Kellyn Heller Travels

16/07/2024

I think Venice needs to be a destination for several days, not just a cruise stop.

The city of Venice will plan to renew and even raise its day trip fee next year after successfully implementing it for the first time this summer.

03/07/2024

Well this is good news!

Passengers on carriers including Aer Lingus can now use PreCheck—just in time for a record-breaking summer of travel.

21/06/2024

We just completed our first Rick Steve’s Tour (Best of Sicily 11 Days) and wanted to share my thoughts.

It was great! Very smooth, very organized and the guide was wonderful. We did a lot in the 11 days, but each day had free time as well. Some of the activities and locations were ones tourists wouldn’t even know about or have the opportunity to experience on their own. The size of the group is kept small (by tour standards) and we all enjoyed each other and watched out for each other. We are already waitlisted for another itinerary.

11/04/2024

How To Avoid Gaining Weight On A Cruise:

I'm currently on a 2 week transatlantic cruise to England and doing my best to arrive no heavier than when I left. When I was a travel agent, I had a land client tell me she and her husband couldn't do a cruise, I thought maybe due to seasickness or fear of being on the ocean, but no, it was due to her fear of gaining ten pounds!

So here are my best tips that I employ (and if a gain of 1-2 pounds occurs for any of us, it should drop between 1-3 days of returning home)

1. Take the stairs, limit the use of the elevator. We've been on this ship one week, and I've been on the elevator 4 times.
2. Walk briskly everyday, either laps on the walking deck or just walking the entertainment decks several times a day.
3. When in port, walk as much as possible whenever/wherever feasible.
4. Avoid the buffet as much as possible. I prefer eating in the main dining room for breakfast and lunch as the food is better and portions controlled. If you do the buffet, limit the carbs, start on fresh vegetables/salad and if still hungry find an entre and a couple of sides.
5. Lunch/Dinner skip the bread basket.
6. Dinner Don't eat 4-5 courses every night.
7. Skip desserts most nights, if there are some absolute favorites, indulge, but maybe share? If the first bite isn't wonderfully delicious, set it aside.
8. Eat slowly and consciously, putting fork down between bites.
9. Don't snack throughout the day, if late dining, choose carefully something mid afternoon.
10. Don't eat anything after dinner is over. Fortunately the good old days of Midnight Buffet are mostly over!
11. Drink lots of water, one, it's good for you, and two, lots of times what you believe to be hunger cues are actually thirst cues.
12. Adult Beverages Stick with lower calorie options, I prefer Prosecco and a Vodka Cranberry for a cocktail. While I adore Pina Coladas, Mudslides, Daquiris, Margaritas, they pack on 400-500 calories each!
13. Last But Not Least - Don't wear "expandomatic" clothes every day, bring a pair of truth tellers - that will let you know by how tight/loose it is!

If you have any additional tips, please add in the comments!

24/03/2024

As a part 2 to yesterday’s tips on light packing, here is a gentleman’s basic list for a longer international trip, using a carry on and is based on a warm weather itinerary.

Men’s packing list

1 pair of lightweight pants
5 short sleeve shirts/t-shirts
2-3 pairs of shorts
5-7 underwear
3 pairs of socks
2-3 pairs of shorts
1 swim trunks
1 lightweight long sleeve shirt
1 water resistant jacket with hood
1 set sleepware

Shoes

I pair walking/running
1 pair of sandals

Here are additional items that should be carried by all:

Hat
Sunglasses
Small pack of tissues (necessary for restrooms in many countries)
Small washcloth
Hand sanitizer
Cinch sack or tote bag

22/03/2024

How to pack lightly for a long warm weather trip

Heading overseas? Going to multiple places plus using transportation such as trains, metro, buses and flights? Staying in quaint hotels, B&Bs, airbnb style accommodations? These are all reasons you need to pack lightly. You may get bored with your outfits but you will have so much less stress by doing so.

Bring either a carry on suitcase or a travel backpack, preferably one with wheels.

First, pick 3 colors as your base - for example my upcoming year long trip will be black, white, blue. My pants/shorts/skirt/dress/capris will be these colors. For the tops, whether short sleeve, no sleeve, long sleeve, each piece needs to work with 2 preferably all 3 base colors.

