Letters to Harriet
Although I love sharing my favorite travel experiences with all of you—I’m even more delighted each time I receive your stories from the trips you’ve taken with Grand Circle. Alva Zeffiro from Anderson, South Carolina, recently emailed me to tell me about how much she enjoyed her travels to Eastern Europe …
Harriet,
I just read your email, and decided to reply because I took Grand Circle’s trip to Croatia and Slovenia. It was probably one of the best, most well-planned trips I’ve taken. My friend and I talk about it frequently. We spent our first few nights at Lake Bled in a wonderful hotel.
We plan to take another Grand Circle trip soon, but it’s difficult to get our schedules coordinated. We shall never forget the beautiful countries of Croatia and Slovenia. One of the highlights was having dinner with a Croatian family, high up on a hill.
Alva Zeffiro
First-time traveler
Anderson, South Carolina
Alva, thank you for sharing your memories of Dubrovnik & Beyond: From the Adriatic to the Alps. I truly believe that our encounters with local residents have the greatest impact on our travel experiences. It allows us to make intimate connections we wouldn’t ordinarily enjoy—especially in places like Eastern Europe, where each country is so different from the next.
That’s why so I’m pleased share some news about recent enhancements to our Eastern Europe to the Black Sea River CruiseTour. In 2012, you’ll now cruise all the way to the Black Sea with Grand Circle.
We’ve always trusted our travelers to let us know what we can do better, and we heard you loud and clear for this vacation. Please keep your suggestions coming, and we’ll keep listening.
And if you’re thinking about visiting Eastern Europe yourself, I encourage you to check out the wonderful photos sent to us by 5-time traveler Rosemary Hinkley, which are also featured in this edition of Harriet’s Corner.
Ask Harriet
This month, I wanted to answer a question I recently received in an email from Janice Collom about traveling with Grand Circle as a solo traveler for the first time:
Q: I recently became a widow, and due to my husband’s health, never did that much traveling. I would like to venture into travel slowly (U.S./Canada), and would like to take the trip that you offer to Glacier National Park next summer. However, all of your companion profiles are very seasoned travelers who have been all over the world. Do you have any profiles for novice travelers like myself?
—Janice Collom, The Villages, Florida
A: Janice, I applaud you for making the decision to get out and see the world after losing your husband. I'll answer your question about finding a travel companion in just a moment, but first I wanted to share some words of wisdom from a fellow Grand Circle traveler—Rita Westerman (who we’ve featured previously in a Traveler Story)—who shares her experience about traveling after losing her husband ...
“Since I began traveling with Grand Circle (when my husband was alive), I’ve noticed that single travelers were always invited to sit, dine, and visit with the couples in the group—and they all seemed to feel very welcomed. On my first trip after losing my husband on The Great Rivers of Europe, I was welcomed by many couples to sit, dine, and have a drink—and was even asked by one of the husbands to get up and dance with him. From my first day at the Captain’s Welcome Dinner aboard, I felt very comfortable and had no worries. You’re greeted at the airport when you arrive, and there are other travelers with you when you are met by your Program Director.
From that first trip alone, to the last one I took, I’ve always felt safe and comfortable in my room—from Ireland to Eastern Europe’s waterways, and on to Spain, and Germany.”
Often, our best advice comes from fellow travelers who have had the experiences we are specifically asking about—which is why I shared Rita’s advice. I hope this puts you a little more at ease, Janice.
You also mentioned that you’d like to find a travel partner with a similar travel background as yourself. Something to remember is that—on every trip you take—there are travelers who are getting their first passport stamps, and travelers who need to add more pages because they’ve filled their passports (one of the most exciting parts about travel!). This is what makes travel so thrilling—those around you share the same commonalities as you: curiosity to see the world, meeting new people, and learning new things. This is what unifies us all … more than the number of places we’ve been. So, we’ve come up with two ways to help you if you don’t want to travel on your own:
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We have many Travel Companion profiles available for you to browse on our website—ranging from travelers who have never traveled before (but want to explore the world), to travelers who have been to more than 40 countries and are looking for somebody with whom they can share their next trip. If you want to connect with people who love traveling as much as you, or who have always wanted to start traveling, I encourage you to set up your own profile. You can correspond through private messages with other travelers to plan a trip, or just meet new people this way.
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If you know exactly which trip you want to take, but are having trouble finding a companion for the date of your choice, another option is our free Roommate Matching Service. We can try and match you with another traveler who is looking for a travel partner for your specific trip.
I know this may seem like a lot of information, Janice, but I hope Rita and I have been able to alleviate some of your concerns, and help you to plan for your trip. I'm so delighted you've decided to travel with us on our Northwest National Parks vacation next year, and if you have any additional questions about your options, please call us at 1-800-321-2835. And please let me know about your experiences when you return by emailing me at harriet@gct.com. Happy and safe travels!