Magical Destinations

There are so many places in the world to see, and within those destinations there is a plethora of things to do. If you are looking for a truly unique experience for your upcoming vacation, read on...

 Many years ago I had the opportunity to spend time barging for a few days on the Thames River near Oxford, England.  That old barge did not have many ammenities.  The sleeping accommodations were tight, there was no cooking onboard, and not much of a deck to hang out on, but I was hooked.  I loved the slow pace and  watching the beautiful countryside go by. The captain allowed me to steer the barge and help with the canal locks. On our first day we tied up at a spot in the middle of nowhere and disembarked right onto the back lawn of a pub that was over 100 years old. Lunch was sheperds pie and some warm ale ( the pie was good the ale was not) There were bicycles onboard that we were allowed to use to ride on the footpath that was   next to the canal.  My traveling companions and I had a leisurely ride from one town to the next where we met our barge and got back onboard and traversed the next part of the river. This was back in the early nineties, my how things have changed! 

Today, barging is a vastly popular vacation style in Europe, expecially in France.  The barges are like floating hotels with appealing accommodations. One of the barges is owned by the Orient Express whose high standards are well known. They have full kitchens that serve gourmet meals (which are included), alcohol and wine bars,outdoor sun decks and a full crew to see to your every need.  They stop in a variety of places and the shore excursions are all part of the price.  They can house anywhere from 6 or 8 people on up to 40 person barges.  You can rent out an entire barge ( some of the 8 person barges are not that expensive) They are great for a family, a group of girlfiends, a few couples traveling together.  They provide a much more intimate vacation than big, or small. ship cruising. The barges stop in a variety of towns even some that have famous wineries.  At each stop you will disembark do some sightseeing and then get backonboard the barge and float to your next destination.  If you stop in a town with a winery you most likely will view the winery and have a tasting session.  Depending on which canal route you take there are a variety of things to do and see.

This summer there is a trip on one of the ultra deluxe barges  that is perfect for oenophiles. It boasts all 33 Grand Cru wines of France will be tasted by each guest! You will be floating all through the picturesque Burgundy regions, meeting winemakers at hosted dinners aboard; exploring wine caves and vineyards; and visiting such historic towns as Beaune and Dijon for sightseeing and shopping. Every day, another selection of Grand Cru vintages will be presented, culminating in the most famous of them all: La Romanee Conti!

Barge cruises usually only last one week, so consider a few days in Paris before the trip and maybe a few in southern France after the trip are in order.  If you are interested in really seeing the country from a different perspective perhaps a barging trip is for you.

If you have any questions or would like further information contact your LBAC Travel Dream Vacation Maker to help you make all your vacation dreams come true!

I always advise my clients to book any vacation that they are contemplating as early as possible.  The reason for doing this is you always will get the best availability  and usually the best pricing.  Plus I monitor pricing, so if the price decreases and the vendor allows it  I will get the discount get applied.  Thus when a client comes to me less then a month before the April break, one of the most expensive times of the year to travel, I usually advise them availability and pricing may not be the best, but let's see what we can do.   So just like the shoemaker whose children have no shoes, so goes it in my family with regard to a vacation for April break. 

 This morning my husband said to me "Honey, what should we do for this April break?"  I immediately answer, "Paint the back bedroom."  "No, No" he says "I mean what should we do for a vacation"  Oh Boy, I am thinking to myself, when I asked him in October, November, December and January (stopped asking by February) " Honey, what should we do for April break?", each time he responded , "I don't think we can get away in April this year."  OK, I am always interested in going on vacation so I ask, "What's the budget?"  "Under $2500." he immediately responds.  "Are you taking this vacation by yourself or are Juli and I coming with you?  $2500 is not much to go on."  His response was  "Don't be ridiculous, of course we are all going!"  OK, so I ask a few more qualifying questions.  "Do you want to leave the great state of NY?"  he laughs and proceeds to tell me he wants to go somewhere hot, prefferably a Caribbean island, with white sand and turquoise waters. Somewhere we have not been before, between 5 and 7 nights.  It does not have to be an all inclusive resort and we can leave anytime April 4th or later. Oceanviews and non stop air are prefferable, but not a requirement.  "Don't overthink this, I am sure you will find something" were his parting words to me. One thing that I know and he doesn't is that my daughters passport expired in March. I did not get it renewed because I knew we were not going away in April. So that immediately leaves out all those gorgeous Caribbean islands whose airfare alone would blow his budget.  I am down to looking for pricing and availability in Puerto Rico, The Virgin Islands, Florida and California. 


 We have been to the Virgin islands before but he and my daughter love both St Thomas and St John, so they are a definite possibility.  They also both love Puerto Rico.  Between airfare and hotel we could actually get to St. Thomas and Puerto Rico, but if we wanted to eat during the week that would be a problem.....Hmmm, what to do?  I know, what about a short cruise?  We all LOVE cruising, plus food, entertainment, and  basic beverages are included.  After a quick check to see what is available I come up with Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas.  She does a 4 night itinerary with stops in Nassau, Bahamas, Key West Fl. and  Royal Caribbean's private island of Coco Cay.  So a little flexibility on his part is in order.  We have been to Nassau and Key West, we will not have an oceanview or balcony stateroom, and we need to drive and not fly down. On the flip side, we enjoy those ports of call, the weather is usually gorgeous this time of year, the seas are stunning and will hopefully be calm, it is 5 days and 4 nights on a beautiful ship, entertainment and meals are included, and we are within budget (actually quite a bit under!) .  Is this acceptable to my other half?  It is!


 So we ARE going away for April break.  I stayed within budget, it might not have been the exact experience he was looking for but it had enough of the elements "my client" required to book it. Not bad for last minute.   There are still vacations out there for April 2012 and a Dream Vacation Maker at LBAC Travel  will help  find the right one for you, so give us a call at 631 648 8032.