One thing I do is to bring clothes I don’t care about, and I buy second hand ahead of packing, or new if very cheap, so I can leave behind with zero guilt. I do let the owner or housekeeper know that I am leaving behind for them to use or donate. That way, I can buy new pieces, pack lighter for next destination or bring home souvenirs.

Not only do lodging options often offer a washing machine, we have found it is incredibly reasonable in most countries to drop off dirty laundry to be done, folded and ready to be picked up within hours or the next day. It is also not common to find dryers, so you will be using drying racks or clotheslines.

For this reason, make sure the clothes you bring are lightweight, quick drying, non wrinkling, with no special care instructions.

While I am very thrifty on clothing, I do not skimp when it comes to the comfort of my feet. We walk 5-12 miles a day when traveling and I don’t care if my footwear looks stylish, (and actually beautiful shoes are not typically practical for most countries) I don’t want foot issues, broken ankle or blisters. I laugh when I see women posing for “insta” shots in places like the Pyramids, or old cobbled streets, in high heels and then hobble away.

Shoes: One pair of water type sandals that can work for walking or in the water, I love Tevas (just recently switched to Verra series due to it being lighter than Tirras)

One pair of walkable attractive sandals - I really like Taos, specifically the Trophy series, cute enough to work with dresses, sturdy enough and comfortable enough for miles of walking, and can endure walking through puddles without ruining. I get about 2 years of hard, frequent use out of each pair.

One pair of walking/running shoes (closed toes) I’ve liked Allbirds but for this upcoming trip, I’ll be trying Brooks Ghost 15s.

5-7 pairs of quick drying un**es
2-3 bras 1 dark, 1 light
1-2 swimsuits - I bring 2 coverups, one of mine I can use as a nightgown
1 long sleeve cotton button up shirt for layering and for cold flights
3-4 pair socks (tuck into walking shoes)
1 sarong/shawl/scarf for dressing up outfit or covering shoulders for temples/cathedrals, I also bring a quick pull on knee length skirt for those type excursions.

1 lightweight, wrinkle free dress
1 skirt and maybe 1 skort
1 pair cotton pants
4-5 pair shorts/capris
5-7 short sleeve shirts
3-5 sleeveless tank tops

How to pack: First I sort everything I am considering, into different categories onto the bed, and then start editing. After narrowing it down to the essentials, I roll tightly and place into packing cubes. I have used packing cubes for years, love the ones from Ebags, and have recently purchased compression packing cubes from Amazon and love how they slim down the height of each cube.

I wear the heaviest footwear onto the plane, and bring my long sleeve shirt so it’s quickly available for flight.

I take the bare minimum for makeup/personal care and replace as needed. I don’t bring much jewelry, just a few sets of cute earrings, one silver chain, 3-4 pendants, all that work with the base colors.

17/12/2023

We are just loving exploring Prague for a month, it’s a lovely city, safe and so much to see and do, but I wanted to let everyone know what to watch out for, and be aware of, as tourists.

1. If here during Christmas Market season, be aware of your items as pickpockets are very common. Another scam is for someone to have a map, look confused and ask for directions. Keep away from them, the map is to add credibility (though who carries maps anymore?) but also hides what they steal.

2. The tram system is great, BUT certain tourist routes, like to the Castle have lots of transit “police” that look for tourists to fine ($$$) for not having their tickets properly validated. So if you get a one day or 3 day pass, enter a car from the middle and immediately get to the little yellow or white machine to validate the start time of your ticket. If someone is standing in front of it, ask them to move. Do not enter at the front as you could be questioned (and fined) before getting to the machine, and there are no excuses accepted.

3. Another way they can fine on the tram, (if you did properly validate) is to ask to see your passport. I will only carry our passports on the days we hop on these tourist routes. We are staying in a working class neighborhood, so it hasn’t been an issue yet.

25/09/2023

The summer travel season is officially wrapped, and now it’s time to start thinking about booking holiday trips, especially if you’re planning to fly around Thanksgiving.

28/08/2023

Google Maps is a great tool to get to know an unfamiliar destination. Here are some of the best features to keep in mind.

