Chic Romance Travel - Travel Blog, Honeymoon, Travel

Cappuccino after Lunch and Other Italy Food No-No's

4/2/2020

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Anguilla - Feeling is Believing

3/5/2020

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Packing to go traveling? Let me tell you a story…Several years ago, I did an 10 day adventure tour with Intrepid Tours, through Italy with my sister. I was just over 4 months pregnant with my 2nd child. The literature informed us to pack light as we would be carrying our luggage up 3 to 5 flights of stairs each night. So we packed light. Everything for 10 days travel went into my rolling school backpack plus a day pack over my shoulders. When the other women arrived from various locations around the USA, I began to cringe. They had large suitcases with matching small cases and luggage size purses. Boy, was I going to be under dressed. Not so! My careful planning and packing decked me out appropriately at every instance. I even had room to take home gifts for everyone. Bonus… hiking up those stairs was a cinch for me… no effort at all! Plus absolutely no extra fees for luggage!!!

Secrets of Packing Light:

Get the right luggage. Light, rolling, fits easily in the overhead bin. Use a day pack or shoulder bag as a purse.
Create a personalized brightly colored tag for your luggage. Tie a colored ribbon on it as well.
Plan every detail far in advance of packing day according to the guidelines below.
Choose 3 or 4 colors. Keep every clothing item in that color scheme to mix and match.
Layer up from sun-top to long sleeve shirt and wrap. On cold days wear several layers.
Accessorize carefully. Accessories are small but are the details that make you look classy.
But clothes that do not need ironing. (Crush them in your hand to see how much they wrinkle.)
Pack tiny cosmetics and personal care items in 2 quart size zip lock bags (no more than that or you will need to check your luggage). Buy larger sizes or replenish items which you reach your destination.
Buy beach towels when you get there and leave them when you leave.
Wear your heaviest items on the airplane there and home again.
Use large zip lock bags as compression bags to pack your clothes in.
Carry a string and clothes pins to hang up hand washed clothes. Hotel soap will do in a pinch.
Consider packing thrift store-bought clothes, then discarding them when no longer needed to make room for gifts.
Buy tiny gifts that will tuck in among your clothes.

Planning In Advance:
Outline each day of your trip and what you need to wear for that day.
For example:

Airplane – comfortable, cold to hot, pants, walking shoes, wrap, snacks, socks for cold feet, book.
Day on the beach – shorts, sun-top, over shirt, swimsuit, towel, flip-flops, hat, sunscreen, beach bag.
Night out – skirt, light wrap, sandals, top, small hand bag.
Cold day -short sleeve shirt under long sleeve shirt, blue jeans, socks, wrap, umbrella.
Hiking – cargo pants or cargo shorts, short sleeve shirt plus over shirt, walking shoes or sandals.
Elegant night – basic solid color skirt or pants, top, jewelry, wrap, heels.
Wedding – Worth an extra suitcase to you? Yes or No. If no, then… buy a light weight, crushable, slimline dress. Add a veil or flowers for your hair. Dress your look up with special jewelry and heels. Add some color to this dress later with a change of accessories, and voila, you have your evening look as well.

Mix and Match Clothing:

4 solid bottoms – cargo pants, skirt or dressier pants, sun shorts or capris, cargo shorts. If room plan one more light weight bottom. Note: blue jeans, though a favorite, are heavy to pack and to carry. Consider a lighter alternative.
4-5 tops for layering up – sun top, short sleeve, short sleeve, dressy, long sleeve
swim suit, crushable hat, sarong
wraps – light weight crushable to go over everything, plus a warm weight wrap if needed to layer up. Note: sweatshirts are too bulky to pack light. Use thinner layers and pile them on if the weather is cold.
shoes – walking shoes, flip-flops, sandals, heels if needed.
3-4 pair undies (wash them out at night)
2 bras
sleepwear
jewelry and accessories
Wear on the plane from the list above: long pants, short sleeve shirt, long sleeve shirt, heavy wrap, walking shoes. You can take clothes off and put them on as the climate changes, tucking them into your day pack

For more Travel Tips, U.S. Passports & International Travel Information, and
Additional Travel Resources, please Chick Here

What are some of your packing tips? Would love to hear them.
Please comment below!

Happy Adventures!
Camille

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6 Mobile Apps to Ensure you Travel Happy

11/7/2019

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4 best places you’ve never heard of

10/10/2019

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You’d think after millennia of people traveling, not to mention how quickly the world has shrunk with access to the Internet, that we would have seen it all.

But here are four beautiful and intriguing highlights from places that might not be as familiar. If you’d like a full list from National Geographic of the best trips – some familiar, some not – check it out here.

If you’re craving a break from busy-ness and noise, Haida Gwaii will give you the silence you’re longing for. A 180-mile-long archipelago off the coast of British Columbia is the ultimate getaway for nature lovers. May-September is the summer season, with more tourist services available, and a greater chance of seeing spectacular wildlife like the Orca migration. But if you’re into surfing, try October-May for the best waves.

To get a feel for what life was like for the Vikings, hop a ferry from Denmark or Iceland and check out the Faroe Islands. Located about 400 miles off the coast of Northern Europe and accessible by flights and ferries year-round, the Faroe Islands are ringed with dramatic green cliffs that plunge into the ocean, sparkling bays, and breathtaking Nordic scenery. In the city of Gjógv, stay in an authentic sod-roofed hotel and take hikes up into the mountains with a spectacular view of the gorge below. Go in July or August for mild temps and long days.

A hidden travel gem lies in the Western Baltics, which is already a somewhat-unknown region that is brimming with breathtaking scenery and a proud cultural heritage. The Via Dinarica is a year-round adventurer’s wonderland. Love gorgeous summer hikes and biking tours? May-September, this trail stretches through 1,200 miles of varied terrain and eight different countries. If you’re into skiing and snowshoeing, hit the Via Dinarica from January to mid-March for a pristine wonderland. Stay in remote mountain shelters, or immerse yourself in centuries-old tradition by staying with local host families.

We see a lot of Japan’s bustling cities, its towering skyscrapers, its industry, its bright lights. But if you’re interested in reclining into the contemplative heart of Japan, seek out Koyasan, a pristine monastic complex two hours south of Osaka by train and the seat of Japanese Shingon Buddhism. Many temples here offer guest rooms, and you can get a feel for what monastic life is like in the lush, misty mountain interior. Savor the simple flavors of clean Buddhist eating, take in morning rituals, or hike by lantern and moonlight along winding green mountain paths. After the intense and amazing sensory experiences that the large urban areas of Japan provide, Koyasan really is the perfect retreat into silence, simplicity, and mystery.

One of the many reasons I love what I do as a travel agent is that there is just so much to see, to take in, and to learn. We all have the amazing opportunity to launch out into new places, to find some new adventure that will change us forever — and I love getting to be a part of that process.

If you’re feeling that pull to places that are new to you, contact me today and let’s start planning your next adventure!

Happy Adventures!
Camille Sanders

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Travel Blog

Cappuccino after Lunch and Other Italy Food No-No's

Honeymoons

Anguilla - Feeling is Believing

Destination Wedding

Stunning Winter Sun Breaks

A little bit about Jamaica.

Honeymoon in the Highlands

Secrets of Packing Light

6 Mobile Apps to Ensure you Travel Happy

4 best places you’ve never heard of

Camille Sanders

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