Holiday Travel of Wakefield, Mass

01/25/2025

The Euro and Dollar are nearly equal right now - meaning Americans can get more bang for their buck while traveling in Europe! As the U.S. dollar continues to rally against foreign currencies, Americans’ vacation budgets are getting a welcome boost. Read more here:

Americans abroad: Go ahead, get all the cheese.

01/23/2025

REMINDER: It's that time of year - win a chance to "Dine Anywhere" in the world, courtesy of Rotary Club of Wakefield! One lucky winner and a guest will win round-trip airfare for two, an overnight in a 4-star hotel, and a gift certificate for dinner to the restaurant of their choosing ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD! Past winners have visited Taiwan, Hawaii, Grand Cayman and Italy. Where will you go?

Buy your tickets for the 2/14 drawing here: https://bit.ly/3tWhzZK

01/22/2025

ENDING SOON: Our favorite adults-only cruise line, Virgin Voyages, is offering 80% off your 2nd Sailor + up to $300 in Free Drinks on most sailings through 2026! This special MUST be booked by 1/31 so get in touch with your favorite member of the Holiday Travel team to start planning now!

01/21/2025

Have you ever wondered?

From what items are OK to organizing your carry-on, here are 12 things TSA agents want you to know that will make your security check go faster.

01/20/2025

JOIN US! On February 18th at the Crystal Community Center in Wakefield, we'll be hosting another amazing night with a Globus Tour Director! Read all about our night - and the Tour Director that will be joining us...and RSVP today!

Email from Holiday Travel Brought to you by your friends at Holiday Travel and the Globus Family of Brands   In partnership with the Globus Family of Brands (Globus, Cosmos, Avalon Waterways) you are

01/17/2025

Happy Friday from Scotland! Eilean Donan castle is one of the most beautiful castles in the world. Located on an island at the meeting of three lochs, it's surrounded by majestic Highland scenery.

The history of the island and the castle is rich - once a fortress against Viking marauders, the castle became a stronghold for Clans Mackensie and MacRae before its destruction during the Jacobite Risings of the 1700s. It would lie in ruins for two centuries until Lieutenant-Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap purchased the island in 1911. He lovingly restored the structure to its medieval glory.

Come along and visit on CIE Tours Scottish Clans & Castles and Scottish Isles & Glens tours!

01/16/2025

SAVE THE DATE! Once again, Holiday Travel and our partners from the Globus Family of Brands, will be hosting an evening with a Globus Tour Director on Tuesday, February 18th! This event is ALWAYS a major draw for our clients and sells out, so stay tuned for the official invite, which will be sent via email coming soon!

Don't receive our emails, sign up here: https://bit.ly/2GMUxLP

01/15/2025

It’s that time of year - win a chance to "Dine Anywhere" in the world, courtesy of Rotary Club of Wakefield! One lucky winner and a guest will win round-trip airfare for two, an overnight in a 4-star hotel, and a gift certificate for dinner to the restaurant of their choosing ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD! Proceeds will benefit the local and international service projects of the Rotary Club of Wakefield, MA! Only 500 tickets will be sold! Half of the proceeds will benefit the Wakefield Food Pantry and Wakefield Alliance Agianst Violence.

Past winners have visited Taiwan, Hawaii, Grand Cayman and Italy. Where will you go? Buy your tickets for the 2/14 drawing here: https://bit.ly/3tWhzZK

01/14/2025

SO MUCH INFORMATION! Check out our January edition of The Holiday Traveler - featuring a "save the date" to a night with a Globus Tour Director, a chance to win dinner anywhere in the world (including air and hotel), and tons of group trips and special offers for 2025!

SEE IT HERE: https://conta.cc/4juLHAH

01/12/2025

Wrapping up Suzanne's quick and exciting trip to northern California to ring in the New Year...

"Over 2 million visitors each year come to see the Lombard Street - called Crookedest Street in the World. The eight hairpin turns on the one-way block make for a an exciting drive down the 27% grade. The switchbacks were installed in 1922 to make a too steep roadway easier to navigate by automobiles. Many TV and film productions have filmed on it including Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 movie Vertigo.

