Why should I travel when I can relax better at home without the hassle?

Why spend my hard earned money to travel some place they don’t even speak my language?

Why did you choose travel as a career?

Interestingly, some of the answers are the same, no matter what the actual question is, or what context it’s asked in. So I’m going to give you my top three answers to the general question, Why Travel?

1. EXPAND YOUR WORLD! We live our lives in the center of our own world, no matter where that is or what that looks like. For me, it is Woodstock, NY with a “standard” family of 5….grew up in a family of 5, ended up as an adult in a family of 5…and I live about 2 miles from the house I spent my childhood in. That’s my world, and although everyone’s own version is unique, the similarity is that you are the center of your own world. What travel does, for EVERYONE, is it EXPANDS that world. Geographically, culturally and spiritually. When you travel, you can’t help but be touched by the places you visit, the people you meet and the experiences you have and they all help to expand your world and your views.
2. GET CONNECTED! Today, I hear a lot of discussion about finding happiness and balance and our true “purpose” or “calling”. In that discussion is the idea that we are all connected, all part of “the whole”, whatever that “whole” is to you. There is no simpler or more enjoyable way to experience that connected feeling than travel. Visiting any destination different than your hometown allows you to experience the variety of culture, geography and ideas but more often lets you see the SIMILARITIES that exist in all of us as people. I even see it within the United States, as close as Vermont and New York. Subtle differences in speech or ideals, but similarities in wanting what’s good and safe for our children and families. It’s what connects us that’s so powerful and travel illuminates that connection from past to present in such a clear way.
3. LIFE IS SHORT! The average life span has increased by 10 years in the last 4 decades, but make no mistake, your time in this life is LIMITED. You have a finite period of time to experience life on this planet and although everyone’s particular life span is unknown, we do know it won’t last forever. To travel and see other places, experience other cultures, view the natural wonders and share all of that with your loved ones, THAT’S what makes life worth living. Travel is not hassle free, but neither is cleaning up after yourself when you sit at home. Travel can stretch you out of your comfort zone, but stretching keeps us healthy. I enjoy travel, selling it, experiencing it and living it, and life is too short not to be doing what you love ALL the time!

Let’s break it down.

When do you want to go? If you only have certain vacation times, like teachers who can only travel during Holiday weeks or summer, you really need to book 6 months to a year in advance to get the best value. Those are peak travel times, so prices are higher than average and become higher the closer to the travel date. If your dates are more flexible and you can take advantage of “shoulder season” or off season, you can hold off and book 3-6 months in advance.

Where are you looking to travel to? If you are going to a popular, bucket list destination like the Galapagos or South Africa, you should consider looking a year in advance. If you are booking a popular resort area during high season, like the Caribbean in February or March, again 6 months to a year out will get you better pricing, especially on airfare. You want to try Europe in the summer? Try starting a year out, but if you want Europe in November, 3 months ahead is fine.

How are you traveling? Airfare is always less expensive to book further out than it is closer in. The airline industry has changed significantly in the past 10 years by pulling back on capacity. That means that the closer you get to travel time, the less seat availability and the higher the pricing. You can only book 330 days out and sometimes those prices are higher than if you wait, say 6-8 months out. It all depends on supply and demand and the airlines change pricing almost on an hourly basis….seriously! Now let’s talk about tours or cruises. It will depend on the popularity of the itinerary you’re looking at and the timing. If you have certain dates you need to travel, book further out to guarantee the timing. If you can be a little more flexible, you can wait, but have your Travel Consultant keep an eye on capacity. Ocean cruises are tricky, because their prices fluctuate also, just not as frequently as the airlines. If you’re REALLY flexible, sometimes you can get great prices on last minute deals, but NOT on Holiday sailings and even summer sailings that book up more quickly. For river cruises, you have to book a year in advance in order to get the sailing you want and their prices generally do not fluctuate. Sometimes they offer early booking discounts, but because their capacity is so small, 120-160 passengers per ship, they book up a year in advance for their most popular cruises.

Who are you traveling with? Is it just two of you, a family of four, an extended family of 20 or a church group of 60? The more people traveling on the same itinerary, the further in advance you have to book your reservations. That is one of the drawbacks of group travel, but it’s all about capacity and pricing. You will get better pricing for more people, but you have to commit 9 months to a year ahead of travel time. If you are just looking at a family vacation, you have much more flexibility, as long as you take into consideration all the information above as to when the best time to book is.

And my shameless plug? If it’s too much information for you to worry about in your crazy, busy life, call a Professional Travel Consultant at Booked By Barthel Travel. This is what we do, not just for you, but for many clients, so we have a good idea of when the best time to start planning is. We take all the stress out of planning your vacation, so you can Just Pack Your Bags!

