A Bus Named Louise

Our story takes place in modern-day Panama City, Panama. A curious, rather humerous culture within a culture has developed here. Most big cities have mass transit systems of some sort; San Francisco has it's BART trains, DC and New York have their subways, Atlanta has MARTA a fleet of current design buses. In London, they have developed two notable and unique systems, which will always stay in the memories of every visitor there - the big black taxis, all seemly identical, and the fleet of Red Double-Decker buses.
Well, Panama City has it's own flair with public transportation - the "Diablos Rojos" Buses. It's a unique cultural statement that private individuals in Panama often own the buses in what has become a public service bus system. In other words, the city only controls the actual routes and the licensing of the drivers and road-worthyness of the vehicles. The style of bus is the traditional "school bus" made by Blue Bird. You will see none of the modern high-tech types within the public bus system here. These are the old, big wheeled, high off the pavement snorting diesel variety with the emergency back door for quick exit.

Additionally, owner/drivers compete with one another for popularity within the "bus-riding public" by customizing their "ride" in different ways. Buses are all colors, embellished with a variety of chrome parts added to the hood, scenes and favorite characters painted on the sides and back. Every part of the bus is fair game to become part of the artist's canvas! Favorite sayings, movie stars, pets, girl friends' faces and names can all be part of the theme. Lights can be added at night which make some of the most famous Diablos Rojos look like a pig with sun glasses rumbling through the city. ...And ALL of them rumble! It is the universal Panama bus language to have a blasting exhaust note! Some have chromed exhaust stacks in the rear but ALL have the sound of straight exhaust systems belching diesel smoke into the atmosphere.
Some even have elaborate sound systems inside, others have masts with streamers, or roofs replete with dome skylights and shark fins of plastic. Drivers of the most splendidly decorated buses become celebrities within the culture. Regular commutors will call them by name and brag to their friends that they had a chance to ride with "Jaime" in the decked out bus named "Madeline". What a cultural treat! Believe me, once you experience the buses of Panama, you will never forget them - it's part of the lifestlye. yboggle.com

More Ways To Save On Travel

We are picking up again on some great ways to save on what you were going to do anyway ...TRAVEL !

-Look for package deals, flight + car, or, + hotel, or all three. You will be surprised how much you can save! Even if you don't need the car or hotel, often the airfare will be cheaper with the package!


- Save on Fine Dining by buying coupons for your favorite Gourmet Restaurants in your city or any city. Here is an IQ question for you: If you could find a place where you could enjoy $25 worth of a quality restaurant's cullinary delights for just $10, how often would you do it?? Uhhh, probably until someone else says, "Stop!", right? Before you go out to eat next, or plan to travel anywhere in the USA, be sure to have Restaurant Coupons with you. Click here to see how.


It really pays to know the ropes in the Travel Industry, and we want to help you save!

