Lori French Travel Services

09/03/2024

All good things have to come to an end. Luckily, our river cruise ended in Amsterdam so it wasn’t so bad 😂

We explored the city, avoided walking in the bike lane, saw Anne Frank's house, the canals, Dam Square, and the Red Light District. The night wrapped up with a beautiful canal cruise with our new friends, enjoying the city lights. Couldn’t have ended on a better note! 🚤✨

08/31/2024

Travel Agent Pro Tip: Purchase travel insurance (even if you don’t think you’ll need it) and buy an AirTag for your baggage!

My recent itinerary was flying from Cedar Rapids to Basel, Switzerland 🇨🇭

But here’s what my bag did instead:
Cedar Rapids ➡️ Chicago O’Hare ➡️ London Heathrow ➡️ Zurich ➡️ Basel (our original destination) ➡️ Frankfurt ➡️ Amsterdam Schiphol ➡️ Nijmegen, the Netherlands (our second to last stop on the river cruise 🤣)

In total, it took 6 days to get my bag back!

If you’re checking a bag when you travel, you’re always at risk of the airline losing, redirecting, or damaging your luggage and its contents. Without a travel insurance plan, you’d have to cover the cost of your replacement purchases to get you through your trip. It’s a small price to pay for all the benefits!

08/29/2024

River Cruise Update! 🌍

On our first stop, we got to experience something truly unique in Kehl and Strasbourg—standing with one foot in France and the other in Germany! 🇩🇪🇫🇷

In Rüdesheim, Germany, we visited the Trenz Winery, where we were introduced to 350 years of wine tradition 🍇🍷

Then we sailed through the Rhine Gorge, which is a stretch of the Rhine River lined with around 40 castles and fortresses each sitting high on the cliffs, overlooking the river. It felt like we were traveling through a living fairytale! 🏰

Cologne was another highlight, where we visited the Gothic cathedral, built in 1248 AD and survived many WW2 bombings! It’s the world's tallest twin-spired church and an iconic symbol of the city.

Stay tuned for more!

08/27/2024

Lori French Travel Labor Day Hours

08/23/2024

I made it! But my luggage chose a different itinerary.

I’m enjoying my beautiful home for the eight day Rhine River cruise with Riverside on the Debussy. We started in Basel and will sail through charming European riverside towns, ending in Amsterdam. The views are already stunning, and I’m excited for what’s to come.

Here are some pictures from our first days—stay tuned for more updates!

08/21/2024

Today’s adventure starts out departing from London with a short connection in Frankfurt. You can imagine where this is going! I cleared customs and took an airport bus to the other side of the airport. (Quite possibly the other side of Frankfurt!) I raced through the terminal and of course missed the flight. The good news is that I got my exercise in and just cleared the standby list for my last opportunity to get to my destination today! So excited to get this trip started!

08/20/2024

Okay, I promise I'm not trying to keep you all in suspense about my destination! 😅 The airlines had other plans, and now I'm spending the night at a London airport hotel—totally not on my agenda! 😂 I’ll update you when I finally touch down... wherever that may be!

08/20/2024

Ready to board my flight to London! Any ideas where I’m connecting to from London?

08/19/2024

Visited Ciudad De Los Niños, an incredible orphanage that has been a light of hope in the Mazatlán community for over 50 years. This amazing place survives solely on the kindness of others, and at times, they’ve had to go without electricity and air conditioning during the hottest months because they simply couldn't afford it.

As part of the Travel Advisors Give Back program, not only were items collected for the children, but some areas were also painted to brighten up their spaces. Additionally, a donation was made to ensure that electricity is the last thing they have to worry about for the next three months! Thank you ALG Vacations!

We also had the privilege of hearing the inspiring words of Houston Kraft, author of Deep Kindness, who kindly autographed his book for us—a wonderful reminder of the day.

A huge thank you to ALG Vacations, Amstar, and everyone who made this possible. Your generosity is truly making a difference!

08/04/2024

Putting the ☀ in Sunday!

08/01/2024

Thanks for the donations! People have been dropping in and sending Venmo contributions, making me smile! 😊

There's still time to help. Pick up a few extra items for the kids at City of Kids Children's Home or donate via Venmo: -French-30 (with "City of Kids Donation"). You'll be entered to win a $50 travel certificate!

