I recently wrote a blog on vacation recovery, which covered reminders on pacing yourself when traveling, building in some actual relaxation time, and other suggestions focused primarily on physical stress. It’s equally important, if not more so, that your vacation doesn’t wear you out mentally – especially since for many people the purpose of a vacation is just the opposite.

As someone who’s also worked in the health and fitness field and an practicer of both yoga and meditation, I have a great interest in the mind-body connection, and have seen the benefits (and detriments) at work many times. It’s easy for people behind the airport ticket counter to tell you to “relax” or “calm down” when your flight is delayed and you’re set to miss connection, but they’d probably be just as upset if the shoes were on the other feet. Here are a few ways to help combat the stresses that come with traveling. Some focus on mind/body, some just focus on preventing stressful situations.

*Photo Credit: Kristen Butera, Yoga Teacher and Owner of the YogaLife Institute www.yogalifeinstitute.com

1.  Your yoga and/or meditation regimen doesn’t have to stop on vacation. In fact, if you’re an avid practicer, you’ll probably notice it causes more stress to stop your routine while away than to take a few minutes a day, even if to do an abbreviated version. Yoga and meditation can be done virtually anywhere, as they require minimal to no equipment. Several companies make travel yoga mats which can weigh less than 1.5 pounds and are thin so can be easily folded into a carry-on or suitcase. If you use a meditation cd, load it onto your ipod or preferred travel music device. Meditation is a great way to relax (and keep from yelling at your obnoxious seat mate) on the flight. It can also be a mental lifesaver if you tend to not sleep on overnight flights and need something calming to pass the time.

2.  Plan ahead, but allow for some flexibility. I’m a planner. It’s what I do for a living. I’m always checked in for my flight 24 hours ahead of time, know what gate I take off and land in, know my connection time down to the minute and study the connecting airport map so I know the shortest route. Once I have the big things out of the way with, though, I have finally learned to give myself (and others traveling with me) a bit of leeway. People take vacations for a variety of reasons – to see a foreign city, immerse in the culture, attend a big event, or just lie on the beach with an umbrella adorned drink. Never have I heard someone say they’re taking a vacation to increase their stress level. In travel, as with everything else, nothing is guaranteed. If you need everything orchestrated perfectly down to the minute, I promise you will be disappointed. Next time you travel, take even a few hours to not plan something and do whatever comes to mind at the moment. I suspect it will be come as a relief to realize that it’s actually enjoyable!

3.  Journal. Even if you’re not traditionally a writer, keeping a travel journal can be both rewarding. Journaling is a nice way to unwind at the end of the day, which can help your mind ease and help sleep come more easily – a task that can be challenging with time zone changes. It doesn’t have to be nobel-prize-winning literature, just an outlet to get out your thoughts. It doesn’t even have to be fluid. Just jot down some things that you did, your impressions of your trip so far and anything else that comes to mind Secondly, it helps you relive the fun moments throughout the day, and going to bed with in a better mood can certainly help your sleep and your mood the following morning. Note: if something happened during the day that really stressed you out and you feel writing about it will add to that stress, you don’t have to include it. The point of this type of writing is not to create a completely factual account of each day, it’s to clear out your mind after a lot of stimulation that comes from visiting a new (or less familiar) destination. Finally, the journal provides a walk down memory lane in the future and a source of details when telling others about the trip.

4.  Put someone else in charge. I know, dreaded words for many people, including myself. This doesn’t have to be for the whole trip, or even a major part the trip. If just for a day, or a few hours, letting someone else deal with the planning, details and logistics can allow you to mentally let go. Make sure to pick the right person for the job – if you’re traveling with someone who constantly gets lost, don’t let them take the reigns on leading the way, or your concern of getting lost will overpower any relief you get from relinquishing control.

5.  Take pictures or video. Taking pictures or video allows you to focus on what’s right in front of you and live in the moment, which pushes stressors out of your mind, or at least on the back burner. Just make sure that getting the perfect shot doesn’t take over your trip. I’ve seen people so bent on getting certain pictures that they don’t get to enjoy and experience the surroundings they’re so intent on capturing with the camera.

