Thursday, October 15, 2009

Tips When Traveling

"Try something different"


The fourth commandment for All Travelers:

“Thou shalt not worry, for he that worrieth hath little joy.”

This sounds easy to do, people don’t realize how difficult it is to leave worries at home.

There are many types of worries that creep into our minds. Whether we are thinking about letting go of the way we do our paid work during a short time, our loved ones which may be ill, or even situations which may occur on the trip itself like.

There was a time that worry inflicted me and I would retain thoughts of situations from work or home, or even about situations that happened while on tour.

A vacation is a time to let go of our previous thoughts. Don’t try to copy from others or control. A trip is where you might discover something about yourself that you have never been acquainted with before. Use positive words to describe what you see.

If something happens which you may not agree with, simply say, “That is fascinating,” and remember all things are fresh and equal to discover new surroundings. It may make a great story to tell later.

It really does help to use a simple “smile” at all times. Remember, this trip is about fun and discovering IN the destination. As Julie Andrews sings in Mary Poppins, “a spoonful of sugar really does help the medicine go down.”

Try sitting next to a new person each day on a motor coach instead of your spouse, friend, or relative and find out all you are able about that person. It also gives you a “day” vacation from your traveling companion. If you do this each day, you have created 10 new “day” vacations of experiences which are all different.

Many people never even think about sharing the day with a stranger. Be bold and different. Describe your day with positive words to your traveling companion over dinner. Practice your story telling with this.

Use positive words and be kind. Smile. Discover something different, create several day vacations on your trip by spending the day with someone different! ~ The FunTourGuru

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Special Offer on Classical Greece CRUISE

Ask about this Cruise special offer now!


We just discovered a special offer on the October 30, 2009 sailing of Classical Greece cruise.
Cruise fares include a 2-night stay in Athens at the Ledra Marriott Hotel and a Half Day City Sightseeing Tour of Athens.

This Mega-Yacht, Harmony G, only holds 50 passengers. It is a great way to enjoy the Greek Islands at a very affordable price!

If this fits into your vacation plans this year, please email us and let's discuss.

~~The FunTourGuru (the cruise picture is not the same Yacht)

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Tips when Traveling


Harpist in San Gimignano, Italy

My Third Commandment for Travelers is

“Thou shalt not let other tour members get on thy nerves, for thou art paying good money to enjoy thyself.”

Enjoy Your Travel Companions

 

At the same time you learn about what local people do in other regions; enjoy your traveling companions too! These people come from many different geographical areas in the world now and join you on tour vacations. Include everyone that you travel with during shopping sprees, meals and group gatherings. Find ways to learn about these companions and do things with them.

Game to Play By Yourself On Trips

Learn how to explore places on your own. Sometimes I play a game by myself like a scavenger hunt. I make a list of the many attractions which I enjoy in the town we visit. Then I add 2-3 new things, like having a cup of coffee and talking with a local person with a specific interest of the area.  

I capture the list of items with pictures. Your Tour Manager should be able to assist in locating someone to chat with during this time. 

Or, simply make a list finding people in action (taxi driver opening a door for someone or server at a restaurant opening wine at a outdoor cafe) and then search these out with your camera.

Be Prepared For These

I admit, you may find a challenge with another tour participant that just doesn’t fit into your own expectations. This is when you may solicit assistance from the Tour Director/Manager. Let them find a creative way of a win-win situation for the both of you. 

One challenge that happened several years ago, was when I was one of three adults on a motor coach tour through England. Sleeping arrangements were not always straight forward.

There were a few times when these smaller Europe hotel rooms were not adequate for 3 adults. I spoke to the Tour Director about securing a single room. Remember, just because the sleeping arrangements are NOT great, you may still have fun together with other activities. 

Have these challenges happened to you?
  • Try to see yourself in the position of sleeping in the tiny, cot-like 'shelf' pulled out to sleep on.
  • One person is freezing cold and the other person is hot  -hint: please don’t wait until that person goes asleep and then adjust the temperature.  
  • One person is a smoker and the other person is not.

Get assistance from the Tour Manager to work out the situation.
Everyone wants to have a good time and pay to go on vacation.

Remember, you make and share memories of a lifetime with these people you meet from different regions on one trip.
  

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Have fun experiences, enjoy your new travel friends! ~ The FunTourGuru

Ed. Note: Picture included here we took from our Italy tour.