Travel Tips

________________________________________________ by Brenda Murray   Travelling alone can be daunting for many female travelers especially the first few times. Planning the trip, reserving a hotel room, taking care of your home and pets while you’re gone, packing…it can all seem overwhelming.  But many women do it with confidence and grace and you can too. We asked Kathleen, a Studio 56 VIP participant who has traveled with us several times, for her advice. Kathleen is confident, organized and has a very upbeat, positive attitude. She’s an inspiration! If you're organized and you've taken care of all the details, then there's nothing...

________________________________________________ by Brenda Murray When is the best time to buy your connecting European train tickets?  Until recently I would've said as far in advance as possible. But I've had to rethink that position. Last year I purchased connecting train tickets for a train going from the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris to Avignon for about $150. I gave myself a couple of hours to account for a late flight and the time it takes to clear customs and get to the train terminal in the airport. Unfortunately my 10 pm flight out of Toronto was late arriving and...

________________________________________________ by Brenda Murray 1. Don't expect the new place to be like home Be open to new experiences, new ways of doing things. After all, you have inserted yourself into a new culture. Of course things are going to be different! That's why we travel--to see something new. Ask yourself, what new thing can I learn from the people in this place? Then keep your eyes open and you may be surprised. 2. Learn a few words of the local language "Hello, thank you, please, have a good day"--that and a smile will put you in the good books...

________________________________________________ by Brenda Murray There are so many things to do in the days leading up to international travel: locating your passport, figuring out if you need special vaccinations, or topping up your pans of watercolour paint.  One of the most important things to do before departure is notifying your credit card company about your trip. Here’s why this is important: Credit card companies utilize sophisticated fraud detection systems that monitor account activity for unusual patterns. When you make purchases in a foreign country, these transactions may trigger alerts within the system, leading the credit card company to suspect fraudulent activity....

________________________________________________ by Brenda Murray European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) ETIAS is a new entry requirement for travellers who do not need a visa to enter 30 European countries for a short stay. Visa-free travellers will need to apply for this travel authorisation before starting their trip. When applying for an ETIAS travel authorisation, travellers will need to provide their personal information, including address, passport details, current occupation, information about past travel to conflict zones or criminal convictions. This new requirement is set to become operational in mid-2025. And there's more... Entry/Exit Systems (EES) The Entry/Exit System (EES) is an automated IT...