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Travel Tips

Covid Test Option with 24 Hour Turnaround

By | Travel Tips, Uncategorized | No Comments

Looking for a solution for getting your Covid test quickly?

With international travel returning and the demand very high, more and more people are needing a Covid test which can come back quickly and reliably. Some international destinations are requiring proof of a negative Covid test in as short as 48 hours. So where do you turn?

If you are in the Indianapolis, IN or Arlington, VA area then there is an option to go to for fast results. If you are not located nearby then they have a remote option that can still offer 24 hours turnaround time!

GenePace is offering EZTravelPad clients a discount on their services – see below for details direct from GenePace

GenePace conducts COVID-19 travel testing resulting RT-PCR tests within 24 hours. If you are in the Indianapolis (IN) or Arlington (VA) area and book through one of our four locations, you will receive a 10% discounted rate when using the “EZTravel” promo code when prompted.  If you are needing our At-Home testing option, please email gilliancoffey@genepace.com to get scheduled and mention “EZTravel.”  With our At-Home test, we will utilize FedEx Express Priority Overnight for shipping to ensure quick turnaround time.  GenePace wants to make sure your travel is as easy as possible when it comes to current testing regulations. Should you need a phone number it is (463)999-0558. We look forward to serving your testing needs!

Bear in mind that GenePace is not affiliated or associated with EZTravelPad, but they seem to be reliable and know what they are doing so we, at EZTravelPad, feel comfortable passing along their offer as an option to service your needs.

Additionally, there is no requirement that your travel be booked through EZTravelPad in order to take advantage of the discount, but we sure would love the opportunity to help with your next big vacation!

This is just another benefit from “Your friends….in the travel business” at EZTravelPad

Breeze through Immigrations next Vacation

By | Blog, Mexico, Travel Tips | No Comments

Don’t Miss Your Place in Line – Get to Immigrations quickly on your next trip

I see it just about every time I arrive in a foreign airport….people completing their immigrations forms that were incompletely filled out when they could have easily done so while on the plane – so to the back of the line they go!

What did they do wrong? Most of the time they simply failed to complete the bottom portion of the form – the part that gets detached by the immigrations officer and given back to them to hold onto until they depart the country

Here’s what the form looks like-

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Notice that there are 2 sections highlighted with the yellow border?

Many people make the mistake of completing the top portion, but not the bottom portion and they have to stop to complete before moving on to the immigrations line – dang paperwork!

So while you are on the flight, after the flight attendant has handed you the immigrations form to complete….read the instructions carefully and complete it entirely as instructed – each country’s is a little different, but this example from Mexico is pretty consistent – if you have questions ask your flight attendant or ask your seat neighbor and speed through the line quicker!

Oh – and don’t forget your EZTravelPad pen – you’ll need it because loaners are scarce!!

Just one more piece of advice from “Your friends….in the travel business” at EZTravelPad

Zika Virus and Alaska….an inevitable link?

By | Alaska Cruise, Caribbean, Romance, Travel Tips | No Comments

What?     Zika Virus in Alaska?

Wildlife Rehabilitation Center - Alaska

Wildlife Rehabilitation Center – Alaska

 

Well…..not yet, and entirely improbable because the variety of mosquito that carries the Zika Virus lives in the tropics, so until Alaska becomes a tropical climate (after we are all long gone and forgotten) then I don’t think that will happen.

So why the provocative headline?

Simple…because if and when Zika is confirmed to have been transmitted in the state of Florida (and when could be very soon) then the map of the world where Zika has been confirmed to have been transmitted will also include Alaska because Alaska and Florida are both in the United States – follow the logic?

So where is safe to go? Where isn’t it safe to go?

As of the latest update from Sandals resorts (the Caribbean’s leader in adults-only all-inclusive resort vacations) there have been a total of only 4 reported cases of confirmed Zika transmission within the 8 islands in which Sandals operates (3 in Barbados and 1 in Jamaica – so that means 0 cases throughout the islands of the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, Antigua, St Lucia and Grenada)

The Mexico Tourism Board reports 56 of the 65 reported cases to be in the most remote states and 0 reported cases in the very popular tourist areas of either Cancun / Riviera Maya or Los Cabos. Those areas appear to be “guilty by association”. Bear in mind that the resort areas are going above and beyond in controlling mosquito populations as well. See this link for more and see an excerpt below-

“Negrete noted that the Zika maps that have been released by the CDC simply show entire countries where there have been reported Zika cases, rather than pinpointing where Zika has been found within those countries.”