San Francisco’s City Hall was built in 1912 after the earthquake of 1906. The city held a design contest and Arthur Brown Jr. submitted the winning proposal. Because he had studied in Paris, the design was heavily influenced by the French Renaissance. Today, this historic city landmark is considered an architectural masterpiece.

Ice cream for lunch? Absolutely, especially when you are visiting Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco! We then wrapped up our culinary adventure with a 12 entree chefs choice dinner at the famous Fangs Restaurant - this has been a unique culinary day for sure.

There are hundreds of the Weymo driverless cars roaming the streets of San Francisco. We took one to dinner tonight. It was a surreal experience. You download the app and order your ride the same way as you would for Uber. When the car pulls up, you use your phone to activate the door handles to open the door. If you don’t buckle your seatbelt, it will pull over until you do. The screen shows the path the vehicle is driving, along with icons for pedestrians, bicycles and other vehicles. It uses the turning signal for each lane change or actual turn. The cost was the same as an Uber, but you don’t tip. Each Waymo car holds four passengers. Three in the backseat and one in the front passenger seat. No one can sit in the drivers seat. All of the cars we have seen are Jaguars, I am not sure if there is any other make operating as driverless."

01/10/2025

"Did you know that the Golden Gate Bridge was almost painted black and yellow? The US Navy recommended a black and yellow striped design, which would increase visibility for ships and airplanes operating in the constant foggy weather. The architect chose the International Orange color.

Sitting just 200 feet above the water, and costing $35 million, the bridge officially opened on May 27, 1937.
The bridge has only been fully repainted once. This 27 year project to remove the original lead based paint started in 1968."

Next up from Suzanne's journey through San Francisco - chocolate, a crooked street, driverless cars, and more!

01/09/2025

Did you know Sonoma makes wine? 😁 Here are Suzanne's thoughts...

"Sonoma and Napa are synonymous with vineyards and wineries. We enjoyed a day trip out of San Francisco to visit three different local wineries. One of the most interesting facts that I learned is that most of the grapes are handpicked at night. This cuts down on the bruising made by a machine."

Next up: a few days in beautiful San Francisco!

01/08/2025

From Suzanne's recent journey across northern California to ring in 2025:

"Our first full day in California was spent at Yosemite National Park. Even though 75% of the time was raining, we had a blast. The benefit of having a private tour, is that we could adjust the timing at each stop. A couple of views were fogged in, so we skipped them, and spent more time where the weather was clear."

Next up: Wine Country!

01/05/2025

Suzanne and friends recently enjoyed time in California to ring in 2025! Stay tuned to our page this week as we relive her journey through images...here are a few to get you started from Yosemite, Sonoma, and San Francisco!

01/04/2025

Heads up, U.S. travelers! In 2025, two new entry requirements will take effect for anyone planning a trip to the United Kingdom or the European Union.

First, beginning next week, January 8, the UK will require an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) for visitors and those transiting through England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland. This online application must be completed before arrival and costs about $13. For details and to apply once it’s live, visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta.

Meanwhile, the EU is rolling out its European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) “sometime in 2025,” though no official start date has been announced yet. This new requirement will apply to trips into the participating EU countries—such as Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and more—and will cost around $8. Like the UK’s ETA, you’ll need to obtain ETIAS online before you go. Keep an eye on updates and, eventually, apply here: https://etias.com/etias-requirements/etias-for-american-citizens.

If you’re heading to Europe in 2025 and beyond, be sure to plan ahead - and share this post with your fellow travelers. Safe journeys in 2025, everyone!

01/01/2025

From the entire Holiday Travel team to yours...here's to many great adventures in 2025!

12/31/2024

REMINDER - NEW TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT! As if Suzanne didn't have enough on her plate for 2025 already, join her - and your fellow Holiday Travelers - along Italy's Amalfi Coast! This has JUST become available - and already over a dozen spots have been sold. Grab yours now - click below the for the full details and pricing!

https://www.holidaytravelwakefield.com/2025-amalfi