El Son Dance by children, Guatemala.MOV

Recent Trip to Guatemala, Part I

Messages from our Mission Firefly Trip to Guatemala 11 - 17 July 2010...
Blessing come in small packages, even in small countries. Ours this week are from a bit of each!
Our Mission Firefly group arrived July 11, 2010 for our 6th visit to the village of San Antonio de Sacatepequez, Guatemala, in the past 14 months.
Our group of 15 includes seven young people, many of whom are serving on their first mission trip. What an adventure for them, as well as for all of us!
This particular trip includes the blessing of a beautiful little girl named Isabella, who is a Guatemalan native adopted 3 years ago by our leaders, Billy and Christy Taylor. This trip marks her first return to her native country, and she has totally captivated the entire village of San Antonio with her beauty and caring ways. Though she speaks no Spanish yet, she is not shy to play with the local children and mingle with the adults. Her heart seems so pure and loving that all who see her simply want to pick her up and hug her. She radiates the love we are taught by Jesus, and every smile or rolling of her huge brown eyes reminds us of the love we are meant to share, even with strangers in a strange country. Isabella is such a blessing to her family and friends but now she is blessing people in Guatemala without so much as a word in their language!
Our Monday began by Mission Firefly meeting for breakfast together, then departing in the rain for the village. Road conditions were made nearly impassable for the last 1/2 mile so we carried the food in boxes disintegrating from the dampness. All the village turned out to welcome us with Principal and teachers in the forefront.
We cooked a lunch of lentils, rice and sausage with fruit for dessert, then were entertained by the school children. They put on a show just for us, with singing and dancing. They were so proud to show that they have learned a "Dating Dance" called "El Son" with couples and several songs of welcome. It was really special to see how these children had worked in preparation for this special presentation to welcome us back!
We worked several crafts with the children. They loved the masks of different animals they made as part of the "Old McDonald" song. Then Pastor Jorge Cerritos, a bi-lingual Christian from a local church, who is visiting the village, joined us in dedicating the fifth cinder block home we have helped them to build in the past 9 months. The family who are receiving the new house were appreciative. It replaced their shack built from tin and corn stalks.
With weather closing in we walked up the mountain to the cars and returned to Antigua just before the storm arrived which caused the streets to run like rivers, up to the hubcaps of some vehicles.
Today, the 12th, we again walked into the village as the road was made near-impassable by torrential rains throughout the night. We constructed crafts again with the children. First they made clay figures out of Play Dough, then they blew up balloons and beach balls. The last effort turned the school room into a chaotic, melee of happily laughing, boisterous kids of all ages!
Then we fed them a wonderful Paella, which was lovingly prepared by members of our group. It is exciting to watch these children so enthusiastic to partake in any meal, let alone a flavorful dish like Paella! They came screaming to line up for seconds and thirds too!
It makes all of us pause to understand how much we take our abundance in food for granted, while much of the world struggles merely to find enough to survive. I know that it is part of God's plan that we who have plenty share our Blessings with those who are not so fortunate!
Also, today, part of our Group went to another village called, San Pedro, where there is a model school. We will try to consolidate their vision and duplicate it in San Antonio.
Once again we find that our efforts to bless the small village of San Antonio ends up as a blessing for each one of us. The young members of our group learn to consider others who have less, and realize that we can become close friends even with people of a different culture, who speak a different language. And those of us who are older consider this as the way we are meant to live our entire lives. So some of us feel we have much "catching up" to do!

We'll be posting the final part of this trip in a few days ...LOOK FOR IT!

Stretching Your Travel Dollars

Want to improve your Lifestyle but curtail your spending? I'm going to show you in this and upcoming Posts some cool ways to save some cool cash!

Being a Travel Professional for several years now has given me some experience to pass on which can help you increase the Value of your Personal Travel. Want to learn some of those Secrets?
These are just a few hints we use to direct Customers which help them save,yet have wonderful, memorable trips every time they go.
Let's get started...
-Buy airline tickets at the right time. Either a month out from the departure date, or...

-Buy Cruises with time payments, or better still, arrange group cruises and get your own cabin free! Let us know where you would like to go, how many are traveling, we'll assist you and we'll help you go for free!

-Talk with a Travel Professional before you book. You will see several key reasons for this in my earlier Post entitled, "What Advantage Does a Good Travel Agent Provide for the Savvy Traveler?" To contact one of these Travel Pros just visit www.yBoggle.com, or email: info@yboggle.com.

-Travel "off-season" when you can. Many travel destinations have a time when they are fully booked every year, then a season when they have the least guests and "shoulder seasons" before each. Guess when the rates are lowest? Of couse the Law of Supply and Demand works with resorts like any other commercial venture. When demand is highest, their accomodations and services are the highest, they become less during the "shoulder seasons", and are cheapest during the "off season". Sometimes you can save hundreds of dollars just by taking that Dream Vacation at the most advantageous time!

Hope these tips become a regular part of your travel planning - using them may allow you and your loved ones to take those Luxury Vacations you have always wanted.

Next Post will supply you with even more ways to save!

What should you look for in an Online Travel Site?

Let's look at what you get when you plan and select your Travel Online.

Is it worthwhile? Does it save? How could purchasing Travel Online enhance my vacation? What value does it bring? Will it make my life easier?

The answer (in Southern Alabama) is ..."Well, I rek'n so!"

Look, let's analyze this for a minute. What are all the things you need when planning a Family Vacation, Cruise, Reunion, or Romantic Get-A-Way? Let's list some of them first, then find a site (like yBoggle.com) where you can go to find everything at one time.