First though, we were privileged with the opportunity to visit a memorial just outside of Kinsale dedicated to the NY Firemen killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Kathleen Murphy, an Irishwoman raised in Kinsale who worked 40 years in a NY hospital, set aside a portion of her land for this memorial. She hung American flags and the names of the 343 firemen who lost their lives

 that day and dedicated the Memorial to Father Michael Judge. A large percentage of NY’s firefighters and police have Irish heritage. It was a very moving experience, making us realize that all the world was affected that day and shared in our losses.

Our next stop was Cahir, unfortunately only a brief stop, but a beautiful day to view the castle from outside. It still sits right in the middle of town on an island in the River Suir and has a long history, originally built in the 12th century with restoration continuing into the 19th century. The last Lord of Cahir died in 1961 and the castle passed to the Irish state.

Kilkenny Castle, which has been restored and now is open to the public was our next visit. This castle was used as a residence as recently as 1935 by the famous Butler family, who the sold the deteriorating structure to the Castle Restoration Committee in 1967. Sitting on top of a hill and next to the River Nore, the castle was originally built in the 12th century. With its beautiful gardens and art gallery, it is now a state historic site that can be toured and is also used as a conference and event venue.

The town of Kilkenny is currently an artistic and tourist town. Along with the castle, it has a very large cathedral, abbey, theatre and museums. Filled with shops and restaurants, it is a great place to visit and spend time wandering the streets or attending one of the many festivals or events they sponsor year round. It’s also a great centralized town to stay in and do day trips to other towns in Ireland. Known as a brewing center in the late 17th century, there is still a popular beer called Kilkenny which is lighter than the famous Guinness.

We arrived in Dublin just in time for Friday night traffic, made worse by the soccer match between Germany and Ireland being held in the stadium 3 blocks from our hotel. It made for interesting people watching once we arrived though! Some of our group headed out to the Abbey Theatre for an Oscar Wilde play, a few found a musician’s pub crawl in the Temple Bar district and many just wandered the streets enjoying the local pubs and restaurants.

Tomorrow it’s a morning tour of Dublin City, a tour of the Guinness Brewhouse and an evening of entertainment with the Merry Ploughboys!

Several pubs did have live music, but being the middle of the week and in October, it was quieter than what we had found in Galway over the weekend. However, we enjoyed ourselves and I even noted how patriotic this country is. At the end of the night, the band played the national anthem and EVERYONE stood up for it, no questions asked. It is indeed a unique and special country.

This morning we were on our way to Kinsale, with stops at Blarney Castle and the Woolen Mills, Cork and the Charles Fort outside of Kinsale.

Blarney Castle has beautiful grounds for you to stroll around, the Blarney Castle ruins where you can kiss the infamous stone lying on your back and hanging upside down for the gift of gab, a sweet town and the Blarney Woolen Mills for the ultimate in Irish shopping. I think our group split our time, some shopping, some strolling and some kissing!

Next we checked out Cork, a wonderful city built on an island and known as the Venice of Ireland. Cork is the second largest industrial city next to Dublin, housing multiple IT and pharmaceutical corporations. We stopped at the famous food market, housing stalls with fresh meats, fish, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, bread and more.  What a chef’s delight! I almost wish I were staying longer and could cook a gourmet meal! It was made more famous this past summer when the Queen of England stopped by during her visit to Ireland. The fish monger even got a photo with her smiling!  I made due with a lunch of fresh cheese on fresh bread with fresh smoked salmon….YUM!!!!

We then drove out to Charles Fort, opposite the bay from Kinsale. Originally a British fort to protect the harbor, it is now open to the public for tours explaining its history. This is where we decided to take an Ulster Chamber group photo, wind and all!!

Our hotel in Kinsale is the Trident Hotel, right in town, with every room having a sea view. Kinsale was known as a small fishing village, now home to the rich and famous yacht owners. This town boasts some of the most famous restaurants in all of Ireland. Known as Ireland’s gourmet capitol, we certainly found plenty of options for a wonderful dinner! And of course, some local music!

Tomorrow, Kilkenny on our way to Dublin City!!!

This peninsula, known locally as “An Daingean”, is the farthest western point of Europe, from a land mass point. Iceland boasts the meeting of the tectonic plates of Europe and North America, but Iceland is not considered part of Europe.

Our first stop was a very popular summer spot for Irish families and visitors alike called Inch Beach. This is the the “backwater” of the Atlantic Ocean, where it has spilled in between the Dingle Peninsula and the Iveragh Peninsula, which is part of the Ring of Kerry. Not many swimmers at this time of year, but still a great view.

