If you are visiting Nova Scotia this summer, a wine tour has got to make your to do list. From stunning views of the Annapolis Valley, seafood feasts and some of the best vineyards in the province, these wine tours have something for pleasure drinkers and wine connoisseurs’ alike!
If you are visiting Nova Scotia this summer, a wine tour has got to make your to do list. From stunning views of the Annapolis Valley, seafood feasts and some of the best vineyards in the province, these wine tours have something for pleasure drinkers and wine connoisseurs’ alike! Ready to plan your Nova Scotian wine tour? Wine not?! We’ve got a sneak peek at four of the best wine tours near Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Grape Escape Tours
Nova Scotia’s wine country, The Annapolis Valley, awaits on your next Grape Escape tour! Along with breathtaking scenery of the rich agricultural land, your tour will include visits to some of Nova Scotia’s top vineyards including; Luckett Vineyards, Benjamin Bridge, Lightfoot & Wolfville; Grand Pre, L’Acadie as well as options for a craft beer bus tour. Operating seven days a week from May to October, with different trips daily and specialty tours on weekends, Grape Escape has something for every wine enthusiasts’ needs. Private tours and special group events are also available.
Wolfville Magic Winery Bus
Ride on the Wolfville Magic Winery Bus! With three tours a day running from Thursday to Sunday, this classic British double decker bus tours five of Annapolis Valley’s finest wineries. The hop-on, hop-off tour allows for one hour at each winery, with the option to stay longer and catch the next bus through. Your trip will include tours of Lightfoot and Wolfville Vineyards, Domaine de Grand Pre, Luckett Vineyards, L’Acadie Vineyards and Gaspereau Vineyards. Departing from the Wolfville Visitor Information Centre hop on a unique wine tour you will never forget!
Uncork Nova Scotia
For small group tours and VIP service, let Uncork Nova Scotia be your guide to some of the region’s best vineyards. Public and private wine tours that depart from Halifax and Wolfville May through November, Uncork offers four different public tours. Each with a unique combination of wineries, microbreweries, gourmet meals, pairings and more. For a truly one of a kind experience, take the Tidal Bay Wine Tasting Adventure tour. This foodie delight combines wine with a traditional lobster lunch, local cheese and charcuterie, and Nova Scotia’s famous Maple Wine.
Wine and Beer Tours of Nova Scotia
Whether your preference is beer or wine, the folks at the Wine and Beer tours of Nova Scotia have an experience for you! Departing from Yarmouth, NS, just three hours out of Halifax, these unique tours combine some of the best wineries and craft breweries with fresh Nova Scotian seafood meals. With four tours available, visit wineries, sample craft beer and indulge in spirit tastings. Paired with a beachside oyster shuck or lighthouse lobster dinners, the Wine and Beer Tours of Nova Scotia offer a once in a lifetime experience.
To keep your budget in check while you sleep under the stars, you can learn how to camp for free. These spots are no-frills, so don’t expect any of the aforementioned services, but you’re here to get away from it all anyway, right?
You’ve got your vehicle stuffed to the roof with a tent, sleeping bags, a few coolers, kitchen gear and everything in between. You’re ready to immerse yourself in the great outdoors and you’re not coming back to civilization until you smell like campfire and bug spray.
But where to go? There are endless camping spots from coast to coast, both private and government-owned, but the cost of multiple nights can add up. In some cases, if you want a spot with hook-ups, like power and sewage, the price per night can be as much as a motel down the road.
To keep your budget in check while you sleep under the stars, you can learn how to camp for free. These spots are no-frills, so don’t expect any of the aforementioned services, but you’re here to get away from it all anyway, right?
USE A COMMUNITY-SHARING APP
Free camping, also known as ‘boon-docking’, is the act of setting up camp on public land without paying a cent. There are a number of useful apps that reveal everything from remote spots hidden down old logging roads to Walmart parking lots that let you sleep overnight.
The website FreeCampsites.net relies on avid campers and full-time travellers to share specific coordinates of free camping spots. Sometime listings have detailed information, including terrain type, size of the space, whether or not there are washrooms, as well as privacy details, like noise, and photos. Other listings are vague, but can be worth taking a chance on. If you stay at one of the free spots listed on the website, write about your experience after. Sharing is caring in the outdoor community.
The Vanlife App is a newly-launched app created by folks who live full-time in their campers and converted Sprinter vans for folks who live full-time in their campers and converted Sprinter vans. But you don’t have to be a permanent #vanlifer to use the app. It’s a solid resource for uncovering free spots across North America and beyond, as well as finding like-minded individuals in the area.
Similarly, iOverlander, another app, lets users search and share free spots around the world using GPS coordinates.
GET FAMILIAR WITH CROWN LAND
In Canada, Crown land is the space within our country that is owned by the government, but for public use. All Canadian citizens can camp for free on Crown land for up to 21 days per site, once a year.
There are certain restrictions, depending on where you go, including rules around hunting, fishing and fires. Crown land isn’t always easy to access (some roads require a 4×4 vehicle with high clearance, for example), however, the government website has a digital atlas that helps make sense of it all.
If you’re camping state-side, the American equivalent is called BLM land.
RESPECT THE ENVIRONMENT
We shouldn’t have to remind you, but here it goes anyway: alwayspack out what you pack in. Don’t be that person who leave a bags of trash, bottles or cigarette butts behind.
Relish in the fresh air, the silence and the beauty around you, and leave it as you found it for the next campers to enjoy.
CALGARY — Driving west on the Trans Canada highway from Calgary on a sunny spring weekend, you’re just as likely to see vehicles carrying mountain bikes as you are to spot skis and snowboards strapped to their roofs.
It may be full-on T-shirt season in and around the city by the time April and May roll around, but several Rocky Mountain ski resorts are revelling in winter’s final throes.
“If the weather’s beautiful in Calgary, people are starting to think about summer and cleaning their garages out and going golfing,” said Leigha Stankewich, with Lake Louise Ski Resort.