1. First, we need our Transportation, by air, land or sea.
2. Next, we need our Accomodations - Hotel, Condo perhaps, or luxurious Resort
3. Then we may need a Rental Car ...or why not a Limo!
4. Unless it is and All-Inclusive Vacation, we will need some reservations at Fine Restaurants at our target location.
5. We may want to do some Sightseeing Tours, right? Let's book those at the same time.
6. New clothes, specially picked for this Special Holiday may be called for. Order them online! shop on line
7. Don't forget your Passport, or maybe a Visa is also required to travel to our Ultimate Dream Location. There are some sites where you can do this Online!
8. Travel Insurance - If you are spending more than $1,000 on the cost of your Travel YOU NEED TRAVEL INSURANCE. (See my previous Post, "Why You Need Travel Insurance")
9. Currency Exchange - Wouldn't it be more convenient to have some of the Local Currency for your Foreign Vacation spot, before you arrive?
10. If it's a Golf Vacation you want, wouldn't it be great to have the Tee Time included in your Package?
11. If the trip coincides with a Concert, Sports Event or Theater Play you should be able to get your tickets for that at the same time as your Flight and Hotel, right?

Check out yboggle and see where you can get everything on one site, at the most competetive prices, and have someone to actually talk to to get details.

Let us know where are you going next! We would love to hear from you!

Cruising Panama

Not only can you find terrific Cruises like this one on Carnival, but you can do other kinds of cruising there too!
For a wonderful, no-stress family vacation, you need to consider taking a cruise to Panama, including transiting the famous Panama Canal, on one of the longer cruises out of San Diego, or various ports on the Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean side.

Panama is a wonderful opening visit to the wonders of Central America in that the influence of the United States for over 100 years has left many Panamanians with a good command of English in addition to their native Spanish. There are some interesting collectibles found in Panama which are not found anywhere else. In cruising the shops for items much more memorable than T-Shirts you can find treasures including Taguas, ivory-like palm nuts, carved and painted to form life-like animals, insects and reptiles native to Panama's jungles. They are lovely, easy to pack, and reasonably priced. Another unique collectible item is animals, birds and fish carved from "Cocobolo", a dark, dense, native hardwood, known for the beauty of it's grain.
But perhaps the most unusual of Panama's crafts is the "Mola",
or fabric design art, produced by the talented ladies of the Indigenous Kuna Tribe. These feature multicolored fabric laid one on top of one another, with cuts made to show the contrasting colors underneath. They can be framed and hung on the wall. Each is unique and special.
If you have time to pass in Panama, you might want to cruise the various island groups on either side of the Isthmus. Fishing, diving and the easy life of sailing or power-boating to the off-shore gems of the Pearlas Islands, on the Pacific side; or the primitive beauty of the San Blas Islands of the Caribbean, will leave you breathless. Any of these adventures are easily accessed through sites like www.yboggle.com, where you can book it yourselves or contact their Travel Professionals for assistance.
Any way you want it you can have the greatest cruising experience ...in Panama!

Panama's Beaches

This is the second Post in my series on Panama. We want to focus this time on the wonderful sandy beaches of the Republic of Panama. There are such diverse beaches here but all are special in their own way.
For those who want to have a quiet family vacation near the beach with lots of things to do there are terrific locations for them. Resort hotels such as Sandals and Royal Decameron All Inclusive Resort are available for those who want the Big Beach Experience with lots of night life, food and excitement. They each have great beachfront rooms and wide, expansive beaches.
In the other extreme, there are remote Surfing Beaches where quaint villages have sprung up. For example the little beach town of Santa Catalina in Southern Veraguas Province, is very rustic, seemingly springing up to cater to vagabond surfers who love to come, hang out, surf, explore off-shore island and just ..."Chill"!
There are secluded and romantic islands perfect for Honeymooners (in fact some of these are specialties of yboggle.com. A unique Indigenous Culture called the San Blas, inhabit a special area of coastline North of Panama City. This area, called the Independent State of San Blas is a paradise of islands with wonderful, sugar-like beaches of picture perfect white sand on the Mosquito Coast. A short flight on a small airrcaft brings you here from the airport in Panama City. Accomodations are simple but romantic and as private as you choose.

See the New Panama!

