logo
Expert says one of these is your client's perfect US road trip

Expert says one of these is your client's perfect US road trip

TTG14 hours ago

As the US prepares to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Route 66, the great American road trip is very much in the spotlight but with so many options it's essential to plan each client's trip carefully.
Brand USA has a wealth of resources with itineraries and lesser-known destinations to help you create unique holidays for your clients. These range from Road Trip itineraries that can be downloaded as an online PDF to share with clients to a collaborative trip planner tool that can help with putting together complex trips.
To give you a little extra inspiration, Danny Clifford, a sales consultant at US-specialist tour operator, American Affair who attended last year's MegaFam, highlights road trips that are well suited to different client types.
First-time visitors
'A great first road trip is in California travelling from San Francisco down to Santa Monica. The cities are a big draw for first-time visitors – it's what they've seen in the movies. In San Francisco I'd recommend using the hop-on hop-off bus to get around as parking fees are awful, then pick up a car from Downtown and head south to Yosemite and the Pacific Coast. Here the driving is amazing and the scenery is superb – they can stop off in Monterey, Pismo Beach, Morro Bay and Santa Barbara before finishing up in Santa Monica. It's a great route for first timers and not as daunting as picking up a car on the East Coast.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

EXCLUSIVE Insiders reveal the shocking vacation etiquette mistakes that leave travelers fuming
EXCLUSIVE Insiders reveal the shocking vacation etiquette mistakes that leave travelers fuming

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

EXCLUSIVE Insiders reveal the shocking vacation etiquette mistakes that leave travelers fuming

Every summer, as people book their lavish vacations all over the country, they encounter wild and outlandish travel troubles once they reach overcrowded airports. From horrific airport fights breaking out at the terminal to baggage behavior that labels travelers rude and offensive, there are certain unwritten etiquette rules that come with vacationing. Not only are these behaviors mocked mercilessly in person, they're now broadcast to millions of people online, who call out others for their bad behavior in social media comments sections. Now, insiders are exclusively revealing to Daily Mail the absolute worst ways vacationers can behave, from forcing other tourists to swap seats with them against their will to cutting their toenails onboard. The worldwide baggage shipping company Luggage Forward conducted a study of airplane etiquette preferences and found the worst offenders (in order) were talking loudly on a plane, playing a video or music without headphones, eating smelly food, taking off your shoes, and using both armrests. Etiquette expert Lisa Mirza Grotts quite literally wrote the book on the subject as the author of A Traveler's Passport to Etiquette in a Post-Pandemic World, which focuses exclusively on travel etiquette, and is telling Daily Mail what vacationers do wrong in the sky. One major faux pas that's gone viral in recent days? De-boarding the plane before those in front, which there's never a need for - even for people desperately trying to catch a flight. The hot topic often goes viral on social media, with podcast hosts discussing if it's ever acceptable, and content creators showing people standing and shoving out of their rows before it's their time to depart. Commenters on TikTok call the behavior 'so rude,' especially since it prevents others from getting their baggage when everyone stands up in the aisle and others rush past. In her travel etiquette manual, Grotts advises against de-boarding before those in front even with a tight a connection, writing, 'unless you're in labor or the plane's on fire, wait your turn,' because 'airplane aisles aren't a free-for-all.' Instead, Grotts, known as the Golden Rules Gal, suggests politely informing the flight attendant during the descent so they can ask others to allow you to disembark first. Grotts, who's based in California, told Daily Mail that 'pushing past people on your own' is simply 'never' an option. Cutting in a security line is considered just as tacky, as the etiquette pro advised speaking to a TSA agent instead if you're running late. Etiquette expert Genevieve 'Jenny' Dreizen, based in Edinburgh, Scotland, told Daily Mail that while everyone has had a 'panicked moment where we're sprinting through an airport hoping the gate isn't closed, in general, no, it's not okay to push past people to de-plane early just because you're in a rush.' Once on the plane is when the bad behavior can really get started, and that's when people get their phones out to document every second of it. One person horrified fellow passengers when they began dining on a tuna melt. Others have been shamed for eating 'smelly pasta' or pickled foods that stink up the plane. Grotts advised against dining upon odorous foods like tuna, eggs, and garlic, which are better left for home and Dreizen agreed that 'anything with a strong smell is best left behind,' including options 'that might make nearby passengers wrinkle their noses. 'It's not about shame, it's just about being mindful of the fact that everyone's stuck in the same recycled air for hours,' Dreizen clarified. Many people have broken into massive arguments over swapping seats on airlines, especially when couples or families attempt to guilt trip singles into giving up the spaces they carefully chose and paid extra for. It's become quite contentious, as groups believe they have the right to sit together, while solo travelers would prefer to stay in their seat of choice. Grotts said while it's 'fine to ask politely, don't guilt, demand, or manipulate someone out of a seat they booked and paid for.' There are also massive personal grooming mistakes people make while flying, including wearing a strong scent that could give a fellow traveler a migraine. While spritzing lightly pre-flight is fine, overly sweet scents can be headache-inducing when in small, enclosed spaces so never apply mid-flight or beforehand in the duty-free shops. Another no no? Toenail clipping or in-flight manicures, which Dreizen fittingly described as 'deeply unhygienic and very disruptive.' And no matter how comfortable it may seem, keep those shoes on. Dreizen believes that everyone 'should attempt to keep their shoes on for safety reasons because on a typical flight there's really no need to take them off.' 'No bare feet on the seats or in the aisle, ever,' Dreizen said, adding, 'It's a plane, not your living room.'