“Out here, we still have snow and it’s going to stick around right till May.”
Lake Louise, about two hours west of Calgary in Banff National Park, closes May 5.
Sunshine Village Ski and Snowboard Resort, about 140 kilometres west of Calgary and also in Banff, stays open until Victoria Day, which falls on May 20 this year. However, the resort’s Goat’s Eye Mountain area, which is at a lower elevation, tends to close earlier.
“We’re really just getting our second wind come March 21 on the first official day of spring and we have two more months of great skiing after that,” says Sunshine’s Kendra Scurfield.
Many resorts close out their seasons with big bashes featuring DJs, bands and barbecues in their base areas. Visitors enjoying apres-ski beers in the sun can watch skiers and snowboarders zoom down the hill and attempt to leap over ice-cold pools of water.
“The best part about it is you cheer if somebody makes it across and you go insane because it hardly happens. And then you also cheer if someone has a big wipe-out,” Scurfield says of Sunshine’s end-of-season festivities known as Slush Cup.
Lake Louise has its annual Shake the Lake season-ender party slated for April 27.
Across the boundary in the B.C. Rockies, resorts have their final blowouts by mid-April.
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, B.C., has a beach party April 6 and Sunsplash Funkfest the following weekend. Kimberley Alpine Resort has Spring Splash on April 6. And Fernie Alpine Resort has a retro weekend March 30 followed by its two-day Fernival festival on April 13-14.
Matt Mosteller — a.k.a. “Powder Matt” — is a spokesman for Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, whose properties include Kicking Horse, Kimberley and Fernie. He’s a big fan of Fernie’s retro weekend, when he has an excuse to bust out his best, tackiest ’80s outfits.
“Dressing up with big hair and big boots and a colourful, really bright outfit and playing air guitar in the plaza at Fernie is a pretty special time,” he says.
Zany costumes in general are a regular feature of spring skiing in the Canadian Rockies, where fuzzy animal onesies and superhero get-ups are a common sight on the hill.
B.C. and Alberta locals are big on spring skiing, but Mosteller said an increasing number of people are booking trips from further afield during April and May.
“Even though spring can sometimes be variable, predominantly you’re having fresh snow and bright sunshine as a mix during your week,” he says.
Stankewich says the back bowls of Lake Louise tend to have great snow right until the end of the season, but some other areas get slushier and messier.
“Some seasons we manage to keep most things open, and then others you start to see some more rocks and grass come through,” she said.
“Our base is still pretty good this year. So I think things should stay open pretty late.”
Sun protection is key, as the lingering white snow intensifies rays that are already stronger at high altitudes. UV-blocking goggles or glasses are a must, as well as loads of sunscreen.
“A lot of people don’t think about that, but you’re starting to see all of the goggle tans out there,” says Stankewich.
The renovated Cosmopolitan restaurant is bright with interlocking rings on the ceiling and a mesmerizing view of the ship’s wake. (Celebrity Cruises)
There’s nothing like a $500-million investment to give new life to some old ships.
Celebrity Cruises is renovating much of its fleet in the wake of the December debut of its ultra-modern Edge ship — its first of a new class in more than a decade.
The ‘Revolution,’ as they’ve named it, will transform nine ships in total by 2023. Celebrity Summit, which had its inaugural sail in 2001, was the second to undergo a modernization that touched nearly every aspect of the guest experience.
The pool area on the Celebrity Summit, a prime spot for catching some Caribbean sunshine. (Cynthia McLeod)
Summit’s transformation took place over just 38 days. Every stateroom was stripped down to the steel and rebuilt with modern style and amenities, inspired by the work famed interior designer Kelly Hoppen did with the Edge accommodations.
“We just always want our guests to experience Celebrity in as much of the same way as possible, regardless of the ships and the hardware,” president and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo said.
Hoppen herself designed the revamped suites on the Summit, as well as both the Retreat Sundeck and the Retreat Lounge, special areas being expanded fleet-wide that are exclusive to all suite guests and mimic the Retreat experience on the Edge.
The Retreat Sundeck on Celebrity Summit is accessible to all suite guests. (Celebrity Cruises)
“We saw the Retreat as a big homerun as soon as we announced it and we started getting bookings,” said Lutoff-Perlo. “It’s helped us market the Celebrity suite experience in a whole new way.”
Summit’s main dining spaces also received contemporary designs in the Revolution makeover. The Cosmopolitan dining room is lighter and brighter with a new ceiling featuring interlocking metal rings. A few “power tables” feature high-back chairs that create a more intimate dining experience in the grand, two-storey room with a breathtaking view of the ship’s wake.
High-back chairs at one of the “power tables” in Celebrity Summit’s main dining room, Cosmopolitan. (Celebrity Cruises)
In the Oceanview Cafe, the previous buffet line had “felt like a mass feeding,” said Cornelius Gallagher, associate vice-president, food and beverage operations, Celebrity Cruises. It has been replaced by more of a marketplace vibe with about a dozen different food stations, including a functioning bakery complete with bread oven. About 95% of what’s served is made in-house.
The bakery is one of a dozen food serving stations at the renovated Oceanview Cafe on Celebrity Summit. (Celebrity Cruises)
“For us it’s about quality,” said Gallagher. “We expanded the amount of lines we have, increased local sourcing and increased a la minute cooking, because any food that you make is great when you make it right at the last second.”
Bringing the flavours from the destinations onto the ship is also important to Celebrity.
“It took us a long time to build those partnerships in order to bring these fresh products on board and showcase them for what they are,” said Chef Josh Becker, director of culinary operations at Celebrity Cruises. “When we’re sailing to the Caribbean, you’re going to see those Caribbean varieties of fish out. When we’re sailing to the northern Baltic, you’ll see those northern Baltic fish out.”
