On the Sunday, January 31st, 2016 edition of The Travel Guys… January 31st edition of The Travel Guys is dedicated to our mission of making you a smarter traveler and our all-star consumer advocates are here to assist you.
Chris Elliott writes a column which appears in the travel section of the Sunday Sacramento Bee. He heads up the travel section for USA Today and writes a column for the Washington. He has a terrific consumer web site, elliott.org. Chris addresses "price guarantees" that aren't what they seem to be; and we discuss "fakers," people who feign disabilities in order to cut the line, board early, etc.
Ed Perkins has been a regular guest on the program since it began. He wrote the Consumer Reports Travel Newsletter for many years. We talk about some of the problems which can arise when you rent a car. Ed also has some ideas on how to save money on "CDWs" (collision damage waivers) when you rent. How much and which insurances do you need?
Finally, we put on our entertainment hats and talk about the Sierra Repertory Theater in Sonora and Columbia. Great theater at a reasonable price in historic settings.
On the Saturday, January 23rd, 2016 edition of The Travel Guys… The Travel Guys put on their entertainment hats this week, to greet Wayne Newton, Mr. Las Vegas. Wayne's former home and estate in Las Vegas, Casa de Shenandoah, is now open for public tours. A visit to the mansion is worth a trip to Las Vegas, in Mark's opinion (he's been there). It will be one of the top attractions in Las Vegas for many years.
We check in with old friend John Daley, owner of the Highway 101 Cafe, a historic roadside diner in Oceanside. John's got a huge Classic Car Cruise coming up in Oceanside on February 10th. Finally, we tell you about the age-old way to travel the Sierras in winter, the scenic snow train from Key Holidays.
In the Travel News, Mark reports on the first airline passenger with a boarding pass imbedded in their body and tells you if you should change your travel passwords.
Next week: Our two favorite consumer advocates on one program, Chris Elliott and Ed Perkins, with tips on "price guarantees" and car rental insurance.
On the Saturday, January 16th, 2016 edition of The Travel Guys… This week's edition of The Travel Guys features guests from Tahiti and Hollywood.
Join us as we take you to the South Pacific, to sail with Paul Gauguin (go-gan) Cruises on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure through the islands. Learn how you can take the trip yourself, or travel with a group later this year.
Next up is Karla Cavalli of The Travel Channel. She has a brand new show, Planet Primetime, making its debut Tuesday night on the Travel Channel. The premise of the show is to discover the cultures of other countries through their local television shows. Starting with game shows, and continuing down the line, Karla herself is a part of many different television programs. An interesting new reality TV twist we think.
Mark has the Travel News, including a tip on how to save a little next time you fly with Southwest Airlines. Join us Sunday at 3pm, as we make you a smarter traveler.
On the Sunday, January 10th, 2016 edition of The Travel Guys… Today, The Travel Guys take you to the largest Consumer and Travel Industry Show in the country, the annual affair sponsored by the New York Times in the Big Apple. Just as he has for the last several years, Mark attended the show and brought back with him a number of great interviews, representing a cross section of the wide variety of products and services available to the traveling public and their agents.
From a trip to the Antarctic (Antarctic Expeditions) that is truly only for the most adventurous traveler, to renting a riverboat to cruise (Le Boat) with your family and friends in Europe (think houseboat), we have it all for you! Mark thought one of the show's most interesting items was a translation device that doesn't even need an internet connection (Logbar). Hang on though, this product is so new you can't even buy it yet. Speaking of adventure travel, National Geographic has a new travel partner we will introduce you to, g Adventures.
Last year we told you how to get a passport at the Sacramento Library on the weekend, a major convenience. Today, we tell you how to renew your passport without ever leaving your home! It's Easy is the name of the company and it's CEO is on the air with us today. The Roman Guy tells us about why you will really need their special services if you are gong to Rome and/or the Vatican in 2016.
Gwen Duncan stops by to share a little about what hotels are doing to compete with Airbnb, and Mark has the Travel News, along with some important hints involving Airline Credit Cards and their decreasing value vs. Hotel Branded Cards.