So here’s what happened. I was on vacation with my two young daughters for Spring Break. I opted to take them on a cruise because they had never been. We sailed out of New York in April and avoided airfare for four to south Florida. It was a simple seven-day itinerary which sailed to Port Canaveral Florida, the cruise line’s private island and Nassau Bahamas. Incidentally, the girls had so much fun! I repeatedly reminded them that this was “their” vacation and they could decide the activities in which we partake.

In Nassau, I announced (since no other formal requests were made), we would be exploring downtown. My original plan was to take them to the pirate museum. But I decided to see how the day went before making promises I couldn’t keep. In addition, I opted to NOT visit Atlantis. Visiting this paradise island oasis is a vacation onto itself and a pricey one at that. I’m not going to editorialize on the value of an Atlantis vacation because I haven’t stepped foot on that property for years. But I know they charge a pretty penny for premium experiences.

​Anyhoo, we began exploring downtown and the girl stepped into the Gucci store and various other shops. But we happened upon a store that looked brand new to me. It was bright, filled with pottery, art, jewelry and an attentive sales staff. The girls marveled at the bowls (handmade and imported from Turkey). I noted the rug and carpet selection. One of the girls spotted this small art studio with a tray of cloudy water and a small paint set which appeared to be in-use by someone not currently present. At that moment, a kind a gentle man of about 50 said “girls! Let your uncle show you”. Naturally I asked “how much” he declared “it’s free”. I was skeptical. After all, this was the Caribbean and tourism dollars are precious. The man (who turned out to be one of the three owners) sat with my two children and their friend and each created an 11 x 17 piece of art on the spot. I couldn’t believe it. They girls were going crazy playing the paints and obviously working with an artist who loved to teach. I would say we spent a half an hour in that store or more. The owner even wowed the girls with a couple of magic tricks. The man treated us like we were the most important people in his world in the time we were there. The girls each purchased a $10 bracelet and we left almost in disbelief at how much fun we had. Even as I write this post I have a smile on my face at how kind and gracious he was to the children and to adults as well.

The name of the store is Turquoise Gallery and it’s located on Bay Street just three doors down from Parliament and essentially next door to the Gucci store. Here is a link to their Facebook Page. I had been to Nassau just a year prior and I didn’t remember this store and I thought I would have. But as I spoke to one of the other owners, he informed me they just opened three months ago. It all made sense. As you know I rarely dedicate an entire blog post to just one store as I value your time. Incidentally, if you wish to watch an episode of Beyond Your Backyard which includes Nassau, you can here. But here’s the point. Obviously if you’re travel plans include Nassau, stop by Turquoise Gallery and say hello to my new friends. And here’s the other point. The old saying “noting ventured, nothing gained” couldn’t be more true. The girls and I set out to explore and found a gem of a place less than 500 yards from our cruise ship.

Incidentally, if you wish to learn more about Nassau, Bahamas, have a look at our Nassau page and watch the full episode of Beyond Your Backyard.  

Happy travels!

Erik

Let's get down to planning! Congratulations for selecting a few destination options for your next great adventure! When it comes to planning your trip remember their really isn't a WRONG way to do it. But if you'd like some insight as to how I do my personal travel planning, then here is a short tutorial. ​This is a lot of info and honestly, we're just scratching the surface. So come back to this page often. It can be found by directly at http://www.erikthetravelguy.com/plan.html  Let's do this!

Hotels, All Inclusives, Air B&B's OH MY!
Usually, I have a pretty good idea of the type of accommodation I'm seeking on any given vacation based on circumstances. But remember, you've got options and a lot of them! An all inclusive might be an excellent choice, a standard pay-as-you-go hotel or motel, a vacation rental, campground, or an Air B&B are your general accommodation options. If I have not selected to purchase a package (or bundle) from an OTA, then I try to book direct with the hotel brand whenever possible. 

Here are a few articles on the subject of accommodations:
Air B&B - A Cautionary Tale
Cruises Vs. ​All Inclusive Resorts
Top 10 to Be A Happy Traveler

To Drive Or Be Driven
Renting a car in the US is pretty standard. But, remember, cars generally rent by the day on a 24-hour cycle. A car can be booked as part of a package through an OTA, by a travel agent or direct with the car rental agency. Most car rental companies are present at airports, in neighborhoods, or in some cases, they'll pick you up. Here is a helpful article on the subject. 