Small-batch cooking and serving local dishes are part of the culinary mandate on the Summit. (Cynthia McLeod)
Celebrity has also partnered with award-winning French Chef Daniel Boulud, creator of Michelin-starred restaurant Daniel in New York and Cafe Boulud at Toronto’s Four Seasons Hotel, to design signature dishes for the suite class guests’ restaurant, Luminae. Boulud is also creating a five-course chef’s table experience that will be available to all ship guests and include a private galley tour.
Another new partnership debuting on the Summit is a collaboration with the reknowned American Ballet Theatre (ABT), which Celebrity says is a first in the cruise industry. As you can imagine, dancing on your toes on a moving ship isn’t easy and you can try it for yourself – ship guests can join ABT dancers for seminars and ballet barre classes.
The Summit’s casino, spa, fitness area, Sunset Deck and Rendezvous Lounge also received modern updates. The spa’s Persian Garden thermal suite even features a Turkish bath, salt therapy and infrared sauna. And the modernization extended to the nearly two-decade-old ship’s technical equipment, making it more efficient so that it burns 15% less fuel than before.
The casino and its bar also received a modern look in the Summit ‘Revolution.’ (Celebrity Cruises)
Lutoff-Perlo says Celebrity “couldn’t be more excited about what’s going on right now” with the brand.
“It’s not all about Edge and that’s something we’ve been very careful to ensure doesn’t happen here at Celebrity,” she said. “While Edge lifts our fleet, it’s not the only amazing ship in our fleet.”
Taking pictures of yourself on this Thai beach could land you in hot water.
Authorities in Phuket, Thailand are working to curb the number of visitors that flock to the famed Mai Khao beach, a picturesque location that has become popular thanks to its close proximity to Phuket International Airport.
Visitors flock to the beach to not only soak in the sun but also take pictures of themselves as low-flying planes fly above as they prepare to land. The portion of this beach near the runway has been dubbed “Unseen Phuket.”
The Bangkok Post reported authorities are developing a new safety zone near the airport runway that will restrict people from entering and taking selfies as a large number of people on the beach posing for pics can prove to be a visual distraction for pilots.
A Thai lady jumping as an airplane flies over for a selfie at the back of Phuket airport. Mai Khao beach is close to Phuket International Airport “and a lot of tourists like to selfie during the plane landing and take off on the beachside.” (Getty Images)
In an interview with the Post, airport chief Wichit Kaeothaithiam said more strict regulations must be applied to the area as mandated by the International Civil Aviation Organization. He added authorities can also hand out punishment as part of the Air Navigation Act.
Anyone found in violation can be fined $1,253 US or face up to 20 years behind bars.
“The maximum penalty is the death sentence,” Kaeothaithiamsaid.
Mai Khao beach isn’t the only location in the world where selfie-snapping tourists have been a problem.
On the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, Maho Beach is controversial after a 57-year-old tourist was killed after a jet blast knocked her to the ground. The New York Post reported the woman had been straddling a fence that separates the airport and the beach when a blast of air from the jet’s engines knocked her down.
A saying made famous in “The Blues Brothers,” is etched into the floor of the building that once held solitary confinement cells at the Old Joliet Prison. (Genevieve Bookwalter/For The Washington Post)
At the start of “The Blues Brothers,” the 1980 comedy classic, “Joliet Jake” Blues walks out the front gate of Joliet Correctional Center, a looming, limestone fortress built in 1858. Now, for the first time since the facility closed in 2002, tourists can walk in through that gate. The Old Joliet Prison, as it’s known locally, is offering public tours.
But the prison outside Chicago is not the Alcatraz of the Midwest. It hasn’t been spruced up with exhibits and an audio tour. There is no heat or jail-cell restoration. Instead it is a tourist experience in “ruin porn” — the trendy photography genre that showcases abandoned and decaying buildings. And the Joliet Area Historical Museum hopes visitors will pay $20 each to walk through and listen to tales from local historians and former prison guards.
“It literally looks like someone just got up and walked away” from the prison, said Greg Peerbolte, executive director of the museum, which is coordinating the tours. “The forbidden-ness is definitely an asset. There’s a voyeuristic aspect.”
Indeed, a pair of shorts lie on the floor of a cell, left there by a former prisoner — or an actor in one of the shows that filmed in the prison after it closed. Peeling paint drapes down from the ceiling. In the former hospital — built in 1895, one of the oldest buildings on the yard — grime and graffiti tags cover exam-room walls.
The 90-minute walking tour starts at the gate where Jake (John Belushi) walks out of the prison and across the street to meet his brother Elwood (Dan Aykroyd), who is waiting to pick him up.
The prison walls, more than 20 feet high, back right up to the streets surrounding them, and the gate opens onto the roadway. I couldn’t help but crane my neck at the tall limestone barriers as I went in.
“The prisoners built this around themselves,” Peerbolte said from the center of the 16-acre yard, motioning to the walls that surrounded us. Prisoners mined the rock from a nearby quarry, carried it here and walled themselves in.
Inside the fortress, the scenery still looks much like it did in a Season 1 episode of “Prison Break,” the Fox television series that was filmed here.
Peerbolte credits the series, and the John Landis film, with driving much of the tourism the prison is experiencing — especially from international visitors. The museum already has booked a 200-ticket block this summer with a tour operator based in China, where “Prison Break” is very popular.
A man visiting from Italy spoke no English, Peerbolte said, except to ask where John Belushi’s cell was. When he found it, he broke down in tears.
The man “talked about how he’d waited his whole life to see it,” Peerbolte said. “I’m like, ‘You’re from Rome, the cradle of civilization!’ ”
Jessamyn Moore, the museum’s internal operations manager, said she has started recommending that docents watch the shows to not only brush up on pop culture, but to learn what the prison looked like before the decay set in.
As the tour continues around the yard, visitors can read lines engraved above the doorways. “Make time serve you,” greets visitors to the old school. “Make ye a new heart and a new spirit, Ezekiel 18:31” is emblazoned above the chapel. Etched into the floor of the segregation unit, which held cells for prisoners in solitary confinement, are the words that famously appear in the movie’s final scene : “It’s never too late! To mend.”