Cruise guest reveals what you MUST do on the first day of a cruise
Cruise guest reveals what you MUST do on the first day of a cruise

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

Cruise guest reveals what you MUST do on the first day of a cruise

The first day of a cruise holiday is always exciting. But what's the best thing to do as soon as you board? Experienced cruise guests have been sharing their best first day advice on Reddit, after 'curiouskittyblue' asked: 'What is the first thing you do when you board?' According to cruise guest 'Additional-Sock8980', it's important to use the first day to secure bookings at premium restaurants. They say: 'First thing for me is book any premium restaurants as the best times sell out fast.' While cruise holidays usually include access to the buffet and main dining room, guests often have to pay more to dine at speciality restaurants. The most popular restaurants can fill up quickly so it's advisable to book a table as soon as possible. 'MrsSadieMorgan' adds: 'Hit the buffet, then visit the spa to book any treatments I'm considering. They book up fast, so I like to get in there ASAP.' Spa treatments can be very popular and the most desirable appointment times can get booked up fast. Guests who visit the spa on the first day of their cruise might also get first pick of any treatment offers. And if you're not bothered about restaurant or spa bookings, there's another activity that's a popular first day choice. 'KatySays' writes: 'I usually go straight to the pool if it's a nice day.' Cruise ships tend to have small swimming pools and the first day is usually when the pool is quietest. However, guests who want to hit the swimming pool on their first day onboard will need to come prepared. Luggage is usually delivered to a passengers' rooms by the crew, but this might not happen until the evening. This means that passengers who want to visit the pool on the first day will need to pack their swimming costumes and sun cream in their hand luggage. 'Numerous-Ad4715' explains: 'I always pack a pair of swim trunks in a small backpack. 'Get on the ship early and hit the pools while they're empty. Everyone else packs their bathing suits in their luggage and has to wait.' It comes after an avid cruiser shared their top tips for winning the sun lounger wars on P&O's Arvia on T ikTok - including a controversial hack for guaranteeing your place in the sun. The footage shared by @solotravel1974 showed just how busy the ship can get at peak times, with dozens of people sharing a deck space filled cheek-by-jowl with loungers. The first piece of advice, particularly applicable to 'sea days and school holidays', was to turn on your heel and avoid the most popular areas, including the pools, Deck 16 and the SkyDome area, which 'get packed by 9am'.

From eggs benedict to the minibar: seven food and drink gamechangers that became hotel hits
From eggs benedict to the minibar: seven food and drink gamechangers that became hotel hits

The Guardian

time2 hours ago

  • The Guardian

From eggs benedict to the minibar: seven food and drink gamechangers that became hotel hits