Erik's Top 10 Car Rental Tips

So these are obviously just the basics. You experienced folks may have additional tips and tricks, so please leave them in the comments below. Of course now it's time to plan the itinerary and that is the subject for another post. Hopefully, this information will help you plan a successful, rewarding and memorable vacation!

Happy Travels! 
​Erik  

Erik the Travel Guy is a respected travel industry expert and host of the nationally syndicated PBS travel television series Beyond Your Backyard. He spends, on average, 25 weeks traveling around the world, hosting his show(s), making short-form travel videos and speaking at events and conferences. He lives in New York City and most enjoys spending time with his two daughters. Read Erik's Bio here. ​

With the recent and sudden demise of "Wow Air", I thought I drop a quick note about flying with low cost airlines.

Low cost carriers can be found all over the globe. Are they cheap airlines? Yes and no. Recently, the industry has gotten even more specific with the moniker of "ultra low cost" carriers. But for purposes of this article, I am focusing on American low cost carriers. So please read on if you are considering booking a ticket on any low cost carrier worldwide. Like every other purchase, there are pros and cons to flying with any airline and flying with one of these carriers is no different.

Defining a low cost carrier is not exactly easy. But for now, I'll use the Wikipedia definition.  "A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline (occasionally referred to as no-frills, budget or discount carrier, and abbreviated as LCC) is an airline that is operated with an especially high emphasis on minimizing operating costs and without some of the traditional services and amenities provided in the fare, resulting in lower fares and fewer comforts. To make up for revenue lost in decreased ticket prices, the airline may charge extra fees – such as for carry-on baggage. As of July 2014, the world's largest low-cost carrier is Southwest Airlines, which operates in the United States and some surrounding areas".

Okay, let's start with a general consensus of low cost airlines operating in and around the US. Low cost airlines list:

• Allegiant Air
• ​Frontier Airlines
• JetBlue
• Southwest Airlines
• Spirit Airlines
• Sun Country Airlines

Perhaps by the time this article is published, a new low-cost carrier will pop up, but I think you are starting to get the picture.

I have flown on every single one of these carriers. Offering a critique might be as useful as an expensive orange peeler. I say this because every single one of these airlines I've flown has taken off and landed in the place I was going. Simple as that.

Low cost carriers are capitalizing on consumers desires to go from point A to point B with no frills.  But low cost carriers are competing for your business, not just with the legacy carriers (AA, United, Delta), they're also competing with other low cost carriers. Therefore, each low cost carrier is just a little different and the devil is in the details. Some charge for snacks and drinks others do not. Some have different seating configurations, boarding priority schemes while others do not. The key here is to think about what's important to you. All of these low-cost carriers have mobile apps and direct booking sites. Some have better customer service than others. But it’s important to note; if you select one of these carriers, then you are accepting the risk of flying with them. Not usually a safety risk. Low-cost carriers don't crash or have more mechanical problems than others just because they are low cost. The same, basic functionality of a low cost carrier is the same as the big carriers. They are governed by the same government agencies as well.

The risk I'm talking about has everything to do with the number of aircraft the low cost carrier owns and the number of flights they offer per day in their departure and arrival cities or towns.  
I fly on low cost airlines about 30% of the time because 70% of my travel these days is work-related. Often time, low cost carriers have limited schedules. Not always, but when I travel for work, I need a lot of options. So this is my cautionary warning, when flying on a low cost carrier, lower your expectations. I don't mean to sound persnickety or elitist, I'm simply reminding you,  the business model is different on a low cost carrier. Once again, read the fine print and know what the cost of your ticket includes (and what it doesn't).

On a related note, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the low cost carriers that fly (seasonally and/or year round) to and from your home airport. Deals can be found if you have some advanced warning and regardless of your airline of choice, respect your travel days and treat as such! 

Happy Flying!
​Erik

​PS. For quick tips on airport car parking and airport arrival time and check out these videos:

Erik The Travel Guy is a respected travel industry expert and host of the nationally syndicated PBS travel television series Beyond Your Backyard. He spends, on average, 25 weeks traveling around the world, hosting his show(s), making short-form travel videos and speaking at events and conferences. He lives in New York City and most enjoys spending time with his two daughters.  

In my opinion, the best way to get "travel inspired" or get to traveling is by watching really decent travel videos. Of course, that's what we make but we're not the only ones who make them! But since you're here, these are some recent videos we've produced to help you get your creative juices flowing.

Think of this as your personal Travel Channel of inspiration!

​We update this post from time-to-time and if you find a video you like, leave it in the comments below.