Buying The Perfect Luggage For Your Trip

The first step to choosing appropriate luggage is to determine your needs. Figure out what you’ll be carrying and how long you typically travel for (from one to three days, from three to five days, or a week or longer). In your checked luggage, will you be packing several business suits that can easily get wrinkled or more casual attire? Knowing this will help you determine the size, design, and number of bags you should purchase to meet your unique needs.

TIP: Many pieces of luggage from high-end companies, such as Tumi (www.tumi.com) or Orvis (www.orvis.com), have seperate compartments designed to hold suits and other clothing that you want to remain wrinkle-free.

The luggage you ultimately select should be easy to transport. After all, you’ll need to navigate your way through busy airports, down long hotel hallways, and in and out of cars or taxis. Doing this with poorly designed luggage can put added stress on your back, neck, and arms. Plus, you don’t want your luggage to fall apart mid-trip.

Soft-sided luggage with durable wheels is ideal for most travelers. This type of luggage tends to weigh less, which is important, since all major airlines now have strict weight restrictions for checked luggage. Bags weighing more than 50 pounds are each subject to a surcharge of $25, $50, $100, or more, depending on the airline.

Passengers are also limited to checking only one or two bags (depending on the airline). Each additional bag is subject to a fee of $50, $100, or more. It’s important that the luggage you choose be able to hold everything you’ll need to have with you, yet meet your airline’s requirements.

The construction of a bag is as important as its design. Ideally, you want luggage designed to take a beating, yet remain strong. You’ll pay a bit extra for bags with strong and padded handles, durable wheels that glide smoothly, well-sewn seams, heavy-duty zippers, and that are made from extra-strong material - such as ballistic nylon or napa leather. But over the long-term, these bags will last much longer and keep their contents safer.

When evaluating luggage, consider the interior design of each bag. Does the luggage have enough pockets and compartments to accommodate your needs? Will it allow you to keep your toiletries separate (in case of spillage)? Also, is the bag comfortable to carry or pull? Are the handles durable, padded, and located in the best possible places?

By visiting a specialty luggage store or high-end department store, you’ll be able to see top-quality, name-brand luggage from a variety of manufacturers. Remember, when it comes to the price of the bag, make sure you’re paying for top-quality construction, not just for a designer name.

Each popular luggage manufacturer typically offers several product lines with different looks, color-schemes, designs, and levels of construction quality. If you take only one trip per year, you may be able to purchase less expensive and lower quality luggage. However, if you travel often, you should invest in durable luggage that will last.

TIP: If you’re buying luggage with wheels, make sure the wheels are well-made, spin smoothly, are quiet when they roll, and don’t wobble. Remember, when the bag is full, you’ll be pulling or carrying up to 50 pounds. Also, focus on the construction of the bag’s handles and zippers, as well as the material used for the bag’s overall construction.

The last factors to consider are the look of the bags and the color scheme, as well as how the various bags in the set interconnect for easy transport. Just because the manufacturer offers a set of luggage with five or six bags in different sizes and styles, this doesn’t mean you need all these bags. Pick and choose the bag styles that best meet your needs. Many larger bags on wheels have hooks that allow you to easily attach smaller bags.

As soon as you’ve purchased your luggage, make sure you fill out and securely attach luggage tags with, at least, your full name and phone number. (Listing your address and cell phone number are optional.) It’s also important to place your contact information inside each checked bag. This will make it easier to recover your belongings if the bag gets lost in transit or the luggage tag falls off.

When shopping for luggage, check out luggage sets by several manufacturers. Be sure to ask about the luggage’s warranty and determine the process for getting bags repaired. Some luggage companies charge a minimum of $100 per bag (plus shipping), even for a basic repair.

Remember, many bags from different manufacturers look very similar but have a very different construction quality and overall value.

Princess Cruise To Alaska..A Truly Breathtaking Experience!

In mid-August, I had the opportunity to travel with Princess Cruise Lines (800-774-6237) to Alaska. It was a truly memorable 12-day journey, four of which were spent touring on land and visiting several of Princess' lodges, while the remainder of the trip took place aboard the luxurious Coral Princess ship.

