Now Open: AUSTRIA!

Europe continues to re-open to visitors from the U.S.!

Open once more... AUSTRIA!

 

Suggested Itinerary: Bridgerton Experience - Small Group Tour

Any Bridgerton fans out there? How about this tour experience:

Highlights include Bridgerton film locations, including London, Greenwich, Bath, the Cotswolds, & York.

You'll see Ranger's House, featured as the Bridgerton family's wisteria-clad home; Syon House and Park, Painshill Park, Wilton House, Clyvedon Castle, the Royal Crescent, Stowe Park, and Hatfield House...among many other outdoor filming locations that bring the Regency Era drama to life.

This 7-night experience features 4-star hotels, daily breakfasts, three 3-course dinners, walking tours, luxury coaches, admission to museums, and special spots used in filming, and can be customized to suit your small groups' touring pleasure.

Sound interesting? Reach out and let's chat about dates and rates. This could be a wonderful experience once England re-opens later this summer.

Find Your Happy Place in Aruba.

Let's help you discover your happy place, in Aruba!

Give Your Dad or Grad the Ultimate Sports Experience

How about surprising the Dad or Grad in your life with a personalized travel experience to their favorite sporting event? This year more than ever we’ve realized how important it is to connect with those who mean the most to us. And for many, there’s no better way to reconnect than by experiencing one of the top sporting events in the world, together.

I’d love to help you design a unique sports travel experience to show your appreciation to your favorite Dad or Grad. Choose from highly sought-after events like the Super Bowl, Masters, World Cup, Winter Olympics, and a long list of others. Then customize your gift with top luxury hotels, custom event day experiences, VIP parties, and events, private tours, and more to plan the trip of a lifetime for the ones that mean the most to you.

IRELAND IS REOPENING SOON!!

 Coming in mid-July... IRELAND REOPENS!!

Get ready, the borders fling open July 19th.

Suggested Itinerary: Cars of Germany!

Are you a car enthusiast...or do you know any? Here's a custom itinerary that might just get your engine revved up for when Germany reopens!

CARS OF GERMANY: 9 Days Frankfurt to Frankfurt.

Highlights Include Nürburgring race track, Mercedes Museum, Porsche Museum, Black Forest, Neuschwanstein Castle, BMW Museum, and Audi Museum.

Private small group tour. Including transfers, breakfasts, some dinners, admission to noted experiences, English-speaking guide, and more.

SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Take a lap on the Nordschleife featuring blind curves, treacherous blind crests, steep grades, and frequent changes in road conditions. It is one of the most demanding and challenging tracks for any motorsports fan.

2. Visit the Mercedes Benz Museum with over 1.400 different Mercedes-Benz models, ranging from the first car built by Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler to today’s high-tech models.

3. Visit the Porsche museum. The collection features 80 of the most important prototypes.

4. Visit the BMW Museum, one of the most modern car museums in the world. It tells the history of the renowned BMW brand and displays a collection of cars, engines, and motorcycles, as well as some extravagant futuristic models. Next, walk over to the “BMW Welt“ and join a guided tour of the exhibition. The highlight will be a visit to the BMW factory where all parts are assembled.

5. Excursion to Ingolstadt – home to Audi to visit the modern museum. This impressive 21 m tall crystal construction displays approximately 50 cars and 30 motorcycles.

Let's chat about putting this amazing tour together for you and your car-loving buddies! Why not secure a consultation time on my calendar now: https://cp-showtheworld.appointlet.com/

Now Open...SPAIN! The World Continues to Re-Open Country by Country!

Starting today, Spain will be welcoming travelers back. From the winding medieval streets of Barcelona’s Gothic quarter to the beautiful Andalusian architecture of the Mediterranean coast, Spain is waiting for you!

The world continues to re-open, and Spain is the latest country once again allowing Americans to visit. Looking to go to Europe this summer? I'd love to help.

Golf Packages!

 Ready to hit the links this summer or fall, we've got some GREAT Golf packages available, from 3-7 nights or longer.

> Scotland, Palm Springs, Hilton Head, Orlando, Scottsdale, and more. https://tinyurl.com/GolfVacations

MORE NEWS FROM EUROPE! Italy Reopens

 

The good news just keeps coming as more and more of the world is re-opening! Starting right now, Italy will be welcoming vaccinated travelers back. From the historic architecture of Rome to the vineyards of Tuscany, Italy is waiting for you.