One of the most exciting aspects of arriving at a world-renowned hotel is exploring all the wonderful food on offer to guests. Over the years, hotels have been at the forefront of innovation in dining, creating exciting new ways to prepare and present food to offer guests a truly unique experience on their travels. Some of the creations to emerge from hotels over the past century have gained iconic status. Here are six dishes and drinks, and another culinary innovation that we have hotels to thank for bringing into our lives. Walnut or wal-not? The Waldorf salad The Waldorf-Astoria New York is among the world's most storied hotels. A byword for luxury, it has welcomed countless famous people through its doors, from US presidents to stars such as Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe. Its renowned – and perennially popular – Waldorf salad was invented in 1896 for a charity ball in honour of the St Mary's Hospital for Children. The maitre d'hotel, Oscar Tschirky, created the original dish, consisting of apples, celery and mayonnaise, and, some time later, walnuts were added, giving the salad its satisfying crunch. Modern versions usually include grapes, and sometimes chicken, while the dressing can be made with the addition of lemon or orange zest, or with yoghurt instead of mayonnaise. Squidgy comfort: the brownieIf there's one sweet treat that signals comfort, it's the squidgy, chocolatey brownie. The gooey confection has many origin stories, and one suggests it was created in the kitchen of the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago in 1893, at the direction of Bertha Palmer, a socialite and philanthropist whose husband built the hotel. As chair of the Board of Lady Managers for the World's Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago, she tasked pastry chef Joseph Sehl with creating a new dessert that would be easy to box and transport. The first reference to the word 'brownie' appeared in the Sears Roebuck catalogue, published in Chicago in 1897. The hotel still serves brownies made to the same recipe, consisting of semi-sweet chocolate, butter, sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla extract and crushed walnuts. The brunch behemoth: eggs benedictThis classic brunch recipe is another Waldorf creation. According to a story first published in the New Yorker, in 1894 Wall Street broker Lemuel Benedict arrived for breakfast at the hotel feeling hungover. He ordered 'buttered toast, crisp bacon, two poached eggs, and a hooker of hollandaise sauce'. It must have gone down well as, soon after, Tschirky, known as 'Oscar of the Waldorf', added the new creation to the hotel's breakfast and lunch menus, but with his own twist. According to the New Yorker, 'Oscar's version of eggs benedict substituted ham for bacon and a toasted English muffin for toasted bread' – a change Benedict himself wasn't keen on, claiming: 'English muffins are unpalatable, no matter how much they are toasted or how they are served.' Millions have disagreed since. The national drink: pina colada Just the thought of this creamy, tropical cocktail brings to mind golden beaches and sun loungers – which is fitting, because the pina colada was first created at the beachside Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1954. The hotel's bartender, Ramon 'Monchito' Marrero, was experimenting with a new recipe that blended rum, coconut cream and pineapple juice with ice. After spending three months perfecting his creation, he named it the pina colada, which means 'strained pineapple' in Spanish, and began serving it at the hotel's Beachcomber Bar. The pina colada became so popular that in 1978 it was named the official drink of Puerto Rico. Today, it remains among the most requested cocktails the world over. An intergalactic treat: the DoubleTree cookieBarron Hilton, the hotel group's late chairman and CEO, used to speak passionately about the company's vision of a Lunar Hilton, which would one day welcome guests on the moon. It hasn't quite happened yet, but for Hilton's 100th anniversary in 2019, the company found an innovative way to bring its hospitality to space. DoubleTree hotels are known for the warm chocolate chip cookies given to guests on arrival (more than 30m are eaten every year), and in January 2020, the cookies became the first food ever to be baked in space. On the International Space Station, astronauts used a prototype Zero G Kitchen oven to prepare a test batch of the cookies, made with oats, flour, semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. Their experiments produced perfect cookies, just like the ones at DoubleTree hotels. The next big drink? Simia sour In 2020, Pernod Ricard, owner of Monkey 47 gin, partnered with Hilton to host a digital cocktail competition across Europe, the Middle East and Africa to find the hotel brand's 'next big thing'. A mixologist at the Cloud 9 Sky Bar & Lounge in Hilton Prague created the winning entry, simia sour, inspired by the Earth's tropical rainforests and exotic wildlife. It contains Monkey 47 dry gin, egg white foam, a refreshing twist of fresh lime juice and cranberry juice for the 'perfect sour taste', and is shaken over ice and served in a martini glass. It is now on the menu in 350 Hilton hotels across 29 countries. Press 9 for … room service The Waldorf-Astoria isn't just known for its culinary firsts – it also pioneered the concept of room service, so guests didn't even need to leave the comfort of their rooms to eat. When the art deco hotel opened on New York's Fifth Avenue in 1893 (the hotel's original site became the Empire State Building), it offered an immediately popular innovation: room service to cater to the privacy demands of its VIP guests. The idea of world-class cuisine brought straight to your room soon caught on at hotels around the world. To check out some of Hilton's top culinary offerings, see below or book direct at and save on your stay. Join Hilton Honors for free and save up to 20%* in the Hilton Sale, now on. *Terms and conditions apply. Must be a Hilton Honors Member.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store