Getting there: I can sleep pretty well almost anywhere. Anywhere, that is, except on a plane. This means that on every trip requiring an overnight flight, I land in my destination with maybe two to three hours of sleep if I’m lucky. It’s not a matter of not being tired. It’s a combination of the time difference (even though it’s morning when landing, it’s usually middle for my body clock) and the fact that nose-to-knees isn’t exactly my favorite sleeping position. For me, it’s critical to make up my sleep within the first few days. There are variety of tips out there for overcoming jet lag. My choice is to just go to bed incredibly early – usually around 7 or 8 PM – and just make up as much sleep as I can the first night. Whatever trick you use, make up this sleep early on. If you have a trick for getting more sleep on the plane, that works as well. If you recover from the lost night early on in the trip, you could be running on a deficit until you return home, which doesn’t exactly make for a restful vacation.

Take a break: Beach destinations have a built-in break, which is fantastic. If you’re destination doesn’t include much in the way of sand and lounge chairs, it might be tougher to slow down your pace. It’s these trips, though, where it’s imperative to take a break. I generally pick a day somewhere in the middle of the trip where I allow myself to unwind. I don’t set my alarm clock (yes, I set an alarm on vacation. I really don’t want to miss anything), and I spend my day doing something relaxing. It might be that I just sightsee at a more relaxed pace, or I might choose to sit at a cafe for a few hours where I can drink coffee and people watch. Sometimes I take advantage of the hotel spa. Whatever it is, give yourself a day, or at least a half day, in the middle of your travels to rejuvenate. It will increase your energy for the second half of the trip, which is when most people start to drag.

Eat and drink responsibly: Sure, vacation is a time to let down your guard and kick up your heels a bit, and often times this comes in the form of food and drink. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the local cuisine, beverages and nightlife. But as you’ve heard countless times with just about every aspect of life, “everything in moderation”. If I notice by day five of my trip that my breakfasts have consisted solely of chocolate pastries, my afternoon snacks of beer and my dinners of pasta and gelato, I also usually notice that my pants are a little tighter and my energy a little lower. Give yourself some leeway in your dietary habits, but if you don’t show some restraint, you’ll inevitably regret it upon return – not only in your closet and your wallet, but also in how you feel. The kind of eating and drinking described above may lead to dehydration, high or low blood sugar and depletion of vitamins and nutrients. This certainly isn’t the ideal condition for getting back into the swing of things when you arrive home.

The trip back: It’s tempting to end your trip with a late-night hoorah as a final celebration of your vacation. This may result, however, in feeling less than pleasant on the return flight, and once again you are dealing with the jet lag and lack of sleep you did when you began your trip. Enjoy your last night, but try to get some sleep and start preparing your body for the day to day at home. I also always return a day or two before I go back to work, which allows me to take some time to rest up and get my bearings.

Post-vacation blues: It’s not uncommon for the high of vacation to leave you crashing down when you get back to “reality”. One of the ways to deal with this is to take a little vacation back with you. No, not the sand from the beach or the plants from the gardens, customs will stop you for that. Instead, remember what about vacation made it so enjoyable. If it’s that you gave yourself more time to relax, try doing this when you get back. Take some time each day to do something for yourself. If it was the culture or cuisine, try to find a way to recreate this. Discover a recipe or a restaurant that reminds you of your trip and go for it. If it’s missing the people you traveled with, make extra time to see them or talk to them. If it’s simply vacation itself, start planning your next, even if it’s more daydreaming than an actual plan. Trust me, it helps.

1. Choosing your seat: One of the most common requests I get from clients is a seats in the exit row or bulkhead, because these have more leg room. Unfortunately, these seats generally cannot be booked ahead of time unless you are in a wheelchair or have small children. Here are some options for getting the best seat possible:

• Log in 24 hours before your flight. Sometimes they will release the exit row at that time if no has requested it (they still generally hold the bulkhead).