#travelagain #takethetrip #makememories #useatravelagent  

BIG NEWS for Land Lovers & Cruise Lovers Alike!

EUROPE IS SET TO REOPEN!  
CRUISING FROM US PORTS LOOKS LIKELY THIS SUMMER! 

This week has brought some wonderful news for the travel industry and economies the world over, to be sure.  In this pair of exciting articles, we find that Europe is set to reopen to vaccinated Americans this summer, AND the CDC has now said that cruising could most likely resume from US ports this July.  Both of these are wonderful and long overdue announcements!  Stay tuned for more as the news gets shared. I'm so excited to see travel ramping up as more and more countries begin to reopen or announce their pending reopenings. And it's been exciting to watch the cruise lines find ways to resume cruising worldwide, but even better to see that the US is finally coming around to allowing it from our ports as well. 

OPA! Greece is Now Reopen!

MORE EXCITING NEWS!  Greece has reopened!

Here are the basics:
-Starting April 19, Greece began allowing entries for residents of the US & several other countries.
-Travelers must present a negative PCR test for entry OR show proof of vaccination (must be 14+ days since the last dose of a vaccine from the approved list).
-Due to the successful control of the first wave in 2020, Greece reopened tourism last summer so our partners are well-prepared to provide a safe, healthy experience for guests!
-As of May 3, restaurants in Greece will open for outdoor seating.
-There are more details to know other than what we listed above, and this is subject to change. It is important to review all entry requirements at https://travel.gov.gr prior to travel.

If Greece is on your list or you'd really like to make a visit this summer, please reach out. I'd love to help you. 317.776.1733 | clingren@cruiseplanners.com | www.icanshowyoutheworld.vacations

Open for US Visitors - KENYA!

DID YOU KNOW?

• Kenya is the birthplace of the safari. Home to the African BIG FIVE, the abundance of wildlife is comparable to nowhere else on Earth... and not just the big animals either - Kenya is home to 11% of the world’s bird population, with over 1100 different species of birds spotted there!

• Kenya boasts 51 National Parks/Game Reserves, and 10 Marine Parks/Reserves, plus 64 National Protected Areas as well!

• Kenya is a year-round destination. With average temperatures ranging between 62 – 82 F year-round inland, and a little warmer with some humidity along the coast, it makes for a fantastic travel experience any time of the year you choose to visit! Yes, there are two rainy seasons, but showers are often short-lived and make for dramatic game drives.

• Kenya is home to the world’s only snow-capped mountain on the equator – Mt. Kenya.

• Being situated along the equator, Kenya maintains a little more than 12 hours of daylight year-round, with the sun rising daily at 6:30 am and setting at 6:45 pm.

• Kenya offers 21 hyper-luxury lodges/camps and 77 luxury lodges/camps.

• Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi is the home of the world’s only urban National Park, located just 20 minutes from the city center.

• In the north part of Kenya, you’ll find the world’s largest desert lake, Lake Turkana, or the Jade Sea.

Kenya is open to US travelers and would make for a truly memorable experience for you and your loved ones. Having been to Kenya personally already, I can say that there's nothing quite like it in the world, and you won't find any friendlier people than you will in this East African jewel of a destination. When you're ready to start planning the adventure of a lifetime, please think of me to help you make it become reality. There are a few covid-related things to be aware of and know when planning a trip, but like every country, they can change between now and when you actually travel, so when you're ready to start planning, be sure to ask about them. You can learn more about this amazing place on my dedicated Kenya page on my website. There you can also submit your request to start the planning!

www.icanshowyoutheworld.vacations/kenya | 317.776.1733 | clingren@cruiseplanners.com

Also...check out this video about some of the wonderful experiences that await you when you visit Kenya.

NOW OPEN...Iceland! Welcoming Visitors Once Again in 2021

I'm pleased to say that ICELAND is once again open for travel! A place where you can descend into a dormant volcano one day, and snowmobile on a glacier the next. Where you can walk behind the plummeting waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss, and witness the blast of a mighty geyser from just a few feet away. In the winter, you could enjoy a private excursion into the darkness to search for the mesmerizing Northern Lights, dancing luminously in the sky above. And year-round, delight with a dip in the warm, misty-blue waters of the Blue Lagoon.

