Trip Review-Jamaica Mon!

This past November and December Lauren and Evan and Mindy’s family of four (2 adults and 2 teens) both traveled to Jamaica. It had been some time since our last visit to this lush and friendly island.  Mindy’s family enjoyed the new and upscale Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall which is the former Ritz Carlton Montego Bay.  The rooms are quite spacious and the staff goes out their way to help.  Dining was a highlight with a nice variety of food choices including lobster and 24 hour rooms service. There were plenty of lounge chairs and cabanas by the pool and beach and the evenings were made cozy with fire pits.  The size of the resort is very manageable compared to other all-inclusives. Lauren stayed at two adult-only properties as we are sending many couples and families with young adult children on vacation (plus girls’ getaways, honeymoons, etc.).  The Riu Montego Bay was modern, new and convenient to the airport with full access to the Riu Montego Bay next door.  The amount of amenities and man-made beach made this a good choice for a short stay.  Couples Swept Away in Negril was old-school Jamaica (lots of dark wood and tropical flair) and sits on a beautiful beach. The highlight here are the sports facilities with a great tennis program, Olympic size lap pool, squash courts, fitness classes, watersports, basketball, soccer and more.  Lots of extras such a sunset cruise and shuttle to shops are included.  Lauren also toured two family properties in Negril.  The gorgeous Azul Sensatori (with a family and adult-only side) is an intimate and upscale property with swim out pools, fresh and modern décor, excellent dining and more.  Beaches Negril is a larger property with a wide array of accommodation options for families.  The property showcases extensive children and teen programs, a wide variety of recreation and plenty of great dining choices.

Travel Tip: European Eating

Rick Steve’s helps decipher the world of dining in Europe:

Very often, Europeans think “vegetarian” means “no red meat” or “not much meat.” If you are a strict vegetarian, you’ll have to make things very clear. Write the appropriate phrase, keep it handy, and show it to each waiter before ordering your meal.

For inexpensive Italian eateries, look for the term osteria, tavola calda, rosticceria, trattoria, pizzeria, or “self-service.” A meal-sized pizza (sold everywhere for less than $12) and a cold beer is my idea of a good, fast, cheap Italian dinner. For a stand-up super bargain meal, look for a pizza rustica shop, which sells pizza by weight. Just point to the best-looking pizza and tell them how much you want (200 grams is a filling meal). They weigh, you pay. They heat it, you eat it. Panini(sandwiches) — calda (toasted) if you ask — are cheap and widely available.

University cafeterias (generally closed during summer holidays) offer a surefire way to meet educated English-speaking young people with open and stimulating minds. They’re often eager to practice their politics and economics, as well as their English, on a foreign friend.

The “tourist menu” (menù turistico in Italy, menu touristique in France), popular in restaurants throughout Europe’s tourist zones, offers confused visitors a no-stress, three-course meal for a painless price that usually includes service, bread, and a drink. You normally get a choice of several options for each course. Locals rarely order this, but if the options intrigue you, the tourist menu can be a convenient way to sample some regional flavors for a reasonable, predictable price.

Eat hearty in Scandinavia, Europe’s most expensive corner. Fill up at the breakfast smorgasbord (usually included in your hotel cost). Keep your eyes peeled for daily lunch specials called dagens rett. You can normally have all the vegetables (usually potatoes) you want when you order a restaurant’s entrée. Just ask for seconds. Many Scandinavian pizzerias offer amazing all-you-can-eat deals and hearty salad bars. (Your bill will double if you order a beer.) The cheapest cafeterias often close at about 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. Fresh produce, colorful markets, and efficient supermarkets abound. Picnic!

At most European restaurants, the price of drinks can spoil your appetite. Ask for tap water in Britain, l’eau du robinet in France, Leitungswasser in Germany, acqua del rubinetto in Italy, and agua del grifo in Spain. In other countries, just do the international charade: hold an imaginary glass in one hand, turn on the tap with the other, and make the sound of a faucet. Stop it with a click of your tongue and drink it with a smile.

In European groceries and open-air markets, most food is priced by the kilo (about two pounds). Watch the scales while your food is being weighed. It’ll likely show grams and kilos. If dried apples are priced at €2 per kilo, that’s $2.80 for 2.2 pounds, or about $1.25 per pound. If the scale says 400 grams, that means 40 percent of €2 (or 80 euro cents), which is a little over $1.

Not everything is strictly priced by the kilogram. Read the little chalkboard price information board carefully: Particularly in the case of specialty items, you might see things priced by the 1/4 kg, 1/2 kg, 100 g, 500 g, and so on. Or it could be priced by the piece (Stück in German, la piéce in French,pezzo in Italian), the bunch, the container, and so on. If the pâté seems too cheap to be true, look at the sign closely. The posted price is probably followed by “100 gr.”

