Travel trick or treat time!

First...the Halloween candy no one wants:

Trick #1: ETIAS delayed (again)

One big trick to be played on travel advisors and the traveling public is the recent news that ETIAS, the long-awaited European entry authorization protocol for visa-exempt travelers, has been postponed yet again. I wrote an entire newsletter about ETIAS because I had been asked about it so often. It’s really a fairly simple program—a short online application and a small fee (just as Europeans do when they travel to the US), with the authorization being good for several years. But ETIAS has been delayed each time it approaches implementation. Well, it now appears that you can rest easy until at least 2025! I know this might seem like a treat, but uncertainty and delay are not the best travel companions.

Trick #2: Airfares

Next up on my tricks list is ghoulish airfares. The days of pandemic-induced bargains are long gone. Carriers tightened capacity while they reduced staff during that time, but even now that the staff have more or less all been recalled (with additional hiring needed in some cases), they have still been flying fewer, and thus fuller, planes. Prices have been rising for peak season travel to popular destinations. Planning ahead can sometimes help, but trying to predict whether airfare will inch down or head for the stratosphere is a fool’s errand. If a travel advisor tells you that a fare seems reasonable in the current climate, believe it. Have realistic expectations and just remember that the cost of getting there shouldn’t stop you from having a fantastic time. One definite advantage of planning ahead: you're less likely to be stuck in the dreaded middle seat. In addition, airlines are finding that more and more passengers are attracted to the premium economy experience and willing to pay for it--so those fares are now showing a wider divergence over main cabin fares. I've even seen a couple of flights where the PE fare was higher than business, which makes ZERO sense at all!

Trick #3: Tourism tax hikes

Tourism or local "stay" taxes are a fact of life, and eve your own home city may charge one. You've seen these before, all over the world: local taxes and fees, other than standard sales tax, added to your rental car or hotel bill. These fees are important in helping your favorite destinations maintain the infrastructure that visitors also use. Iceland is set to start charging shortly and wants to use the revenue to protect the natural environment to which its visitors flock. Austin, TX, earmarks part of its tourist tax monies for a new music fund. Several major cities in Europe, including Barcelona and Paris, are tweaking these rates now that travel has fully rebounded. Amsterdam already had one of the highest local "stay taxes" I've ever seen, and it's set to increase by a good chunk in 2024, unfortunately. As a courtesy, Mon Voyage will be absorbing this extra cost for participants in the March 2024 Alluring Amsterdam trip rather than adding it to the final package price. For more information on this trip, click here.

How about the treats?

Treat #1: Airlines expand international service

At the same time I feel the need to complain about airfares, I am rejoicing at the announcements of new 2024 flights and routes by several airlines. Notable additions by American include DFW to Barcelona; Philadelphia to Nice, Naples, and Copenhagen; Chicago to Venice; and it will also increase its Caribbean winter schedule and expand season service from several North American gateways to various European cities. Delta will add JFK-Naples, Atlanta to Zurich, and LAX to Auckland NZ and Shanghai, while also enhancing its international schedule with increased flight frequency from several US hubs. These are just a few recent highlights. I don't know about you, but I am just about allergic to changing planes more than once, so I love seeing additional long-haul service.

Treat #2: Faster passport processing times

Another piece of fantastic news is that passport processing times have become shorter! Now, the expected processing time (not including shipping time) is 8 to 11 weeks. In a hurry? Expedited service (+$60) is running 5 to 7 weeks. I know, if you're crazy like me, sometimes you don't have six weeks between trips, so you really need to stay on top of both processing times and expiration. If your passport expires in less than a year, this is a good time to send it in. Do note, of course, that this improvement may be simply a seasonal lull, since fewer people travel from October to March than from April to September, so sometime after the New Year, we may see processing times tick up again. And keep your eye on Congress, because its actions in November may also affect the State Department's passport operations.

Treat #3: Tourism industry staffing is better

Several professions--from dental hygienists to tour guides to travel advisors--saw a sharp drop in employment opportunities in 2020 due to the pandemic, and as a result, many changed careers. It has taken several years for staffing to reach the levels needed to support the large numbers of "revenge travelers" who want to explore the world they were missing, and we're almost there. I am no longer seeing the drastic shortages of drivers and guides that plagued my industry in 2021 and 2022, but it's still hard to nail down last-minute bookings for many elements of a customized trip. Hotel staffing is more or less where it should be. So compared to the recent past, my local partners are in a much better position to satisfy client requests. (When you call your dentist's office to schedule a cleaning, though, don't be surprised if you have to wait a couple of months before you're actually in the chair!)

Treat #4: Major 2024 and 2025 trips ready for booking

After a lot of research and even more tweaks, Of Myths & Moussaka, the fab fortnight in Greece, is ready for action. We will spend the first two weeks of September 2024 in this mythical destination, giving participants plenty of time to soak in the local atmosphere. From monumental ancient structures to cozy sea views and tavernas, from light hiking to gastronomic pursuits, and from a volcanic caldera to the turquoise waters of the Aegean, this trip will be a relaxing but stimulating exploration of selected regions of Greece. We will start with four nights on Santorini, followed by six nights on Crete (divided into two locations since the island is quite large), and complete this varied itinerary with four nights in Athens. For further information, click here. Please note that pricing is estimated as I am still waiting for confirmations from my local partner on our final hotel requests.

For a completely different experience, join me for the Gems of Southeast Europe in July 2025. In contrast to the Greece trip, where beaches, ancient history, and mythology come together in one of the most heavily traveled destinations in the world, this trip will introduce you to some of the least visited areas of Europe. During the second half of the twentieth century, when international travel became a wider pursuit, this region was largely behind the Iron Curtain and unavailable to the average tourist. The beautiful AmaMagna will bring us face to face with remnants of civilizations spanning thousands of years and multiple empires, all the way to that recent and sometimes dark history, the era of Soviet domination of the countries lining the banks of the Lower Danube. The local people you will meet on this trip remember this period very well, and those experiences still inform their lives today. (And while we're talking about Halloween, how about a few days in Transylvania?) In addition to the AmaWaterways pre- and post-cruise offerings, I will be adding a Hungarian wine tour option for the days following the cruise. For a quick five minute preview, click here.

Currently every cabin category is available, but 2023 and 2024 are the busiest years ever in river cruising, and 2025 is expected to be the same. I already know of 2024 sailings that are completely sold out, but, fortunately, booking is open now for this 2025 trip. To read over the itinerary, click here. (You may recall my little homage to the AmaMagna from a recent newsletter.) Note that our July 22, 2025 sailing date is hidden from public view. Please contact me for pricing details and to take advantage of a 10% early booking reward, which is available through the end of 2023. AND if you request your cabin before November 15th, I can also obtain a 5% discount coupon for you when I sail with Ama a few weeks from now!

The last candy in the bowl, but it's a good one:

This trip can accommodate a maximum of thirteen guests--literally--that's all I can seat in the minibus. Twelve of those seats have already been sold. Who will be the last lucky client for our City Break at The Crossroads of the World...The Pearl of the Bosphorus...truly a city like no other? Going, going, gone! Click here for more.

•••

As you read this, I am on my way to France and then to Central Europe, escorting two Mon Voyage groups almost back to back. 

Since the late June 2024 getaway to Québec City is a short one, I had to prioritize the considerably more complex trip to Greece over the last month. But stay tuned, Quebec City is still in the works, with its lovely Old World charms (and its hills and stairs and cobblestones!). I hope to have this package available for booking by the end of the year.

Lastly, if you are thinking of private travel for 2024, please reach out soon to get on my schedule for next year and beyond. 

À la prochaine,