21/10/2022

Ladies, one of the things I was most concerned about for packing for Egypt and Jordan was what to wear.

Disregard most of the bloggers’ advice as to what to wear. Half say wear whatever you want (modesty be damned) and the other half say cover everything up including your hair.

Egyptians do not expect us to dress like they do, but they do appreciate us showing respect for their customs.

Here’s what I suggest:

For the Cairo region: Don’t wear clothing that shows cleavage, low cut or really accentuates your chest, wear sleeves with a length that cover your shoulders, or to your elbows. If you’re wearing a sundress or spaghetti straps pair with a short sleeve button up shirt, (not buttoned) or have pashmina or shawl. Wear tops or layers that cover your behind if you’re wearing anything tight on your lower half. For the lower half, wear a length that hits your knees or below, whether that’s dresses, shorts, capris or skirts.

For the more conservative areas, including the Nile and Jordan, I will have a scarf, and probably wear cotton loose pants or longer skirt. On the cruise itself, it will be more relaxed and I expect to see shorts and sleeveless tops on the outdoor decks.

21/10/2022

We have landed in Cairo Egypt for a combo land and Nile River cruise with AmaWaterways “Secrets of the Nile” and I will be sharing the trip and tips.

First up is the flight-
We wanted a non stop flight to Cairo, and the only airline to offer that is economy airline EgyptAir from both IAD (DC) and New York. We chose Washington for a couple of reasons, nicer hotels being close by was one good reason. We yearned for business class, but the days of cheap seats due to covid were long gone. So we all booked at the coach price, but a few days before our trip came an email offer to bid on an upgrade to business (there is no first class) for both directions, and the day before the trip we all were notified our bid for the lowest price they would accept, was granted for the departure flight. We won’t know about the return until a day or two prior to the flight. Win/win - for them, business class was filled and we got a great discount (not cheap - but worth the splurge) They purchased not too long ago, several new aircraft for the long haul non stops from USA and a couple of other international airports. It was very comfortable for the 10 hours and the food was good, not quite up to the standards of the regular international carriers business class, but nothing to complain about. It is a dry flight, so that is another difference. There is a shared lounge with Turkish Air at IAD, and they do have a bar but it isn’t readily noticeable, so by the time we found it, they couldn’t find a bartender to get us mimosas prior to boarding! Truly first world problems. This is a picture of the single pods. The seats/leg rests are fully adjustable with screen commands and can adjust totally flat. Very comfortable. For flights with airtime of over 7 hours, look for non stops from logical departure airports and fly into that city the day before. We don’t do this often, and for other trips, I book us into Airbnb’s vs nice hotels as comfortable flights are more important to us than a fancy room to sleep in. This trip is different, because the package includes the Four Seasons. One thing that was a big surprise was finding out that even though we only had carryons, they weighed more than the 15 kilos allowed, so we had to check them through.

17/09/2022

I am retired as a Travel Agent! This will now be a travel tips and advice page as we wander the world.

20/06/2022

Call or text Steve McKenna (720) 542-9864 to help set up any vacation dream!

Imagine swimming in a blissful lagoon, waking up to the sound of swaying palm trees, and sipping on an exotic cocktail while you watch the sunset over a turquoise-tinged ocean. All is possible in Bora Bora. Let us plan your escape to this exotic paradise — contact us today! https://smckenna.cruiseone.com

16/06/2022

Wow!

The Amalfi Coast has brought in a traffic ban for high season. An alternate numberplate system has been introduced, so that cars can only travel the famous highway every other day in peak season.

31/05/2022

On board Windstar Cruises - Windsurf for a wonderful Italy/Sicily/Croatia itinerary for 18 days, ending in Venice. They have amazing last minute deals, if you’d like to check out where they go and for deals, please call/text Steve McKenna of CruiseOne at 720-542-9864

16/04/2022

Even if you've never been to Rome, you've been to Rome. Its stories have been told and retold, onstage and on screen. The city of togas and gladiators, power...