When I say the "New Panama", I guess I have to explain. For those of you who have visited Panama City, (no, NOT Panama City, Florida... but THE PANAMA CITY!) sometime in the past 20 years, you need to go again. You will not believe it is the same quiet, laid-back city you saw then. This new look to Panama City defines it as one of the fastest growing Centers of Trade in the World. Even if you go to Panama once or twice a year as Alicia and I do, to see our Daughter, her husband and our two Grand kids, the beautiful skyline of the City changes on EVERY visit! Not only is there a constant run of new construction of ever-taller skyscrapers, but some of the most dramatic architecture on the planet is on display here, like Donald Trump's new Trump Ocean Club International Hotel and Condominiums (http://www.trumpoceanclub.com/TOC_2008/home1.html). Those of you who love the lure of exciting night life; exquisite gourmet dining in spectacular tropical settings, world-class clubs and entertainment, fine hotels, luxus beach resorts each with long strips of broad, uncluttered beaches - you will want to spend lots of time here. The City seems to exude the Latin Salsa Beat in the traffic, the lovely long-legged beauties in designer dresses, and all the way down to the plethora of friendly, inexpensive cafes and bars. It positively rocks! Sites like www.yBoggle.com specialize in Panama vacations, either in the City or some of the remote but sumptuous venues where couples can enjoy more subdued getaways seeing the wonders of Panama's unique Flora and Fauna. Now visitors are thronging to Panama not only to see the operation of the world-famous Canal, but to appreciate the vibrance and pure excitement of a rapidly emerging, spectacular new City of Global Significance. It's a place for young and old who want to be on the cutting edge of the Urban Travel Experience. Which of you has seen both Panamas and do you agree the New one is best?

Salute to Our Veterans for Memorial Day

Thanks to all of our Veterans for their Service to or Great Nation! We give you a special Salute!
In these trying times we need folks who will stand up and carry our Banner. You are Warriors; leaving Family and Friends to serve where others will not. God Bless You All!
yboggle.com

Explore The Dark Continent

During my life of working and Traveling Overseas, I was most often in the Far East, Middle East, Europe and Latin America. Oh, I was occasionally in other areas for short visits, but my trips never included Africa!

In recent years I find myself more and more digging into detailed study of the nations and capitols of Africa, and the interesting cultures there. Now I find myself with a real drive to experience Africa first-hand! Over the past year I have found myself making flash cards to associate Capitol Cities and Nations, then learning to locate each of them on the map. (This is still a work in progress, but I have come a long way in developing at least a rudimentary understanding of the scope of the study.)

How many countries would you imagine are located in Africa? Of the 195 countries in the world, some 53 are on the African Continent!

I am constantly amazed at the lack of American understanding of Africa. Often we hear people speak of Africa as if it were a nation - instead of the enormous continent that it is! It spans 6 time zones. In area, you could put Russia, the entire USA, and India into Africa, and have some left over!

It encompasses some very diverse ecology - from the vast Sahara Desert in the North, enormous stretches of jungle, savannas which roll for miles, and several significant mountain ranges. Over 1,000 languages are spoken there.

From a Traveler's standpoint there is much to enjoy in Africa, wildlife which can only be seen there, breathtaking expanses of triple-canopy forests, interesting cultures which have remained largely unchanged for thousands of years, unique languages and costumes. Africa has beaches of great beauty as it touches two of the worlds great oceans, the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

Given the fact that much of the landmass of Africa is impoverished, there are many chances for the experienced traveler to join a mission group for the experience of a lifetime. Consider the rich blessing of helping others while learning and immersing yourself in their world!

Bookings advice for Africa on websites like http://www.yBoggle.com can provide you with advice on when and where to go, and even have information on Mission Groups who can enrich your personal or family vacation. For example if you would like to assist in Eastern Uganda, there is a wonderful group who would love your help. It is headed by a remarkable young man, Mukhobeh Moses Khaukha. He is Executive Director of a group, called Randa United Farmers Group (RUFGROUP). They assist impoverished orphans and families to learn farming and animal husbandry which can feed them and provide sustainable income.

Instead of taking a normal personal or family vacation, why not turn it into a very special ministry trip where you can make lasting relationships with new friends, learn about another culture and see a part of the Dark Continent?

What advantage does a good Travel Agent provide for the Savy Traveller?

Travel Agencies used to inhabit every Mall, every street corner of the Downtown area, and every active Strip Mall. They were everywhere in the '80s and '90s. Then something happened ...the Shift to The Internet! That shift in the way travel is booked was further propelled into the 21st Century Technical Revolution by the events of 9/11. Since then, well over 200,000 Brick-and-Mortar Travel Agencies have been replaced with the Click-and-Order of Internet Travel Websites. Some 90% of travel globally is now booked Online. From cruises to tours and family vacations, the world is using Online Travel Agencies to book their travel on Disney Cruises, Carnival Cruises, with better prices than conventional Travel Agencies were ever able to provide.