If you're looking to experience a one-in-a-lifetime experience, book an Alaska cruise aboard Princess Cruise Lines! It's that simple. What will really make your journey memorable, however, are the hundreds of different (optional) land excursions you can participate in when the ship stops at the various ports-of-call. From dog sled rides and ATV tours, to taking a helicopter tour and landing on a glacier, you can experience one exciting activity after the next....Or, when visiting the various ports-of-call, you can shop for unique souvenirs and duty-free merchandise.

When booking your cruise, Princess Cruise Lines will provide you with brochures describing all of your land excursion opportunities. This information is also available online at the Princess Cruise Lines website. It's best to book these excursions as far in advance as possible, as the most popular tours and activities book up quickly. Trust me, you don't want to be shut out.

Keep in mind, some of the land excursions that involve flight (such as helicopter tours or "flight seeing" aboard a small aircraft) could get cancelled due to bad weather, so have a back-up plan in-place. If one tour gets cancelled, you might be able to join a different tour later in the day, or work with the Tour Desk attendant aboard the ship to book a similar adventure during a stop at another port-of-call. 

Keep in mind, the optional land excursions are not included in the price of the cruise itself, so plan your travel budget accordingly. Most of the optional tours cost under $100.00 per person, however, some of the more extravagant land excursions, like the helicopter tours, can cost upwards of $400.00 per person, but are well worth it. Whatever you do, don't forget to bring a camera! As you'll see from the slideshow below, the views are spectacular. 

Almost everything aboard the ship itself is included, except for spa treatments, items from the gift shops, gambling in the onboard casino, portraits taken by the ship's photographer, and drinks (soda, alcohol, etc.).

Even if you don't consider yourself to be an overly active or adventurous person, there are plenty of exciting and breathtaking activities (both on land and at sea) that you can participate in, regardless of your age or physical abilities. While aboard the ship itself, you can be as relaxed or active as you wish. For example, you can pamper yourself at the spa, play bingo or experience the fun shows presented each evening. (If you only have time to see one show during your cruise, don't miss Dance!) Of course, you can tempt your taste buds in any of the ship's dining rooms, where an amazing selection of mouthwatering and all-you-can-eat meals await.

The seven-day cruise aboard the Coral Princess kicks off in Whittier, and includes stops at Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan and ends in Vancouver. Alternate itineraries are available. 

To plan and book your cruise, you can work directly with Princess Cruise Lines, a local travel agent, or make your reservations through one of the online travel services. (When traveling, you will need a valid U.S. Passport, so plan accordingly!)

The Coral Princess carries more than 1,970 passengers and has Alaska sailings in May, June, July, August and September 2009. Princess Cruise Lines offers seven, 10 and 14-day cruises,  which can be combined with three to eight-night land tours (which include land travel aboard Princess-owned railcars) and accommodations at the various Princess lodges.

A trip to Alaska aboard a Princess ship is ideal for families, honeymooners, couples celebrating an anniversary, and even single travelers. If you'll be traveling with kids or teens, aboard the ship there are a wide range of activities that cater just to them. For adults, there's also a potpourri of activities available - both day and night. 

Several different cabin configurations are available to accommodate travelers with varying needs, but if you can afford it, be sure to upgrade to a cabin with a balcony. You'll really enjoy the views of glaciers and snow covered mountains, plus the sunrises and sunsets. 

Below is a small sampling of photos from my mid-August trip. While I've cruised numerous times to and around the Caribbean with other cruise lines, this was my first trip to Alaska, and I must say the experience was both memorable and extremely enjoyable. I can't recommend this trip highly enough!

  

Choosing The Perfect Wine

(This excerpt was taken from The Business Traveler Guide to Washington D.C. from Entrepreneur Press.)

One challenge many business travelers face is choosing an appropriate wine selection to go nicely with entrees or desserts being ordered. Not only do you want to impress the people you're dining with (such as important clients), but you want to order quality wine that's within your budget.

