Tag: Andavo Travel

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Business Travel Travel Tips Vacation Travel

6 Tips to Relax While Traveling

Are you constantly stressed while traveling for work? Being away from your home and family can easily throw anyone off. Not to mention a completely different schedule than your daily routine. Whether you are new to business travel or an seasoned roadwarrior, many parts of the journey can leave you feeling anxious.  Knowing how to relax while traveling is an important but often overlooked variable of business trips.

Tricks to help you relax while traveling:

Plan ahead 

Visualizing where you’ll be, what you will be wearing and events you will be attending can establish a schedule and even control. Before you head out the door, spend a few minutes researching. Knowing the address of your hotel and where it’s located will eliminate a few harried minutes at the airport. Or if you are attending a conference, download the schedule beforehand and plan out which sessions you’d like to see. Going in with a game plan might just help keep you confident and ready for other experiences.

Don’t over-schedule yourself 

Speaking of scheduling your time, try not to overbook your day. Factor things like jet lag, amount of sleep, work deadlines, etc. before committing to additional plans.

Unplug

Though it can seem impossible, try to have a few intervals during the day to unplug from work. If you can’t do that, even 15 minutes before going to sleep can recharge you for the next day.

Wellness

Make sure to take care of your health while on the road to help melt away the stress. Take advantage of hotel wellness programs, hit the gym, or grab some healthy snacks to offset an unhealthy traveling diet.

Family Pictures 

If you are missing your loved ones at home, save pictures of them on the background of your phone or computer. Seeing your family members may bring a smile to your face as you go through long days of meetings.

Save time for a vacation 

Our last tip is to take a vacation when you are done with work travel. Whether a full vacation or just a weekend ‘bleisure’ trip can open your eyes to a new place. Connect with a travel advisor at Andavo Travel, Christopherson’s leisure travel division, to plan a trip for complete relaxation.

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Travel News Vacation Travel

London Vacation Recommendations

relax while traveling

My family recently returned from an amazing spring break vacation visiting London and Paris.  Having visited these cities before, we planned the trip through the eyes of our teenage son- mixing culture, history, and Harry Potter.

Our Hotel In London

A great hotel in a convenient location was key to our itinerary. That’s why we chose  Anthenaeum Hotel and Residences. Recently renovated, it’s located in Mayfair overlooking Green Park. The hotel is also close to Buckingham Palace and St. James Palace. It was truly an excellent choice for us in London. The hotel rooms were quiet and provided five star amenities with beautiful views.  The onsite restaurant, Galivan, is the latest restaurant from Michelin star rated brothers, Chris and Jeff Galvin. It has an inviting atmosphere and delicious meals, including afternoon tea and all day dining.  We also enjoyed restaurants in charming Shepherds Market, which is just blocks from the hotel.

Events In London

Another great resource for this trip was our Virtuoso partner, Sincerely Paul.  Paul was my hero in locating sold out tickets in London. This included the critically important WB Studio Tour – The Making of Harry Potter. He helped me avoid a near parental fail for not securing tickets months in advance.  We look forward to working with Paul on our next visit to enjoy additional experiences beyond the city.

Working in the travel industry has a few perks and in the case of this trip, that was working with exceptional travel professionals in our organization that directed my travel plans and put my family on course for a memorable experience together.

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Business Travel Travel Tips Vacation Travel

Traveling With Your Four-Legged Friend

traveling with petsI recently saw a bumper sticker that read, “It’s all About my Dog,” and oh, how I could relate! For me, it’s all about my pet Hank. Without me realizing it, Hank has slowly begun to control my life over the last four years and has somehow became a member of the family. People say pets become like children. At first, I didn’t believe this statement, but now I think it’s worse than that. My children have never kept me from taking a vacation, but every time we think about going out of town, the big dilemma is: Who is going to watch Hank and will they keep him at their house or will we be able to find someone willing to stay at our house because, of course, it’s better for Hank to be at ‘his’ house.

Luckily there are pet-care options when going out of town for a business trip or vacation. Should you choose to leave your pet behind, there are many services for dog sitters, either at your home or at an off-site location. If you do take your pet to an off-site location, you may want to slowly introduce them to the new surroundings so that when you go on vacation it won’t be a traumatic experience. If you choose to have someone watch your pet at your home, it goes without saying, be sure you do your homework to find someone you can trust, who comes highly recommended.