• Most flights have premium seating. When you check in online, you can pay approximately $30 each way to upgrade to this premium seating. It might sound expensive, but isn’t it worth $30 to sit in on the aisle with an empty seat next to you rather than in the middle of the middle row on a long haul flight?

• If you don’t want to pay $30, show up very early at the airport. If these premium seats haven’t been taken, they may upgrade you without you having to pay – after all, people may be on standby and they’d love your middle seat just to be on the plane. In some cases, you may even be able to go to first class, but don’t hold your breath on that one.

2. While it doesn’t come as an outright request, generally speaking, travelers would like to actually be allowed on the flight they’ve booked and paid for. Guess what, if you don’t have your information submitted properly to the airline, you probably won’t be allowed on. These days, your name on your ticket has to be EXACTLY as it is on your passport. No leaving out the middle initial, the Jr, or that real first name that you’re embarrassed by so you go by your middle name. If you do, you may not get on. They also require your birthdate and gender, though the latter may not have as dire consequences if the first two match.

3.  Of course, it only helps to get on your flight if it’s actually going to take off and get you to your destination. In the last month or so, this concept hasn’t been one you can take for granted. So what do you do if your flight is cancelled, or delayed enough that you are going to miss your connection? Call your travel planner. I can’t emphasize this enough. That being said, I can’t promise they can bump everyone off the next flight and get you to your connection all without it costing a dime. However, there is a passenger bill of rights which entitles you to probably much more than the airlines are telling you. Travel planners should have this handy and can contact tell you what to demand (politely) of the airline if you’re not getting all that you are entitled. They also know which airlines fly most frequently from your airport and the best route to your destination and may be able to offer alternatives that the airline will not.

4. Getting through immigration and customs painlessly: I don’t know about you, but I always get nervous standing in the immigration line. It’s not that I have something to hide, or a reason to be stopped, but I get nervous all the same. I’ve also never had any trouble with this – until last month when I flew into London. The immigration officer was particularly grouchy and seemed to be looking for trouble. He questioned me thoroughly and then asked me to produce a copy of my return flight itinerary and hotel confirmation. Much to my disbelief, I couldn’t find it in my bag! I looked and looked and the guy basically told me unless I had it I couldn’t enter. Finally, after I produced about six credit cards to prove I could support myself there if I wasn’t leaving the day I had told him, he let me through. Morals of the story: 1. Don’t panic, they don’t like that. 2. Always carry multiple copies of your itinerary in different places, in case one walks away. 3. Make sure you have a way of proving you can support yourself in case you were to get stuck in the country (credit cards). Tough but valuable lesson learned!

5. Mileage credit on partner airlines: You can sometimes accrue miles for your preferred airline when you fly on one of it’s partners (i.e. US Airways and South African Airways). However, this is often only true if you fly in the correct “class”. Flights are divided into more classes than economy, business and first. Within economy, seats are given classes and differentiated by alphabetical letters – J, K, L and so on. An airline’s mileage program might state that you can only redeem airline miles when flying in certain classes, and if you don’t have a seat in that particular class (say that they support J, but not K or L) they you cannot get credit for the mileage.

If you subscribe to our emagazine, TraveLuxe, you will see that tomorrow’s release of the January-February edition sheds some light on three of our top destination suggestions for 2010. (If you don’t subscribe, hurry up and do so now so that you can receive tomorrow’s edition!).

First off, let me say that there are virtually innumerable destinations around the world that we suggest. Some of these, however, we don’t feel need the extra boost as they are already quite popular and not by any means emerging (ie Rome, Paris, London). Instead, our suggestions focus either on emerging destinations, or those that just don’t necessarily get as much press as some of their neighbors.

Secondly, even with the list narrowed down as described above, we didn’t have nearly enough room in this TraveLuxe edition to focus on each destination. We chose perhaps our top three for the issue and are continuing the list in this blog throughout the course of the next few weeks. As a preview for what’s coming up, here are some of the destinations we’ll be highlighting:

• Egypt
• Morroco
• The Maldives
• The Seychelles
• Madagascar
• Russia (via land or river boat)
• A few more surprises via train and boat!