01/04/2022

For those of you traveling to Mexico, make sure to not lose the bottom half of this Migration Form form, if you put in passport or elsewhere. Since you’ll hand over passport for covid testing, many are getting lost. If you do lose one, go to the airport for your return flight even earlier and find the office that will re-issue. It will cost $$ so bring pesos (or get some from ATM)

30/03/2022

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2022/03/30/cdc-covid-cruise-travel-risk-assessment/7214943001/

The CDC dropped its cruise travel health notice Wednesday, after warning travelers against the dangers of contracting COVID on a cruise for 2 years.

30/03/2022

The CDC dropped its cruise travel health notice Wednesday, after warning travelers against the dangers of contracting COVID on a cruise for 2 years.

23/03/2022

Some of the great beaches of The Algarve Portugal

Portuguese beaches are among the most popular in Europe and visited by many visitors not only during the summer season but all year round.

23/03/2022

We are almost done with our first trip to Portugal.

Here are some additional tips:

Unless you have to come in summer, instead look at mid September to mid October. The majority of tourists are back home since kids get back to school by Sept 15 for a lot of EU countries. Weather is still warm and wonderful, and you can swim in the Atlantic.

August is the busiest month which to me is a “no go”

If you choose like we do, to stay in homes and apartments, make sure it includes amenities such as aircon for summer and a heat source for the rest of the year. Houses don’t have the insulation we are used to, so even if a place has been remodeled, the floors are cold, (unless they added heated floors) so bring warm socks. You’ll be needing the heat on for at least 3 seasons at various times as near as I can tell. Looking at real estate I can see that many of the older places have added the wall dual units for the bedrooms and living room. However, lots of places have neither aircon/heat.

I know many people who like to travel but are squeamish about renting a whole private place from VRBO or Airbnb. I believe due to their thinking it’s someone’s home. While it is someone’s place, it’s set up for guests just like a hotel. There aren’t family photos, closets full of clothes or drawers full of personal stuff. Lots of owners will leave some basic cooking supplies like salt/pepper, sugar, cooking oil but not a pantry of food.

I used to avoid Airbnb due to the amount of issues of bait and switch etc. I feel comfortable now using them, but will only book with Superhosts.

I also only book with owners or managers who speak English along with their native language.

I always read reviews, especially any negative ones to get an idea of potential issues or if people are being ultra picky.

15/03/2022

Here’s another couple of tips for EU travel:

1. Don’t forget to bring travel plug in power converter with various attachments. The standard combo packs are for US 2 prong items.

2. Make sure if you bring a laptop, that you get a 3 prong adapter to plug into the EU power converter.

15/03/2022

Want to see a sample of what to do in Portugal? It will take many more trips for us to work our way through the regions.

Things to Do in Portugal, Europe: See Tripadvisor's 6,916,147 traveler reviews and photos of Portugal tourist attractions. Find what to do today or anytime in March. We have reviews of the best places to see in Portugal. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions.

12/03/2022

Here’s a great guide to some of the destinations found along the coast of Portugal.

The best coastal towns in Portugal are a mix of stunning coast views and charming towns with incredible architecture and people.

10/03/2022

Landed in Portugal to explore for a couple of weeks. Here are some tidbits of info.

Went to our local Triple A office and got Bill an International Drivers Permit (not license) for $20 since we aren’t members. You don’t need it for the rental car agencies, but for any stops by police. It’s good for a year and is recommended or required in many countries

I made a choice to save some money by renting a car with shuttle from airport vs them having a counter at the airport. Takes more time, but since we are renting for 2 weeks, it was worth it.

I also saved money by renting stick shift.

Highways/freeways - stay in right lane except to pass.

If you will be taking toll roads (they are everywhere) absolutely get the ViaVerde toll transponder, you’ll pay at the end of your trip to the rental agency. If not, it can be a nightmare.

‘Thank you’ is Obrigada for females to say, and Obrigado for males to say. S*x of the recipient is irrelevant.

In Europe it is considered rude to be asked “what do you do?” “Where are you from?” as conversation starters and they don’t understand why we use “how are you?” as part of our greeting. It is always safe to mention the weather. In Europe it isn’t normal to strike up conversations with complete strangers that you’ll never see again. Since I don’t speak Portuguese that will help me avoid that faux pas.🤣

25/11/2021

Cruise lines are back to having great Black Friday Sales! Call/text me to send you some great options!
(719) 330-2230