flowers and fresh fruits daily
Blackout dates: March 3 to 7, 2017 (inclusive). Valid only for Superior & Deluxe Rooms
ROME
The Hotel Eden near the Spanish Steps just completed an extensive renovation, so it’s more stylish than ever. They are offering a 4th night free through March 31, and my clients are eligible for Dorchester Club amenities:
- One category upgrade guaranteed at time of booking
- 100 EU hotel credit
- Daily full breakfast buffet for 2 people
- Unlimited wifi for unlimited devices
They still have their lovely rooftop dining room overlooking the Borghese, featuring some of the best views in Rome, where guests can take breakfast, or enjoy music and cocktails in the evening.
You can read about traveling to Rome with kids in a previous blog post.
LISBON
The Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon is offering a 4th night free. My clients always receive the Four Seasons preferred Partner amenities, which include daily breakfast and a spa credit. And if you book a suite, they’ll also pick you up in a limousine on arrival!
Lisbon is a beautiful city steeped in history, but there are many kid-friendly attractions including an aquarium and safari park, or you can hire a driver for a day trip to beaches or castles.
For a special treat, you can go for a spin through winding cobblestone streets with a professional photographer in a vintage Moto-sidecar. Check it out here.
For help finding your family’s perfect European vacation, contact suzette@suzettemacktravel.com.
311 TSA Rules: 3.4 oz, 1 qt , 1 bag |
Don’t stuff hockey bags to capacity! |
Duffle bag that collapses easily and compactly – Can serve as an extra carry-on bag when they pull out all the extra things from their checked bag.
The 3 ft long cable can link several bags together, or secure one to a stationary object |
Durable luggage tags – A colorful one is easy to spot on a luggage carousel.
But don’t store your jewels in checked bags. |
Probably my favorite travel accessory |
Also has a light! |
The best spa in London |
Rooms average 485 sq ft |
- English Breakfast for two people per room,
- Noon arrival (subject to availability),
- Upgrade on arrival (subject to availability),
- £85 Hotel Credit (once per stay)
- Water and fruit
- $100 food credit per room per stay
- Additional $100.00 food credit for bookings of two or more nights
- English Breakfast for two each day
- Upgrade on arrival (subject to availability)
- Early check-in and late check-out (subject to availability)
- Book a suite for 3 or more nights and get a one way airport transfer
- Book an apartment for 4 or more nights and get a one way airport transfer
Spacious apartments for long stays |
- Full English Breakfast daily
- £100 Food Credit
- Exclusive pair of member tickets to current exhibitions at The Victoria and Albert Museum with access to the members lounge. (These tickets are impossible to get!)
- Afternoon tea for 2 on one day during their stay
- Martini Master class
- Upgrade on arrival (subject to availability)
- Early check-in and late check-out (subject to availability)
- Book a suite for 3 or more nights and get a one way airport
Authentic London townhouse in a residential neighborhood |
Anyone can be an artist |
My clients love London! |
Cozy! |
Do you like this… |
.. or this? |
* Romantic accommodations – Only 20 rooms, all unique. The Penthouse has a private balcony with a clear view of the Domo.
Some have canopy beds |
Chic but comfortable |
Peace and quiet and fresh air |
They say the shortest distance to the heart is through the stomach. |
Presentation is everything! |
JK Place is also a great value when you book through a Virtuoso travel advisor and receive exclusive Virtuoso amenities:
– Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
– Continental breakfast daily for two
– $100 USD equivalent Food & Beverage credit
– Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
Breakfast at “home” |
Are you ready to take your Valentine to Florence?? Then contact me!
Couldn’t even see the pictures when the hall was filled with tour groups |
While many people just popped their heads in the papal apartments, we were learning how different Raphael and Michelangelo were both in artistic style and personality. Before entering the Sistine Chapel, we relaxed in the beautiful courtyard as our guided explained what to look for when we got inside.
Prepping for the Sistine Chapel |
Pompeii– We took a day trip to Naples from Rome, and I previously wrote about our experience hiring a private driver. Before we headed off for our drive along the Amalfi coast, he dropped us off for a 2 hour tour of Pompeii with a guide. I had heard it was huge but had no idea until I saw it for myself. It literally is a city, with block after block of streets that all look alike, and minimal signage.
The streets go on and on and on… |
Most guests take a self-guided tour with headsets, which can run out on the busiest days. Our guide, who also led school field trips, expertly led us around the site so we could understand what life was like for residents. Often other visitors nearby leaned in to listen, as the stories she told were not found on any signs.
Learning about the “McDonalds” of Pompeii |
Tuscany– We explored with our own car most of the time, but one day we had the luxury of a private driver. Finally my husband and I both got to relax and enjoy the scenery rather than focus on a map and scan for road signs.