We continued west along the southern coast of the peninsula and I have to say, the views were spectacular! The road, narrow and close to the edge, was a bit harrowing, but our driver Mike was a PRO!

We stopped at several look outs to see different sites. This is a photo of small huts the Irish call beehives, which they believe were built by people doing pilgrimages to holy sites, such as the island known as Skellig Michael, which host the ruins of a 6th century Christian Monastery. Amazing architecture all built of stone in a cone shape that has withstood the test of time.

It’s amazing that the Irish continue to farm this land. It’s not great for crops, but the sheep and the cows seem to thrive on the grass grown along the hills and cliffs.

We made it to the most western part of Europe, with the Blasket Islands in the background. There is such history to this part of Ireland and the islands, known mostly to the Irish but published in several pieces of literature including “Peig”, “The Island Man” and “Twenty Years A-Growing”. It also hosted the filming of such movies as “Ryan’s Daughter” with Robert Mitchum and “Far And Away” with Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise. The scenery was so stunning, but with the changeable weather, it took a long time for filming. The sun came out for us, then some mist, followed by an amazing double rainbow! We searched for the pot of gold, but came up empty.

Next we headed to view Gallarus, an 8th century stone structure that was used as an early Christian oratory. Built of stone without the use of mortar, it is said to be the finest example of dry-stone building in Western Europe that is still standing. It is in the middle of a farmer’s field, but held by the government and open for visits by the public at no charge.

We spent a few hours in the town of Dingle, having lunch, shopping and enjoying the bayside view. We also celebrated one of our travelers’ birthdays, and though I won’t mention her name, I will say that I want to be traveling the world with my daughters when I turn 89!!!!

Tomorrow we head to Kinsale!

The Quays Pub Galway

This morning we said goodbye to Galway and headed south to Killarney. Our first stop was at Bunratty Castle and next door, Dirty Nellie’s Pub. Unfortunately, it was too early in the morning for either to be open, but Bunratty is one of the few restored castles in Ireland. They have built a folk park around the castle grounds which resembles a typical medieval town and you can tour the castle and have a Medieval Banquet on some evenings.

Adare was the next town we stopped in. Known for the beautiful estate built there and golf course attached, it is a sweet town with thatch roofed cottages now used for shops and restaurants.

We spent a few hours in Killarney National Park visiting Muckross House and grounds. We enjoyed a tour of the house, which has been restored and has many original pieces of furniture and artwork. The grounds are amazing with beautiful gardens, lakes and walking paths. There is also Ross Castle in the park, another restored castle and you can take a horse and carriage ride to enjoy the grounds if you have the time.

We’re staying in the beautiful Earl’s Court House Hotel for the next two nights, which is a short walk into the center of Killarney. Tonight in Killarney we were able to find whatever restaurant or pub we wanted for dinner and fun. I found the same restaurant I ate in with my family when we visited, Bricin, and had the most delicious “Boxty”. Some things just make an impression, and this meal of a large potatoe pancake filled with different fillings was something that I remembered from my first visit and wanted to experience again. I was NOT disappointed, except that my family wasn’t with me this time.

Tomorrow is a tour of the Dingle Peninsula.

After enjoying a full Irish breakfast at the House Hotel, we were off to visit the Connemara area of County Mayo, in particular  Ashford Castle and the town of Cong which served as the town and castle setting of the John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara movie “The Quiet Man”. The landscape of this area is what you might think of as typical Ireland. Rolling green fields cut into sections by stonewalls a century or more old, with sheep milling around one section and cows grazing in another.

We had the privilege of visiting the grounds of Ashford Castle, now used as a luxury resort hotel for many high end guests. It offers the guests activities including golf, horseback riding, falconry, tennis, fishing and spa treatments.

It has beautiful gardens, a five star restaurant and is set right on Lough (Lake) Corrib. The town of Cong is a quaint Irish town with typical pubs and restaurants, but also the ruins of the 12th century Abbey of Cong.

We then headed south on our way to the Cliffs of Moher. On the way we passed through the area known as the Burren, a limestone plateau covering the west coast of northern County Clare . The sharp contrast of these grey rolling fields and hills of limestone to the green of County Mayo was stark. Underneath is where the water ran for centuries, forming the caves that are popular for exploring.

The Cliffs of Moher were made famous by Cornelius O’Brien and are the most recognized landmark in Ireland. Stunning 600 foot limestone cliffs rising out of the Atlantic Ocean are breathtaking to see and the interpretive center is fascinating to explore.

Tonight is more fun in Galway City and tomorrow brings the journey down to Killarney!

We were met at the airport by our tour guides from Destinations Ireland & Beyond and transferred quickly to our comfortable coaches. Our drivers and guides are friendly, happy and knowledgeable and we’re asking lots of questions.

