Hit the Road Jack

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At a conference held in New York City this November, Jean –Phillipe Perol, Director Americas – Maison de la France, (The French Government Tourist Office) was optimistic about travel’s future. “After a couple of years of not hearing a lot of English being spoken on Paris’s streets, that’s simply not the case now,” Perol stated in flawless English.     Journalists surrounded France’s information table looking for materials about what to see and do. Even though I live in France, I could have filled my tote bag with nothing but pamphlets from areas where I’ve never traveled. If you’re not contemplating a trip to France, reconsider.  The French hospitality industry is ready for you whether or not you’re in the country on business or for leisure.   My mantra remains the same – combine the two and you’ll never be sorry!     The exhibition day should have been termed (and was) 15-minute speed-dating. Journalists went from table to see what is new (and old) in different regions, countries and newly expanded tourist destinations.  At the 12-minute mark the bell was sounded and everyone moved on to the next appointment. If you were unable to reserve a time slot with a representative of a country (or a vendor), chances were more than good that you could buttonhole him or her during a coffee break (15-minutes long to the tee), lunch or the cocktail party following the day of appointment after appointment. For someone with travel lust, this was sheer nirvana as long as you were wearing your walking shoes. Not everyone wants to go to each and every destination. But it was an ideal chance to see what’s happening in the travel industry that appears to be growing dramatically as the world is getting smaller.       Rail Europe keeps adding products to entice people to take to the rails. There’s even a new 2-day (unlimited travel) France pass for $99.  Take a look at the other combinations and plan your travels so they fit your tastes, budget and make you want to get up and go. Access Venere.com and you won’t have to worry about where to rest your head when you arrive at a specific destination. Do yourself a favor and travel light. There’s nothing worse than having to drag suitcases on and off trains in record time. Station stops tend to be short and there’s rarely a porter when you want one. Remember that at the end of the trip, you may want to burn your travel clothes – but others will not have seen them. Be sure your wardrobe is the wash and drip dry variety. Add a set of silk underwear — unless you’re going to the Tropics. Then you might opt for myriad types of stay-out-of-the-sun and avoid insect bites paraphernalia.     Airlines are constantly singing the economic blues and there’s no question that some will go under or merge with other carriers. However, have you noticed that if you’re able to take advantage of last-minute travel, there are real deals if you move fast and furiously? Here today, gone tomorrow. The airlines dictate the conditions but considering some of the quoted prices, who can resist?      Currently, this is especially true when it comes to airlines servicing Asia. There’s an increasing amount of competition for travelers going to that part of the world.  There’s more and more business to be done here and many companies are setting up headquarters in order to take advantage of less expensive labor costs. These people are the ones who frequently sit in business and/or first class seats having “earned” them through upgrades or paying full freight.     For that matter, when was the last time you took an empty transatlantic flight?   Let us know here: Bonjour Paris Message Boards     Since I’m a pure and simple travel junkie, the next show I would like to attend is one which promotes Asia. And before you know it, I’ll be heading to that part of the world.   It’s been a life-long dream that my husband and I are finally going to fulfill. The trip has been on hold for so very long that we awakened and decided it was now or never!          
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