So what is the conclusion? We don’t know…it is too early to know conclusively whether or not there is a definitive link between Zika Virus and Microcephaly (the disease that can cause babies to be born with abnormally small heads and other conditions), and if there is proven to be a link then knowing definitively where it’s safe (and not safe) to live & play can still be a moving target.

So what can you do to be safe? Make your own decisions – read – ask  – think. If you decide that it’s likely safe for you to vacation at an all-inclusive resort that is taking extraordinary precautions to ensure your safety then you’ll most likely be fine….and if you decide that you don’t want to take that risk because you are thinking of becoming pregnant then EZTravelPad can also help you with a cruise in Alaska where you should be perfectly safe (as long as you’re not eaten by a bear)

Here’s a link to MUCH more info from the World Health Organization

For complimentary help with vacation planning and a best price guarantee contact “Your friends….in the travel business” at EZTravelPad

Awesome Breakfast Spot in Cancun’s Hotel Zone

By | Blog, Dining, Mexico, Travel Tips | No Comments

Breakfast at the Dolphin Aquarium in Cancun

 

awesome breakfast 1

 

It’s tough to beat a leisurely breakfast at a great restaurant – or a good restaurant in a great location. I’m not sure I have been anywhere quite this good before. Imagine sipping your morning coffee on a bright, warm but comfortable morning in paradise –

now imagine that you are spending your morning breakfast just a few meters away from the dolphin experience at Cancun’s Interactive Aquarium

 

See the video to get a look

 

The Juga de Limon is located at the La Isla Shopping Center along the “7” in the hotel zone of Cancun, Mexico. It’s hard to believe that a good breakfast (full breakfast) in such a great location is available for only $10.50..try it – you will not be disappointed.

When you are ready for more tips and insights into making your vacation the best that it can be, check with EZTravelpad – we are here to help (oh, and there’s also that best price guarantee thingy…)

Tips on Finding Your Ride at Cancun’s Airport

By | Mexico, Travel Tips | No Comments

Finding Your Ride at Cancun Airport

 

One of the big challenges of negotiating the airport in Cancun is successfully avoiding the time-share people…. they are numerous and aggressive

Trust me, you WILL want to avoid any contact or you could find yourself in a presentation for hours!!

I give every EZTravelPad client a suggestion on how best to avoid the time-share people who are located in the airport just past the customs area, but here’s a quick video to illustrate the best way to get past the gauntlet.

Remember – just keep walking!!

For expert advice and best deals around it’s EZTravelPad and Funjet – see some of the latest Funjet deals at this link

 

 

Why Consumers DO NOT Use Travel Agents – Please Allow Me To Retort

By | Blog, Travel Tips | No Comments

Study on Why Some Consumers Use Travel Agents – And Why Some Do Not

Disclosure – (This is a re-post of a blog post I did in 2011 but the facts are still as relevant today as they were then)

This was in my inbox this morning – the results of an extensive study into why some consumers use travel agents and why some do not.

It’s funny! It’s sad. It’s real perceptions, correct or not.

Some of it rings true, and some of it just doesn’t – see my views on the reality of the perceptions below each and let me know what YOU think because I would love to know…

  • They don’t trust travel agents and think of us as used car sellers or real estate agents; we don’t work in their best interests.

Is that to say that all real estate professionals and all used car sellers think only of their wallet?

I disagree – and in fact I have been trying to think of a profession that does not include some “bad seeds” and cannot think of any. Do you think that there are not dentists who will sell you a crown you don’t need, or furnace repair people who won’t sell you a furnace when what you need is your filter cleaned- even clergy who don’t truly believe or abuse their position? Every profession includes individuals who will not have your best interests in mind- the trick is to seek out those individuals in whatever profession you are in need of help from, ask for references and trust your instincts. Do an internet search about them and see what it returns – look at their facebook page for comments- positive or negative.

Many travel professionals will go to great lengths to serve and think only of YOUR best interests.

 

  • They don’t see the value of using a travel agent since everything they could possibly want is available online.

Sure- all the information is on the internet. To that point I just did a quick Google search for “best Sandals resort” and got 11,400,000 results. Even something narrow like “things to do while in Grand Cayman” brought 536,000 results so I hope you have some time on your hands because some critical information that you seek might just be on page 637 of those search results…

Think Tripadvisor is a great resource? Think those an unbiased reviews? Sure, some are – others are written by the hotel manager’s wife or the competitor next door. Reading those reviews is almost like reading a Dickens novel-

Review #1 “It was the best of beds”

Review #2 “It was the worst of beds”

Review #3 “The food was superb”

Review #4 “I was eaten alive by bedbugs”

Seriously- who can trust anything there? Your travel pro can source accurate, independent and professional hotel reviews plus network with peers to find out the real story….

