by Jan Mauer | Feb 23, 2018 | Luxury Destinations, Luxury Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Tips
Nobody loves standing in long security lines, and I don’t know one person who is thrilled by the fact that most airline seats only recline about four inches, if you’re lucky. But what’s the best mindset to have when traveling, so that the issues you encounter don’t ruin your trip? I know people who love to travel, door to door — not just when they arrive at their resort. They are the people who almost always have a great flight, no matter what. I’ve talked to people whose trips got rained out, or who missed connecting flights, or who got lost, or who even had passports stolen — and when I ask them how their trip was, they smile and say, “It was great!” and proceed to tell me the full, exciting tale. The best mindset to have when traveling is one of adventure! So what’s their secret? What’s the best mindset to have when traveling? I’ll tell you: They’ve let go of the Perfectionist Mindset and adopted the Adventure Mindset. The difference between these two paradigms changes everything. The Perfectionist sets unrealistically high expectations for themselves, others, and situations — and when things don’t go well, they often fall into self-blame or blaming others. The Adventurer makes a plan and is prepared, but is willing to roll with whatever comes along that might not fit with “The Plan.” The Perfectionist often avoids risk and only goes with the obvious path in an attempt to avoid “failure.” The Adventurer is less concerned with control, and more interested in creative approaches and critical thinking when it comes to problem solving.... by Jan Mauer | Feb 16, 2018 | European Travel, Luxury Destinations, Luxury Travel, Romance Travel and Honeymoons, Travel Tips
So you are finally going to Paris and fulfilling a life-long dream. I bet you have people coming out of the woodwork giving you advice on things to do there: “See the Mona Lisa;” “attend Sunday services at Notre Dame;” “be sure to take a Seine River sightseeing cruise.” The list can go on and on! So I am not going to bore you with more suggestions… I am going to give you my top 7 things NOT to do in Paris. Because, while a holiday in Paris is always worthwhile, there are lots of ways to waste your time and money while there. So I hope you enjoy, and take my suggestions to heart. They come from my own experience and the experiences of many clients I have sent to Paris over the years. Lines to the Eiffel Tower can be up to two hours long – don’t wait in line 1. Don’t wait in line at the Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower is not one of the world’s most visited monuments for nothing. However, waiting in long lines is not the ideal way to spend precious vacation time – and you don’t have to. Active visitors can walk the 328 steps to the tower’s first level and take the lift from there. Quite honestly, the view above the first level is not very good. Since Paris is so flat, if you go any higher, you are basically looking at the rooftops instead of the buildings. You can also easily go online to the Eiffel Tower website (click here to open the site in a new tab) and... by Jan Mauer | Feb 8, 2018 | European Travel, Luxury Destinations, Romance Travel and Honeymoons, Travel Tips
Are you one of those modern couples who already has all the pots, pans and china that you could ever use? One of the latest trends in honeymoon and romance travel is the use of a Honeymoon Fund Registry. As a luxury travel consultant, I work with you to choose the perfect honeymoon and, once the reservation is made, I set up an online honeymoon fund registry at TheHoneymoon.com through which you can have your wedding guests contribute to the cost of the trip—instead of purchasing you yet another silver vase. I’ll create your honeymoon fund registry at TheHoneymoon.com so that you can share the link with your guests. I recently had a bridal couple who requested honeymoon fund registry gifts in lieu of traditional wedding gifts. They ended up raising the funds to pay for 85-percent of their total trip cost! When you’re ready to print your shower and wedding invitations, you’ll have your own personalized honeymoon registration link that you can include with your invitations, so that your guests can easily contribute to your fund. Conveniently, you’ll receive an email notification whenever someone gives a “gift,” so you can stay up-to-date on those Thank You notes as well. There is no cost for the service as long as Exciting Vacations books your honeymoon trip. What’s more, your honeymoon fund registry can be customized as a landing page on your own wedding website, or linked to your own TheKnot.com site as well. Want to see an example of what other engaged couples have done with their honeymoon fund registry? Click here to view the registry for a couple... by Jan Mauer | Feb 1, 2018 | European Travel, Luxury Travel, Travel Tips
Most people want to take at least a few photos on their vacation, but not everyone wants the fuss of packing and keeping track of an extra piece of electronic equipment. My digital SLR camera takes beautiful, crisp photos, but when I’m exploring a new city, or going to a fancy dinner in Paris, a bulky camera bag is the last thing I want to carry around. With that in mind, have you ever wondered if a smartphone is the best camera for your vacation? Recently, Apple and Samsung have released smartphone cameras that are capable of capturing incredible detail, even in low light. For me, seeing what is possible with these advanced new cameras has finally pushed me to take the plunge, and abandon my DSLR when traveling. Have you considered leaving your digital camera at home and simply using the built-in camera on your smart phone, too? Here are a few reasons why a smartphone is the best camera for your vacation. It’s always with you. Always. When you travel, your smartphone is likely already serving several purposes beyond just being a calling device. It’s a watch, a GPS, a weather-checker, an email and social media connector, and even a music library. It’s unlikely you go many places without your smartphone, and it’s second nature to always have it on hand. (If you’re like many people, the challenge of owning one of these devices is actually limiting how much time you spend on it.) How many times have you gone somewhere and accidentally left the camera in the hotel room or in the car? Using your phone... 