As for the countries in tomorrow’s issue, well you’ll just have to read it to find out! This is just a short list of our features over the next few weeks. We would LOVE to hear your ideas for additional features. After all, we want to help you learn about the destinations you are most interested in! Please leave your comments for the countries, regions, or types of travel that you would like to explore in the next year (or next several years).

Happy New Year and Happy Travels!

*A note: this blog will now be posted on Mondays and Wednesdays, instead of Tuesdays and Thursdays as it was last year. For the next few weeks, the destination of the week will not be featured on Fridays, as we the weekly blogs will be dedicated to destinations features. Instead, each Friday will feature photos from around the world to help spark your travel bug! Destination of the Week will return shortly!

1. Begin your planning early. This is the most important step. People are starting to emerge out from under the recession blanket, and this means that as the year progresses, hotels, cruises and tour companies may may not eventually have to go to such lengths to entice customers. While there are still great values to be had, as more people begin to travel, space becomes more of a premium which, means prices rise.

2. Determine your time frame, taking into account the events above. If you plan to visit South Africa, for example, avoid June and July. Airfare is are already up to approximately $2200 per person for this time period, and can be much more affordable other times of the year. In addition, choosing the off season for any destination will almost always result in lower rates.

3. Browse the “where to go” lists to spark some ideas – you may come across a destination you would not have otherwise thought of. On the flip side, if something is on every hot list, you may be competing with everyone and their brother for flights and accommodations so look for those emerging destinations that still may not be overcrowded.

4. Talk to your travel planner about potential hot spots for 2011! Yes, we do have ideas of where these might be, even in the end of 2009. Being ahead of the game means you experience these destinations before tourism hits them full force, and generally ensures a more authentic experience. Plus they will probably be less expensive.

5. Think about themed or niche travel. Are you particularly interested in history and architecture? Would you love a wine and cooking vacation? Have you considered a river cruise through the towns along the Rhine or Danube? Perhaps you want something adventure-based? Themed or niche travel can help you make the most out of your vacation and is ideal for creating a customized trip that truly fits you.

6. Focus on value. Value is very different than price, and can make a world of difference (pun only slightly intended) in your trip. Price focused means getting the lowest rates possible, regardless of service, amenities, customization, etc. Value-focused means “getting the best bang for your buck”. This focuses on incorporating the features and customization that you want, plus some you may not have even thought of that are already included, therefore fully making your experience worth the cost.

Sure, unexpected travel come up, and you have to get a quick Southwest flight and a night in the hotel last minute. For the most part though, vacations are something we know that we want to take. Many people who plan to travel have a “bucket list” of destinations they’d like to visit and if you’ve ever read an article or book on how to achieve your goals, you most likely recall that writing them down is a major step toward achieving them. So why do people continue to run after their travel dreams blindly?

Putting together a travel plan is quite easy and in the end, creates less work for the traveler. Here’s how it works:

1. Contact your travel planner and let them know you are interested in a travel plan. Though five or ten year plans are the most common, any time period works.

2. Meet with your planner in to discuss the destinations you’d like to visit over this time period. If you do not have specific destinations in mind, that is ok! Let them know the types of trips you’d be interested in – i.e. adventure vacations, romantic getaways, etc – and they can help you narrow down the possibilities.

3. Prioritize these trips and discuss how often you’d like to travel and the times of year that would be best for travel (this may in part be determined by the destinations).

4. From here your travel planner will put together a travel plan which spans the chosen time – five or ten years for instance – and when you plan to travel to each destination on your list. Of course this is not set in stone; it simply helps organize your travel plans.

5.  Here’s the best part – once the plan is written your travel planner handles everything. Within a year of each trip, she or he will contact you to begin the detailed trip planning. In addition, if “can’t miss” promotions for a destination on your plan come up, you will be contacted with the option to take advantage of this opportunity and rearrange your plan as needed.

