I firmly believe that family traveling is one of the most rewarding parts of life. It's an opportunity that may never come again and just takes a lot of planning and flexibility. We had three glorious days to talk and share experiences with Sarah's undivided attention. Not like the usual phone calls or visits where I ask.."What's new?" and they reply..."Nothing"...while I.M.'ing to friends, i-Pod earbuds on, the television on and heavy metal music all going at one time. There was just the three of us for almost four straight days.

Sarah's, 13-year old teenage thoughts:

- Rome was a ball and is already planning where she should travel when she graduates college and lives with her parents (Michael...Paula...are you ready for this? No job...just travel?)
- What is a bidet and how do you use it?
- Roman baths were gross. How could everyone bath together and why was it a big social event?
- The people at the 5**** Hassler Hotel across the street were snobs.

Continue reading "Traveling With Teenagers (or Children)" »

Posted by Sheila at 05:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

The days are getting shorter, Daylight Savings Time has gone, and it's time to make Winter travel decisions...if you haven't already booked. So many places to go....and now is the best time to make plans...unless you're looking at travel over the holidays. It may be too late for that but keep your eyes peeled for last minute deals. A few of my many favorite sites that deal in last-minute and pre-planned packages are:

Browse Travel by Destination at Luxury Link

Winter sun holiday deals

Click Here for Sandals Specials- Up to 50% off !

Funjet Vacation Packages
We offer exciting vacation destinations including Las Vegas, Florida, Mexico, the Caribbean and more.

Cheap Hawaii Vacations! - Save up to 50%

Online Exclusives - Find the Perfect Cruise

Save up to $325 on Vacation Packages!

Take a look at any of these before proceeding to the next step.

Continue reading "Looking For A Sun Bird Vacation This Winter?" »

Posted by Sheila at 05:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We've been traveling by train throughout Europe for over 30 years and if there was a mistake to be made, been there...done it! Think traveling by train is a no-brainer? It isn't...and that is why I finally wrote my first e-book: Sheila's Guide to European Train Travel. European trains are a marvel of efficiency with huge networks covering almost every big and little town on the continent.

Sheila's Guide to European Train Travel spells out the best tips, simply broken down, to save time, money and hassle. Which country should I visit by train? Should I combine multiple countries? Do I want a point-to-point ticket or Train Pass? What is a Train Pass? A "silence" car? Does the train personnel speak English? How will I know the track my train leaves on? Are there supplements? And much more. Traveling can, and should, be fun and easy! Don't wait until you retire...or the kids are older (they love train travel and can walk up and down the aisles without disturbing anyone)...or you have enough disposable income (who does)...or the world is a safer place...or you win the lottery (neither of the last two are going to happen)! You still can travel on a budget and visit Europe's charming towns, big cities and remote locations via train. And nothing compares with a view like this from your train window...

Continue reading "European Train Travel" »

Posted by Sheila at 07:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dear Readers:

"Travels With Sheila" is becoming more sophisticated and entering new dimensions (for me) - streaming video in the near future, e-books, travel consultations and Webinars. ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I just returned from Eastern Tibet and attended a rather strange Tong Ren festival, only held once a year. In the past, participants skewered themselves through cheeks and backs while the main Shaman slashed open his face. Anticipating this gory display, I broke down a bought a camcorder. Alas, the Head Lama decided..."this is not a good thing for people to do"...duh....and there was no skewering this year. Just as well. The thought of sticking what looked like shish kabob skewers through cheeks gave me the heebie-jeebies, but I still have some great video of this trip. As soon as I learn how to edit, etc., you'll see it. Fortunately, I've gotten as far as actually loading the film clips on my computer! Making progress here!

Continue reading "A One-Hour Webinar on Travel" »

Posted by Sheila at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Long ago, ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I took a group hiking tour to Japan. Two weeks spent hiking in the Kita Alps, sleeping in little family-owned Ryokans on futons, using the communal Public Baths, visiting an Onsen (Hot Spring), the Tsukiji fish market, Tokyo, and staying in a beautiful Kyoto Monastery. An exhilarating total immersion into Japanese culture and wonderful experience.

We decided to celebrate our 10th anniversary by spending two days in Hong Kong after Japan. One of ex-Marine's good friends said..."You have got to stay at the Regent Hotel. Pay whatever the price is but get a room overlooking Hong Kong Harbor on a high floor. The views are stupendous and worth every penny." Understand that this friend was as cheap as cheap can be and if he paid the kind of money the Regent Hotel was asking, it had to be worth the expenditure espcially since we would be celebrating. (Ten years is an accomplishment in a first marriage. In a second marriage, 10 years is a humungous feat..with ex-mates...blended families, etc.)

Continue reading "A Hong Kong Hotel" »

Posted by Sheila at 05:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you are potty-trained in the United States, using a bathroom doesn't require much thought. Whether it be flushing the toilet, filling the bathtub, turning on the shower or sink...easy, right? But venturing out into sometimes remote destinations requires a completely different mindset unless you stay exclusively in major tourist hotels.

We've discovered that taking care of personal hygiene requires a little adaptation and flexibility in each unique circumstance:

- Hiking, in the bush or along the road, find a secluded spot and do your business. Apologies to all eco-friendly people...I have never developed the knack of burning my own toilet paper...and opt for the scuffing out a dirt hole with my boot, covering and tamping down;

- The other "hole in the ground" eastern-style toilets are a little more difficult. Straddling, balancing, keeping your pants from getting wet...while holding a purse, backpack, toilet paper...not easy;

- Even a regular flush toilet takes some time figuring out if there is a chain to pull, button to push in top of tank, or a handle that pulls UP instead of down to flush.

I thought that we'd seen them all but recently experienced two new toilet-types during our Uganda/Rwanda trip:

Continue reading "Bathrooms Around The World" »

Posted by Sheila at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Pick a country in Europe...France, Austria, Switzerland or Italy. It's not too early to make reservations for Winter, 2007...and it may be too late. Colorado and Utah have wonderful ski resorts but Europe has most of the biggest ski circuses in the world. You can ski from country-to-country, across borders, during one day. Expensive? The airfare is the most expensive part but there are wonderful fares right now that bring the costs w--a--y-- down. An example: AA Switzerland Air Sale to Zurich from $379! (ends 12/4)

ex-Marine and I are heading to St. Moritz to snowshoe in March (read today's "Better Fitness" article in the Parade edition of your newspaper for more about snowshoeing) and St. Moritz offers "Tophit" packages, ranging from 2 day/2 night-7 day/7 night, including: all lifts, local transportation, hotel with full breakfast. The costs? A Basic hotel will run $514 US, a Deluxe Hotel, $1,300 US. Compare these prices with $546 for a 7-day Aspen/Snowmass lift ticket.

Continue reading "Skiing In Europe" »

Posted by Sheila at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)