Wouldn’t you rather enjoy this view while someone else drives? |
We visited a honey farm, a cheese farm, and a winery where we had a wonderful lunch prepared by the owner. He also took us to the hilltop village of Montalcino so we could see the fort. He dropped us off outside the castle so we could enjoy the scenery rather than waste time in the car looking for parking.
This Brunello wine came home with us. |
Say cheese! |
One day we drove ourselves to Volterra, where we met another guide who grew up there. She showed us around the ancient Etruscan village, and took us to the shop of an alabaster artisan I had met in San Francisco, when his replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa was put on display.
If this looks familiar you may have seen it in a Twilight movie, this is the home of the Volturi |
A master in alabaster |
Florence– We day tripped by train from our resort, so our time was limited. The guide we hired for a city orientation tour met us at the train station, and she took a few minutes to get a feel for how we’d like to spend our time. Since we had seen enough churches and museums, she took us to the food market, which we would have never discovered on our own.
Before the lunch rush. |
Then she led us on a tour of the city, guiding us through side streets so we avoided the worst of the crowds. She pointed out where Leonardo di Vinci and Michelangelo once stayed, and told the back story on funny signs we saw everywhere.
Hunting for these signs amused the kids. |
We planned to visit the Accademia on our own, so she had done us the favor of reserving our tickets in advance. She ended our tour at the will call window (which was practically impossible to find unless pointed out), made sure we got in the right line (there were 3 very long ones), and recommended a nearby cafe for lunch.
The original David |
When you hire a private guide, you will save time, you will learn more, your kids will have fewer melt downs, and overall you will have a better experience. Whenever we’ve visited a town or museum on our own, we found ourselves wandering a bit aimlessly. (And in the summer heat, efficiency is key, you want to make every step count!)
Wish we had a guide at the Colosseum, very few signs here |
If you have a special interest in art, history, food, etc., then you’ll really appreciate having a guide who is an expert in that field, rather than taking a generic city tour where the guide is reciting a memorized spiel.
After a week of driving all over Tuscany this summer, I compiled this list of tips. (Kudos to my husband who enjoys the challenge of navigating in a foreign country, can drive a stick shift, and is good at parking in very tight spaces.)
- Get an international driver’s license – If stopped without it, you can be fined, or even threatened with confiscation of the car. Note that it must be used with a valid driver’s license from your home country, so don’t leave your US license at home.
Ready to go! - Consider manual transmission – It can be much less expensive than renting an automatic. But you need to be very comfortable driving a stick shift, because there are lots of hills. Add car rental coverage to your travel insurance policy, it’s cheaper than buying the rental company’s insurance. (You are getting a travel insurance policy, aren’t you??)
The views are worth the climb! - Look for alternate car pick up locations – If you are not picking up a car on the day you fly in, you don’t have to make a trip back to the airport. Consider taking a train to a town near your final hotel or villa and picking up a car there. But be sure to book early and check the rental location hours.
Great place to start the trip. - Take a GPS – Unless you have unlimited data, it’ll get very expensive to rely on your phone. Some car rental companies, like Auto Europe, offer GPS with their rentals. We also rented a personal wifi hotspot with unlimited data, so we were able to use both while navigating. The GPS gave us step by step directions, and the maps app gave us an overview of the area when the GPS directions didn’t seem to make sense and we needed to improvise.
The scenery goes on and on… - Get a good map – It’s likely you’ll get lost at some point, or run into a dead end, even with a GPS. A map can help you get back on course, and also it’s easier to ask for help from a non-English speaking local with a map to point to.
Uh, are we sure we’re supposed to turn here? - Preload GPS coordinates – These are especially handy for rural destinations. To find them, right click on the red pin icon in Google Maps, and select “What’s here.” A screen will pop up with the GPS coordinates.
Hidden gem! - Plan your strategy– Review the route in advance, and check the GPS (or your map app) against a physical map so you can get your bearings. By in advance, I mean the night before, not 15 min before you leave.
Typical Tuscan “highway” - Search for parking garages or other landmarks – This is often more helpful than just entering the name of a city, which will lead you to the center of town. For example, there are several ways to approach Siena, and it’s confusing to know which highway exit to take. We looked up the name of a garage that had plenty of parking and an escalator, and the GPS took us right to it. (However in Pisa, we had a hard time finding the public parking lot and basically stumbled across it by accident. The best laid plans…)
We could see dirt in-between the stones
from the Palio Horse Race a week earlier. - Be prepared for roundabouts – They are not difficult, just different if not used to them. They are well marked, you just have to pay attention to which exit you need. The good news is, if you miss it you can just go around again.
