European River Cruising: Vienna is Hot!

Long-time followers will know that I am a sucker for a boat cruise. I grew up by the ocean and around boats so I just really love being on and near the water. For river cruising, after much research, I’ve decided to specialize in AMAWaterways given their “Floating 5-star hotel” approach and I now hold my AMAWaterways certification. Next month, I’m sailing from Vienna to Budapest with AMA on a private cruise with my host agency and I can’t wait. I have two days to explore Vienna before embarkation. Many many years ago, I spent a year studying in Innsbruck, Austria so I can’t wait to get back to Vienna and brush up on my Deutsch. I really love the artist Hundertwasser and am so excited to return to his home in Vienna.

I love AMAWaterways because everything is included. There are multiple excursions to chose from each day and beer and wine is included in every meal. There are no chargeable “extras” like there are with other river cruises. AMA has some AMAZING promotions right now through March 31, 2023. For select sailings, complimentary cabin upgrades and free land packages are available! Email me at hello@antidotetravel.com for more.

St. Lucia is So Lovely

I have clients in St. Lucia right now — a place I’ve never been to but it is so visually stunning that I think I’m going to have to go. I set my clients up with a private sunset cruise and a deep sea fishing expedition. They called the sunset cruise “magnificent.”

London is the Most Beautiful

One of my favorite parts of my job is helping clients plan their first trip to London, a city I lived in for 11+ years. This week, I’m working on a foodie tour of London for one client and recommending the best, most-centrally located hotels for another client. Hint: Forget South Kensington!! It’s too far west. Stay closer to Holborn so you are super central. Traveling with your family in London? Here’s my go-to list of London hotels with two Queen beds.

All the Advice You Didn’t Ask For

My mom and I have this thing about how no one likes advice. And I get it. No one likes to be told what to do! But I '“do travel” for a living and I hate to see people make these innocent mistakes!! Here are a couple of tips for you, after a crazy week where a lot has happened:

1. To track your checked bags, buy Apple Air Tags!!! Set everything up and test everything BEFORE you leave for the airport please. This way, in case you luggage gets lost, at least you know where your bags are.

2. Pay for your travel purchases with credit cards, not debit cards. This way, in case there are any payment issues, at least you have not parted with your cold hard cash just yet.

3. Always have a backup credit card, especially if your main credit card is American Express. While AMEX may be accepted at larger hotels and tourist restaurants outside the US, unfortunately, it’s not as widely accepted as Visa and Mastercard.

4. Your travel advisor (that’s me) really can’t get you any better deals on economy flights than you can. The industry has changed and now the prices are what they are. If we’re talking business class or first class, that’s where I can help! (But no guarantees.) One other exception is when booking air with a cruise. Cruiselines have powerful negotiating capabilities, so always ask if your travel advisor can help with air for your cruise.

5. In the post-COVID travel pandemonium, the best deals are going to be off the beaten track. My advice is to be more open-minded on destinations. Maybe you don’t need to go to Mykonos and Santorini this year. Try Paros and Naxos instead.

That’s it for this week! Definitely reach out if you have any questions or need any help planning your travels. The world is your oyster — and mine!