Travel Tips Archives - Erica James Travel Agency

07Apr 2021 by EJtheTravelDiva

Work + Wanderlust: How To Travel While Working Full-Time

If you are not aware, I have a full-time job. I know that may be hard to believe for some people because it appears that I am always traveling. However, I get four weeks of vacation each year, and I use them all! Trust and believe. Now, I know that the pandemic has been brutal for some people, and I genuinely empathize with everyone. However, the side effects of the pandemic have been beneficial for me in so many ways. Listen to my podcast episode below of how my summer went during COVID-19. One of the best ways the pandemic has benefited me is the fact that my company has had us working from home since the pandemic hit in March of 2020. Working from home has allowed me the…

17Mar 2021 by EJtheTravelDiva

What You Should Know Before Booking a Vacation with your Friend

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In the words of George Costanza from Senfield, “…trips are relationship killers!” This can be extremely true! Taking a vacation with someone can make or break a friendship and you should not take the decision to travel with someone lightly. When it comes to traveling with friends, I’m sure the first thing you think about is sharing a room or spending long periods of time together, but what about before you even get on the plane? There are multiple things that can cause a friendship to sink or swim prior to arriving to your destination….if you even make it there with that friend. My best advice when you decide to book a trip with a friend is to use the following guidelines: Purchase travel insurance: When you are traveling, you…

26Mar 2020 by EJtheTravelDiva

Benefits of Using a Travel Agency

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There are so many benefits of using a travel agency. Have you ever heard of "net lag" or "scroll fatigue"? Perhaps you have experienced this many times while spending countless hours searching the internet looking for information to assist you when planning your upcoming vacation. Hotels.com recently did some research and discovered that travelers are spending countless hours researching their vacation and they find this process to be extremely stressful. So why stress yourself out and spend countless hours planning your vacation when you can have a travel agent do it for you? Don't risk having net lag or scroll fatigue when you can quickly and easily reach out to a travel agent. Here are 6 benefits of using a travel agent for your next trip: More bang for your…

14Mar 2020 by EJtheTravelDiva

Cruising with a CPAP Machine

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This post contains some links affiliate links. I may receive compensation when you click on the links. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and I believe the reference may be helpful to you. I am an independent blogger and the reviews are done based on my own opinions. A couple of years ago, I became the "not-so" proud owner of a CPAP machine. A CPAP machine is used for treating sleep apnea and stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). After years of waking up feeling like I didn't get enough sleep and my travel roommates complaining about my snoring, I finally visited a sleep physician and received a CPAP machine. Shortly after receiving my CPAP machine, I was set to…

14Mar 2020 by EJtheTravelDiva

How to Choose the Right Hotel for a Staycation

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Have you ever felt like you just need to get away, for vacation, or just need a break from your everyday life, but flying somewhere is just not in the plan? Because I travel so much, sometimes I feel like I am having withdrawals when I start feeling this way. Sometimes, I feel like I just hit a brick wall and need a mini getaway. That's when I think, Staycation! I normally do a staycation, every year, during Labor Day Weekend and I always select my favorite spot, Drury Inn in Franklin, TN. I recently decided to do another staycation, but decided to mix it up and see how other hotels compare to my favorite spot. This staycation, I decided to select Hotel Indigo located in Downtown Nashville. The two…

14Mar 2020 by EJtheTravelDiva

7 Things New Travelers Should Do

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Are you new to the travel world? About to set off on your first international experience? Maybe you’re just looking for a nice checklist for your upcoming trip overseas? Whatever the case may be, I want to share my list of the seven most valuable things to do as a new (or returning) traveler. If you complete all of these items, you are setting yourself up for a lifetime of amazing travel experiences! Apply for a passport: US passports are valid for ten years which ends up costing approximately $16-18 per year. With a passport, you can see the world and are not limiting yourself to travel only within the states. If someone calls you and says, “Hey, I won a free trip to Spain, let’s go!” you can hop…

11Nov 2019 by EJtheTravelDiva

Things You Should Not Do on A Plane

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As we are living in a civilized world, there is proper etiquette that should be maintained to be a part of society. Don’t you think? What are your thoughts on airplane etiquette? I know most people are traveling for vacation, and everyone is excited, letting loose, having a good time without a care in the world. I get it. I feel the same way when I travel. However, we can’t let everything go out of the airplane window because, after all, we are still among many other people. Here are six behaviors I believe no one should do on a plane, ever. Using the speaker on your phone is not okay! If you forgot your headphones and the airline could not provide you with any, then you are out of…

19Oct 2019 by EJtheTravelDiva

How to survive long-haul flights

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My very first long-haul flight was to Germany, and I was completely unprepared. I looked at this flight as being no different from a domestic flight from Nashville to California--of which I have done so many times. However this time, I didn't sleep well, watched everything on the provided entertainment more than once, and was completely uncomfortable. I couldn't wait to get off that plane! After my flight to Germany, I vowed that I would never make the same mistakes again. After all, I am a Virgo, and we are usually prepared--if not, we will at least never make the same mistake twice. So, on my next long-haul flight to Paris, I was more than prepared and felt that I hit preparation meter out of the park. Even more recently,…

19Oct 2019 by EJtheTravelDiva

5 Things You Should Never Put in Your Checked Bag

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Being a travel agent, I have learned, through speaking with numerous clients, about their travels, that I take for granted that many people know. For examples travel terms and rules. I thought everyone knew the difference between carry-on and checked luggage. However, I have come to realize that there are people, that don't travel often and are not familiar with those terms---knowledge some of us take for granted. Now there are rules to what you can put in your carry-on bag versus your checked bag. The most common rule is the rule of 3, when it comes to liquids. If you have 3 oz or less, it can go in your carry-on bag but if it is over 3 oz, it needs to go in your checked bag. However, there…

18Aug 2019 by EJtheTravelDiva

15 Things To Do Before You Travel

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When you are planning to travel for vacation, there are so many things to do and remember to do before you depart. I like to start a checklist about two weeks ahead of time so that every time I think of something, I write it down and once I complete the task, I mark it off, making sure that I don’t miss anything from my checklist. I have a lot of things going on in my life, as many of us do, so a checklist helps to get things from your mind onto to paper and you can come back and visit it at a later date. Amongst the million things that I normally added to my checklist, here are a few things that will always be on my checklist…

Category: Travel Tips