Travel & the Empty Nest Years “Part One”...Brought to you by EmptyNestersTravel.com

Travel & E.N. Years Part One and Part Two (below)

The years have flown by, the kids have gone their own ways, you’ve done a great job bringing them up, don’t be shy about giving yourself a BIG pat on the back, YOU did it, be PROUD of Yourselves!

Now it’s YOUR turn to spend all that spare time on YOU! So what better way to spend it then traveling and seeing new and exciting places.

Whether married or single, travel can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but more so when we are older and can appreciate the places we go and the things we can see especially when we don’t have little ones to look after too.

First thing to do is to figure out just what kind of traveling you’d like to do and what kind of budget you have. Do you like to travel with just the two of you? Maybe you would like to join a group of other travelers. Want to stay close to home? How long do you want to be away? Travel doesn’t have to be expensive at all. There are many different forms of travel and we will go over some of them briefly later. It’s always good to have some ideas of how you wish to travel and where you wish to go, or even if you are willing to try something a bit different now and then.

First off, of course, is auto travel. Just get out a map, decide where you want to go and the route you will take to get there. Try taking the back roads when possible and making some stops along the way to enjoy the scenery more. You can allow for the extra time when planning the trip. You can sometimes find some very interesting out of the way places by taking some of the old routes, like before interstates!

Then of course there is Train travel. You can plan some interesting train trips if you think you might enjoy that kind of travel.

And there are the vacation packages that are always available. Most usually include airfare, hotels and meals if you like All Inclusive or you can get them without the meals included, plus you can rent a car if you want to travel around on your own to see some of the sights. They can vary in price considerably, from budget to very pricey so it always helps to let your travel agent know what your budget is and what kind of package you have in mind, such as where you would like to go and for how long, if you want meals & a rent a car included, how many rooms you will need, etc.

Cruise anyone?? Now here is a fantastic way to go and they can be very reasonably priced, again from budget to luxury and you have most everything rolled up into one package! One thing nice about a cruise, it doesn’t matter if you are in one of the lower deck inside economical cabins or a suite, everyone gets treated the same! You eat in the same dining rooms and enjoy all the same amenities on the ship. You always have plenty to eat and there’s loads of entertainment on board along with optional shore excursions that you can choose to go on if you wish, depending on budget. A quick tip here on Shore Excursions, if you haven’t already booked any of your favorites before the cruise, (your travel agent can do this for you) be sure to book whichever ones you are interested in as soon as possible after boarding the ship, they go fast!!

There are many kinds of cruises and destinations to choose from. You can check on www.emptynesterstravel.com to see what all Carnival Cruise Lines has to offer just to get an idea and also be sure to check out the FAQ’s on cruising, First Time Cruiser and Top Ten Reason to Choose to Cruise. These sections can be a big help to you and answer a lot of your questions.

You can also join up on a group cruise, doesn’t matter if you don’t know the others in the group, everyone can pretty much go their own way once onboard. It’s usually a good way to save money too. With Empty Nesters Travel being an Independent agency, along with nearly 500 other agencies with Dugan’s Travels, we have access to many group cruises!  Why not plan your own group? By being the “Group Leader”, you and maybe a companion may be eligible for a free cabin! Normally you only need to fill 6-8 cabins. You would just need to pay port charges and taxes. Something to think about!

Now we get to Motor Coach Tours! EN Travel also specializes in Coach Tours. These are a great way to go, especially if you don’t like to fly anywhere. These are very luxurious motor coaches. Transportation, hotels, tours, and most meals are all included in the price, which is very reasonable. And they can be from 2 nights up to 9 nights, depending on where you are going and from what point. You only need 30 people on the bus to go.  You can read all about them and the many exciting places you can go on the ENTravel site and also how you and a companion could travel for free!

Something else you might want to consider is starting a travel club! Do you know a lot of other people in your area that like to travel or would like to start traveling more, maybe friends, family, co-workers, club or church members? It’s usually not very hard to get a travel club started up, as most are very willing to do some traveling! It’s also an easy way to get some good group prices on cruises and coach tours and other vacation packages! Why not give it a try or maybe you can find a travel club already started in your area to join? Either way, don’t forget about Empty Nesters Travel! Check out the cruises and coach tours that are available and be sure to get in touch for any help or suggestions.

That’s it for Part One, be sure to look for part two, Travel & the Empty Nest Years: Travel Tips, Part Two.

Now why not start making some plans for some fun travel? Enjoy these Empty Nest Years! And be sure to check out Empty Nesters Travel! Please do feel free to contact us for any help or more info on cruises or coach tours.

Jeanine Herrin

Travel & the Empty Nest Years “Part Two”....Travel Tips...Brought to you by EmptyNestersTravel.com

Travel & E.N. Years Part Two....Travel Tips

Ok, in the last article “Travel & the Empty Nest Years, Part One” covered different forms of travel and what might be of interest to you. In this one we will go over some travel tips, in order to make those travel plans more enjoyable and easier to manage. No one wants to start off a nice vacation with a lot of stress! After all, that is just one of the reasons most people like to travel, to just get away from it all (and leave the stress behind!)

Be sure to look for Travel Tips Part 3, as there are still lots more to come and not enough space to put them all in this section!  We’ll be going over some packing tips and articles of clothing to bring along. It’s always good to travel light if possible.

Now, you’ve decided where and when you want to go, let’s see if we can make this a stress free and enjoyable time.

First off, make sure you have all your travel documents together and keep them with you, especially your passport if you need one for traveling abroad. It’s always a good idea to make photocopies of it and be sure to keep them separate from your original! You might even leave a copy with friends or relatives just incase you should need to have one faxed. That way if yours ever gets lost or stolen you will have proof of your citizenship. Please REMEMBER, if your passport should get lost or stolen, notify the local police and the nearest American Embassy or Consulate if traveling abroad!

Another note on passports, be sure that it is up to date and won’t expire while on your vacation! A good rule of thumb is to make sure it will still be good 6 months after you return! They are good for 10 years so sometimes if not used often we can forget to check the expiration date so be sure to do so and renew if necessary allowing plenty of time to receive it before time before your departure date! They really are a great form of id to take along with you.

Always call the airlines if you are flying to see if flights have had last minute changes. Even hotels if you have made the arrangements yourself. It’s always good to double check!

Allow plenty of extra time to get to ports if cruising, air ports if flying, etc. Better way early and allowing for possible unexpected delays, then to get there barely in time or worst yet, to miss altogether!!

You can bring board games, cards, a book, portable CD player, maybe even some snacks etc. to help kill time while you are waiting.

It’s always a good idea to have some snacks and extra water in your carry-on for the plane ride. You can get dehydrated on the plane and water comes in handy.

Purchase a very large purse (or a small tote bag) as most airlines usually don’t consider it as part of carry-on luggage. You can carry your toiletries, make-up and other such small items (water & snacks) leaving your carry on luggage for clothes.

Always be prepared for long lines or small delays, etc. they just seems to happen sometimes, so if you prepare yourself and allow for the unexpected, it’ll take a lot of the stress out and who knows, you might not even have any! (another good reason to get there early and allow plenty of time!)

Something else that can’t be stressed enough is always break in new shoes! There is absolutely nothing worse then ending up with blisters on your feet while on vacation.

These are just some of many travel tips to take into consideration. In part 3 we will go over packing and clothing to bring along plus a lot more!

Hope you enjoy these tips and they can be of help to you.

Also remember to check out Empty Nesters Travel for some great Cruises and Motor Coach Tours! Please feel free to contact me for any questions or help on your travel needs.

Jeanine Herrin