One of my favorite people to travel with:
Nicole
Nicole and I have been friends since fourth grade and in that time we have had many adventures together. Trips to Paris, Italy, NYC, St. Martin, Anguilla, and California to name a few. My favorite trip w/ Nicole was our drive across the country in 1997 (I am almost positive Nicole would not agree w/ this..just due to my driving skills alone ;))..one month on the open road...we hit flash floods, tornadoes, dust devils, hospitals in Alabama, a $160 speeding ticket post tornado, but we also saw/and did amazing things, New Orleans, Grand Canyon, Arches,Bryce and Zion National Park, Las Vegas, The Turquoise Trail in New Mexico, Tattoo's in L.A....it may have been a crazy trip, but it still went smoothly, because Nicole is a travel expert.
Since I am a more fly by the seat of your pants woman, Nicole is my perfect travel balance. She makes the plans and I have fun w/ all the plans she makes ;) I wanted to write this post about Nicole and her travel business, because she and her mother Linda Freedman (the Founder of Villa Journeys) are the experts in travel, and seriously who doesn't like to travel. I have never had a bad trip w/ Nicole, because she is always prepared and can navigate any city or town. So sit back and relax and enjoy this ride.....
Nicole Freedman of VILLA JOURNEYS,
MARBLEHEAD, MA
http://www.villajourneys.com/
S: What do you like about the travel business?
N: I get to travel! Seriously, someone has to go inspect the
destinations and properties. I also enjoy helping people find their
These memories will be with these travelers for a long time.
S: I know you have traveled the world so where is your favorite place you have been and why? If you have a tie you can put two..heehee ;)
N: People always ask me this question. I cannot pick a favorite place.
I love to see the sights of Europe and also love to vedge out on the
beach with a good book. I find that travel is all about moments and
outside my hotel room at the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. I also
enjoyed sharing that sunrise with the elephant that climbed up the
crater and was standing outside that window. Oh, by the way, resist
the urge to walk down the crater a bit to the hotel bar. There is a
reason they are not open at dusk and at night. There was also my
fabulous birthday celebration dinner looking out at the Eiffel Tower.
Oh, and people watching while at a cafe in Florence with a glass of
wine. There have also been numerous sunsets on the balcony of the
Simpson Bay Condos in St. Martin. Have so many more moments but those
are probably the top ones...
S: What makes your business special?
N: We provide a service for renting vacation homes throughout the
Caribbean and Europe. Booking a vacation home is far different than a
hotel or resort. You need to know so many more details and it's hard
to know who to trust. Private owners can sometimes misrepresent
themselves and you have little recourse once they have taken your
payment. We also know what questions to ask. How far is the housefrom the pool? Important information when you have small children.
Does the house come with a cook? If so how are meals and groceries
handled? How far is the house from the beach. Is the beach walking
distance, is it downhill (which can be a brutal walk back uphill after
a beach day), is it rocks or sand (or a mix)? Do the rooms all open
to the outside or do they open to the interior of the house? Again, a
good question if you are bringing children. Can you be seen at the
pool by neighbors? Important for some religious people as well as
others that want privacy. We take the work out of this search.
Villa Journeys works with reputable destination based management
companies. They are there for you if something goes wrong such has a power outage or flight delay.
We also have spent years exploring the destinations and properties.
We know how to match your vacation expectations,
and needs with the perfect home.
S: Where do you see the future in travel going?
N: I think it is leaning towards niche travel such as villas, adventure
and experience based travel. People can book hotel packages online.
They need an agent to help them find the perfect home, safari,
exploration or set up a bike tour of vineyards in Italy. Customers
need someone that is impartial (ie can book with any supplier) and is
knowledgeable about the destination. While I love villa travel I also
look forward to possibly moving towards more adventure type travel.
It might be because I look forward to the site / supplier inspection
trips.
N: I want to go everywhere! My motto is have passport, will travel just
about anywhere. Been to 5 continents and still need to get to
Australia and Antarctica. In the near future I hope to travel to
Spain as well as maybe charter a sailboat through the Greek Islands.
I also dream of seeing Bali ever since I read "Eat, Pray, Love". I am
now reading "The Lost Girls" and finding new places to put on the
bucket list.
S: Can you divulge any famous people you have booked trips for?N: Well, no one asked us to sign a confidentiality agreement, but I would
never divulge current celebs. In the past we have booked a house for
a band member from U2 as well as a band member from The Eagles. It's been 10 years since those bookings so I hope that is OK. We would never tell you specific details anyway. Besides, both were very nice. There is nothing to even spill!
S: What would you say are your most important travel tips?N: I think it really helps to research your destination in advance. This
is especially true if it's a touring vacation rather than a plant
yourself on a beach vacation. Plan out all the places you really have
to see and experience. Once you get to your destination take it easy.
You don't have to go by a schedule but just make sure you get to
those have to see or experience items. I sometimes think I over plan
but then I have a basic idea of what I want to see. I often rearrange
everything after I arrive. I hate to sit around wasting time planning
while on vacation. I would rather sit at a cafe and enjoy my
surroundings. It is also a good idea to ask locals for their favorite
spots.
Another tip is to try not to over-pack. Never bring more than you can
carry by yourself. I have been guilty of this at times. Hey, I gotta
have the right shoe for each outfit right? I think most of us find
that we have our favorite outfits and we end up wearing these more
than once. Often I have a bag full of clothes that have not been
worn. It's easy to find laundromats and no one will know if you wore
that same dress two nights earlier (except your travel companions).
travel agency specializing in vacation rentals. Nicole caught the
travel bug at a young age. Her parents both love to travel. Her
father is from the U.K. and her mom is American. Nicole’s parents met while traveling and living in Israel. She has had many memorable family vacations including regular trips to the UK, Ocean City Maryland and St. Martin. In college Nicole participated in Semester
at Sea which opened her eyes to new cultures and continents. On Semester at Sea she stopped in the Bahamas, Venezuela, Brazil, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, India, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan. Since college she has backpacked through Europe, driven across the US as well as numerous other trips to Europe and the Caribbean.
http://www.villajourneys.com/
You can also find Villa Journeys on Facebook
***Pictures: 1.View from the balcony at Simpson Bay Condo 2. St Martin, Nicole and I at Simpson Bay Condo 2009 3.Joshua Tree National Park, CA "Family Picnic" 4. On the train from Paris to Venice 2006, 5.Nancy, Nicole, and I Paris 2006 6.Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania view from Nicole's hotel room in the crater 7.Nicole and I in the Map Room, The Vatican, Rome, 8.Salvador Brazil capoeira demonstration Axé Project Band (project that helps the street children of Brazil) 9. Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa 10. View from Villa window, Florence Italy 11. Africa 12. "Attack of the Gladiator", Colosseum, Rome
13. Nicole on the Boat to Anguilla
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