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In many cities and towns across Europe, this wonderful holiday tradition dates back to the Middle Ages. In the late 13th century, winter markets offered a way for townspeople to stock up on supplies before the long, cold season. Today this has changed to celebrations of the season with holiday cookies, toys and trinkets, ornaments, hot food and plenty of mulled wine. The original market locations are still going strong throughout Germany, Austria, Hungary, France, Switzerland and beyond.  Although the Markets have similarities, these historical markets all seem to have their own style and personality, reflecting each local culture, which makes you want to see many different locations. One of the best ways to visit several holiday markets on one trip is to take a river cruise. The biggest advantage of visiting these markets on a river ship is that you get to stop in multiple cities and countries during the cruise. No need to book hotels and restaurants; arrange local transportation; or pack and unpack your suitcase at each city. Often, the ship docks close enough to the heart of the Christmas Market that you can get to them on foot. The joyful atmosphere is matched on board the ship with themed decorations, seasonal foods and spirits, holiday musical performances, cooking and craft demonstrations. Although holiday river cruises are offered through Jan. 1s., the best time to sail is Nov. 23rd to Dec. 23rd. These are the dates that you will be able to see the churches, buildings and shops decorated in their holiday finest. You can enjoy the sounds of festive brass bands, choirs and musical performances, one- of- a- kind gifts from open air stalls; the taste and smell of the local food and drink, like grilled sausages, gingerbread and hot mulled wine and you can meet the local craftsmen and your fellow shoppers. Because the time frame is short and the capacity of the riverboats limited, you should consider booking a Christmas Market Cruise as early as possible. These cruises are sometimes sold out a year in advance. Some things to remember for your Christmas Markets cruise - Bring Cash: While some Christmas Market vendors might accept credit cards, others stick to local currency. Don’t miss out buying something you really would like to have by not having some cash. Dress warmly and wear walking shoes: Markets continue after sundown. Make sure to bring your winter wear like a hat, gloves and scarf and don’t forget comfortable shoes or boots. If you see something you like, don’t wait to buy it: While many markets are similar with rows of stands filled with small gifts and ornaments, statuettes, hats and tablecloths, they also have their own local specialties that you likely won’t find it in another market. Hours are limited: Markets don’t really get going until late morning or early afternoon and shops close by 8:30pm. With all of the Holiday lights and decorations, markets are especially beautiful at night. Sample the Street Food: Each port has a regional delicacy so be sure to indulge. Included in the price of gluhwein is the mug. If you return the mug you get one or two euros back, but the cup is different in each city and makes a great souvenir.  V.I.P. World Travel is hosting two Christmas Market Cruises groups in 2021 and we invite you to consider joining us for an unforgettable vacation. Dec. 5-14, 2021-Christmas Markets Along the Elbe River. Hosted by VIP World Travel co-owners, Steve and Christ Briggs. Take part in time-honored traditions on this 10 day cruise/tour with Viking River Cruises. Enjoy 2 nights in Prague with its famed Christmas Market in the City Square by the astrological clock. During the cruise stroll among colorful stalls and mingle with locals as you sample gluhwein. Discover the treasured recipe for Dresden’s famous Christollen. Shop for handmade porcelain in Meissen and revel in Berlin’s festive atmosphere where you will stay for two nights after the cruise. Priced from $2874.00pp/twin plus $499 economy air from a large selection of cities. Dec. 15-22, 2021-Rhine Getaway Christmas Market Cruise. Hosted by VIP World Travel Co-owners, Sue and Allan Knops. Sail 7 nights from Basel Switzerland, to Strasbourg, France, then to Germany with stops in Speyer, Rudesheim, Koblenz and Cologne and on to the Netherlands with a stop in Kinderdijk, with it’s world famous windmills and Amsterdam. Pre- and post-cruise hotel stays are available. Priced from $2274.00 pp/twin plus $399 economy air from a large selection of cities. Call your V.I.P. World Travel advisor for more information for these groups or for any of your future travel plans.
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 If you’ve ever hosted a Thanksgiving dinner, you know the effort it takes. The planning, cleaning the house, food shopping, preparing the meal, serving your guests and cleanup, is hard work and can be more than stressful. With a Thanksgiving cruise, stress is eliminated and all you have to do is get ready for dinner and decide which onboard restaurant to have your Holiday meal. If you’re excited to have the traditional turkey with cranberry sauce and all of the trimming, it’s there. Or if you’d like to have another delicious choice, it’s also available. The hardest part is deciding which venue to choose. Cleaning up after a Thanksgiving meal is no easy task, especially if you host a smorgasbord. When you celebrate a Holiday on a cruise, you leave all of the cleaning tasks to the staff. So, if you feel like napping after a dessert or sipping an after-dinner drink under the stars, you are free to do as you please. One if the best parts of taking a cruise is getting to explore several destinations, all in one trip. As an added benefit, you do not have to worry about planning transportation between stops or accommodations and your various destinations. You can relax and experience local sights and culture at each port to create an unforgettable holiday. If you look forward to Thanksgiving traditions, like watching football or holiday parades you can still enjoy these activities aboard ship. If you want to enjoy a few drinks, you can do that as well, and not have to worry about driving home. If you think it’s time to remove stress from Holidays and replace it with pampering, a cruise is just the place to be. If you’re feeling a little tense, head to the spa for a stress-relieving massage, pedicure, manicure or hair styling. If you feel like having a snack in the middle of the night, give room service a call and they will accommodate you with a smile. Will you be spending the holiday alone? There’s no need to. If you enjoy solo traveling and want to be around like-minded people on Thanksgiving, a cruise may be the ideal way to spend the holiday. It’s easy to mingle with fellow travelers on a cruise because there are countless opportunities to make a connection, whether you join a conversation about an upcoming excursion or participate in an onboard class. Whenever you try something new you get a chance to learn, grow and discover different pleasures in life. It frees you from the same-old routine and rejuvenates your spirit. Cruising is an easy way to have new experiences and to get to do some things you can’t do at home.  