Welcome to Anytime Travel Ideas and Inspiration
There is a wealth of knowledge and information to be learned here. Not only will you read of our clients’ Travel Stories, but you will find several Posts, conveniently broken into groups such as Where To, and Travel Specials. Additionally, we have shared some Travel Resources and Testimonials.
While you are browsing, be sure to leave a comment or two. We love to hear from our readers. And of course, if you need any assistance, be sure to reach out to us. We are here to help you create your own, Travel Stories.
If you are curious about a specific resort or destination and want to learn more, or are looking to see if there is a special that may fit your upcoming vacation plans- you have arrived.
Looking for some travel resources that might be helpful to you? We invite you to browse through. As travel agents, we have a passion to travel and are inspired to travel. We show that here. Continued training, keeping up to date on industry related news, talking with our preferred suppliers about travel specials and bringing them here for you.
INSPIRATION
What inspires you to travel? The feelings? The stories? The connections? What inspiration to travel is unique and the reasons are many. It offers us an opportunity to break away from the mundane. It broadens our perspectives, introduces us to new people, new cultures. Opens our eyes to see all the world has to offer. Anytime Travel Ideas and Inspiration is the place to become… Inspired.
“Anytime Travel Agency – Building Memories, One Vacation at a Time.”
TRAVEL IDEAS AND INSPIRATION
From the Agents Perspective
When asked, the travel agents at Anytime Travel Agency all had very different answers: Inspiration comes from building itineraries for my clients and seeing the excitement in their eyes and hearing it in their voices. I get inspired when I hear the stories after they come back. I have a passion for travel! My inspiration to travel when I reminisce about places I’ve been and think about places I want to go. The memories I have made on my travels, inspire me to travel more!
Whether the inspiration behind your next trip comes from an event, a memory or a dream. Let the travel agents at Anytime Travel Agency tailor an itinerary that will reflect your vision of your vacation. Let us help you get inspired. If you are looking for a little travel inspiration, check out the stories some of our clients have shared. Travel Inspiration is all around us.
Where To?
Not sure where you would like to go but know it is time to get started planning your getaway? Here are some great destinations you may or may not of considered.
TRAVEL LOGIC
Enjoy a good read or two? We have plenty to share and below you will find some of our latest posts.
NOŪS SANTORINI
Tamara Lidbom2023-12-29T23:09:23+00:00December 29th, 2023|
Is Santorini Calling you? Discover a 5-star luxury resort hotel with unique character [...]
Wailea Beach Resort Marriott Maui Welcomes You!
Tamara Lidbom2023-11-14T23:44:00+00:00November 14th, 2023|
Wailea Beach Resort Marriott Maui Promo! A reduced room rate Daily Buffet Breakfast [...]
Impression Moxché by Secrets- The perfect couples getaway
Tamara Lidbom2023-11-14T23:51:30+00:00November 14th, 2023|
3 NIGHTS FROM $1299 PER PERSON at Impression MOXCHÉ By Secrets Best available [...]
Travel Specials
Specials come and go and we are always keeping our fingers on the pulse.
NOŪS SANTORINI
Tamara Lidbom2023-12-29T23:09:23+00:00December 29th, 2023|
Is Santorini Calling you? Discover a 5-star luxury [...]
Wailea Beach Resort Marriott Maui Welcomes You!
Tamara Lidbom2023-11-14T23:44:00+00:00November 14th, 2023|
Wailea Beach Resort Marriott Maui Promo! A reduced [...]
