Airline Fare Drop Refund Policies

What happens when you buy an airfare and then discover that sometime before take off the fare has dropped in price?

Here's a handy chart created by airfarewatchdog.com 

Speaking of Provence

We have a wonderful small group tour "The Colors of Provence" for next September, but meanwhile, I found this article and topic very charming.

Delightful figurines both sacred and secular grace Christmas crèches
throughout the south of France.

The Santons of Provence

In Provence the holiday season belongs to the colorful world of santons—santous or santoùos in Provençal, “little saints” to the rest of us. A wrinkle, the shining dot of an eye, a graceful pose, the tilting of a hat, a lace bonnet, a weary back stooped by toil and age, a smile of contentment, an ample fold in a garment—since these clay figurines are often no bigger than Hans Christian Andersen’s Thumbelina, you will not be surprised that 85% of the cost goes to labor, a far cry from the modern mass-production Christmas industry. The making of a santon is a labor of love.

Read the article at FranceToday.com

Luxury Cruising with The Great American Steamboat

The Great American Steamboat Company’s inaugural voyages this spring will be filled with surprise and delight.

There is no better time to reserve space aboard an authentic American icon and to be among the first lucky travelers to make history, as the grand American Queen returns to the waterways of America’s Heartland. 

A few of their scheduled trips:

Roundtrip New Orleans - 6 nights

April 13 - 19, 2012

Visit: New Orleans, Oak Alley, St. Francisville, Natchez, Vicksburg, Houmas House

New Orleans to Memphis - 8 nights

April 19 - 27, 2012

Visit: New Orleans, Oak Alley, St. Francisville, Natchez, Vicksburg, Helena, Memphis

Memphis to Cincinnati - 7 nights

April 27- May 4, 2012

Visit: Memphis, Henderson, Louisville, Madison, Cincinnati, plus leisurely Mississippi River cruising

Contact Sara Jane with Near & Far Journeys today to reserve your spot!
913.677.6336
nearandfarjourneys@gmail.com

Travel advent calendar: 24 Christmas travel ideas

Ice Sculptures in Harbin, China

For the hardcore travel lover in all of us, CNNgo pulls together a full 24 days of globe-trotting holiday fun.

Some of my personal favorites from their list: 

Snowmobile safari, Finland
Great Christmas Pudding Race in London, England
Winter swimming in Berlin, Germany
Watch 'The Nutcracker,' St. Petersburg, Russia
Bobsledding in Lillehammer, Norway
Penguin watching at Isla Magdalena, Chile
Hot smoke sauna in Otepaa, Estonia
Ice sculptures in Harbin, China

View photos and read the entire article here

Airlines Cut Back, Hotels Step In

YOU don’t have to fly first-class to get V.I.P. treatment at the airport — if you stay at the right hotel. As more and more guests show up harried after airline delays, baggage issues and other travel hassles, hotels are stepping in with new services designed to make the airport experience less stressful. From wardrobe storage to airport concierges, here’s a rundown of some of the options being offered.

Read the whole article at the New York Times

10 Ways to Be a Less Annoying Travel Companion

from The Independent Traveler website

"Traveling with other folks is like a crucible; without careful monitoring of pressure and temperature, things can very quickly get hot enough to melt someone at some point. Having a battery of tactics toward being a good traveling companion can keep your trip (and your friendship) from going up in flames."


Here's their top Ten Ways to Be Less Annoying



1. Disappear now and then
2. Have a good time when you're apart, and share when you return.
3. Adjust to your companion's traveling style.
4. When it is time to move, move. 
5. Have an opinion.
6. Do what you are best at. 
7. Don't nick the other person's stuff without asking. 
8. Pay your fair share, but don't overreact about money.
9. Roll with it.
10. Don't judge.

Read the full article   


Here's a few tips that I would add:


11. Don't empty out your suitcase/make-up bag/ backpack/shopping bags all over the room, especially if we're moving on to another hotel room in a day or two. 
12. When using the toilet for what should be personal reasons, shut the darn door!  Ewwwww.
13. Related to #12, if there is a fan option in the toilet, please use it. 
14. We didn't travel 8000 miles across the globe to watch MTV or The Andy Griffith Show, damnit. News shows and weather forecasts are okay, however. And watching anything in the native language can be fun and instructive, so that's okay in moderation.
15. Remember that your roommate is not your mother. 


Yours in Travel and Adventure,

Q&A: Getting seats on a plane ... together

Don't you just hate it when you spend a fortune on airline seats only to find that you and your travel partner are seated miles apart? The Overhead Bin blog shares these tips. You can read the full article here.

Here are some other tips for getting the seats you want on an airplane:

• If a seat chart is not available when you book your flight online, call the airline or the ticketing agent as soon as possible to request seating.
• If you don’t get a seating assignment — or don’t get the seats you’d like — call back again a week or two before your flight.
• As the day of the flight gets closer, check the online seating charts or call the airline to see if other seats have become available.
• Check in online as soon as you can. Some seats, especially exit and bulkhead row seats, are not released until the day of the flight.
• Get to the airport early and check the seating chart at the check-in kiosk or ask the gate agent if any better seats are available. Some airlines will offer discounted upgrades or first-class seats at good discounts at the check-in kiosks.
• And, yes, once onboard you may find another passenger willing to swap seats to allow two people to sit together. But don’t count on it.