In the past few years, as more and more vacationers and travelers have begun buying Online, many folks are beginning to miss the "personal touch" and information resource which the professional Travel Agencies used to provide. Using the Internet now often forces the trip planner to do his own research on "Where and How to Go". The biggest difficulty now is that there is so much to know that even the Savy Traveller may fall for booking the cheapest cabin on his cruise vacation, only to be sadly disappointed that THAT cabin was next to the engine room, making sleep an impossibility for the entire 7 day cruise!

Many of the most experienced travelers are now booking their trips, tours, and family vacations Online, but through sites like www.yBoggle.com, which have trained, knowledgeable and highly experienced Travel Agent Advisors who are available by email or telephone. These professionals have information on everything "Travel" from where to stay in Cancun if you want quiet and privacy, to Adventure Travel in the Andes Mountains. Their up-to-date information on sights to see at various locations and tips on getting to your destination can make for a far better, more relaxed trip with family or friends.

Now every traveller has the opportunity to book everything in travel on the Internet himself; or, call a professional Travel Agent Advisor to assist him in working through some of the cruise deals and details ...and at no extra cost!

Want Best Travel Value ...Cruise!

Some folks think that the Economic setback of the past 2 years is keeping people from traveling ... NOT SO!

In fact, the Global Economic situation has served to bring an actuality into sharper focus. That is the great value of cruising.

Just think, with a cruise, you have; your accommodation, gourmet food, room service, transportation, entertainment, shopping, and visits to new and different countries - all rolled up into one! When you start comparing the price of a cruise in the Mediterranean with a similar length trip by air and land you see an unbelievable saving in dollars.

And when you increase the basic cruise value by choosing to sail during the "Off-Season" or "Shoulder Season", you will save even more!

You can make the vacation even more fun by taking the kids and inviting other friends and family - maybe even turn it into a Family Reunion on the Sea!

If you haven't ever cruised before, don't listen to those who want to discourage you by telling horror tales of getting Sea Sick. The cruise ships of today are so stabilized you hardly know you are on the sea.

There are cruises for every budget, every interest and every time of the year ...so get out where the water is deep and the fun abounds ...GO CRUISING!

Why Should I Buy Travel Insurance?

Why, indeed! Why would enyone want to pay that $50 or so extra for a vacation which has been researched for weeks and found to be the best value?

In today's world, where every time we want to purchase an appliance or service, we are asked if we want the "Extended Warrentee" (which normally adds $100 - $200 to the total price of the product), Travel Insurance may look to many vacationers as an additional cost we don't need. I urge you to look carefully at what Peace of Mind Travel Insurance can give you and your family!

There are FIVE big reasons to purchase Travel Insurance before any trip costing over $1,000. That is my rule of thumb only. Just ask yourself, "If something unforeseen happened, completely out of my control, which caused me to miss this trip, how much of the cost would I want to recover?". In other words, "If any one of the following things happened, would I want to be compensated for the monetary loss of the trip?"

SEVERE WEATHER - What if you lived in New York City and booked a cruise in the Caribbean with the rest of your family (who all live in California). The day you are to fly to Miami for the cruise departure, the weather in New York is sleet and snow and your flight is cancelled, as are any connecting flights. You are going to miss the sailing of the Family cruise, which cost you $1,500. Would you want to be reimbursed that $1,500? Then you need to have purchased Travel Insurance when you booked your flight and cruise!

ILLNESS/MEDICAL EMERGENCY - Let's say a family member (or you) gets sick or injured in an accident just before your departure to a Once-In-A-Lifetime Trip to Europe. You will lose $4,000 because you must stay home. Or you get sick on the trip and have overseas medical bills. If you have Travel Insurance you will recover the cost of the trip and the medical bills.

Other issues are also covered by Travel Insurance:

DELAYED FLIGHTS, LOST LUGGAGE, and IDENTITY THEFT.

Many travelers are concerned about the negative effects of some of these unfortunate occurances, but paying for Travel Insurance will seem like a very paltry sum compared to the Peace of Mind you and your family will have before and during your trip.

All five of the negative possibilities above are real and can happen to any of us. They can ruin our trip, but they don't have to ruin our pocket book too!

Travel with Passion, everyone!

