This time last year I was in England for a month and although I love London, it is probably the thought of a month at leisure that is the most attractive.  A month to do as you wish and so what would you do?  Would you like to trek in the Himalayas?   Cruise around South America?  Tour Australia and New Zealand?  Take a bus tour of Europe?

And of course, here we are surrounded with hundreds of wonderful brochures for destinations and budgets for every sort.

Personally I find it very frustrating when I don’t know to whom to give these brochures, so if you want to browse please call or come in to look through our treasures.  You know you can always tell when someone is new to the travel business, because they constantly take home the most attractive brochures and hoard them.

Right now we are in the midst of our Spring Sale “ESCAPE YOUR EVERYDAY” and there are all kinds of bonuses and discounts.   There is a $100.00 discount on European and Alaskan Vacations, if you book before March 31, 2008.  We have a wonderful booklet that tells you which ones have the discount, and then there is even Free Air Fare from Toronto on several Mediterranean cruises.  Crystal Cruises is offering $100.00 shipboard credit for the Crystal Serenity cruise July 7, Eastern Mediterranean.  Or what about a River Cruise with Avalon through Burgundy and Provence, July 26 or August 9.  See details in the brochure.

So just where are some of this years top travel spots?  How about the “new Riviera” Croatia?  After years of discord, and worse, peace has come to Croatia and its beautiful Dalmatian Coast, and once again visitors are welcome.  Dubrovnik has been restored again, and then there are the off shore islands which have become a retreat for Hollywood celebrities.

And then there are the Rivers of Europe.  For those who really don’t care to be out to sea, there are the Rhine, the Danube, and the Rhone where you can glide in luxurious comfort through the heart of European villages and cities.  This is even better than travelling by bus, so check out the various itineraries.

With the advent of sky-high gas prices, driving through Europe can be a costly proposition, and not the carefree alternative we used to think it was.  And the answer is to take a tour in a luxurious coach.  So many choices and it is fun to browse through the different tour books to find the one that suits you.  Tour all of Europe, or pick out one country that you would like to do in depth.  Apart from the regular tours, there are also Cost Savers where you can save money with smaller hotels, although still comfortable.  It is the variety of itineraries that are truly amazing, because now you can also get to Egypt.

With so much interest in the Olympics, who not go to China ahead of the crowd?  Admittedly, China is a destination you might be saving for retirement, but there is so much to see and experience in this astonishing country that you may have to go several times to understand it. Japan also is a place you need to visit several times to enjoy the complexities of its culture.  Why not start planning now?

And remember TRUE TRAVELLERS ARE ALWAYS PLANNING THEIR NEXT VACATION

Daphne Mayne