The building was designed by Chicago architects William W. Boyington and Otis L. Wheelock in the castellated Gothic style. The second-oldest prison in Illinois, built to house 1,800 people, was already over capacity — at nearly 2,000 inmates — by 1878, Peerbolte said.
In “Joliet Prisons: Images in Time,” local historian Robert E. Sterling chronicles the dramatic changes at the facility during the decades it was in operation. Until 1896, black-and-white striped pants, shirts and hats were standard-issue, and prisoners were forced to walk in lock-step. There was no separate facility for young offenders : In 1864, for example, the ages of inmates living in the prison ranged from 10 to 68 years old.
Until 1903, when the dining hall was built, the men ate in their cells. Before showers were installed in the 1920s, prisoners bathed once a week in the summer and once every two weeks in the winter in the prison’s 15 iron tubs. To save time, some were forced to share a soak.
By 1915, prisoners were allowed one hour of daily outdoor recreation. Strict quiet time during meals, work and marching was lifted and inmates could talk to one another. The prison launched a day school and its own newspaper, and trusted inmates were allowed outside the walls to work on a farm, growing food for the prison, according to Sterling’s book. But many of those allowances were eliminated after prisoners rioted in 1917 and set fire to seven buildings.
Officials hope to restore the chapel that once served prisoners housed in the Old Joliet Prison. (Genevieve Bookwalter/For The Washington Post)
Our next stop was a cell that was preserved and put on display in the prison yard when the facility was decommissioned. A plaque next to the cell calls Joliet the “last of the Illinois medieval prisons.” It held iron bunk bed frames for mattresses barely wide enough to roll over on. The room was four feet wide, seven feet long and seven feet high. These cells were in use until the late 1940s and early 1950s, when they were remodeled and replaced.
I declined the offer to step inside; just peering in made me want to run in the other direction. Peerbolte said many people have a similar response.
We also visited the cells for solitary confinement, which were a little bigger because, Peerbolte said, prisoners there were allowed outside for only an hour a day. Others spent more of their day at work or in the yard.
Cells such at this 4-by-7-foot one housed prisoners until the 1950s. (Genevieve Bookwalter/For The Washington Post)
In the chapel, a mid-century modern building across the yard, sunlight streamed in through smashed windows and illuminated a roughly hewed altar that was probably built by prisoners. The variety of architectural designs, Peerbolte said, is common as the prison was added onto and improved to meet changing needs over time. The limestone is constant throughout the prison’s buildings.
The question of what to restore, what to remodel and what to save is key to the future of the facility, officials agreed. The answer could determine how far into the future the tours will be offered.
Steve Jones, deputy city manager and economic development manager for the City of Joliet, said the city and the museum have a five-year intergovernmental agreement with the Illinois Department of Corrections to research whether the prison is worth preserving as a community asset and, if so, how to do it. The Illinois Department of Corrections still owns the site.
Along with the historical tours and the tours led by former prison guards, the museum staff is considering tours for amateur photographers and private groups, and even ghost tours, Moore said.
The staff has received inquiries from folks representing travel channels and conducting “paranormal explorations,” as well as film crews from various networks, Jones said. “Empire” recently filmed on site. Joliet’s minor-league baseball team, the Slammers, filmed their promotional video there. A concert held on the prison yard last summer drew 3,500 people and raised $137,000. Peerbolte said he’s even had inquiries about getting married in the chapel.
“Think of all the ball-and-chain jokes,” he said.
There are many other sections of the prison, such as the former warden’s quarters, that remain off limits but could be a big draw for tours once they’re restored.
“People lived and died here. This is a house of pain,” Jones said. But it’s also one that holds more than a century of history, and served as one of the city’s largest employers. “People need to see this place.”
Overseas Adventure Travel is offering free airfare and discounts on select trips to South America, including the 16-night Machu Picchu & the Galapagos package that departs from Lima, Peru. (Henry Romero/Reuters)
This week’s best travel bargains around the globe.
Land
Vista Celestial, a luxury boutique hotel in Costa Rica, is offering 40 percent off stays of five, seven and 10 nights. The May All Inclusive packages cost $4,398 per couple for five nights, $6,155 for a week and $8,295 for 10 nights. Price includes accommodations in a luxury villa; three daily meals with beverages, including alcoholic drinks; two massages; and taxes. Book by May 1 and stay May 1-31. Use promo code MyMayGetAway. Info: 888-829-7560, vistacelestial.com.
Saint Peter’s Bay Luxury Resort and Residences and Port Ferdinand Yacht & Beach Club Residences, a pair of sister resorts in Barbados, are offering 35 percent off villas. A one-bedroom harborside villa at Port Ferdinand starts at $535 a night double, including taxes, and a one-bedroom premium beachfront villa at Saint Peter’s Bay starts at $495. The Summer Savings 2019 special also includes airport transfer, swim-and-snorkel excursion with turtles, nonmotorized watersports activities and unlimited water taxi service between the properties. Book by April 30; travel May 1-Dec. 14. Minimum three-night stay. Info: 866-978-6931, stpetersbaybarbados.com and 855-346-8662, portferdinand.com.
The Cooper Inn in Cooperstown, N.Y., is offering up to 25 percent off select nights in April and May. Rates start at $169 a night, plus $20 taxes. The Spring Inn Bloom special also includes daily breakfast, WiFi, parking and admission to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Fenimore Art Museum or Farmers’ Museum. Info: 800-348-6222, cooperinn.com.
Sea
Intrepid Travel has discounted several of its adventure cruises by 20 percent. For example, a seven-night Indonesian Island cruise that sails round trip from Bali starts at $2,056 per person double, including taxes — a savings of $514. Promo also applies to 13 itineraries in Europe and eight in Southeast Asia. Book by April 30 and travel by Oct. 31. Info: 800-970-7299, intrepidtravel.com/us.
