Victoria The Travel Agent Next Door

11/02/2024

What a feeling, standing on deck watching sails unfurl and hearing them snap as they catch the wind! Then settling down on a deck chair with a good book, or to watch the sunset. Its incredible!

Send me a message if you want to know how you can have an amazing sailing experience on the Star Clipper or one of her sister ships, the Star Flyer or Royal Clipper.

08/02/2024

Beach days with wet landings mean taking a tender/lifeboat to a zodiac, then getting your feet wet on the way in to the beach! And that’s okay because the water is warm. A couple of days ago it was announced that the air was 28 degrees and the water was 30!

07/02/2024

All aboard the Star Clipper! On our day at sea we climbed the mast (17 meters up a rope ladder) for great views from the crows nest, played a game of deck golf, a game of boules (like lawn bowling), watched several pods of dolphins playing around our ship. Sound amazing? It is! Join us next March 1-8 2025 on the Royal Clipper out of Barbados to the Grenadines, St Lucia, and more! I have group space available with special perks of a cabin upgrade and $150 on board credit. Message me if interested …and if I don’t reply right away it’s because the cell network is iffy at sea! Prices start at $2400 CAD per Canadian resident, port fees and taxes included. USD prices available for US residents.

04/02/2024

A cruise of a very different kind! We’re on the SPV (sailing passenger vessel)Star Clipper for seven nights of sun and sails. Follow along to see life on board!

19/01/2024

Heading to Venice for a day trip this spring or summer? Venice has implemented a Venice Access Fee for day trip visitors on 29 specific dates between April and July. Check here for the dates and to pay the fee and get your access QR code. There are exemptions listed including for those staying in local accommodations.

Contributo di Accesso

30/12/2023

My amazing trip to Jordan made it to G Adventures Highlights of 2023 reel!
Don’t blink… that’s a video of my group in front of The Treasury in Jordan in the opening clip. Interested in travelling to Jordan, or anywhere else? Send me a message and let’s chat!

17/10/2023

Back to school - travel agent style! I’m spending the evening learning all about booking my clients’ travel with Exoticca. Reach out to me if you’re interested in learning where I can help you go with Exoticca!

01/10/2023

Avalon ships have an Adventure Host who organizes extra activities for those who want to participate. Our host Zoran has been a lot of fun organizing bicycle tours, power walks,and a corn hole tournament. And if you want to explore on your own you can sign out one of the 12 bikes on board.

29/09/2023

Standing as a reminder of WWII in Arles, Ponts Aux Lions was a railway bridge that was bombed by Allied forces in 1944 in order to disrupt the German supply chain. And in town, the holding cells where Arles residents were held awaiting transport to N**i death camps. Lest we forget.

26/09/2023

Travelling solo? Ask me about Cosmos tours that waive the single supplement!
Email me at vlawson@thetravelagentnextdoor

26/09/2023

A few days exploring Arles, once a provincial capital of Ancient Rome, and the Camargue Region of France. This coastal region is western Europe’s largest delta, where the River Rhone meets the Mediterranean Sea. Camargue sea salt, Camargue Bulls, rice, lavender and Herbs de Provence are all local specialties.

25/09/2023

Lucerne Switzerland is a beautiful place to stay for a few days!

20/09/2023

And then our last full day of the cruise we were back in Germany where we opted for the e-cycling tour in the Black Forest region. Beautiful countryside views with some Black Forest cake and schnapps before being bussed back to the boat.

20/09/2023

Next stop: Strasbourg France for a local highlights and food tour! All these excursions we’ve been doing are included in the price of our cruise. There are some optional ones you can pay for, but we usually stick with the included ones as they are such good excursions!

20/09/2023

Time to catch up on where we’ve been on the second half of our river cruise! Heidelberg where we started off with a beer tour then had a few hours to wander.

16/09/2023

What a gorgeous afternoon on the Rhine Gorge. We sailed past villages, castles, and terraced vineyards from Koblenz to Bingen.

15/09/2023

Koblenz: A cycling tour from Koblenz was one of the included excursions this morning. We had E-assisted bikes to cover about 22-24 kilometres along the Moselle river to a small village, then back through the vineyards.

