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SOIREE TRAVEL SPECIALISTS
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Team
    • Why Choose Soirée Travel?
    • Ways to Travel
    • Pricing
    • Testimonials
    • Soirée Advisory Board
  • Where We Go
  • Private Itineraries
    • USA Private Itineraries >
      • USA: St. Augustine Florida
      • USA: Northern California
    • EUROPE Private Itineraries >
      • FRANCE: Provence & Paris
      • ITALY Private Itineraries >
        • ITALY: Rome, Florence, Venice & more
        • ITALY: Venice, Florence, Rome & more
        • ITALY: Magical Puglia with Matera
        • ITALY: Sicily For Food Lovers
        • ITALY: Amalfi Coast Experience
      • GREECE: Athens & the Greek Isles
      • ICELAND Private Itineraries >
        • ICELAND: Northern Lights Hunt
        • ICELAND: Summer Adventure
      • PORTUGAL: Portugal Discovery
    • THAILAND with Cambodia
    • COSTA RICA Adventure
    • AFRICA: Tanzania Photo Safari
  • Small Groups & Cruises
    • River Cruising
    • Small Ship Cruises
    • Iceland Northern Lights Hunt
    • Baja Mexico Whale Watching
    • Baja Ultimate Whale Adventure
  • Tips, News & Recipes
  • Contact
  • Questionnaire
  • Subscribe
  • Client Zone

Tips, News & Recipes

Contents: Topics & Direct Links

12/5/2022

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Having trouble seeing our topics tabs on your mobile phone? Swipe left on the headers for more tabs!
  • Passports, Visas, Smart Travel
  • Money Topics
  • Ease of Travel
  • Recipes
  • News
  • Destinations
  • Just for Fun
  • Culture
<
>
  • An honest conversation about traveling in Europe right now
  • Real ID Deadline Extended to May 7, 2025
  • ​Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)
  • 10 important things to know about USA passports
  • 6 facts you should know about the Schengen Agreement
  • ​Comparing Global Entry, TSA Precheck, and Mobile Passport
  • Do Americans need a visa to travel to Europe? Or, What is ETIAS?
  • 6 important things to know about COVID-era trip insurance
  • Tips & hacks for packing your luggage
  • Packing your carry on
  • Tips for flying to Europe and beyond
  • Is river cruising right for you?
  • Europe tipping guidelines
  • Deciphering the European VAT
  • 10 money tips for your overseas vacation
  • 6 important things to know about COVID-era trip insurance
  • Adapters & converters
  • International phone use
  • 8 tips for renting a car abroad
  • Soups, Sides & Breads
  • Mains
  • Desserts
  • Beverages
  • Food Topics
<
>
  • Italian Lentil Soup
  • Blue Ribbon Cornbread
  • Hanukkah Potato Latkes
  • Pasta & Bean Soup (Pasta e Fagioli)
  • Tanzanian Yogurt & Honey Bread
  • Coq au Vin
  • Spanish Tortilla
  • Italian Meatballs
  • Pesto Bianco Ligure
  • 6 Searching for Italy Recipes
  • Venetian Cookies (Zaeti)
  • French Butter Cake with Fudge Frosting
  • Irish Coffee
  • Mulled Wine
  • Italian Hot Chocolate
  • Junk food & wine pairings
  • 8 ways to enjoy Slow Food
  • 9 tips for dining like a pro in Europe
  • Italian coffee basics (includes tutorial)
  • An honest conversation about traveling in Europe right now
  • Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy
  • Louvre collection free online
  • Swiss Eiger Cableway Experience
  • Iceland reopens for USA travelers
  • Small American towns worth visiting
  • Van Gogh Museum offers free virtual tour
  • 6 important things to know about COVID-era trip insurance​
  • Q&A: Iceland small group journeys 2021
  • An honest conversation about traveling in Europe right now
  • Saving the Cinque Terre
  • Civil Rights road trip
  • 21 best places to travel in 2021
  • Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy
  • Memphis & the Civil Rights Museum
  • Switzerland & the Eiger Cableway
  • Amsterdam & the Van Gogh Museum
  • Small American towns worth visiting
  • Iceland reopens for Americans
  • 5 reasons to plan for Italy now!
  • Avoid DisastAir
  • 1000 People of Dance
  • Junk food & wine pairings
  • Waiting to travel feels like . . . 
  • Iceland: the hardest karaoke song in the world
  • Year of Dante (2021)
  • 8 ways to enjoy slow food
  • Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy
  • 4 reasons you'll love Slow Travel
  • 9 tips for dining like a pro in Europe
  • 11 tips for enjoying your European hotel stay
  • Italian coffee basics (includes tutorial)​
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Real ID deadline extended: May 7, 2025

12/5/2022

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The deadline by which American travelers need a REAL ID or acceptable alternative to board domestic flights and access certain federal facilities has been extended to May 2025.

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Is river cruising right for you?

12/2/2022

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River cruising is fabulous for many people, but is it right for you?