You need a friend in the travel business that you can turn to for advice. Most travel professionals put their reputation on the line with each client that they help- and they work for YOU independently. They can let you know if YOUR best fit may be at the resort down the beach, or on the cruise ship that you may never have even considered. Travel pros dedicate their lives to building a loyal following and do it by building trust one trip and one client at a time which earns not only repeat business but more importantly- Referrals.

 

  • They don’t perceive travel agents as professionals; titles, designations, and certifications mean nothing to them.

Designations and certifications on their own are meaningless, except that they do signify that training has been completed and honors have been earned in sacrifice of time and energy. I do not spend time to earn certifications, I spend time to better understand all the nuances of each product – the certification or designation is simply the acknowledgment  of time spent in training. From that perspective they do mean something- they mean dedication.

 

  • They think it’s more expensive to use a travel agent and they think they can find a better deal themselves on the internet.  They see commissions as a form of kickbacks which cloud our judgment and don’t understand how we are compensated.  They hate being upsold, cross-sold, and being presented with solutions that are over the budget they stated.

Sometimes it is more expensive to use a travel agent – other times it is not. Many agents do not charge fees over and above the list price (EZTravelpad does not). Besides, if your price to book the Holiday Inn is the same price as your travel agent’s price to book the same Holiday Inn, what difference does it make whether someone earned commission?

Commissions are not “kickbacks” – they are the cost of doing business.

If a hotel or resort or cruise line must service the reservation themselves they must hire staff, pay insurance, perhaps provide work space – they must pay taxes, legal fees, administration, communications infrastructure, provide equipment, supplies and more- and these expenses are largely “fixed” overhead. If they can outsource many of those functions to independent businesses (travel agents) they can offer more competitive pricing. Additionally, what are Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline & DirtCheapResorts.com? They are travel agencies plain and simple.

As for being upsold- I did a search yesterday in the course of quoting a Honeymoon for a couple to Florida. The online provider offered Loews Don Cesar in St Pete – a great resort, but there was no option to upgrade to an oceanview and I have personally stood in the room category they quoted and know that if it were MY Honeymoon I would not appreciate the view of the parking lot. Sometimes being made aware of premium options is a valuable service!

 

  • Even if they wanted to use an agent, they don’t know where to find one since agencies have all gone out of business (or gone home based).  Those agencies that do still exist have agents with no enthusiasm, they’re overly negative, fat, old, pushy, semi-retired smokers who work in dusty offices with faded posters and may still live at home with their mothers.

That is SO funny! That is ME!! I just can’t seem to get my hands on any of those faded posters though- Dang it!

Ok, seriously – that is not the portrait of me (although I could stand to lose a few pounds)…

But- One thing in life that is certain – change. Some agents have become burned out and moved on- victims of changing times. Other agents stubbornly hang on wishing for “the good old days” that will never return.

Yet, there are MANY great agencies that do fantastic work and their clients LOVE them. Many agents reinvented themselves because technology and communications liberated them to be able to do business outside of their traditional office from 9-5 M-F. Now you are likely to be able to reach your travel professional be phone, email, text, Facebook, Skype, etc. late into the night, very early in the morning, on holidays or even while THEY are on vacation (which is probably more of a working holiday as they experience new destinations so they can better provide opinion and experience for their clients).

There are many well established agencies that are totally client focused, and many new agencies that have opened within the past several years. New agencies mean new and fresh ideas and energy. I may be old and fat and smoke and live with my Mom (or not), but I have an energy and a zeal that many seasoned agents no longer possess. I love the opportunities to see and experience new things in my life, and I am constantly excited to help others experience some of those things as well –

THAT is why I am in this business.

Where do you find an agent? Look on your Facebook page – do a Google search for agents that specialize in the type of trip or destination that you desire, use the search field on the website of the resort or cruise line or tour operator you are considering – in short, use the internet! Or- ask a friend…

 

  • They might use an agent if the agent could give them “special” knowledge or deals that they could not do themselves or find on the internet.  Those that do use an agent recognized that there can be a value to expertise and they may save time and money.

If your selected travel professional is not giving you “special” knowledge then find one that does!

Deals are great- but sometime the best “deal” is free advice or an insider’s tip or a word dropped to management to take special care of my special client. Can your travel agent find you a good deal? Sure- but they can offer a great deal more than that! If not, contact EZTravelpad and see for yourself.