Andy Myers is the sommelier at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington D.C. In addition to managing the hotel's massive wine collection, one of his responsibilities is to help guests dining at the hotel's restaurants choose the best wine to accompany their meals.

"Ideally, the restaurant has a sommelier. If they do, then ask for that person, give them a basic budget for the evening, a feeling for how much your guests are likely to drink, and a rough idea of what kind of wines you like--fruity, earthy, full-bodied, light, etc. That'll solve most of your problems as a good sommelier likes to have a clear, basic profile of the table, budget and drinking habits. Using this information, we love it when you trust us to make the experience great," said Myers.

If the restaurant you're dining at doesn't have a sommelier, Myers stated, "Assume that most people put away about half a bottle of wine during dinner. This will help when figuring out how much to order. Next, as you'll never please everyone at the table, go for wines that work with lots of flavors. I recommend Sauvignon Blancs, Dry Rieslings and Chenin Blancs for whites and Pinot Noirs and Rhone Varietals (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre) for reds."

Diners at upscale restaurants should know that even if a sommelier is not available, most restaurants train their wait staff on how to assist guests in choosing appropriate wines. "Review the wine list to gather some ideas and then ask your server or manager what they think," added Meyers.

It's important to understand that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to pairing wines. "Very basically speaking, with beef, go with big, chewy, tannic Cabernets. Go to California if you like fruit, and to Bordeaux if you want really dry. When ordering chicken, go with whatever wine you want, such as a white Burgundy, Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, or Oregon Pinot Noir. Everything goes with chicken, as it has a little flavor of its own to get in the way. Pairing wine with fish and seafood dishes is a bit tougher. For white wines, go with quirky Italian wines, such as Vermentino, Vernaccia, Falanghina or Orvieto," explained Myers.

Since you might not want to admit to the people you're dining with that you know little about wine, Myers recommends pulling your server or the restaurant's sommelier aside to have an open and honest conversation about your wine needs, taste and budget. "Ask for their help and utilize their recommendations to ensure the best dining experience possible."

The Equinox In Vermont Offers Unique Activities For Vacationers

So, I just returned from three days as a guest at The Equinox resort in Manchester Village, Vermont (800-362-4747 / 802-362-7873 / www.equinoxresort.com). While the leaves haven't started changing colors yet, the area was still stunningly beautiful. The resort itself was luxurious and showcased a rich history (it was established in 1769).

As you'd expect from a top-rated resort, The Equinox offers several upscale dining rooms, a full-service spa and tennis courts, plus a golf course that avid golfers travel from around the country to experience. For people who enjoy hiking, the resort is also surrounded by an assortment of trails.

What really sets this resort apart, however, are the unique activities that are offered. For example, affiliated with the resort is The British School of Falconry, which is the world's first school dedicated to this unusual sport. Here, you can experience the rare opportunity to handle and interact with hawks. One-hour introductory lessons ($89.00 per person) are available, as are hawk walks ($149.00 per person), and hawk hunting expeditions ($299.00 per person). There's also a three full-day course and various other packages available to introduce participants to this sport in a very hands-on way.

The Equinox is also home to The Archery School at the Equinox and has teamed up with Orvis (www.orvis.com) to offer a fly fishing instruction and excursions.

For people looking for a bit more action-oriented fun, The Equinox offers the Land Rover Experience driving school (802-362-0687), which provides the opportunity to take a fully-equipped Land Rover on an off-road expedition, complete with instruction by a licensed and certified instructor. The off-road driving takes place on a custom-designed, 80-acre course which provides for a variety of terrain challenges. Price: $225 per vehicle, per hour. For advanced off-road drivers, a full-day program is offered.

If you're looking to experience a luxurious and memorable trip to Vermont, plus experience a handful of activities not available elsewhere, a visit to The Equinox is well worth it. While the resort welcomes kids, this is more an upscale resort catering to adults. Manchester Village, Vermont is located about 189 miles from Boston and 204 miles from New York City.