How to pack lightly for a long trip

Posted: 07/28/2014 | July 28th, 2014 Bonjour from Paris! Today I start my next European group tour. For two weeks, I’ll be taking 12 readers to some of my favorite bars, restaurants, and locations around Europe. We start in Paris, a city I can’t get enough of. My countless visits here never get boring. Walking down its cobblestone streets, gazing at the Eiffel Tower, lounging in one of its parks, and smelling fresh bread and cheese at the markets fills me with joy. It’s like falling in love all over again. My most recent journey to Paris was supposed to be easy. After my annual trip to Vegas with friends, I was to board a flight, land in Paris, and be relaxing on the Seine before you could say Les Misérables . But it wasn’t meant to be. After checking in with the world’s nicest agent, I proceeded to my gate. Sitting down, I noticed our flight time had changed from 10:40 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. That would put us in NYC 17 minutes before my flight to Paris. However, as 11 people on my f...

Updated: 7/1/2018 | July 1st, 2018 Here’s a secret: I love being a cheesy tourist. As much as I love getting off the beaten path and learning about local cultures, sometimes I love the artificial world the mainstream travel industry has created. I think a lot of people think too deeply about travel, as if every moment on the road has to have profound impact and meaning. They are too quick to write off mass tourism. I’ve always found travelers who shun anything “cheesy” to be some of my least favorite. By thinking of their travels as one long romantic novel, they tend to become snobs and can’t just enjoy the moment. Sometimes you just need to take attractions and experiences for what they are: a crowded, overrated, commercialized, mind-numbing, and/or enjoyable escape. Sometimes travel’s just about having a good time in a different place with new people. Last year I went on a cruise and partied at Señor Frog’s in Mexico. And I had a blast. So today, let...