TRAVEL TODAY

April 20, 2016
How "fit" are you?

In the travel industry, you may see the acronym “FIT” appear in some publications or when you’re talking to a travel agent, or a tour operator.

While everyone would like to think of him or herself as physically fit, FIT stands for “Flexible Independent Travel”. It describes a type of travel or tourism that does not necessarily incorporate a packaged tour, but is nonetheless customized by a travel-selling professional like me. You’ll also hear many travel agents being called travel consultants these days, because indeed, that’s what we are. The training and education is constant!

A good example of a FIT itinerary would be the one I did for Brian and Sue from Yarmouth, who decided to do six weeks in Europe last fall. They wanted to incorporate visiting long lost relatives in northern England and northern Italy, but they also wanted to explore some of Italy on a guided tour. Not being fans of flying too much, they also wanted to take their time coming home by sailing back to North America at the end of their trip.

I custom designed their itinerary, which included rail tickets within the U.K.; flights from Manchester to Florence (via Paris for the best price and schedule); a seven-day escorted coach tour of Tuscany with Insight Vacations; lots of hotel reservations in three countries; a day tour in a Fiat with a private guide all over Rome; and an 18-day slow “re-positioning” cruise to Fort Lauderdale, Florida (from Rome) that stopped in three interesting ports before crossing the Atlantic. They then flew from Florida to Halifax after experiencing a trip of a lifetime!

That’s the kind of a relatively complex itinerary a superior travel agent can do for you! We have the contacts, connections and suppliers at our fingertips, and we’re constantly studying to be up on what’s new and what the best values are for our clients.

FIT also means that I can help you decide if you are would prefer an escorted coach tour with likeminded travellers – or a structured but flexible tour where you’re on your own, but under the guidance of a local professional tour guide.

Other clients of mine have gone on escorted coach tours in Europe, and have come home very satisfied. These type of tours ensure you get to all the must-see attractions, and you bypass the long lineups that are enough to scare anyone from some world famous sites, like the Vatican Museums. 

Accommodation is always included at excellent pre-selected hotels that the company ensures will match your expectations. Many of your meals are included, especially a daily breakfast. If you’d rather have hotels that are on the perimeter of the city centre, and not have to have as many included meals, your price will drop when I book you through a more value-conscious coach tour operator.

The coach companies I recommend – including Globus Tours and Cosmos Vacations -- will always include essential sightseeing stops – and you will not just drive by them! I don’t want my clients to just simply look; I want you to fully experience the destination in the limited time you have.

Bishop Trips recently hosted an evening in Yarmouth about River Cruising

Another company I enjoy dealing with is Monograms, since it is the type of travel I like for myself.  I travelled for many years in groups when I was a travel writer, and now I prefer to travel on my own or with a companion, but I want someone local at the destination who can cut through the language barrier, red tape, or anything else unexpected that comes along.

A Monograms trip means you’re met at your destination’s airport by a local guide who will be your ‘best friend’ for duration of your stay in that city.

I love this kind of trip, since your partner may want to do his or her own thing while you do something else – but that local guide will always be available and just a text message or call away for either or both of you.

Finally, I plan on taking a European River Cruise next spring, and I think I found the one I want to be on:  sailing with singer/songwriter Jann Arden and her musical friends along the Seine from Paris to the beaches of Normandy (April 26 to May 6, 2017) on Avalon Waterways.  (See the poster below.) Email me if you’re also interested, and I’ll send you a full description of the trip with prices!

Cathy Dunn of Avalon Cruises

Avalon is one of the best in the business, with its floor to ceiling stateroom windows and marble baths…bicycles to use when you’ve stopped at little towns along the way…gourmet meals with local wines…and again, those wonderful local guides who know exactly where to take you when the ship has stopped at one of its river ports.

My final piece of news is that I will be opening an office on the lobby level of the Rodd Grand Hotel in Yarmouth, on or about June 15.  You are welcome to drop in to discuss any kind of trip or type of travel you would like – and to pick up the latest brochures from many different tour operators and suppliers. 

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Send comments about this story or questions for Bruce to: [email protected]

Bruce Bishop owns a full-service travel agency, www.BishopTrips.com , based in Yarmouth, N.S.

He is a former travel writer and author; a past president of the Travel Media Association of Canada; and a former member on the Advisory Board for the Nova Scotia Tourism Agency. His company specializes in itineraries for the discerning traveller who may be looking at a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but also for the vacationer who simply needs expert guidance in booking and securing all aspects of a well-deserved holiday. He can be found on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest or on the website, BishopTrips.com .

WHAT IS TRAVEL TODAY?

It was Shakespeare who wrote (in similar wording), “The world is your oyster” and indeed it is. For many Maritimers, though, it may sometimes seem daunting to dream of voyaging across the globe to new and exotic destinations – but these days, we truly are living in a global village and it is not difficult to travel to places once considered impossible to visit.

It’s hard to make sense of the millions of websites that offer travel-related services - from airlines to accommodation providers to travel insurance companies to package vacations. How do you know you’re getting the best deal out there without getting ripped off? Are you remembering the all important details in your trip planning, such as passport or visa requirements for certain countries?

Travel Talk will cut through the mysteries of international travel and explain the things you need to know before you go on your long-awaited and well-deserved holiday. The column will explore destinations that are easily accessible from gateways in Nova Scotia in particular, in all four seasons of the year.

Be sure to bookmark this page and watch for regular columns on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. And please do ask questions that will be answered in future columns!