Iceland is welcoming both vaccinated US travelers and those with proof of antibodies. Reach out and speak with me by phone, email, or through my website to make your Iceland travel wishes a reality for your own independent travels in 2021 – or if you’d like to be part of a shared group travel experience, why not register to join my group in March 2022 to experience the wonders of the Aurora Borealis for yourself March 19-25, 2022.

www.icanshowyoutheworld.vacations/group/Iceland2022

clingren@cruiseplanners.com | 317.776.1733

Discover the USA... Christopher's GET OUT & EXPLORE Suggestions

Suggested Itinerary: CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'

(This one is SPECIFICALLY for adventurous ones in the 18-35 set. Similar yet different opportunities are available for those beyond that range)

This trip (and others like it across the US) is exclusively for young travelers 18-35, and while you get to enjoy cool accommodations, tasty and authentic meals, and incredible experiences, you'll also create something very special that money can’t buy: friendship. It’s something you often miss out on if you travel independently. Call it a cliché, but it’s the truth, and the equation isn’t complicated. You + a coach of other young travelers + shared experiences + a new part of the world = lifelong friendships and memories.

HIGHLIGHTS:

San Francisco | Sonoma Valley | Muir Woods | Bass Lake | Yosemite National Park | Palm Springs | Santa Monica

INCLUDED EXPERIENCES

• Picnic lunch in Muir Woods

• Wine tasting in the Sonoma Valley

• Entry to Yosemite National Park

• Yosemite base camp orientation

• Yosemite park shuttle

• Yoga by the pool in Palm Springs

• Afternoon pool party with DJ (seasonal)

• Brunch at a local café

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

• Hot Air Ballooning in Sonoma

• Bike rental in Sonoma

• Forest Flight Tour Ziplining in Sonoma

• Food & wine pairing dinner in Sonoma

• Parasailing in Santa Monica

• Surf Lesson in Santa Monica

6 Nights/5 Days • 5 Breakfasts & 1 Lunch

This itinerary has MULTIPLE Departures available May 24 - August 30

From $1,607 pp. You can join us as a 'solo' traveler, with a partner, or in a group.

Interested? Ask me, and let's get you booked! Know someone who might be? Share it! I love helping people of all ages get out and explore on land vacations!

Summer Getaway Idea - Grand Hotel

 Discover the USA Suggestion... GRAND HOTEL & MACKINAC ISLAND

If you have never experienced the wonder of setting off from the mainland of Michigan and seeing the expansive front porch of Grand Hotel 7 miles away in the distance... or stepping back in time to an island that doesn't allow cars... or enjoying the picturesque beauty of Lake Huron surrounding the island, with the sweeping Mackinac Bridge in the distance then perhaps this is your year to do so!!

Dating back to 1887 as a summer getaway for the railroad barons of the 19th century, this legendary diamond has dusted herself off with a recent $10M refresh and pool renovation and is waiting for you. Grand Hotel opens for the season on May 7th which runs until November 7th, and the island would love to make your acquaintance! I'd love to help you plan an amazing getaway to this charming island retreat. Give me a call at 317.776.1733, or send an email to clingren@cruiseplanners.com, or submit a request through my website!

Discover the USA... Christopher's RIDING THE RAILS Adventure Suggestions

Suggested Itinerary: NORTHERN RAIL EXPERIENCE

Venture from the breathtaking great plains of the Midwest to the serene waters of the Pacific Coast on this scenic rail journey from Chicago to San Francisco, with a stop in Seattle. Enjoy the landscape as you travel along major portions of the Lewis and Clark trail. Explore Seattle on a hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tour. Discover the sights of San Francisco. Spend some quality time in two majestic parts of Northern California: Muir Woods and Sausalito. And, then you'll head back to the “Windy City” onboard one of the most beautiful train trips in all of North America.

HIGHLIGHTS:

- Hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tour of Seattle

- Hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tour of San Francisco

- Sightseeing tour of Muir Woods and Sausalito

- Sightseeing cruise in San Francisco

WHAT'S INCLUDED?

- One-way Amtrak® from Chicago to Seattle on the Empire Builder®; Seattle to San Francisco on the Coast Starlight®; San Francisco to Chicago on the California Zephyr® in Coach accommodations

- 4 nights' accommodations; 5 nights onboard Amtrak

- 1 meal included (1 dinner)

Departures available most Thursdays March through November. Reverse itineraries also available.

You can absolutely upgrade the experience with sleeping accommodations, pre and/or post hotel stays in the departure city.

Intrigued? Ask me! I love helping people get out & explore with land-based vacations and rail vacations!