Additionally, there is the option of taking your pet with you. Many hotels–even upscale hotels–are pet friendly with a deposit. Your pet can even travel on the airplane, but be sure to check your airline’s policies for the size of your pet, time of year, and temperature of the cargo compartment if you have to ‘check’ your pet.

Your Christopherson Business Travel agent or Andavo Travel agent, depending on whether or not you’re traveling for business or leisure, will be happy to assist you in finding those pet friendly hotels and airline regulations. Happy Traveling … Ruff, Ruff.

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Business Travel

Christopherson’s Newly Acquired All Seasons Travel Undergoes Rebranding

Christopherson Business Travel purchased All Seasons Travel in December of last year. As we continue to integrate our new Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama offices into our organization, we will be rebranding the Alabama operations into three separate divisions:

1. Christopherson Business Travel

CBT_SmallThe Alabama business travel team members will all operate under our Christopherson Business Travel brand, with Jeanine Eissler as the manager of the Southeast region. We have already won $20 Million in new business travel contracts in the Southeast, all of which is in the process of being implemented into our Alabama offices.

2. Andavo Travel

Andavo Logo_335x60The leisure travel agents and independent contractors will operate under our Andavo Travel brand (which specializes in luxury travel and hosted agent travel), with Meredith Price as the operations manager of the Southeast region. Our Alabama offices will also be part of Andavo’s world-class luxury travel consortium, Virtuoso.

3. All Seasons Sports Travel

AllSeasonsSportsTravel_Logo-v2All Seasons Sports Travel is a newly created division and will primarily focus on the fan-based collegiate sports travel that All Seasons has done so well for so many years. Ellen Ray has been named manager of this division. Click here to see the new website, AllSeasonsSportsTravel.com.

 

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Travel News Vacation Travel

“Summer loving had me a blast” … Disney Vacations from Andavo Travel

I think we’ve all heard that song at some point, and what a perfect reminder that summer is just around the corner!

Do you have your summer vacation plans set yet? Does your list of potential ideas include the words “Disney” or “beach”? Last summer my family did “Disney” and “Beach” in July and it was a blast for everyone, young to old.

Andavo Travel, the vacation division of Christopherson Business Travel, has been recognized as an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner for the breadth of knowledge and value we bring to you, the customer, when it comes to Disney vacation options. In fact, with this recognition, our team was awarded a limited-edition commemorative gicle’e painting, created by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Character Artist, Joe Kaminski.

Planning a Disney Vacation with Andavo Travel

“Time” is something we’re all lacking, so spend the time you do have getting ready for all of the fun you’ll have and allow our Authorized Disney Vacation Planners to take care of all the trip research for you.

Here it the information you should have ready when you call:

1) Which Disney destination you want to visit:

  • Walt Disney World in Florida
  • Disneyland in California
  • Disney Cruise Line
  • Adventures by Disney
  • Aulani Resort, Hawai’i
  • Beyond Walt Disney

2) The dates you’d like to go (And are your dates flexible?)

3) How many in your party and their ages

4) The type of transportation you plan to use to get to your destination, i.e. Do you need flights?

5) Any special needs or services required

6) Plans to purchase travel insurance, for the various potential emergencies or unexpected situations prior to, and during, your vacation. It’s definitely worth the cost in the end.

Christopherson Business Travel takes care of your entire managed travel program. Now let Andavo Travel take care of your vacation plans. Contact Andavo Travel via AndavoTravel.com.

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Travel News Vacation Travel

Virtuoso’s Travel Dreams Survey Results Are In

VirtuosoLifeCover2The results are in. Nearly 8,000 people took Virtuoso’s Travel Dreams online survey to determine their travel personalities and share which destinations and travel experiences top their wish lists. In this issue of Virtuoso Life magazine, hot off the presses, Virtuoso shares the results. From Australia to French Polynesia, discover the top fantasy islands, where to set sail, cities that excite, favorite family vacations, and of course, top trips of a lifetime! And, new this year, they asked respondents to pick their travel personality. Are you the go-go type or someone who yearns to unplug and just be still?

Take a peek at this month’s issue of Virtuoso Life and see how your travel dreams line up.  And if you’re ready to make those dreams a reality, contact a travel advisor at Andavo Travel (Christopherson Business Travel’s vacation travel division) for assistance in planning.