Windstar Cruises is offering free airfare from Los Angeles to Papeete on select Tahiti cruises. The deal applies to seven, 10 and 11-night cruises and includes round-trip air on Air Tahiti Nui, pre-cruise night at the InterContinental Papeete Hotel, round-trip airport transfers, post-cruise hotel day room and taxes. Prices vary. For example, the seven-day Dreams of Tahiti cruise departing June 6 starts at $4,399 per person double. By comparison, brochure price is $9,799, and airfare from Los Angeles to Tahiti typically costs more than $900. Info: 866-536-4704, windstarcruises.com.
Air
British Airways is offering an airfare and car rental deal that costs less than airfare alone. For example, in early May, round-trip air from BWI Marshall to Glasgow, Scotland, and a seven-day economy car rental starts at about $947, including taxes. By comparison, airfare alone costs about $1,000. Book by April 29 and travel by Dec. 15. Info: britishairways.com.
Package
With Overseas Adventure Travel, which caters to travelers ages 55 and older, receive free airfare on select trips to South America and Europe, plus discounts on several departures. For example, with the $500 discount, the 16-night Machu Picchu & the Galapagos trip starts at $5,495 per person double and includes airfare from Washington Dulles to Lima, Peru, with return from Quito, Ecuador (worth $800); five internal flights; 12 nights’ lodging in Peru and Ecuador; four-night Galapagos cruise; 38 meals; 21 guided tours; land transportation; gratuities; transfers; and taxes. Depart in September or October. Book by calling 800-955-1925 by April 30; request promo code FREE FALLAIR. Info: oattravel.com.
Travel checklists are essential for planning a trip. Travel involves a lot of preparation work, from booking air tickets to packing luggage, from arranging a taxi to finding a caregiver to pets. I used to feel that no matter how well prepared I thought I was, I always forgot something, such as a toothbrush, a phone charger, or my sunglasses.
I often ended up having to shop for those items in the destination city. It was quite a waste of time and money. While I blamed myself for being forgetful, I realized the importance of using checklists for my travel preparation. Just as we need a shopping list for groceries, we cannot expect we always remember all the necessities that should be packed in and all the essential things that need to be done before we leave home.
I am sharing with you three travel checklists I’ve created for travel reservation/preparation, packing the luggage, and home preparation before leaving for the trip.
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1. Travel checklist for Reservation and Preparation
I use this list to make sure I have made all the necessary reservations, including airline/train/bus, hotel, car rental, taxi, etc. I also use it to write down travel details, such as things to do during travel, emergency contacts for various issues, etc.
2. Travel Packing Checklist
This checklist includes essential items that I may need to pack in my travel bag so that I won’t forget anything important. This list is not intended to be exhaustive. Depending on the season, destination, and people you are traveling with (e.g., baby, elderly adults), items need to be added or removed.
3. Home Checklist before Traveling
I want to my trip to be stress-free. Before leaving home, I always use this checklist to do my home preparation. Knowing that all these necessary steps have been taken gives me a relief and saves me from a potential headache when I am away from home.
The better you plan and prepare your trip, the more relaxing and pleasant your travel experience will be. Use these three travel checklists to gain peace of mind and to save time and money
Perhaps one of the most ignored aspects of trip planning, but also one of the most important ones is insurance. Most people consider travel insurance a waste of money, as it does not provide any tangible output to those who return safely from a trip. Most people don’t realise the cost of treatment of a stomach infection abroad, might just become more expensive than the cost of their entire trip. Healthcare is expensive in most parts of the world, especially Europe and North America.
Domestic insurance and travel insurance are not the same. A domestic health insurance policy would only cover you when in India. You don’t get treatment in a network hospital abroad.
Travel insurance does not just take care of your medical expenses on the road, but also other situations that could arise. These include flight cancellations, loss or delay of baggage, stolen passports, trip cancellations, terror attack and more.
Travel insurance is easy to buy and can be purchased online these days. Most online travel agents will also sell you a policy very happily, but rather than buy the standard policy, you should always shop around before you put money down on a policy. The reason is that travel insurance, while a very standardized product, still has many catches to look out for, and you would do well to buy one which is the closest to your own personal situation.
One aspect to look for is the cover for pre-existing conditions. Some insurance companies will cover a health emergency caused due to a pre-existing situation and others won’t. Many want to see if your condition is stable before underwriting the insurance.
Flight cancellations or delays are another good reason for insurance. Yes, an airline needs to get you to your destination as a part of your contract with them. But there are many a clause where the airline is not obliged to reimburse you in case there is a cancellation or delay beyond the control of the airline. For instance, the bombings at Brussels airport in 2016 left many passengers stranded for days. In such a situation, you could end up spending a lot of money out of your pocket on hotels, meals and other expenses. Here, the insurance company would have stepped in to reimburse insured passengers for the incidental costs that the airlines may have not been able to cover.
Most insurers also provide travel cancellation and trip interruption benefits. These benefits help you cover the financial loss incurred due to cancellation of a trip. These losses could be the cost of the air tickets, hotel bookings or travel packages before the start of a trip or once you are on your way. In the case of cancelling a trip due to unforeseen circumstances, such as a natural disaster, you could claim those from the travel insurance provider.
The travel insurance policy would also compensate you if there is some sort of an issue midway through your trip that causes you to curtail your stay or alter your schedule. Under the trip interruption benefit, they would cover you up to a prespecified limit for expenses. For instance, if you had to head home from Bali early after the earthquakes there last July.
When buying travel insurance, you should consider your own travel patterns. If you are a frequent international traveller, you might want to buy an annual plan that covers multiple trips or a single trip insurance if you don’t travel as often. It would work out cheaper for business travellers to have an annual plan.
You should also be careful to check if you are buying a primary travel insurance or a secondary one. Primary insurance provides you on-the-spot assistance while secondary travel insurance provides reimbursement. That means you would need to pay the bills upfront and claim reimbursement from your insurance provider.