Discover the USA... Christopher's RIDE IN COMFORT Suggestions

Suggested Itinerary: COASTAL MAINE

Maine...where rocky shores, infinite nature, and endless lobster forge a coastal New England classic. Dig into local delicacies with an oyster shucking lesson and tasting. Immerse yourself in dramatic nature at Acadia National Park. See how lobster traps are retrieved from the ocean. Admire the picturesque Portland Head Light, Maine’s oldest lighthouse. Take part in a vintage wine tasting at Cellardoor Winery. Enjoy the vibrant city of Portland. Ancient mountains, delectable cuisine, and bustling harbors await you in this maritime treasure.

7 Days including 9 meals (6B, 1L, 2D)

There are 9 available departures for this experience between June and September this year. I love helping people find amazing adventures on land, and Maine would be a great destination to explore this summer!

Go Active Itinerary Suggestion: SAN JUAN ISLANDS, WASHINGTON

Suggested Itinerary - Multi-Adventure Vacation

Welcome to the San Juan Islands, where the summer sun shines, the sea glistens and the pace of life slows. Find your rhythm biking along quiet country roads, spend time kayaking in peaceful inlets and connect to nature hiking amid old-growth forests. A hidden gem of the Pacific Northwest, this natural playground is perfect for an active outdoor adventure. 

 

HIGHLIGHTS

• Behold postcard-perfect Pacific Northwest scenery as you ferry from island to island with the locals
• Bike through majestic fir and cedar forests, explore driftwood beaches, and savor the day’s fresh catch
• Sail on a wildlife cruise and keep your eyes peeled for the chance to spot whales from the open water
• Admire views of emerald islands, Mount Baker, and Canada’s coastal peaks from atop Mount Constitution 

 

There are 13 possible itinerary departures from mid-June to late September 2021. These 6 days, 5-night adventures are truly special!

 

Intrigued? Ask me! Know someone who might love this type of adventure? Share it with them!  I love helping people get out & explore with land-based vacations & active adventures of all kinds. Don't let the agency name fool you...we are SO MUCH MORE than just cruises!  I am a Backroads Certified Specialist, and would love to help you find the right active adventure for you!  

 

 

Learn more about other biking and active adventures on our dedicated page! 

#travel #adventure #tourism #vacation #exploremore #discovertheusa #supportsmallbusinesses #travelagent #theinternetisforlookingbuttravelagentsareforbooking #bicycletouring #bicycling #biketours #backroadscertifiedspecialist

Did You Know We Can Book That? SNOW SKI ADVENTURES

Spring is here for many parts of the country...hurray! But for my SKI LOVING FRIENDS... did you realize that I can help with your next ski vacation? I'll bet you didn't, because too many people see the name Cruise Planners and think all we do are cruise vacations!  

 

But sure enough...we can, and do!  Across the US & Canada, South America, and Europe, the choices are plentiful. We can book more than 120 mountain resorts worldwide, and about 4,000 properties...so your options are seemingly endless!

When you're ready to start planning that big ski trip for next winter, I would love to have a chat with you and help make your downhill dreams

come true.  

You can learn more about the possibilities on our dedicated snow ski adventures page.  And please be sure to like our FB page, too! Cruise Planners - Christopher Lingren & Associates

#travel #adventure #tourism #vacation #theinternetisforlookingbuttravelagentsareforbooking   #exploremore   #supportsmallbusinesses #travelagent #getbacktonature #skivacation #skitrip #skiing #snow #WinterGetaway 

images © ski.com

Vaccinated & Ready to Travel?

 

Then It's Time To Book a Trip With Your Trusted Travel Advisor!

 

Are you about "done" or "over" this whole covid pandemic and the assorted stay-at-home situations facing many Americans?  After more than a year of "two weeks to flatten the curve", it's time to start living your life again and making memories. While we still might not be able to travel abroad due to assorted travel restrictions, there are many GREAT options to discover the USA while waiting on international borders to reopen!  Here are just a few options to consider.  All of these are things that any member of our team of travel experts can help you book. 

 

Beach Rentals | Mountain Cabins | Escorted Tours | Hawaii | Alaska | Rail Vacations | Ski Trips | Theme Parks 

 

PLUS!  We have a number of fantastic SHARED GROUP TRAVEL EXPERIENCES available that you could reserve as well.  These shared travel experiences are specific date-departure packaged itineraries with a limited number of seats available. They feature destinations both domestic and international, where you'll discover fascinating places coupled together with a rich full complement of cultural and culinary experiences. And the best part is that you could make some new friends along the way.  Each experience title is a link to learn more!