For more than 30 years, V.I.P. World Travel has hosted a Thanksgiving Cruise group. Of course, 2020 changed that tradition, with the Covid-19 pandemic, but we are already booking for our annual cruise next year. We welcome you to join us Nov. 21-Dec. 1, 2021 for a 10- night Southern Caribbean itinerary onboard Holland America’s flagship, the Rotterdam sailing roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale. Our ports of call will include the private island, Half Moon Cay, Bahamas, Grand Turk, Amber Cover, Dominican Republic, Bonaire, Curacao and Aruba plus three relaxing days at Sea to enjoy the excellent shipboard activities and entertainment. Included are motorcoach transfers to Ft. Lauderdale, full beverage package for the entire cruise, Specialty Restaurant Dining, private V I P cocktail party, Hosted by V.I.P. World Travel owners, Sue & Allan Knops and if you book and deposit by Jan. 5th , prepaid gratuities for your stateroom and dining staff. These amenities may change, so don’t wait to make your reservations. Enjoy next Thanksgiving the easy, relaxing way with friends old and new!  Toni and her husband Andy Before the pandemic hit we had plans to travel to Utah and see several National Parks. As September rolled around we decided to go. We flew on Delta and I can assure you that the planes were VERY clean, they followed all the guidelines recommended and every other seat was indeed empty. Once arriving into Salt Lake City we rented a car (which had already been thoroughly cleaned) and took off. First stop was Moab which was a 3-4 hour drive. We stayed three nights so we would have the opportunity to visit three parks…Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park. Moab was quiet and had loads of restaurants and shopping. Several restaurants had seating restrictions and most shops had limited hours. The parks were beautiful and we filled our days with hiking, hiking and more hiking. The elevation is quite a bit higher than Florida so starting in Moab made sense; it was the lowest of the areas we stayed so we could acclimate as we went along. You will find that these parks do not have restaurants and if they did they were closed due to the lack of visitors. We stopped at a little Café on our way out of town each day and grabbed sandwiches and drinks to take along. Take twice as much water as you think you’ll need. Our second stop was the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Having been there several years ago we appreciated the quiet and solitude of the north rim over the south rim. This was a longer drive so we stopped at a couple of spots to sightsee along the way – Vermillion Cliffs and Navajo Bridge at Marble Canyon. When entering the north rim area we started with the North Rim Scenic Drive which took us 23 miles to Cape Royal at the end. We stopped at Angel’s View, Point Imperial (highest point in the entire park), Marble Canyon and we could even see the Colorado River. We spent about 7-8 hours in the park (there was a small place for lunch) before heading to our next destination.  Zion and Bryce National Parks were next. We stayed in Duck Creek for two nights which we thought would be close to both but I would not recommend this spot. The cabins were beautiful and comfortable but it ended up being too far away; it would have been better if we had spent one night near each park. Zion was my favorite park. There’s just something about the mountains, trees and water that totally relaxed me. There’s a great hike here called the Narrows. It got its name from being in the narrowest area of Zion. This hike is 16 miles in total length and some of it is in the water which is very cold. Several of us went in as far as we could but we weren’t dressed for the depth of the water which is deeper in the fall/winter. The canyon is beautiful with walls up to 1000 feet tall. Highly recommend closed toe shoes and walking sticks due to the slick rocks. There is limited parking here so you should get an advance purchase shuttle pass (they were $1.00 per person) to take you in to the park where the shuttles are located; arrive early. Bryce Canyon National Park was next and is known for its crimson-colored hoodoos, which are spire-shaped rock formations. It’s a dry area with good hikes so here you really need to bring a lot of water. Despite its name it’s not really a canyon but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters. There was a place to eat here so we didn’t need to bring food into the park with us.   Next was a longer drive to get to Capital Reef National Park for two nights. This was the most beautiful drive so I recommend you take your time, stop along the way for pictures and just enjoy the views. We had one full day planned to see the overlooks, hike Capitol Gorge, Cassidy Arch, eat some pie and view the petroglyphs and the old school. Unfortunately a member of our little group got a bad case of altitude sickness and we needed to get to a lower level right away. The elevation on the drive here is over 9,000 feet. We ended up back at Salt Lake City and visited Antelope Island which has American bison, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, porcupine, badger, coyote, bobcat, mule deer and millions of waterfowl and is located in Salt Lake. There’s a great story of the ranchers who used to live on the island. They would move the sheep to better grounds in the winter by walking through Salt Lake City. As the city grew this became more of a challenge and they had to start using trucks to move them and eventually the state bought them out so they could make the entire island a state park. We also walked all over the city to enjoy the sights such as the Mormon Tabernacle, Temple Square and many parks and gardens located in the city.  This trip was a wonderful experience; Utah is beautiful. There is so much to see in the world but while restrictions limit our travel outside of the U.S. at the moment; there’s plenty to see and do within our own borders. We drove on our own as we are very independent but there are also bus adventures for those of you who would like to experience various parts of the U.S. and leave the driving, hotel bookings, etc. to someone else. There is also a brand new rail adventure out there now; Rocky Mountaineer! It’s a two day trip between Denver and Moab with an overnight in Glenwood Springs. This new route will give you a Silverleaf experience with breathtaking scenery to the American Southwest. Please call for details! If you have any questions regarding traveling in the U.S. at the moment, please feel free to contact me, Toni Werner or your favorite Travel Advisor at VIP World Travel. |
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