Whether you understand the numbers or not, act as though you do. In supermarkets, it’s a cinch to buy a tiny amount of fruit or vegetables. Many have an easy push-button pricing system: Put the banana on the scale, push the button that shows a picture of a banana (or the banana bin number), and a sticky price tag prints out. You could weigh and sticker a single grape.

If no prices are posted, be wary. Travelers are routinely ripped off by market merchants in tourist centers. Find places that print the prices. Assume any market with no printed prices has a double price standard: one for locals and a more expensive one for tourists.

Point, but don’t touch. At produce stands and outdoor markets, it’s considered rude for a customer to touch the goods. Tell the vendor (or point to) what you want.

Milk-drinkers in Europe can check the carton for the local words for whole or light, such as voll orlett. Get refrigerated, fresh milk. Or look on the (unrefrigerated) shelves for the common-in-Europe but rare-in-America “longlife” milk. This milk — which requires no refrigeration until it’s opened — will never go bad…or taste good.

Travel Tip: The Airport ATM

We are distressed to learn about a new trend at airports in Europe.  Nearly all the European airports are taking out bank sponsored ATM machines and replacing them with ATM machines operated by currency exchange company Travelex.  There is no charge to use the Travelex machines, but the exchange rate is less than ideal compared to a bank ATM.  Travelex regularly pays out 10% to 11% less than the going exchange rate.   In light of this trend, it is wise to prebook transportation from the airport that is either prepaid or takes credit cards and then wait until you get to the hotel to find a bank ATM.

Trip Review: St. Maarten Condo

The Schumacher/Epstein Family from Philadelphia (two adults and two teens) traveled to St. Marten for winter break.  They were looking for a clean and comfortable two bedroom condo that would be located close to a friend’s house.  Princess Heights fit the bill with a spacious, modern and comfortable unit with 1,400 sq. ft. and a fully stocked kitchen.  Housekeeping even did the dishes!  The property sits on a hillside overlooking Dawn Beach and has a small pool and gym.  The family enjoyed exploring beaches around the island with beautiful blue water everywhere they went.  Restaurants were available within walking distance at the nearby Westin, but they chose to dine at several restaurants within a 5-20 minute drive.  Both the towns of Phillipsburg on the Dutch side and Orient Beach on the French side are within 15 minutes of the property.  It didn’t take long for them to figure out the hilly and narrow roads on the island which made it easy to explore.  They also took a day trip to St. Bart’s which was really beautiful and reminded them of St. Tropez.  Overall they enjoyed the island, the non-stop flight, easy access to great beaches and nearby islands and a nice variety of locally owned restaurants.

Travel Tip-Nervous Fliers

Does the idea of flying cause you to break out in a cold sweat? You aren’t alone. More than 25 million Americans suffer from some form of flight anxiety, making aerophobia (fear of flying) the second biggest fear in the U.S. after public speaking. If you do fall in this category, you’ve probably had friends and family remind you numerous times that flying is the safest mode of transportation. While that’s very true—your chances of dying in a plane crash are about one in 10 million compared with a one-in-272 chance of dying in a car crash—that’s not always enough to quell the jitters. And advice like showing up early at the airport to eliminate unnecessary stress is practical as well, but for the most nervous nellies among us, it takes a little bit more to get us up in the air. Budget Travel turned to the experts— Todd Farchione of Boston University’s Center for Anxiety & Related Disorders, Martin N. Seif of the Anxiety & Phobia Treatment Center, and Captain Steve Allright of British Airways’ Flying with Confidence program—to find out exactly what to do to help alleviate flight anxiety. Thanks to their advice, they put together a 10-step guide to help you conquer your fear—because nothing should stand between you and the vacation you deserve.

Give your phobia a name

Figuring out what triggers your fear in the first place is an important first step toward conquering flight anxiety. Different aspects of flying can trigger different fears depending on the person—for instance, one person may be afraid of turbulence and feel nervous during a perfectly normal takeoff, while an individual with germaphobic tendencies may be more concerned about the spread of germs in a confined space. “The common denominator for more than 90 percent of flight phobics is the fear that they will become overwhelmed with anxiety during the flight,” says Seif, a clinical psychologist who runs the Freedom to Fly program at the Anxiety & Phobia Treatment Center in White Plains, New York. It helps to recognize that your phobia is irrational, but you need to be able to pinpoint the cause of your fear before you can take that next step.