Impression Moxché by Secrets- The perfect couples getaway
Tamara Lidbom2023-11-14T23:51:30+00:00November 14th, 2023|
3 NIGHTS FROM $1299 PER PERSON at Impression MOXCHÉ [...]
TESTIMONIALS
“…neither of us could agree on a location. Tamara was so incredibly easy to work with. She gave us four different options all over the world…”
Ryan and Kara's Honeymoon
Ryan and Myself got married in September and decided we wanted to plan a honeymoon for right after to relax, but we didn’t want to spend the time to plan it. We found Tamara to help us find some ideas since neither of us could agree on a location. Tamara was so incredibly easy to work with. She gave us four different options all over the world. The options were hard to pick since they all consisted of so many fun activities. After some thought, Ryan and I picked Italy and Ireland. Before leaving for the trip Tamara had every single detail worked out. Our pickups were planned, our hotels, our activities (which we had VIP for basically everything) and even some complimentary meals. It was the easiest and best honeymoon experience we could have. We traveled to Rome and Florence while we were in Italy. We saw the Vatican, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Colosseum! It was so beyond beautiful and the shopping in Florence was to die for! After we went to Dublin, Killiney, and Galway. We stayed in a huge castle and saw the Guinness tour and Jameson tour, which blew us out of the water. The presentation was remarkable. We also got to see the Cliffs of Moher and Giants Causeway. All the biggest and greatest things we have ever heard about we were able to fit into our trip. The entire trip went so smoothly without any hiccups. It was exactly what anyone would want for a honeymoon. Tamara did the perfect job planning activities for us and gave us time to explore on our own. It was the best combination you could ever want for a trip. Tamara really did an amazing job and I will definitely use her in the future for any travels.
Thank you!
Ryan & Kara W
Minneapolis, MN
“Tamara did an amazing job helping us pick which resort to go for an all-inclusive trip in Mexico.”
Thuan & Patricia's Mexican Resort Vacation
Tamara did an amazing job helping us pick which resort to go for an all-inclusive trip in Mexico. She accommodated our budget and wants/needs to assure that our anniversary celebration will be perfect. This is our second time booking with her and once again did not fail to give us a wonderful experience. I highly recommend her and would definitely book our future vacations with her from now on. Also, those chocolate caramels are amazing!!
Thank you!
Thuan & Patricia
Oakdale, MN
“TAMARA, You did a great job !!”
A Father's Thanks.
TAMARA YOU did a great job !!
girls enjoyed it ..they rediscovered room service!!
but everything was great great great thank you!
Unfortunately, we do not take a lot of pictures.
Thanks.
Chuck
Wayzata, MN
“Thanks to Tamara from Anytime Travel Agency…”
Valerie and Tom's trip to Hawaii
Thanks to Tamara from Anytime Travel Agency for the fantastic assistance on planning our trip to Hawaii. It was so great to have someone find the flights to and from and plan the activities for us. The chocolate covered strawberries she sent us (via room service) was especially nice way to celebrate our anniversary. Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Valerie and Tom Muckenhirn
Delano, MN
“Yes, our trip was wonderful!”
Sirata Resort
Hi Tamara,
Yes, our trip was wonderful! Sirata Resort was very nice and was so relaxing. It was great walking and being right on the beach. The nearby shops and restaurants were nice as well. Downtown St. Petersburg was fun to visit as well! It was so nice to have all of our travel details taken care of!
Thanks too, for the yummy caramels!
We will definitely have you plan our next vacation–hopefully sooner than in another 25 years!!
Jean and Kevin
Clear Lake, MN
“Tamara was wonderful.”
All-Inclusive
Tamara was wonderful. She prepared many different options for us. When we changed our mind, she gave us new ones. Our trip was perfect. It was the absolutely the best adult only all inclusive resort. We are going back again in 2017, to the exact same resort, yes, it was that good. We are going for 10 days this time instead of 7….. Have already booked with Tamara! You will NOT be disappointed!
Rhonda
Maple Grove, MN
“Tamara was wonderful.”
Booked Another Trip
Planning our first trip together after 16 years, we wanted it to be perfect. Our lives our crazy, but Tamara was so patient and found the absolute best resort for us. We could not have been happier, with Tamara and our travel. We went in March of 2016, and have already booked with Tamara for 2017
Jae
Maple Grove, MN
“Tamara is amazing…”
Every Detail Taken Care Of.
Tamara is amazing to work with – our trip was fabulous!!! Every detail was taken care of before we left for our trip and she called the day we left and the day we came home to make sure we had a great time. I highly recommend Tamara, she was great. I’ll definitely turn to her again for our next trip and definitely recommend her to our family and friends for their trip/vacations.
Kathy N
Becker, MN
“Planning was easy with her!”
Planning Made Easy
Planning was easy with her!
Tamara was amazing to work with. I would either leave a voicemail or email and she would call back right away! She even called from time to time to check up with us before we travel. She made things easy to enjoy our honeymoon. I would highly recommend her to everyone else!
Patricia,MN
“… thought of everything.”
Details.
Tamara made sure we thought of everything. She walked us through every detail to make sure our first trip to Mexico went perfectly. All arrangements went flawlessly and she really went out of her way to ensure nothing was missed. We had a great time and I can’t wait for our next adventure.
