Episode 173: Christmas Market River Cruise

Remember as a kid when Christmas was magical, surprising and fun? Yeah, so do we. Before crowded malls, and wrapping gifts, and homemade artisan cookies, and….all the work that sucks the fun out of being holly & jolly. Festive markets are the highlight of mainland Europe’s winter calendar. With roots in religion and tradition, the markets are perfect antidotes for anyone fed up with the commercialism and retail frenzy that is now so prevalent in the U.S.  How to see these markets?. On a river cruise, at your leisure. Would you like to join us? We are offering a group cruise on”Christmas Markets on the Rhine” 7-night cruise on AmaWaterways leaving December 3, 2018 from Basel, Switzerland, sailing to Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The itinerary includes world-class cities such as Amsterdam, Cologne, and Basel, as well as picturesque small towns in France and Germany, visiting four countries in one week. So get your ho ho ho on and listen to why a river cruise might be the best way ever to visit European Christmas markets!
Interested? Get more information at: https://outlandertravel.com/rhinechristmas/

Episode 172: The Mistakes We Made

We here at Outlander Travel like to pride ourselves on being experts in all things travel related, but even experts had to start learning somewhere. So today we are going to  share with you some of our own mistakes as well as those made by others, who shall of course remain nameless.  Overpacking? Underpacking? Getting a killer cell phone bill after a trip? Listen in and find out!

Episode 171: Club Med Europe & The Alps

Recently Donna got the privilege to go check out Club Med Val Thorens in Val Thorens, France to see the slopes, tour the resort and learn about how Club Med really does “ALL INCLUSIVE.”  She flew into Geneva, Switzerland and got to see the Christmas Market in Montreaux, Switzerland as a short side trip, and skied, skied, skied! Learn all about this European ski resort that includes everything!

Filed under:

Episode 170: Norwegian Escape

We have talked about Norwegian Cruise Lines a few times now over the course of our 170 episodes… specifically the Getaway (twice) and the Epic. This past holiday season, Elizabeth and her family experienced the newest ship in the Norwegian family (well, for a few more months it’s the newest), the Norwegian Escape. So tonight, we thought we would talk to her about her thoughts and impressions of this ship and what it has to offer. Join us as we explore this ship and Elizabeth’s impressions!

Episode 169: Summer Disney Group!

You may have caught on from previous episodes that some of the agents here are Disney fanatics. There is always something new going on at the parks, and we are always happy to research it for you! Well, this summer we’ve decided to put a group together  July 29 – August 3 so that you can experience it too! We have exclusive rates at Value (Pop), Moderate (POR) & Deluxe (Beach Club & Polynesian) resorts, and group tickets are specially priced and include a water park day – perfect in the summer! We will also have special fireworks viewing for Illuminations, and…you can meet up with your Outlander travel agent (if you want!)

Episode 168: Cruising – A Kid’s Eye View

We are excited to welcome a very special guest tonight, Elizabeth’s son Marcus. At almost 12 years old, Marcus has 10 cruises under his belt and he can’t wait for the next one. We plan trips for families all the time at Outlander Travel, but what better way to learn what kids like and don’t like than to ask them directly? So Marcus is here tonight to share his thoughts on four of the major cruise lines from a kids’-eye-view. So let’s get started!

Episode 167: Introducing Ashley

Once again, we would like to take an episode to introduce you to one of Outlander’s talented newer agents.  Ashley grew up in a family that deeply valued vacations and they were quick to pack up the mini-van and take a road trip to many state parks and attractions in the southeast. Ashley’s first plane ride, at the age of 15, was to New York City with her mom, where her passion for musical theater and culinary arts were ignited. Since that trip, Ashley has logged thousands of air miles and visited many states for work while in the beauty industry as a corporate educator. She looks forward to completing her goal of visiting every state in the USA by the time she’s 40 (she’s holding steady at 30 states so far!)

Ashley is married and is known as mom to a fearless toddler named Arden. Her family resides in Orlando, FL, where they are Walt Disney World® annual pass holders. Visiting the Disney theme parks is a weekly occurrence for them. Ashley and Stephen have been on numerous cruises to the Caribbean, and can’t wait to take their love of adventure on the road to Ireland next year as they celebrate their 5-year anniversary.

family of resorts.

Episode 166: Riviera Maya Revisited

The Riviera Maya is a resort district along the Caribbean coast of the Yucutan penninsula, Just south of Cancun’s hotel zone. Starting just north of Playa del Carmen and extending south toward Tulum, this area is famous for all-inclusive resorts, aquatic activities involving everything from dolphins to underground rivers to camels. Yes… camels. Of course for those interested in ancient history, this area boasts some of the most famous Mayan ruins north of the equator. Earlier this year, in episode 132, we talked to Sandy about her familiarization trip with Karisma resorts to this beautiful destination. Recently, Elizabeth was able to participate in a similar trip and she experienced some of the same things but also some very different things while there. So we thought we would talk to her about what she learned and can now recommend for this area and especially for this family of resorts.

Episode 165: Introducing Kristen

Every now and again, we like to introduce you to one of Outlander Travel’s amazingly talented and knowledgeable agents. A few weeks ago, we introduced you to Anna and today, we are excited to welcome another one of our newest Disney-focused agents, Kristen! Hi, Kristen!
Kristen’s love to plan travel began at a young age. In middle school her Dad gave her the job of planning a cruise for her family of 6. That is when her passion began. It has always been her dream to plan other families’ vacations.   Her specialty is in planning trips to Walt Disney World ® Resort. She started going to Walt Disney World ® as a small child and has been going back as often as possible. As a mom now, she understands how taking trips is a great way of making memories that will last a life time. She has traveled and planned vacations throughout the USA.   Kristen has a large extended family and enjoys planning the trips they take together.

Episode 164: Travel Resolutions for 2018!

Another year has flown by with surprising speed, and as we look back on all of the great experiences we had in 2017, we also wanted to look ahead to the coming year and talk about what’s on the horizon. One great resolution is to try to visit somewhere new every year. So where are you going? Well, this week we’re going to give you our resolutions and hopefully spark some ideas. Do you go somewhere new every year? What about new experiences at favorite places?