I am just so happy. Have you seen the news? Could this be the start of the end of the Pandemic? The United Kingdom is dropping Covid testing for arriving international travelers, and the European Union's new relaxed travel recommendations have officially started as of today! You can read more about that here if you would like.
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This is like music to my ears. They are also removing the mask mandate (except on public transports and such) which is also great news. I saw visions in my head of life going back to normal after two years of wondering if it ever would. 

What's not to love about Italy.  The food, the wine, the people, the beauty of the country itself.  There are so many reasons to visit.  
I went as part of a working trip to Tuscany with other travel advisors. A stay in a villa and vineyard for a week, tours of local vineyards and cities was too irresistible to pass up.  I asked a good friend to join me who had always wanted to go to Italy, and a trip was hatched!
We added a stay in Rome to our trip.  To travel that far (10-1/2 hours total flight time) to Italy and only stay for a week wasn't feasible for us.  
This week I wanted to share about our stay in Rome for 5 days.  

Italy, home of landmark art, culture, ancient ruins, food, and beauty.  It has been on my radar and one of those countries I've wanted to visit for years.  I finally had an opportunity to do just that this October.  

The trip is one that needs lots of planning, as any travel advisor will tell you. First, let's look at logistics.  
It’s actually a great time to come to Italy because it’s not filled with tourists right now.  
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Italy is located in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea, in Southern Europe, and is also considered part of Western Europe.  Rome is its capital and largest city, the country covers a total area of 116,350 sq miles, and shares land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, and the enclaved microstates of Vatican City and San Marino. With around 60 million inhabitants, Italy is the third-most populous member state of the European Union.

For over half a century, the Aloha shirt has been Hawaii’s most enduring and visible greeter and ambassador. Like a flower lei, the Aloha shirt is worn as a statement of one’s love for, and connection to, a most special place.

I find it quite amazing that a piece of clothing – a very simple shirt with vivid patterns or pictures and, if you’re lucky, coconut shell buttons – can have more lore, history and anecdotes surrounding it than many a small country.
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The roots of the Aloha shirt date back to the early 1930s and to the famed surfer, Olympic gold-medal swimmer, King Kamehameha descendant and “Ambassador of Aloha”, Duke Kahanamoku. Local beach boys of the day, looking for something unique to wear, decided to have sport shirts made from colorful Japanese kimono material.

Something we’ve done at Sybarite Travel is to travel during the “shoulder season”. Shoulder season is the travel period between peak and off-peak season. Put another way, shoulder season is the time of the year in between the low and high seasons for a particular destination.

As a rule of thumb, shoulder seasons are Spring and Fall.
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This year, Americans can expect a degree of normalcy in the late Summer or early Fall, but health experts stress that this timeline could change for better or worse, and they implore Americans to be flexible and patient.

Oh Canada, we have missed thee. Canada opened its border to Americans on August 9th. Americans can feel relatively safe upon arrival to Canada, which has one of the highest-vaccinated populations in the world. More than 80 percent of people 12 and older have received at least one dose, and more than 68 percent are fully vaccinated. If you’re looking to take a trip to the Great White North, here’s what experts say you need to know before packing your bags.

This has to be, without a doubt, one of my biggest challenges as a Travel Professional. No matter how extravagant or low-budget your trip may be, there are many things totally outside of your control that could change your dream vacation into a nightmare faster than you can say “Covid19”. For many years I, like many other travelers, was one who believed that once I had committed to a trip, I was going to go on it…NO MATTER WHAT! It just didn’t seem necessary to add another $79-$129-$249 (whatever the premium) to the cost of trip for something as un-romantic as travel insurance. I have seen so many situations over the years that have affected my clients’ (and even my own) travel plans and my eyes have definitely been opened to the need for a good travel policy.

​Enjoy the spirit of a road trip without the hassles.  Train travel offers a richer travel experience, and provides surprisingly practical advantages too.
 
Have you ever wanted to experience the world as travelers once did during the golden age of rail?  Train travel is easily the most underrated form of long-distance travel out there.  Travel to amazing cities, scenic landscapes and spectacular national parks. 

I know, I know! Airports are finally busy and less efficient than ever and it seems like airline employees and TSA agents wake up on the wrong side of the bed every morning. 
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Please, get to the airport extra early right now, as TSA lines are long; you don't want to miss your flight!