Only you can decide! We're happy to talk through the experience with you, but our handy list of pros and cons might help.
Pros:
  • Admire the changing landscape as you go & dock in the cities on your route (rather than far away)
  • Visit some of the world's great cities and sites--included and optional excursions (some by motorcoach) help you explore with ease 
  • No need for a guide book--guided tours and curated experiences, both included and optional, are taken care of for you
  • Stress-free travel
  • Unpack once--​your ship is a floating, luxury boutique hotel with many amenities
  • Smaller ships & intimate experience--most river cruises max out at 150 passengers
  • Shipboard dining is elegant, varied, and all meals are included
Cons:
  • Younger travelers are scarce--median age is mid-60s. Many passengers are significantly older. However, ships are not suitable for wheelchair-bound passengers or those with severe mobility issues
  • Relatively high daily cost
  • Limited time for exploring local communities & dining on your own
  • No itinerary flexibility; limited customization
  • Opportunity to dine locally and authentically is limited or at extra cost with optional excursions
  • Quick visits to most destinations on the route--usually only half day, maximum, with some exceptions
  • Unlike ocean cruising, onboard entertainment is minimal

Soirée is your one-stop cruise solution!

We've partnered with Viking, but if you want to explore options or prefer another river cruise line, we can assist you.

We'll help you sort through the many decisions required for your cruise vacation, book, and help manage your payments, all at no extra cost to you!
Learn more about river cruises here

Want to extend your cruise experience pre or post, or prefer a land vacation instead?
Soirée is here to help! 
Contact Us!
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Tips for flying to Europe and beyond

9/6/2022

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If you haven’t flown abroad lately—or ever—you might feel a little confused about the regulations for flying to or within your international destination. Keep these pointers in mind, and you’ll do fine

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Packing tips & hacks

11/5/2021

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Pack light, pack light, pack light! If you have your passport, vaccine card, and credit card, then don't stress.

Worried about forgetting something? You can buy just about anything you need in most destinations. 


Tips & hacks:

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Packing your carry on

11/4/2021

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Carry on space is getting smaller and tighter. We recommend a backpack rather than wheeled carry-ons, especially if you don't want your bag gate-checked.

And if you have to manage your own bags on your trip, you'll be so glad you aren't rolling more than a piece of checked luggage!


Pack in your carry on:

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An honest conversation about traveling in Europe right now

7/5/2021

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Nervous about traveling in Europe right now? Let's have an honest conversation.

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Q&A: Iceland small group journeys 2021

5/27/2021

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Join us for an informational Zoom meeting on Tuesday, June 1, 2021, 7 pm Central. We'll discuss the itineraries for our Iceland small group journeys and answer all of your questions about booking, payments, etc.

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5 reasons to plan for Italy now

4/26/2021

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Italy is Travel & Leisure's 2021 Destination of the Year. Why? We'll give you 5 reasons of our own!

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4 reasons you'll love Slow Travel

4/18/2021

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Slow travel is a concept that encompasses local immersion, authentic experiences, and sustainable tourism.  

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Saving the Cinque Terre

4/15/2021

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A visit to Italy’s Cinque Terre--Five Lands—is a trip back in time to five picturesque villages clinging to the slopes and cliffs above the Ligurian Sea. 

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Cupid escapes Ruben painting

4/7/2021

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Once again, creative Skullmapping in Brussels delights us!

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Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)

4/6/2021

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The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free and easy service of The Bureau of Consular Affairs of the US State Department. We call it peace of mind.

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6 Searching for Italy recipes

4/1/2021

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If you're like us, Stanley Tucci's Searching for Italy left you craving some serious Italian food! Well, six of those delicious, authentic recipes have been collected for you!

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Entire Louvre collection free online

3/31/2021

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We get chills seeing the vast Louvre treasures in person, but this free online collection produces its own real thrills.

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  • Home
  • About
    • Our Team
    • Why Choose Soirée Travel?
    • Ways to Travel
    • Pricing
    • Testimonials
    • Soirée Advisory Board
  • Where We Go
  • Private Itineraries
    • USA Private Itineraries >
      • USA: St. Augustine Florida
      • USA: Northern California
    • EUROPE Private Itineraries >
      • FRANCE: Provence & Paris
      • ITALY Private Itineraries >
        • ITALY: Rome, Florence, Venice & more
        • ITALY: Venice, Florence, Rome & more
        • ITALY: Magical Puglia with Matera
        • ITALY: Sicily For Food Lovers
        • ITALY: Amalfi Coast Experience
      • GREECE: Athens & the Greek Isles
      • ICELAND Private Itineraries >
        • ICELAND: Northern Lights Hunt
        • ICELAND: Summer Adventure
      • PORTUGAL: Portugal Discovery
    • THAILAND with Cambodia
    • COSTA RICA Adventure
    • AFRICA: Tanzania Photo Safari
  • Small Groups & Cruises
    • River Cruising
    • Small Ship Cruises
    • Iceland Northern Lights Hunt
    • Baja Mexico Whale Watching
    • Baja Ultimate Whale Adventure
  • Tips, News & Recipes
  • Contact
  • Questionnaire
  • Subscribe
  • Client Zone