Let's keep filling the suitcase with love! ❤️

07/31/2024

Friendly reminder! If you're out and about, stop by my office and make a small donation or pick up a few extra items for the kids at the City of Kids Children's Home! Let's fill the suitcase with love and support for these children! ❤️

📚 School Supplies
🎲 Toys
👕 Clothing (ages 2-18)

Donations via Venmo also accepted: -French-30 (with subject line "City of Kids Donation").

Your name will be entered into a drawing for a $50 travel certificate!

07/30/2024

🌟A chance to give back and win a $50 Lori French Travel Gift Certificate!!🌟

My hard work has earned me a spot on the Top 50 Wavemaker trip with ALG Vacations, where we will support the City of Kids Children's Home. This organization provides a safe and nurturing environment for children in vulnerable situations. As part of our Wavemaker initiative, we will be donating items and spending quality time with these amazing kids.

By donating (drop off or Venmo: -French-30), your name will be entered into a drawing for a $50 travel certificate. Let's fill up my bags with love and support for these children!

If you'd like to contribute, please consider donating any of the following NEW and UNUSED items for children ages 2 to 18:

📚 School Supplies: Printer paper, colored paper, pencils, crayons, colored pencils, notebooks, whiteboard markers, sharpies, highlighters, scissors, rulers, erasers, backpacks, pencil cases, reusable water bottles

🎲 Toys, Entertainment, or Enrichment Items

👕 Clothing (boys or girls ages 2 - 18): T-shirts, shorts, underwear, socks, sneakers, flip-flops

Please avoid items or books that include topics such as family roles, violence, death, serious medical issues, religion, holidays, divorce, or any provocative language or images.

If you prefer to make a monetary donation instead of giving physical items, you can send your contribution via Venmo with the subject line "City of Kids Donation."

You can drop off your donations at my office by Friday, August 5th. With my American Airlines status, I can bring up to 3 checked bags, so let’s fill them up with love and support for these children! ❤️

Please share with your friends!

Thank you!!

07/29/2024

🌟✨ Just wrapped up an incredible week at the Kindness events! ✨🌟

I had the privilege of connecting with so many amazing individuals on this journey. We enjoyed a beautiful lantern release, engaging workshops, morning wellness sessions, karaoke fun, lively pool parties, and more! Seeing the President of the Dominican Republic and having Hannah Waddingham from Ted Lasso in our presence, added extra magic to our event.

I'm incredibly proud of our group for raising over $20,000 to support a local school and orphanage. Together, we painted, repaired, built, and provided supplies for some truly deserving children.

New friendships were formed, and we shared countless laughs. This event was truly inspiring, filled with fun and valuable workshops that I can’t wait to incorporate into my everyday life.

A huge thank you to Jacki and the entire team for organizing such a thoughtful and comprehensive experience. Your dedication to our industry is truly inspiring. While I look forward to seeing new people experience this, I'm excited to carry forward and grow the culture of kindness from this event!

07/24/2024

On today's agenda: helping out a local school by washing & painting the walls and putting together fans for their classrooms 🥰

07/23/2024

On my way to the ALG Vacations Kindness Connection Conference at Secrets Tides Resort & Spa! Even more exciting, I was honored with a nomination for this event! 🥰

This conference is a unique gathering where industry experts, with 20+ years of experience, will mentor and share invaluable insights with the next generation of travel agents. There will be development events, inspiring keynote speakers, and a chance to give back to the community.

I can’t wait to bring back new ideas and insights to better serve my clients. Stay tuned for updates!

07/22/2024

Who's coming with you?! 🩵

07/17/2024

07/11/2024

Hello from Greece! 🇬🇷

Kos, an island in the southeastern Aegean Sea, is just 2.5 miles from the Turkish coast. It offers ancient ruins and a lively town center, along with authentic experiences in the villages of Zia and Antimachia.

The beaches here are stunning, with crystal-clear waters perfect for swimming, sunbathing, and water sports.

Traveling to Kos is an easy addition to your European trip with direct flights to Kos Island International Airport (KGS) from major European cities and frequent ferries from Athens, Rhodes, and Bodrum, Turkey.

-Abby

07/04/2024

Happy Fourth! 🇺🇸 How will you celebrate today?!

07/03/2024

Planning your getaway? Don't let these must-haves slip your mind! 🏖️

07/01/2024

Your happiness is our success! 🥰

06/28/2024

We're ready when you are!

08/15/2023

This pretty much sums it up!