Familiarize yourself with airplane noises

You’re about to land and the plane is rattling like both of its wheels are about to fall off—is it time to panic? No, the carry-on luggage and the seat-back tables are shifting slightly—just like they do every time the plane takes off and lands. Sometimes all it takes to combat anxiety is a little information. Read up on the typical bumps and noises that may occur during a flight. It also helps to understand just how rigorous safety measures are for aircrafts.  “Our anxiety is fed by ‘what if?’ catastrophic thoughts. Once you become knowledgeable, your ‘what if’ thoughts will be limited by the facts,” said Seif.

Check the turbulence forecast

While turbulence is a perfectly normal part of flying—it happens when the plane encounters normal weather patterns like air currents or clouds—the idea of shaking while in the air can be very unsettling. Turbcast (iTunes, $1.99) was designed by a pilot and analyzes weather patterns as a pilot would, giving fliers an inside look at factors like air pockets and thunderstorms that can cause turbulence in the first place. Translation: The more you know about what causes that shaky feeling and how much of it you can expect while you’re airborne, the less you’ll be afraid of it.

Bring a photo of your destination

Visualizing your destination and imagining yourself there can be a powerful antidote to stress—and can help keep you focused on the prize at the end of the journey. You can do this with or without a photo, but having a physical image to refer to—whether it’s a picture you’ve downloaded on your phone or a postcard—can help to keep your mind from wandering. Allright says another method is to “imagine yourself in a safe place, somewhere you feel comfortable and safe. Your bedroom, perhaps, or on a beach. Take yourself there with your eyes closed and relax.” The idea is to take your mind off the little things that make you nervous about flying and focus on the positive aspects of your journey.

Read more: http://www.budgettravel.com/feature/travel-advice-overcoming-flight-anxiety,12630/#ixzz3LL2syCoq

Trip Review: South American Rendezvous

The Rosenbloom Family (2 adults and 3 teenagers) from the Boston area traveled to three countries in South America this month.  Their first stop was in Buenos Aires to meet up with their oldest who was studying there for the semester.  They enjoyed their stay at the Alvear Palace in the heart of the Recolata and seeing the city from their daughter’s point of view.  Activities included a Jewish tour of the city and a tango show at Esquina Carlos Gardel (tacky touristy, but fun).  Next stop…Brazil for the amazing Iguassu Falls.  They stayed at the hotel closest to the falls, the Belmond Das Cataratas.  The highlight here was the inflatable boat trip up to the falls with a hike in the jungle as well.  A true wonder of nature as they described.  The trip ended in Uruguay in the laid back beach town of Punta del Este and a stay the Il Belvedere hotel in a spacious house rental.  Overall a very smooth trip with plenty of great meals and a nice mix of urban vs. natural settings.  Having one family member fluent in Spanish also helped!

Travel Tip: Giving Back

When packing for a vacation, your family can make a difference by planning to donate to one of the non-profit groups in the area. Pack for a Purpose (http://www.packforapurpose.org) makes it easy.  This non-profit organization is dedicated to helping travelers make an impact in the communities they visit. And it doesn’t take much. By simply leaving that extra pair of shoes at home and packing 4 deflated soccer balls or 400 pencils instead, you can make a big impact on the lives of children in the destinations you visit.  Their website provides supply lists for destinations in over 50 countries. These lists are provided by the local, community-based projects which receive and use the supplies. Because these lists are directly provided by specific communities around the world, they enable travelers to make informed decisions about the items they bring with them abroad.  Through the help of Pack for a Purpose, The Family Traveler recently brought school supplies to Jamaica for distribution to local schools through Beaches Resorts and The Sandals Foundation.

Trip Review-Jamaica Mon!

The Family Traveler’s Lauren and fiance Evan traveled to Jamaica in November.  Our hotel stay was split between Montego Bay and Negril at two very diverse and adult only all-inclusive resorts.  We also toured two family all-inclusive resorts.  Our first stay was at the new Riu Palace Montego Bay located just 5 minutes from the airport.  This 238 room resort was quite compact.  Very modern and clean with a small beach, plenty of decent dining options (4 a la carte options + buffet), infinity pool, small gym and plenty of activities and entertainment.  Guests have full use of the Riu Montego Bay next door for watersports, additional dining options, spa, etc.  Fellow guests ranged from honeymooners of all ages to several groups of Girls’ Getaways.  We then moved onto Negril to Couples Swept Away.  This resort is old school Jamaica with lots of wood in the rooms and mature tropical foliage.  Negril Beach is definitely a highlight despite all the local vendors roaming the beach.  We found this 312 room resort ideal for active adults with superb tennis facilities (with daily clinics and round robins), lap pool, outdoor gym, fitness classes, watersports, spa and yoga on the beach.  Food service was good overall (3 a la cartes, buffet and vegetarian pool grill).  Catamaran sails, snorkel trips to a nearby reef and shuttle to nearby shops are included in the rate.  This property caters to couples (of all ages), but only requires two per room.  Many couples we met were repeat guests.