Some premium credit cards provide travel insurance as a part of their suite of benefits. For instance, American Express Platinum Charge card gives their card members $50,000 overseas medical insurance for the first seven days of a trip from ICICI Lombard General Insurance. Citi Prestige gives members complimentary medical insurance from HDFC Ergo.
So, the next time you pack your bags, make sure you pick up that little piece of paper before you leave the door, because you don’t have a crystal ball, and you don’t know what happens next.
Paris is a fantastic city to visit, especially for first time visitors to Europe, however you’ll need to be aware of your surroundings as there are quite a few scammers in Paris. My husband has personally been scammed in Paris and I’ve been on my best behavior while living in Paris to avoid pickpockets in Paris….
Hopefully, these tips for avoiding pickpockets in Paris and knowledge about popular scams in Paris will help you avoid being scammed in Paris. This post includes tips from other Parisian residents as well as travelers on scams in Paris that they’ve encountered.
Tips covered in this post about pickpockets and scams in Paris:
Tips on how to avoid pickpockets in Paris
Paris Scams to Avoid
Bar scam where a girl asks for a drink and then you get bullied into paying a lot
Signing a petition
Phony Police
Covering up ATM screens with cardboard
Friendship bracelet
Hotel Scams
Thimble scammers in Montmartre and Eiffel Tower
Gold ring scam
Avoiding taxi scams in Paris
Dropping a baby into arms scam
Restaurant with no prices scam
Metro scams
HOW TO AVOID PICKPOCKETS IN PARIS
Unfortunately pickpocketing in Paris is a significant issue for both tourists and residents alike. Tourists are more likely to be targeted, however major tourist attractions as well as the Metro are where you’ll commonly find pickpockets in Paris. Here’s some tips about how to avoid pickpockets in Paris based on my time living in Paris.
SOME SIMPLE STEPS TO AVOID PICKPOCKETS IN PARIS:
Pickpockets typically work in teams. Although we imagine that it’s just onethief, there’s usually at least two people working together. The first person is the one who “bumps” into you and/or figures out where your valuables are located (often when you check for your wallet after the initial bump).
The actual pickpocket comes up to you to do the work and let’s put it this way: you’ll usually know. If you’re bumped, be careful as that’s usually the first step rather than the main step. Get out of there ASAP if you had a bad feeling about a situation.
READ MOREThe perfect day trip from Paris to Provins, a beautiful medieval town
Ensure that your bag zips securely and that you keep the zipper in the front while you’re walking/standing (especially on the Paris Metro). This is a super basic tip, however I was almost pickpocketed as a thief thought that the zipper to my purse (a large tote bag) was in the back… I felt the thief pulling on my bag and I moved away.
Now, I prefer using a cross-body bag as if it makes it easier to keep eyes on my bag as well as my hand over the zipper. I really like to have a bag with multiple zipped pockets, so even if a thief manages to get in, they won’t have time to get through all my pockets.
I also recommend a bag with thicker straps, which makes it harder for someone to slash the straps. I’ve been a fan of Kipling crossbody bags for a while as they’re well-made, sturdy, and discrete. As a side note, I really like to go to the store to try on different crossbody bags to see how comfortable they are and to see if my DSLR camera will fit inside of them without anyone being able to tell that I’m carrying a nice camera.
Looking like a tourist…means that you’ll be targeted as a tourist. This is so basic, but if you’re carrying around a giant selfie stick and/or wearing a fanny pack, it’s pretty clear that you’re a tourist. Even the travel safari vests are a dead giveaway (sorry).
I know that some people swear by the fanny pack, however a waist pack that can’t be seen is far better idea than one than can be seen. I personally don’t wear pickpocketing-proof waist packs, but I know that some people like them. I always put my camera away as soon as I’m done with a photo. Keeping it out makes you a target.
Avoid using your phone on the metro and in major touristic locations. Most people, myself included, are guilty of using a cell phone on the Metro or in a touristic location, however if you’re looking at your phone, you’re not paying attention to what’s going on around you. It also makes it easier for someone to grab your phone out of your hand or pickpocket you.
Don’t leave your valuables (e.g. phone/camera) on the table. This is so basic, but even I’m guilty of setting my phone/camera on the table. There is a scam that targets people who leave their phone out in the table… so if you just got the newest iPhone, be aware that touristic terrace restaurants in Paris are often targeted by scammers who will distract you while stealing your phone off the table.
Don’t hang your bag off your chair and/or place it on the floor without having it attached to you in some way. I’ve heard of a scam in Paris where thieves will reach down to pick bags off the floor, so I recommend keeping your bag attached to you in some way with eyes on it.
I often keep my bag in my lap with one hand over it while I’m eating and/or hold it between my legs on public transit if I’m sitting down. It ensures that even if I’m not wearing it, I’m aware if someone tries to move it.
Don’t leave your valuables out while taking photos. I’ve seen this happen so many times when people are trying to nail the perfect photo near the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower. You put your bag down next to your friend/loved one who is taking the photo… and they’re busy taking the photo. Be aware of where your stuff is.
Walk with purpose and avoid eye contact. Maybe it’s growing up in New York, but I believe having your “big city” walk on in Paris or as some call it RBS (Resting Bitch Face) can make it clear that you’re too busy to stop for a scammer.
I always walk around people who are clearly coming up to others to talk. I know it seems callous, but you don’t need to talk to everyone who comes up to you. You don’t need to be polite to scammers.
Most people who I know were scammed (or had their credit card stolen) had it happen at a restaurant where their card was taken to the back. Although it’s more common in Paris to sit and wait for your card to be returned with the bill, I like to go with the waiter to the front to present my credit card to ensure that the waiter can’t copy down my card information or take photos of my card. If you’re worried about having your credit card details stolen, use cash.
Don’t carry too much cash on you. I try to limit my cash to what I’ll be using for the next 1-3 days to ensure that I’m carrying enough cash for daily use, but not any extra. Thieves are often after cash and it’s a bad idea to carry more than you’re willing to lose. There are plenty of ATMs in Paris and there’s no need to carry around three hundred euros (or more). Most shops will accept credit cards.