How Important is Change?

What change means to the Human Race
Anthropologists have recently made some interesting discoveries related to the development of brain size in Humanoids - those prehistoric ape-men who descended from the trees some 3 million years ago to begin walking on two legs. Climatic conditions apparently forced them to come down to the ground in order to forage for food, as some of the jungle plants which had been staples in their diets were no longer available.
Detailed study of many fossilized skulls of those early beings shows that during a period of
nearly 3 million years, while their habitat in Eastern Africa was very stable in terms of temperature and humidity, the brain size of the Humanoids hardly developed at all.
But, during the next period of only 1,000 years, when science has documented that there were rapid and drastic swing in temperature in the Region; flooding for several years, then drought for several years, then more flooding, followed by more drought. This weather pattern repeated for 500 to 1,000 years.
One can only imagine the challenge these rapid and dramatic climatic fluctuation had on the Humanoids of that time. They would have had to completely revamp their strategies for foraging, hunting and dwellings over and over in order to survive. But the interesting thing is that careful study of the skulls of the Humanoids in THIS period shows a remarkable increase in the size of the creatures' brains! In fact, brain size in these animals, grew to twice the size of the Humanoids of the previous 3 million years ...in only 1,000 years!
The inference is profound ...Prehistoric Humans developed faster when they were forced, by their environment, to respond to change!
Motivation speakers everywhere suggest that we become stronger and more successful as we embrace change. Now there seems to be scientific evidence which suggests that change and the stressors of change, may be real catalysts for increasing our mental abilities. Wow, here is hard evidence that when we embrace change we give ourselves the best environment to GROW! What a revelation!

Specific location info from a Pro

Visit some obscure places on the planet and experience tastes, views and experiences few folks ever are able to capture.
The extra time and effort it takes to get to these awesome venues will pay dividends in cultural/educational value.
Contact me for a short list of sime of these marvelous, but seldom seen venues which I can give information about - how to get there, what to see and do, what to experience there!

More on Travel Tips

When you are planning a trip to a country or location you have never visited before, go Online and be sure to check current weather and season you will be traveling in. Just keep in mind that locales in the Southern Hemisphere have the exact opposite seasons as we have in the Northern Hemisphere in USA.

Even when visiting desert locations with excessively high daytime temperatures, you will want to be sure to pack sweaters and maybe a light jacket (which can double as a windbreaker) for nightime drops of sometimes as much as 50-60 degrees! The cool nights will feel even colder due to the drop from extreme daytime highs on the desert.
As a footnote, these drastic changes in temperature within every 24 hour period actually created the forces that make the sand to begin with! These rapid swings between hot and cold actually break down the rock and turn it into smaller and smaller pieces --resulting in sand!

Company owners ...want to increase the productivity of your key employees; especially top sales people? READ THIS!

A recent study by a noted US research firm indicates that for every $1.00 spent on visiting corporate accounts in other cities, a company obtains a ROI (Return on Investment) of over $12.00! The crux of this strategy is that personal visits enhance the relationship with the Client, and that leads to increased sales.

Such a simple strategy change can yield outstanding results!

Trip Tips for Enjoyable Traveling

OK, we all remember when we took what we thought would be a "Dream Trip" and came back a bit disappointed. Here are some tips to keep all those memories of special trips as wonderful ones! ...
1. Plan well - If you are headed somewhere you have never visited before, contact someone who lives there or has been there before and pick their brain for where to go, what to do and what transportation to use.

2. Get Travel Insurance! If you are spending more than $1,000 on your trip, be sure you obtain travel insurance so you are covered for; missing the flight/sailing, getting sick, family emergencies which prevent travel, inclement weather. It's worth the small fee for the peace of mind you will have.

3. Check the weather on the Internet for the cities/locations you will visit.

4. Travel light - One week before your departure, lay out everything you think you will need. Then spend the last few days culling out clothing items which don't serve at least two functions.

5. Check out what local transportation is available in advance. Remember, there are many places in the world where you will not want to be driving a rental car yourself!
Europe has terrific train and bus service to almost any location ...and you can meet lots of local people on the train rides, which can really enrich your experience.

6. Bring a small digital camera to record your wonderful experiences!

7. Footwear - Be sure you have the correct footgear for the trip. Hiking in tennis shoes will be painfull after a few days. Heels for ladies only for the evening!

Have a wonderful, memorable trip!