Holiday Gift Guide from a Luxury Travel Advisor for 2024

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Holiday Gift Guide from a Luxury Travel Advisor for 2024

It's been ages since I last created a holiday gift guide, but as a luxury travel advisor always on the go, I've discovered some truly chic essentials. I've curated a selection of my tried-and-true favorites, straight from my personal travel collection and recent shopping sprees.

This holiday gift guide is designed for the stylish explorers in your life (including you!). It features a carefully curated mix of thoughtful and practical items to elevate any travel experience. These gifts aren't just useful for the journey—they also help cherish those travel memories once you're back home.

Finding the perfect travel gifts is a delightful journey in itself. Here are some chic and functional options that blend style and practicality, perfect for any travel enthusiast.

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Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat: A French Riviera Paradise on the Côte d'Azur

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Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat: A French Riviera Paradise on the Côte d'Azur

This sparkling beauty was the first stop on our European holiday and has long been on my travel bucket list. Nestled on the glamorous French Riviera Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is a haven of exquisite beauty and timeless elegance. This exclusive peninsula boasts a perfect blend of natural landscapes, opulent villas, and a vibrant Mediterranean atmosphere that has captured the hearts of discerning travelers for decades.

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A Winter Warm Up in Los Cabos: Where the Desert Meets the Sea

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A Winter Warm Up in Los Cabos: Where the Desert Meets the Sea

Nothing warms us up quite like a sunny beach destination in the cold depths of January. As I’ve written in previous posts, Los Cabos is such an easy flight from California and I’ve been a regular visitor since the late 1980s. Despite tremendous development, plus a huge luxury boom in recent years, the turquoise seas, golden sands, and brilliant sunshine remain unchanged. For this trip, we stayed at Zoetry Casa del Mar for a touch of all-inclusive luxury. We were thrilled to have my sister, Dorie, and Michael join us for some well-deserved R and R Los Cabos style.

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Setting Sail On the French Riviera!

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Setting Sail On the French Riviera!

Just a quick check-in during a flurry of packing and prepping to catch a flight to the French Riviera tomorrow bright and early. Scott and I will land in Nice, and spend a few days enjoying the Riviera while based in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. Later we will board the Seabourn Sojourn in Monte Carlo for the 10-Day Tyrrhenian Treasures & Malta with a sparkling itinerary. Stops include Italy, France, Malta (a first for us!), and end in Spain where we will finish up with a few relaxing days in Barcelona before heading home. We are honored to be invited to host this cruise for the Virtuoso Voyages group onboard. When I tell you this cruise sold out fast - it was sold out one day after I posted our announcement!

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Celebrate! Announcing our Forbes Travel Guide Endorsement!

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Celebrate! Announcing our Forbes Travel Guide Endorsement!

We are thrilled to announce that Curated Travel, as an affiliate of Cadence, has been named a Forbes Travel Guide-endorsed agency. FTG is the only independent global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants, spas, and ocean cruises. The coveted Five-Star, Four-Star, and Recommended awards are earned through incognito inspections on FTG’s hundreds of exacting quality and service standards. We are honored to be recognized by the global authority on luxury hospitality for our commitment to providing our clients with exceptional experiences.

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Exciting News! We Will be Hosting A Virtuoso Voyage with Seabourn Ultra Luxury Cruises - Monte Carlo to Barcelona - October 2023 - Join Us!

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Exciting News! We Will be Hosting A Virtuoso Voyage with Seabourn Ultra Luxury Cruises - Monte Carlo to Barcelona - October 2023 - Join Us!

How does frolicking on the French Riviera sound about now?

In October, Scott and I plan to set sail on the luxurious Seabourn Sojourn from Monte Carlo to Barcelona on a 10-day cruise with stops in Elba, Amalfi, and Taormina (Italy), Valletta (Malta), St. Tropez and La Ciotat (France), as well as Palamos (Spain) before disembarking in Barcelona on this spectacular itinerary.

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Envision: The Anticipation of Travel

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Envision: The Anticipation of Travel

I’ve read that half the pleasure of travel is the anticipation. I’m in that phase now with my upcoming solo trip to Italy. I find myself envisioning the sights, sounds, tastes, and even the rose gold hues of sunset over the Arno River bathing Florence. I can almost taste the cacio e pepe (we made it in a cooking class in Tuscany) and the gelato di caffe’. I’m checking the weather report daily (mostly highs in the upper 60s) to envision my daily clothing needs and am fully packed early for this trip.

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Hot Tips for Preparing for International Travel (Revisited for 2024)

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Hot Tips for Preparing for International Travel (Revisited for 2024)

The travel industry is definitely booming and many travelers, tired of local haunts, are heading to far-flung destinations post-pandemic. At Curated Travel, our clients are headed to St. Lucia, Bora Bora, Cancun, South Africa, Germany, European River Cruises, the British Isles, Slovenia, France, and the always-popular Italy in the next several months. With 3 trips to Europe last year and Italy on my horizon later this month, I will attest that travel is back and more exciting than ever!

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Lake Garda: Mercurial, Magical and Idyllic

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Lake Garda: Mercurial, Magical and Idyllic

Arriving at Villa Cortine Palace Hotel is an event in and of itself. Our driver whisked us through majestic gates, past antique statuary and formal gardens to this stately, historic property. It sits on 12 acres on the peninsula just north of Sirmione and is bordered on both sides by Lake Garda. This location yields the most amazing lake views from all angles.

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Milan: Modern, Vibrant and Stylish (with Classic Soul)

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Milan: Modern, Vibrant and Stylish (with Classic Soul)

The first stop on my long-awaited return trip to Italy, for a luxury travel event, was Milan. Though I have traveled through Milan, with stops at Malpensa airport and the train station, I have never ventured out to explore the heart of the city. On this trip, I blocked out time to recover from jet lag and acquaint myself with this vibrant city for a couple of days. And yes, on this trip my luggage arrived with me!

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Bravo! Italy is finally back on my horizon!

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Bravo! Italy is finally back on my horizon!

After numerous canceled trips over the last 2 1/2 years, Italy is finally back on my horizon! I’m beyond excited to be invited to attend Travelux, a fully hosted luxury travel event in Venice, hosted by Nebe Club. If you’ve followed this blog for several years you may remember that I attended this same event at Lake Como in 2018. Yes, that’s the one where I had all the fancy events and my luggage didn’t arrive for 6 full days! Travelux is an exceptional experience and I found it to be a life-changer for my travel business.

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Reflecting on Travel 2021 plus a hopeful horizon for 2022!

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Reflecting on Travel 2021 plus a hopeful horizon for 2022!

I realize it’s already mid-January but it’s never too late to wish you a happy new year - in fact - how about a happier new year? Whether you experienced some sort of travel in 2021, or are waiting for calmer seas in the new year, I can report that travel is on the horizon for 2022 in a big way. Our clients are booking and keeping us very busy here at Curated Travel. Europe is a smoking hot destination for 2022 with much pent-up demand after the last two years of more local travel. In 2021 our clients safely traveled to Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Mexico, Maui, Florida, and California.

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