“… dream come true.”
Dream Come True.
Tamara made sure we thought of everything. She walked us through every detail to make sure our first trip to Mexico went perfectly. All arrangements went flawlessly and she really went out of her way to ensure nothing was missed. We had a great time and I can’t wait for our next adventure.
“Tamara has booked two trips for us in the last six months.”
Puerto Vallarta.
Tamara has booked two trips for us in the last six months (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (12/15-1/16) and Ixtapa, Mexico (3/16)). She has proven to be very knowledgeable, extremely timely with her communications and very customer focused. For both trips, she connected with us days before the trip to make certain we had all of our travel documents ready to go and made herself available to answer any last minute questions we may have. Then upon our return, she reached out to us to make certain the trip went well and was looking for any feedback that would help her in the future as she works with other clients (specific to the accommodations, location, etc.). During our trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico I made a last minute decision (the day before departure), that I would love to stay a week longer. I emailed Tamara and within minutes she emailed me back and got to work checking into what options we had available. I never once felt like I was an interruption or burden to her, she was excited to be able to help us out. Tamara is so pleasant to work with, offers the same pricing as booking online, but unlike booking online, you have a real, live, friendly, knowledgeable person to help you out at any time during the process. She is awesome!
M.Brings
Buffalo, MN
“The Santiago group !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
The Santiago group !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tamara , I just wanted to send you a e-mail to say THANK YOU, for all you did for our group. I don’t know how you found a resort that had everything we were looking for, but you nailed it. The resort was great and well worth the money. We all talked after the trip and decided we are all going on vacation again soon. We will be calling you for the next trip. THANK YOU again.
The Santiago group !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tamara,
Thank you so much for all your help! You are the best agent we ever used. It was a surprise to me that you spent the time to follow up with us during every stage of our trip. I especially was impressed with your emails, texts with reminders and wishing us well just prior to the trip and giving us an update with the weather conditions on our way to Riviera Maya. We have never had this kind of attention ever. You are truly the best!
The resort was very nice, clean, with helpful and friendly people. The Apple representatives at the resort were exceptional! The specialty restaurants for dinner were pretty good, especially the Japanese restaurant.
Jayne
“Travel Agents”
Travel Agents
Hello,
My family and I decided at the beginning of the year that we wanted to take a trip in February. I did the usual poking around, trying to see what I could find on my own. Everything I could find was out of our price range or not quite right in some other way (too long a stay, too short a stay, awkwardly-timed flights, etc.). On a whim I looked for local travel agents, and found Tamara Lidbom. I gave her our parameters — budget, time we’d like to travel — and she came up with an itinerary that suited us perfectly. We had a great time in San Juan. Getting there and back was very easy, and even though we didn’t do much that was very adventurous, we still had a wonderful, relaxing, interesting vacation. She was very good about responding to questions quickly, and made sure we had all the information we needed. Booking our trip with her was a cinch. She was also great about following up with me before and after our trip. I think here in the 21st century we often forget about using travel agents since it seems so simple to book our own travel, but really, travel agents have some inside info and resources a random shopper might overlook. I highly recommend Tamara — she was great. I’ll definitely turn to her again for my next big trip!
Thanks, again for all your help, Tamara! I’ll definitely be in touch next time we’re looking to do a big trip!
Best regards,
Stacey
“Amazing”
Amazing
Hello Everyone,
I just want to let everyone know how truly AMAZING it was to work with Tamara Lidbom. In the chaos of planning my wedding and having multiple vendors back out or change things on me, Tamara was the light in it all!
I had first contacted Tamara about planning our honeymoon and was scared to put all my trust into someone I didn’t know. I told her what I wanted and some places we’d like to visit and she immediately got to work. Within 2 days she had planned out not one, not two, but three separate all-inclusive honeymoons. I literally just had to look at them, it was all planned out for us in this email. After looking through the first three and talking with my husband we had decided maybe a cruise would be better. So we got a hold of Tamara and told her what we may want. She never complained over my never ending question, emails, or phone calls. She found us two cruises within a day, but again we didn’t feel like that’s what we wanted to do. She set out yet again to find us our perfect honeymoon and she succeeded above and beyond our expectations! We booked our 7 day 6 night honeymoon at Grand Bahia Principle Bavaro in the Dominican of Republic.
