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Travel safety for women
Travel safety for woman is the number one concern for students, seniors and world adventurers. I’ve written chapters in my books and spoken at universities and at travel shows about “how to stay safe and travel the world”. Here are ways to be prepared and avoid trouble. 1. We can be aware of our…
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Normandy as painted by the Impressionists
Normandy is like a beret perched askew on a Frenchman’s head, the 360-mile Normand coast curls along the north and northwest of France. After visiting Rouen, I headed for the coast to soak in the beaches and soft-green landscapes bathed in shifting light. Claude Monet’s Etretat “I count on doing a large canvas of the…
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France. Impressionist painters in Normandy
Normandy attracts anyone who loves the impressionists and their paintings, as well as food lovers. Last spring I jumped at a chance to go to Normandy to follow in the footsteps of the Impressionist Painters. I criss-crossed the countryside from Giverny to the cobble-stoned streets of Rouen, across a patchwork quilt of emerald jewel fields…
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Paris tips for women, solo travelers, romance.
Paris promises something for everyone – sophistication, beauty, culture, history, cuisines, art, escape and that nebulous quality called ambiance and tips from a resident help you capture it all. Hopefully when you visit Paris you’ll carve out time to do more than rush to the major tourists sites; the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the…
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Stepping out solo in Paris
Alone in Paris. The art of dining alone. Text by Stephanie Levin Traveling alone for a woman affords multiple advantageous: she meets people she would never mingle with when traveling with a companion, she depends on herself for all decisions from where to hang her hat to switching itinerary mid-trip, no discussion. There are…
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Discover France’s secret villages
Walking in the Maritime Alps leads to the Mediterranean Coast Rocky, snowcapped Alps tumble down to the dazzling waters of the Mediterranean coast along the French and Italian border. My love of France and its sleepy villages fueled my choice to hike through this Mediterranean wonderland, not far from the region’s hub of Nice. Every…
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I left my heart in … Paris
Last weekend I fell in love with a new city, Paris. For three euphoric days I ran around the City of Lights and, like most first time visitors, I tried to see all the tourist attractions. We climbed the Eiffel Tower in the teeth-chattering winter weather, fell into a trance listening to the boys’ choir…
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I left my heart in … Paris
By Annalyse Sheppard Last weekend I fell in love with a new city, Paris. For three euphoric days, I ran around the City of Lights. Like most first-time visitors, I tried to see all the tourist attractions. We climbed the Eiffel Tower in the teeth-chattering winter weather. We fell into a trance listening to the…
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Travel rip-offs and how to avoid them
Let me share my travel tips of how to avoid theft, frauds and over-paying. 1.) Avoid baggage fees. Depending upon the airline you can pay $15 to $75 for the first checked bag, and more for overweight bags. When possible, pack lightly enough to carry-on one bag or fly airlines that still allow free checked bags (two…
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Walking trips in europe
Walking trips in Europe are a safe and easy way to avoid the tourist crowds in big cities? Get off the beaten path. Add a few days of walking to your itinerary. How do you organize a getaway from the crowds? On Foot Holidays, a well-respected English walking company, now offers 16 routes with four-night options,…
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Burgundy by bike, boat or car
Paris may be crawling with tourists scurrying to monuments and museums, but in Burgundy, a mere 90 minutes south on the TGV train, sightseeing is never an object. The pace is slow, the countryside bucolic and the pleasures of gastronomy rule supreme. The chandeliers in the Michelin-starred restaurants are eternally glittering and the puffy…
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Adventure travel from zip line to biking and heli-hiking.
Travel Expert, Marybeth knows how to add an adrenaline rush to every vacation. My motto is “active days and comfortable nights” with a dash of adrenaline for the thrills. Here are my favorites from Europe, Canada and beyond. In the Swiss Alps I stepped into a safety harness connected to a zip line and whizzed…
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Adventure travel from zip line to biking and heli-hiking.
Travel Expert, Marybeth knows how to add an adrenaline rush to every vacation. My motto is “active days and comfortable nights” with a dash of adrenaline for the thrills. Here are my favorites from Europe, Canada and beyond. In the Swiss Alps I stepped into a safety harness connected to a zip line and whizzed…
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Paris where the summer solstice is a night of music
I went to Paris, thinking I’d visit museums and historic sites. Jazz in St. German des Pres. Instead I happened upon the summer solstice on June 21st, the “Fete de la Musique” – one of the best free, street-music festivals in Europe. The mood was electric and I got a taste of authentic Paris culture…
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Trendy, chic and cheap in Paris
Don’t be put off by the name or the location, Mama Shelter, nestled into the 20th arrondissement, is one of the trendiest hotels I’ve discovered in terms of quality and price (89 Euro). The lobby, rooms, lively bar and bistro are tres chic with a guests to match. On my last trip to Paris I…