Our tour of Azul Sensatori Jamaica on Negril Beach was a pleasant surprise.  Formerly Beaches Sandy Bay, this upscale, modern and renovated property offers 136 rooms and suites.  It opened last year with a family section and adult-only section.  The highlight on both sides is the swim up rooms.  Family-friendly rooms include one and two bedroom suites complete with crib (and adorable baby sized bath robe), monitor and other baby neccessities for families traveling with their little ones.  All restaurants are on the family side.  The property also has a nice kids club with shaded outdoor play areas.  Watersports, spa, gym, several pools, daily activities and evening programs round out the facilities.

Beaches Negril is popular resort for our families due to its great variety of rooming options (with rooms and suites with up to 3 bedrooms that sleep up to 12) and extensive day and evening children and teen programming.  Other family-friendly amenities include a waterpark area with large slides, tennis, Sesame Street characters, Scratch DJ Academy, game room, Xbox Play Lounge and tons of dining options (some with kid size tables). Parents and grandparents will enjoy the spa and gym.

Check the website for more photos and trip details.

Travel Tip: Passports

Here are seven things you might not have known about your passport:

Fall is the best time to renew your passport. 
If you obtained your passport after age 16, it’s valid for 10 years.  If before, you get 5 years.  As some countries require at least six months beyond your travel dates to enter, it’s always wise to keep tabs on your family’s expiration dates. The best time to renew is in fall when applications are at a low before Thanksgiving and holiday rushes, the State Department says. You’ll likely get yours processed faster.

You can get an XL passport with extra pages — for free!
The traditional U.S. passport comes with 28 pages, but you can request a 52-page one for free when you apply for your first passport or renew an old one. You can also add pages to an existing passport, but for an $82 fee.

What is a passport card?

It’s wallet-sized and it costs less than a regular adult passport. But you can only use it to re-enter the U.S. from land border-crossings and sea ports of entry in Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda.

Your passport is one of the most powerful in the world.
If you’re from the U.S., your passport affords you free access to 172 other countries. Not many other global citizens can say the same.

If you got your passport after 2007, there’s an electronic chip in it. 
That chip on the back stores the same personal information printed on your passport’s photo page, plus a biometric identifier (aka a digital image of your face). If you have one of these “e-passports,” agents can use facial recognition technology to confirm the passport is indeed yours.

You don’t have to take your passport photo at the drugstore.
The picture must be square, unaltered and on a white background, but you’re allowed to take it at home.  Check http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/photos/photos.html for details.

You may get barred from boarding if your passport doesn’t have enough blank pages.
“Some countries require that your passport has two to four blank visa/stamp pages,” reads the State Department website. “Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement in not met.”  Always check the requirements for your specific destination before you go.

Trip Review-Harry Potter and Universal

The Harrison Family (2 adults and 2 teenage girls) from Collinsville, IL traveled to Orlando in July to experience the newly opened Diagon Alley at Universal Studios and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventures.  The family stayed at the Loew’s Royal Pacific which is an on-site hotel.  They really liked the convenience of walking from the parks to your room in under 10 minutes.  One night they were rather tired and took a pedicab to get back.  You just pay the driver what you feel is appropriate.  The family enjoyed the hotel and its tropical ambiance.  A nice respite from the parks.  They felt like they were on an island rather than in the middle of Orlando.  The breakfast buffet was very nice with excellent service albeit pricey.  So they also opted for the lobby bar which serves an a la carte breakfast every morning.  Jake’s American Bar got high marks for lunch and dinner.  Despite long lines for a ride or two at the parks, the family had fun exploring Diagon Alley’s shops and displays and sampling butter beer and pumpkin juice.  Daughter Rachel’s favorites were the Olivander’s Wand Experience and Nocturne Alley. They noted that Diagon Alley felt more spacious and less cramped than Hogsmeade.  The Forbidden Journey ride in Hogsmeade was great fun and the Hogswart Express train was really cool too.  The entrances and exits to the ride really made you feel like you were in an actual train station.  Following Orlando, the Harrison’s traveled to Vero Beach for a few days at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort.  They said it was very relaxing (although 2 nights was not enough) with an OK restaurant.  They found plenty of other good dining options in the cute town of Vero Beach.  Overall a really fun trip!