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1 week ago | 
familyvacationist.com | Christine Sarkis
While my family sleeps peacefully, I slip into my gym clothes and tiptoe out into the warm morning, strolling along the Caribbean seaside path to the fitness palapa for morning yoga. After class, I meet up with my kids and husband at the beachside open-air restaurant. I head to the fresh-juice bar and watch as the chef presses me a pineapple, ginger, lemon, and celery juice (better than it sounds, I swear).
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3 weeks ago | 
tourscoop.com | Christine Sarkis
Recently we got a question from a reader who had booked a tour that ended up being cancelled by the tour operator. The tour operator was refusing to refund the traveler’s tour cost. I looked at the tour operator’s cancellation policy, and saw that there was no explicit language about refunds. Instead, it said that if the tour company cancelled a tour, the guest could choose a different tour or departure date, but that was it.
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1 month ago | 
tourscoop.com | Christine Sarkis
There aren’t a ton of tour companies geared specifically to younger travelers, but two that focus on 18- to 35-year-olds have new trips that speak specifically to destinations and travel styles favored by Millennial and Gen Z travelers. EF Ultimate Break has launched a whole collection of Sober Spring Break tours. These tours aren’t just about sober travel, they’re also focused on wellness and cultural immersion in destinations like Costa Rica, Egypt, and Thailand.
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1 month ago | 
familyvacationist.com | Christine Sarkis
I will never go to space, but sitting in a gently rocking kayak enveloped in darkness so deep I can only feel the world around me, then scooping up a handful of briny water to watch my cupped hands sparkle like stars, that feels like a pretty close second.
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1 month ago | 
tourscoop.com | Christine Sarkis
Sometimes it feels like vacations need to be shoehorned into busy lives. Whether you’re still in the working world or are retired, long trips aren’t always a possibility. That’s why I’m flagging the is-it-a-trend-or-just-coincidence news that two great tour companies have just debuted shorter tours.
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1 month ago | 
tourscoop.com | Christine Sarkis
No one wants to cancel a tour at the last minute, but sometimes things happen. It could be illness or injury, a family matter, or even a safety concern. Whatever the reason you need to cancel a tour days or weeks before departure, know that you’re not alone. Where do you start? Before you reach out to the tour company or travel agent, here’s two things to do to prepare: If you bought travel insurance (many tour companies require some kind of trip coverage when you book), take a look at your policy.
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2 months ago | 
familyvacationist.com | Christine Sarkis
Ask my kids what they do to relax on vacation, and they’ll say swimming in the pool, making complicated sandcastles close enough to the waves to guarantee an exciting disaster, and throwing back non-alcoholic pina coladas. Ask my in-laws the same question and they’ll opt for sitting in the shade by the pool reading, beachcombing, napping, and … pina coladas. That’s a long way to say kids and elders have some pretty different ideas when it comes to vacation.
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2 months ago | 
smartertravel.com | Christine Sarkis |Megan Johnson
Got a lemon of a coach-class seat? Make lemonade with these tips for a comfier in-flight experience. Sure, the limitations of coach seats—narrow width, minimal pitch, encroaching seatmates—are very real. But with determination, you can make the cramped journey a bit easier. Clear the Area in Front of YouSure, it’s nice to have your bag on hand, but that carry-on is taking up the space your legs desperately need for stretching out a few more inches.
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Jan 23, 2025 | 
tourscoop.com | Christine Sarkis
For years, we’ve included REI Adventures—the adventure tour company arm of the outdoor retail co-op—in our recommendations for women, families, and younger travelers. So we were sad to learn from the company that it’s shutting down its tour operations as of January 2025 to focus on its core retail business. If you have a tour booked through the company in 2025 or 2026, REI will be contacting you with next steps for getting your trip refunded.
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Jan 7, 2025 | 
familyvacationist.com | Christine Sarkis
The Lodge at Marconi is a real “yes, and” kind of place. Is it a state historic park? Yes, and also a hotel imbued with Northern-California coastal style, that special mix of nature-minded architecture, big picture windows, luxe linens, and welcoming outdoor spaces. Was the property at one point a drug-rehab/cult headquarters? Yes, and before that a radio receiving outpost that made TransPacific radio communications possible.