Basically, a travel plan does the same as a financial or any other plan – we industry professionals keep track of your plan and proactively do the work so you don’t have to! At Chimera Travel, we are currently offering free five or ten year plans! To begin, contact us by email or phone at 856-266-8898. If you are not in our local area, that is fine too! Though face to face meetings are the first choice, plans can be created via email and phone as well!

Now that summer is on its way out and many people have still foregone their vacation, I wanted to address this issue again with some additional thoughts. If these aren’t enough to convince you, I recently read an article entitled “Your Next Vacation Could Save Your Life”. Well, there you go. Tough to top that and I am not really going to try. Still, I hope these thoughts will help to inspire at least a short getaway.

Let’s Make a Deal! - My company does not focus on “cheap deals”, but it does focus on value, and it’s everywhere! Some recent great deals I recently came across:  airfare to Costa Rica for $288 plus tax per person; hotels discounted 35% in major cities; Seaborn Cruises up to 65% off; free nights at Sandals resorts. And this is just the short list!

Fewer crowds: Less face it, when fewer people are traveling, you enjoy fewer crowds, shorter lines and more personalized service. In addition to economic concerns, now that kids are going back to school, many destinations are quieter and eager for tourists.

Natural Beauty: Imagine sitting at a cafe on a tree-lined street in Europe watching the changing leaves swirl in the light breeze, or hiking in the alps through the crisp autumn air overlooking the valley below. Fall is simply a magical time to travel, especially in North America and Europe.

Endless festivals – From the moon festival in China to Oktoberfest in Germany, fall is full of festivals. Looking ahead, New Years eve will be here before you know it and cities all around the world know how to party it up! From someone who’s spent several New Year’s Eve’s abroad, its one of the most exciting times to travel!

Do you feel the travel bug yet? Then go ahead, start dreaming up your next destination!

Of course, we’re always here to help you turn that dream into a reality, so feel free to contact us or post a comment!

A reader recently posted several questions on one of my blogs regarding just this, and since I am sure she is not alone in her inquiries, I wanted to revisit the topic of booking airfares. 

1.  Does it matter what day of the week you book your flight. All of the “discount travel” experts on the talk shows say you should book on Wed to get the lowest fares. Is this really true?

This is a long-debated question. There are a lot of people who say book on a Tuesday or a Wednesday, or to book at midnight or some odd hour of the early morning. This may have some base in truth, however, with so many recent changes in the industry, these days it’s more about how far in advance you book, your destination, and the current cost of fuel which determines your price.

 My advice is to have an idea of what you want to spend on your flight. If you find it on your first try, book it! If you do not, watch it (or better yet have your travel planner watch it) over a week or so. If it doesn’t decrease, you can either wait and try again or book it. If it seems to be increasing, snag it – it will probably only go up from there. I always suggest not playing the odds – I’ve seen way too many clients end up paying more because they tried to wait for prices to decrease.

2. How far in advance should I book a domestic flight? It seems like anything too far and the flights are really expensive, but then if I wait the flights are booked up.

Airlines are decreasing their routes and number of flights between cities, which is causing a lot of full and over-booked flights.  Again, start checking early and when you if you find a price that is desirable, book it. I would say for domestic, book at least a two to three months out if possible. If you are flexible in your dates, many sites will compare prices within a span of several days so that you can choose the most affordable. 

For international flights, I recommend four to six months out. Most of these routes are flown once per day, if that, so flights fill up quickly. Even if the price decreases slightly, for most people it’s worth the few extra dollars to know that they’re on the flight!

3.  Am I better of booking my flight through one of the travel sites like Expedia or Travelocity? Or should I go directly to the airline website? Where am I likely to see the best prices and options?