First we visited Dublin’s version of “Beverly Hills”, where the rich and famous reside, the area known at Hoath Hill. A seaside area with beautiful views and million dollar houses. It was a beautiful day in Ireland and the fresh sea air and sunshine was an amazing treat after a long overnight flight.

Next we moved on to a town in mid-country called Athalone. This is a very old town, once settled by Vikings and split by the Shannon River. It claims to have the oldest pub in Ireland, Sean’s, or at least a pub that sits on the spot where the first pub was said to have been established. Cute town with great restaurants, pubs and shops.

On to Galway where we’ll stay for two nights in the beautiful House Hotel. The building is a beautiful old stone building with a large welcoming lobby, great bar and restaurant. The rooms are lovely, spacious and well equipped and we had a delicious meal altogether this evening. The food and service was excellent and the hotel is a block from the pedestrian shopping area of Quay Street. Some of us wandered the streets looking for live entertainment and a pint and there was plenty to be found in this area.

Tomorrow it’s off to Connemarre and the Cliffs of Moher and back to Galway for an evening free to explore!

The area of Nice is believed to be among the oldest human settlements in Europe. The spectacular natural beauty of Nice and its mild Mediterranean climate welcomes thousands each year seeking not only relaxation, but also inspiration. The clear and crisp air of Nice has welcomed some of the most outstanding painters and artists throughout history. Their profound art work can be found in many of the city’s museums, enticing tourists from around the world to come and visit.

Nice is well known for its beautiful view on the Promenade des Anglais, its famous waterfront, and its ethnically diverse port city. Nice experiences a Mediterranean climate, with moderately hot summers and mild winters. Its great climate year-round offers tourists the experience to soak up the sun and visit must-see art museums and archaeological ruins of the Romans.

Using Nice as a home base is a great way to tour the south of France without having to change hotels every night. Day trips to Monaco, St. Tropez, Cannes and Grasse offer cultural, historical and fun options for a vacation.

Along with Roman ruins, beautiful vistas and the sea, you can experience French cuisine and wine at its best.

We specialize in organizing Group Travel at Booked By Barthel and often get asked the same questions, so we decided to put the answers in our Blog. We hope you find this informative and perhaps it will stimulate you to try a Group Travel experience yourself.

1. What IS Group Travel?  – The industry definition of group travel is generally 10 or more people traveling together on the same itinerary. For hotel purposes, it’s typically 10 room sales, double occupancy, so 20 people. For large cruise lines it’s typically 8 cabin sales, double occupancy, so 16 people. It varies a bit, depending on the supplier of services.
2. How do Groups form?– More ways than I will be able to cover comprehensively here. Let me give you some ideas of the groups we’ve dealt with and you can use your imagination from there.
   • Choral Groups – an established group of people that sing together
   • Family Groups – multi-generational families, extended families or blended families
   • Church Groups – members of a particular church or larger religion
   • Public Groups – members of the general public that come together for the specific purpose of traveling together
   • Corporate Groups – employees of a particular business that travel together on business OR for pleasure
   • Incentive Groups – groups that are awarded travel opportunities for business achievements by their employers
3. What is the reason for Group Travel?– The answer to that question actually depends on what type of group is traveling.
   • If it’s an already organized group, they likely have something in common like music or religion. They may want to experience the same type of travel or destination, making it easy to come up with one itinerary that suits everyone.
   • For family groups, it’s usually more about spending time together while enjoying a different destination or culture or vacation experience.
   • For Corporate and Public groups, it’s often about the benefits you can receive traveling with a group….which is the next topic.
4. What are some benefits of Group Travel ?
   • Comfort level – Traveling, especially internationally, can make people nervous, so traveling with a group of people provides a certain level of familiarity and comfort. There is usually a tour guide provided as well, giving another level of comfort.
   • Pricing benefits – There is often a pricing break for groups that travel together, as opposed to a couple that may take the same vacation.
   • Added amenities – Groups often get customized options or amenities that individual travelers would not receive. These could be specialized tours, opportunities or gift baskets, something given just to their group.
   • All details are handled – Group travel is usually a fairly inclusive package. The travelers don’t need to worry about how they’re getting to the airport, to their hotel or where to meet their tour guides. The itinerary is all put together for them, making their vacation easier.

At Booked By Barthel Travel, we handle every groups’ needs personally. We work with the group leader, or we provide a group leader when one is required. We handle each request with the same attention to detail and customer service that we provide our individual clients. For more information about Group Travel, or if you have a group looking to travel, please contact us at (845) 810-2747. If you’re looking for Group Travel opportunities, please check out our website.