14/09/2023

Cruise stop:Düsseldorf. Jim and I took one of the several included tours today, Bites and Highlights of Düsseldorf. A guided walking tour with stops for coffee and cake, a local liquor, caramel covered salted liquorice, a bakery treat, then beer and a diy deviled egg at a local brewery…ending just in time to get back to our ship for lunch featuring German specialties 🙈

13/09/2023

All aboard the Avalon Expression river cruise boat. With friends and family and neighbours, and friends of friends and family and neighbours, we’re a group of 27. This morning in Amsterdam we had the choice of a canal boat tour, or a kayaking canal tour, or an early morning trip to the flower market in Amsterdam. Over the next 7 days we’ll make our way by river through Germany and France, to Basel Switzerland.

31/08/2023

It’s been almost two years of planning but my two Avalon river cruise groups this fall are almost upon us…and I’m so excited! First up: we’re going to have a boat-load of fun hiking, bicycling, kayaking along the Rhine, all fuelled by excellent food and wine!
Got a group of 8 or more friends or family who would love a similar experience? Reach out to me and I can help with special group pricing and other perks!

31/08/2023

When in Rome, don’t just see the Trevi Fountain, tour beneath it!

One of Rome's hidden gems has been hiding right under the noses of millions of tourists — at an archaeological site under the Trevi Fountain to be exact.

13/08/2023

Many Canadians flying to the US can now use the US Customs and Border Protection App to submit their customs declaration in advance and gain access to the fast lane for US pre-clearance at major Canadian airports. I downloaded the app at home and took two minutes to fill it in. Then hit submit when I arrived at the airport. I just used it at YYZ Toronto and breezed through US pre-clearance.

Securing America's Borders

12/08/2023

Sometimes it nice to have a quick break to somewhere closer to home! We just enjoyed a few days in Chelsea Quebec, staying at Lofts du Village, a day at Nordik Spa, a hike in Gatineau Park, and so much good food!

24/07/2023

WOW! UPDATE! Available just until Janurary 5th!
Here is your chance to join an amazing itinerary with an incredible group price and $$$ worth of included perks. Two cabins available.
11-night best of Italy and Croatia Celebrity Constellation Cruise, Oct 7-18 2024!
Premium Concierge class balcony cabins. Pricing includes WIFI, classic beverage package, gratuities, taxes and port fees AND $800 USD on board credit, price $3795 CAD per person, double occupancy.
(Same cabin currently listed on Celebrity site for $5721 per person without perks..so you would need to buy drink package, wifi, gratuities in addition)
Message me if interested and for more details, terms and conditions.

30/06/2023

Another reason to choose your luggage carefully and pack lightly! The clickety-clack of luggage wheels can be heard throughout the cobblestone streets of many European towns. I bet this won’t be the only place to implement a ban on rolling luggage.

Those who choose to drag their wheeled bags will face a $380 fine, but tourists who carry their bags won’t be affected

04/06/2023

Bustling, busy, chaotic, eclectic and electric...Egypt’s energy and history is unmatched!

And yes we felt very safe here, even when out for a walk on our own. We were greeted warmly and felt respected every where we went. So many strangers called out “Welcome” or placed their right hand to their heart as we passed by(a sign to warmly greet someone)and young kids waved to us.

What an adventure this has been! If you would like to know more about travelling to Jordan and/or Egypt let me know. I can help you plan your trip of a lifetime!

03/06/2023

Good morning from the Sheraton Hotel Cairo, set overlooking the Nile. We have our private guide/archeologist/Egyptologist, Mostafa for two days of touring museums, mosques, churches, and the souk (market).

02/06/2023

Life along the Nile River. From Luxor to Aswan on a 4 night cruise we saw traditional Egyptian sailboats (feluccas), paddle boarders, commuter boats, tourist shuttle boats, and many river boats. Along the shores we saw cities and farms, large homes and mud shacks, lots of kids swimming, people fishing…but no crocodiles as they are all on the other side of the Aswan Dam…or so we were told!

Contact me if you’re interested in a trip to Egypt and a Nile cruise!