Separate out your daily use wallet from your main wallet. Realistically, you’ll be using 1-2 cards for most of your trip as well as some cash. I like to limit my cash to 100 euros with going to the ATM every couple days.
The rest of my wallet will be hidden elsewhere or left at home, so that if my “travel” wallet is stolen, I don’t need to cancel all my cards or replace my IDs. I recommend keeping your passport separate from your “travel wallet.” Although the passport wallet is popular, it makes it easier to lose your passport if someone pickpockets you. I like to hide my passport elsewhere, just in case.
Photo by Prasit Rodphan/Bigstockphoto
Most pickpockets are not after your cards or passport. They mostly want cash, so if you’ve been targeted and had your wallet stolen, check the nearby trash bins for your wallet. Cash is non-traceable while cards are traceable and can be cancelled. Realistically, a pickpocket will dump your wallet after extracting the cash although it’s good to know what’s in your wallet, so you can notify your banks accordingly.
If something happens, file a police report. A police report allows you to contest charges on your credit card that may be the result of a scam. Similarly, it allows you to contact your travel insurance (a good idea) to get back any money that may have lost as a result of a scam. It’s unlikely you’ll get your phone back (don’t go after the thief yourself), but you can get money to buy a new phone from your insurance.
PARIS SCAMS TO AVOID
I think half the battle of avoiding scammers is to know the popular scams in Paris before you arrive, so when a pretty girl comes up to you to flirt, you know that there’s a chance that it might be a scam. (Hopefully for you, that’s not the case!) I hope these bad experiences/scams that happened to me, friends, and fellow travel bloggers, help you make the best of your trip to Paris.
BAR SCAM WHERE A GIRL ASKS FOR A DRINK AND THEN YOU GET BULLIED INTO PAYING A LOT
This unfortunate scam happened to my husband on his first solo trip to Paris and it ruined his trip. While walking around Montmartre, a girl came up to him and mentioned to him that one of the nearby cafes had a drink special that included a free drink. Down for a free drink, Jacob headed with the girl to a cafe. Almost immediately, he had a bad feeling about the place, but he figured that he’d get his free drink before leaving.
As soon as he sat at the bar enjoying his free drink, a girl sat next to him asking if she should order champagne. He told her to do whatever she wanted (assuming that she’d just make her own decisions) and she ordered a champagne. After ordering the one free drink, he decided to leave, only to be blocked by an intimidating looking man who told me that he owed a thousand euros for the girl’s drink.
A broke backpacker at the time, Jacob did not have a thousand euros and threatened to call the police. After some negotiations and intimidation, Jacob offered to pay three hundred euros. He withdrew the money, the rest of his funds for his trip. After, he got out of the cafe and went straight to the police to file a report. (The Paris police visited the establishment afterwards.) He also went to the American Embassy.
Simply, don’t follow someone who invites you into a bar and remember that restaurants/cafes must have your permission to charge you an amount. Be sure to note the address of any establishment that tries to rip you off, so you can report it to the police.
In the case of this cafe scam, they tried to use the girl asking if she should order a champagne as “permission” to charge him, so always ask the prices upfront and be clear that you will only pay for your portion.
SIGNING A PETITION
This is a popular scam. Someone comes up to you asking for you to sign a petition about a cause that is usually very vague. While you’re signing the petition, someone else is rifling through your bag and/or picking up items from the table (including phones). In some cases, they’ll ask for money, which will not be going to the cause most likely. Wait until you’re home to donate to charity.
When you see someone coming up to you with a clipboard, be on guard. There’s a variation with this with a person coming up to you with a cardboard sign and/or laying the sign on the table while picking up your iPhone X with it. Just walk walking around people with clipboards and/or start saying NON as loudly as possible.
PHONY POLICE
An undercover policeman will stop you to ask for your passport and/or check your wallet for counterfeit bills. Ask for identification of the person asking you and/or to be brought into a police station prior to doing so.
Needless to say, be careful with taking out your passport in public. While living in Paris, I never needed to take out my passport in public for any reason besides verifying my identity for a hotel.
Do not take out your passport in public just because someone asks to see it.I’ve heard of scams where people ask for your passport while pretending to be undercover cops, so watch out if someone asks for it. In France, you do not need to carry your passport around if you’re from the Schengen region.
COVERING UP ATM SCREENS WITH CARDBOARD
This scam in Paris is one of the nastiest ones that I’ve ever seen. While doing a free walking tour in Paris on my first visit, one of the group members decided to go to an ATM to take out cash. (The ATM was directly behind in the Louvre on a touristy street.)
While he was at the ATM, someone came up and put a piece of cardboard over the screen while another person intimidated him. Luckily, my group scared them off as we shouted as them, however the scam is that they intimidate you while covering up the screen. They hit the button for one hundred euros and flee.
Advice: Ensure that nobody is near you when you go to an ATM and be aware of the ATM location. (I personally try to use ATMs in residential areas to avoid this issue.)
HOTEL SCAMS
There’s two notable scams involving hotels in Paris. The first hotel scam is someone who calls your hotel room pretending to be at the front desk who needs your credit card to double-check something. Typically the scammer is not downstairs, but elsewhere writing down your credit card details. Be sure to go downstairs to the front desk to notify them and check if everything is okay. Never give out your personal information over the phone!
Someone turns up at your room asking to “inspect” it claiming to be a hotel or the police without any notice. Needless to say, you should ask the front desk prior to letting them into your room. Once in the room, they’ll steal some stuff. There should be proper notification and you shouldn’t allow people into your hotel room without caution.
FRIENDSHIP BRACELET
Someone comes up to you and offers you something for free. It’s usually a “friendship bracelet” that they put on your wrist without your permission. As soon as it’s on your wrist, you’re asked to pay some amount of money for this bracelet that you didn’t even want. (This is often a way to distract tourists while they’re pickpocketed.)