No pics of roundabouts so will have to
make do with this view. - Plan for the unexpected – Getting lost is inevitable, but that’s half the fun. Allow plenty of time for your outings so an unplanned detour is a fun adventure rather than source of stress!
Is any trip to Tuscany complete without a visit to the Leaning Tower of Pisa? |
On our trip to Italy this summer, we did not have enough time in our schedule to spend a few nights on the Amalfi Coast, but we did have time for a day trip from Rome. It’s really easy logistically, a little more than one hour train ride. But the easy logistics end once you get to the Naples train station.
The scenery only gets better from here. |
Pompeii is so big, it doesn’t appear crowded even during peak season. Except if following the people wearing audio headsets. |
Block after block of city streets, and few signs explaining what you see. |
Our guide’s visual aids helped bring the ruins to life. |
How could we not order pizza?? |
Yes four glasses, drinking age limits are loose. Kids weren’t interested so mom & dad got two each! |
Beautiful ceramics in Sorrento |
One of the few flat areas in Positano |
After many stairs, we reached the Positano beach |
Afterwards we hopped back in the car and enjoyed the stunning scenery while Gianluca dealt with the jam-packed streets, tour buses backing up to negotiate hairpin turns, and motorbikes and pedestrians who seemed to appear out of nowhere. (I glanced back to see my son grinning ear to ear with his phone held up to the window recording it all.)
Gianluca didn’t slow down! |
Until we got here |
We arrived at the train station with time to spare, bid a fond farewell to Gianluca, and were back in Rome just in time for dinner.
So no matter how experienced a traveler you are, here is my advice if you are considering exploring the Amalfi Coast on your own: Don’t do it! Whether you arrive by train, plane, or cruise ship, it pays to hire a local expert so you can have a fun and stress-free experience. And whether you have 4 hours or 4 days, I can work with my local experts to plan a great itinerary maximizing your time in this beautiful area.
Aaaah-malfi, I can’t wait to see you again. |
Deluxe twin room… |
…with plenty of space and great A/C |
Here are my top tips when visiting Rome with kids.
It’s not fun to schlep a stroller up the Spanish Steps |
* It’s hot and humid in summer, so always carry a water bottle. You can fill them at fountains and water spigots around the city. (Yes, it’s safe to drink). Plan to rest in the afternoon at the hotel when temps are highest, then visit piazzas in the evening when it’s cooler and kids will be less cranky.
Kids are happy to have water when it’s fun to get |
* Use the bathroom before going to train station. They are not centrally located and you have to deposit coins to enter.
* Book a family-friendly guide for the Vatican Museum. It’ll make the experience better for the entire family because the crowds can be overwhelming. Our guide found a pleasant place for us to sit in the courtyard where she could give us some background information and also explain what we’d see in the Sistine Chapel later, since she wouldn’t be allowed to talk in there.
One of the rare places without crowds in the Vatican |
* Note that pasta is “first course.” If that’s all your kids (or you) order, note that it may come out before the other dishes, and the server may not bring any other food until the pastas is finished! So if you want a pasta dish to arrive at the same time as everyone else’s main entree, ask the server to bring it with the second course (or “with the meat”). When someone only orders one course, servers will often ask when to bring it, but if they look puzzled, just explain what you want.
And antipasta is before the first course. (Thank goodness for all that walking to burn this off!) |
* Let kids burn off steam at Pincio Gardens at the top of the Spanish Steps. You can rent pedal cars, Segways, and surrey bikes, there are vendors selling gelato, drinks and snacks, but most importantly, there’s lots of shade! It has sweeping views of the city, and it’s a great place to watch the sunset.
Great place to hang out on a summer day. |
* Add an extra day in Rome to day trip to the Amalfi Coast. It’s just a one hour train ride, and you can hire a driver guide to pick you up for a full day of sightseeing. (Talk to them about your itinerary before booking the train tickets.) A guide is a must at Pompeii, especially with kids, due to the size. There aren’t many signs so the only alternative is audio headsets, and they can run out in peak periods. And don’t you think your kids have headphones on enough already?
Enjoying the view while someone else hassles with the driving. |
Our guide explains why this is the “McDonalds” of Pompeii |
I would love to design the perfect Italy itinerary for your family. Just send an email to suzette@family-treks.com.
Roman Forum |
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Suzette is an independent affiliate of Brownell Travel, one of the most respected and established travel agencies in the country. Brownell is a Virtuoso member agency, so clients receive exclusive amenities and offers from preferred partnerships with hotels, cruise lines, and other travel suppliers.
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E-Mail: suzette@kristenmeckemtravel.com