Note:  If you’d like to receive a hard copy version of the award-winning Virtuoso Life magazine (published six times per year), simply fill out the form on this page for a free subscription – compliments of Andavo Travel.

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Travel News Vacation Travel

Planning Multi-generational Vacations: Get on board!

Have you heard the term “multi-generational travel?” It’s big in the travel industry right now, and refers to the trend of going on family vacations that include grandparents, parents and grandchildren–you can even throw in aunts, uncles, and cousins while you’re at it! These trips are amazing for getting quality family time with extended family members, but can be tricky to plan with so many schedules, varied interests, and ages. May I suggest cruising as a solution?

The 2013 Virtuoso Luxe Report found that family and multi-generational travel are the year’s biggest travel trend, with river and luxury cruises taking the next two spots. The report also found that spending time and reconnecting with loved ones were among the top reasons motivating such travel. Not surprisingly, Virtuoso travel agencies like Andavo Travel have seen a lot of crossover in these trends, with more clients booking multi-generational cruises over the past three years.

Cruising lends itself well to families with a range of ages and interests. It provides the convenience of being able to travel together, of only having to unpack once, all while experiencing a variety of destinations together as a family. Another added benefit, especially if there are little ones, is that when nap or bed time comes, the stateroom is only steps away, while everyone else can stay put and finish their activity.

Imagine, for example, the challenge of family travel in Europe–the cost of going to multiple destinations by train or plane with the whole crew: grandparents, parents and grandkids. With cruising, guests can go off for the day, onboard or ashore, and do what they like. Then everyone can gather together again for dinner and talk about the day.

At Andavo Travel, Christopherson Business Travel’s leisure travel division, we book many multi-generational trips–not just cruises! And having an agency handle all the details for families, particularly those spread out across the U.S., can be a real time and money saver.

Contact us today and we’ll get started on your family trip!

AndavoTravel.com or 866-327-7600

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Business Travel Vacation Travel

Internet vs Travel Advisor for Booking Vacation Travel

why use a travel advisor

By now, most of our blog readers are probably convinced of the benefits of using a travel agency to book your business travel–the convenience, the technology, the assistance with making changes, help in tracking your unused tickets, etc., etc.

But do you feel the same way about using a travel advisor to book your vacation travel?  Or do you spend hours and hours doing research on the Internet, trying to find the cheapest flights, the best hotel for your budget and preferences, and planning activities to do once you arrive. Travel planning can be very time consuming and frustrating, and yet so many people continue doing it all on their own.  Why?

I love this list of the Top 10 Reasons to Use a Travel Advisor, written by Ruthanne Terrero, the Editorial Director of the Questex Travel Group.  It’s funny, and oh-so-true!

  1. You’ve Googled “Mexico vacation,” and come up with 17.8 million responses. Need a little help editing those choices?
  2. Remember when you used that obscure website to book your hotel, and when you got there you spent your beach vacation overlooking a parking lot?
  3. How many hours were you on hold with the airline when your flight was canceled because of a snowstorm?
  4. Did you really mean to spend your honeymoon at that resort whose one tiny pool was filled all day with 12 screaming children?
  5. Who knew that when you booked that “villa” in Tuscany, it would be a small room with a kitchenette and no air conditioning? Funny, it looked much better on your computer screen.
  6. No one explained to you that in July, its winter time in Rio, and so you showed up there with nothing but five Hawaiian shirts and three pairs of swimming trunks.
  7. How about the time you really needed a restful vacation, and you ended up in New Orleans during Mardi Gras and someone threw up on your shoes?
  8. Yes, I guess that hotel must have used a telephoto lens when they took a picture of those guest rooms that you saw on their website.
  9. I suppose contacting the Attorney General to resolve the fact that that Internet site has billed your credit card three times instead of once is the only route to take at this point.
  10. It was definitely odd that there were no cab drivers at the airport at 3 o’clock in the morning when you finally landed in Costa Rica, but booking a transfer to your very remote hotel would have been a good thing to remember when you purchased your airline ticket and hotel online.

If this list sounds at all familiar to you, it may be time to contact a travel advisor and see what a huge difference it makes in planning your next vacation. Andavo Travel has an amazing group of world-class travel advisors with years of experience.  You can pick one who has the destination specialty you’d like, here.