THIMBLE SCAMMERS IN MONTMARTRE AND EIFFEL TOWER
A trip to Paris isn’t complete without a visit of the Montmartre hill with the iconic Basilica of the Sacré Cœur on top. The area is a hotspot for local and international artists as well as for scammers. All around Montmartre, groups of people gather around small makeshift tables or cardboard boxes. Many of them are waving with large amounts of money and everybody seems to be winning in the game they are playing.
A small item is placed under a cup and is shuffled around among two other empty cups. It seems so easy to guess under which cup the item is. And everyone around the table is winning money. But try to resist the urge to join in the game with your own money.
All these lucky bystanders are all part of the scam. As soon as you place your bet, the game will change and the thimblerig scammer will remove the item under the cup and replace it only after you decided under which cup it is supposed to be. They have years of experience doing this scam in Paris and it is near impossible to catch it with the naked eye – so don’t be tempted to play. Thanks to Mike from 197TravelStamps.
GOLD RING SCAM
Someone finds a ring in front of you. You’re asked if it’s your ring and the person discovers that it’s 100% real gold! You’re offered the ring to buy off them. Needless to say, it’s not worth much, so just walk away. It’s not your lucky day.
SALESMAN / DIRECTIONS IN PARIS SCAM
We met this elderly gentleman driving a car on our way to the Atelier Brancusi. He looked like a normal person. He stopped us on our way and asked an address as his phone was dead. We showed him the address by way of directions on our mobile phone. He thanked us profusely and asked about quite a few questions. In short, he was really friendly and showed no signs of fooling us in any way.
We were also glad that we could help him out. He responded that he’d like to gift us something as we were such kind people. At first, we said it’s not required and started walking away. However, he didn’t allow us to leave and claimed to be the CEO of Calvin Klein. He told us how impressed he was with us and offered two sample jackets reserved for family and friends. We were apprehensive to take gifts from a stranger but he really persuaded us to take it as a token of appreciation. Ultimately, we agreed.
Then, he asked for gas money. We figured that we’d give him ten euros to be nice due to the gift, but my husband didn’t have change, so our “CEO” received twenty. After noticing another bill in my husband’s wallet, the scammer asked for another twenty euros while guilt-tripping us. We ended up saying okay and asked for his business card, however he sped off as soon as he received the money.
We realized we had been scammed for forty euros. Later, we searched online and he wasn’t the CEO of Calvin Klein and the jackets were nothing special. Of course, we were upset, however we didn’t want to spoil the rest of the trip. Advice: Stay alert always and always think twice before giving money to anyone! Thanks to Aditi to Travelogue Connect for her traumatic story.
AVOIDING TAXI SCAMS IN PARIS
In Paris, there are unscrupulous taxi drivers who purposely take a longer route and you can end up with an inflated bill. Alternatively, you can end up on an unofficial taxi without a meter charging you unreasonable fares. These “taxis” are common at Paris Airports.
The good news is that you can avoid taxi scams in Paris with the right information and some tips: An official taxi driver will not approach you to request your business at the terminal exit and always parks in the area demarcated for taxis.
Official taxis have light-up signs, a license plate outside the vehicle and a taximeter inside the vehicle. Additionally, ask at your hotel front desk for a taxi instead of calling your own. If you’re unsure if the taxi is taking the most efficient route, use your GPS. Thanks to Elisa from World in Paris.
There is a fixed price for taxis from the Paris airports to Paris city center.If you’re travelling from the Charles de Gaulle airport, your trip will cost €55 for a trip on the Left Bank or €50 for anywhere on the Right Bank.
If you’re taking a taxi from Orly to Paris, a taxi costs €30 for the Left Bank and €35 for the Right Bank. (Prices updated per 2018 regulations.) They cannot charge you extra for baggage or animals. Similarly, there may be a reservation fee, but that should be it.
Within Paris, I recommend looking into ridesharing apps and keeping your GPS on during taxi fares. I don’t like Uber, however the app was a lifesaver in terms of avoiding getting scammed as drivers will be penalized if they go off route.
DROPPING A BABY INTO ARMS SCAM
One of the oddest scams we came across when in Paris was the baby drop. A group of women, or occasionally just one, will walk by chatting in a non-English language. All of a sudden, one of the ladies will trip right in front of you and drop the “baby”.
As most tourists do people catch the baby, or, in many cases, the fake baby doll. As the women crowd around, you profusing their gratitude others are picking your pockets, rifling through bags, and generally stealing your stuff. Thanks to Jean from Traveling Honeybird.
CAFE/RESTAURANT WITH NO PRICES SCAM
I went to Paris with my family a few years ago. There were six of us in a group. When we were shopping near the Arc de Triomphe, we decided to take a little snack break. We stopped at one of the cute and charming looking gelato shops and began drooling at all the flavors and colors.
All six of us got our own cones and then two bottles of water. We were used to paying around five dollars (or so) for a gelato, however the cashier told us that our bill was over a hundred euros. We were in complete shock.
We didn’t ask about the price, however it wasn’t our fault that they decided to scam us. A menu without a price is a big red flag. This was a moderately expensive lesson learned—beware of prices before you order something. This scam is unfortunately common in a lot of different countries that are popular amongst tourists! Thanks to Gloria for her awful experience.
METRO SCAMS
Paris’ public transportation are not only attracting people who efficiently want to get around town, but also snatchers and thieves. Even though the Metro is generally save, be attentive to your belongings. Avoid using your phone if you’re close to the doors – you risk having it stolen off your hands by someone storming away through the closing doors.
Also, if a harmless appearing person drops a bunch of little items and you’re ready to help picking them up, keep your bag close – an accomplice might abuse your distraction and get off with your possessions.
Lastly, if the metro announcements are reminding you to be wary of pickpockets – do not check if your wallet is still in your pocket; someone might observe the crowds for precisely this gesture to know where you’re keeping it.