To the discount travel sites – NO! What many people do not realize is that when you book through those sites, they become your travel “agent” (using the world very loosely). Therefore, if you need to make any changes, or if the flight itself changes at all, you cannot deal with the airline but must deal with the site’s call center, in which you are receiving the same impersonal service given to thousands of others who are also having flight trouble. In addition, they do in fact charge service fees, just as a travel planner would. So for those who want to book it themselves so that they don’t pay travel planner fees, they actually are! 

Airline websites have become more competitive in their pricing, especially for domestic routes. They are not a bad bet, and in this case you do have the power to deal with the airline. However, you then have the task of determining which airlines have the best routes and availability and comparing their pricing, times and services. 

Personally, and not just because I am one, I suggest dealing with a travel planner, especially if it’s a complicated itinerary (more than a quick round trip) or if you simply don’t have the time or energy to research various airlines, routes and price comparisons. This way you have a professional that can handle your booking as well as any issues or changes that arise, which saves you time and frustration. Again, it sometimes comes down to peace of mind. 

To learn more about air fare and other commonly asked questions, check out my blog Travel Myths – Fact or Fiction! 

How do I get from this Rome to the Amalfi Coast?

What are the best sites to see in Vienna (Bangkok, Capetown, etc)?

When is the best time to visit Costa Rica?

Where is the best place to exchange currency?

Why is airfare A higher than airfare B when the flights look the same?

The basic questions of how, what, when, where and why can apply to virtually every industry and travel is no exception (I’ve left out the who, as generally it’s the travelers asking these questions for themselves or for someone they know). 

The answers to these questions can take hours to research and even then, you often get contradictory information and have to decide which you feel is the most accurate. 

Because this process can be frustrating, we want to help! What are your biggest travel questions? What do you want to know? Even if you’ve done some research but aren’t sure which of the results is most accurate, ask away! We are looking to dedicate several blogs to answering your questions – chances are that you’re not the only one who’s curious about the topic and you’re helping others out by asking as well! 

Note: If you are looking for specific itineraries or travel plans, contact us directly by phone (856) 266-8898 or email. 

To see the response to your questions and those from other travelers, make sure to subscribe to our blog! 

Travel has changed a lot over the years – in some ways for the better, in some ways for the, well, not so much better. Often, these changes are big enough to make it to the general public (most major US carriers now charging for checked luggage, for example). Other times these changes may be more gradual or just seem less important and not quite make it into the public light. Hence, the increasing number of travel myths and just general travel confusion in the air these days. 

Some of the most common travel myths that I hear include:

1.  Connecting flights are always cheaper – not so! They may be, especially if they are a red-eye or have several connections with various carriers. However, airports charge landing taxes, which means that the more the plane lands, the more taxes the airline, and therefore the customer, pays. 

2. It’s less expensive to purchase flights on certain days – this one is debatable. Some say yes, some say no. I haven’t found this personally to be true. In fact these days it’s the surges in fuel costs, more than anything, that drives airline prices. If you find a good price on a Saturday, I don’t recommend waiting until a supposedly cheaper day – snag it now! 

3. You pay less by planning your trip last minute – false. This may be true if you just want to get away and aren’t particularly picky about the hotel, flight or even specific destination. If you’re planning a two-week overseas trip, however, book early. You avoid arranging your trip around sold out flights and booked hotels, which leave you with fewer options – often the ones others don’t want to pay for. 

4.  Travel Insurance is a waste of money – false, completely false. Insurance has helped several of my clients when they have fallen ill while traveling or for other reasons needed to cut short or cancel their trip. You may not want to think about canceling your trip now, but do you want to pay for it later?  Travel insurance can literally be a life saver. 

5.  It’s less expensive to travel during the week – Generally, false. There used to be the “Saturday night stay” policy where you got a free or discounted night by staying over a Saturday. Then it went away and in fact was a travel myth. Now, it’s starting to make a come back, along with deals such as lower rental car rates for renting over a weekend. The best way to get the most affordable rates is to keep your dates slightly flexible and look for the lowest price within that week or month.

Have a question about a travel myth? Ask away! You can leave it as a comment or it email to maya@chimera-travel.com.