We couldn’t have enjoyed our honeymoon anymore. From the clear blue waters to the beautiful beaches and great weather, there was nothing this resort didn’t have.
We called with final questions before we left and they were answered immediately. She never once pushed us to the back of her mind. Even now, after being home for a week she will still send emails and call us to see how we enjoyed everything. She was truly amazing and we will be using her for all our other adventures!
Thank you Tamara!
Katie & Tony
“Our parents…”
Our Parents
Hi Tamara,
Thank you again for everything. Our ceremony and reception were fantastic! It rained for our welcome party, ceremony and reception, but that was ok. We got moved into this tiny chapel and had our reception in this smaller building. Both locations worked out perfectly and we couldn’t have asked for anything more. The staff on the evening of our wedding as phenomenal– best service we had at the resort our entire stay! I included a picture below. We each went on excursions, I went zip lining, repelling, and to a cenote hole with about 20 of our guests and Chip went deep sea fishing with five others. We each had a great time on our excursions. In addition, we went with two others to swim with dolphins – oh my gosh we had so much fun! And, we were not expecting it. All our guests had a fabulous time. They loved the resort, the food, and the staff. Our parents loved the dinner on the beach.
“Honeymoon…”
Honeymoon
Hello Tamara,
Thank you so much for everything you did for us. Everything from the time we arrived to the airport to the time we arrived back was planned thoroughly. Every step of the way in the planning process you were always available to answer any and all questions. Thank you for making our vacation that much more relaxing for us. I will definitely be looking your way for future trip planning!
It was extremely hard to leave Mexico. We had a wonderful time! The Eldorado Royale was great. Everything at the resort: restaurants, resort grounds, workers, beach, and drinks, of course, were top notch. We mostly laid on the beach, played some volleyball, had a few adult beverages, and went out to some nice dinners. It was truly one of those well needed relaxing vacations. The resort even did something a little special for Katie and myself since we were using the trip as a bit of a honeymoon. When we got back from a dinner one night there was a banner on our door saying “Happy Honeymoon”. There were also flower petals from the door to the bed, and pedals all over the bed. It was very nice!
One day we did do excursions. Katie went snorkeling and I went deep sea fishing with people there for the wedding. The deep sea fishing was a great experience. We caught a lot of fish and the charter company was able to cook them up for us.
We are horrible at taking pictures, so I attached one of about the 4 we took.
Thank you once again and hopefully we will be in touch again soon!
Joe & Katie
“Enjoyable…”
Disney
Tamara made our trip enjoyable by taking care of all the time consuming tasks. She went beyond our expectations to ensure we were informed about choices and opportunities.
“Our favorite Agent…”
Our Favorite Agent
Tamara is officially my favorite travel agent! I was originally planning a Vegas trip a few years back and the travel agent I was working with stood me up days before. I just happened to come across Anytime Travel Agency and it was the best find. Thank you so much for making both our Jamaica and Las Vegas vacation happen. It was AMAZING. This was our second booking with her and she always manages to find the best bang for your buck.
Kevin & Klarissa
“What a Service…”
What a Service
What a service! We met Tamara through my husband John’s niece: Tamara had helped arrange her beautiful Jamaican destination wedding. A recent conversation with Tamara about my dream of a European river cruise ended with “Let me help you plan it!”, indicating to me that it truly could happen! Tamara was so very wonderful to work with: she researched all the possibilities and offered to us a menu of a half dozen options, all focused on what we wanted our experience to be. Prior to our working with Tamara, we were only aware of the Viking river cruises, as we both knew several people who had experienced them – and we had been subjected to heavy direct mail from that line. Tamara offered itinerary choices from AMAWaterways, a family-held European cruise line that I had never heard of. With Tamara’s encouragement I looked up AMA and learned of the company’s high reputation for satisfaction, their unique European ‘touch’, the distinctive experience of their long boats. Once we indicated our choice, Tamara took care of EVERYTHING: booking, travel insurance, payment schedule. When some friends suggested we should be concerned about the viability of our trip due to low water levels in European rivers this summer, she addressed our concerns immediately and secured assurance from the cruise company of the reliability of their longboats. She hand-delivered the airline tickets and travel documents to our house! All we had to do was to show up at the airport! Tamara made sure that all the special touches were there – culminating in the surprise onboard acknowledgement of our cruise-celebrating anniversary with fanfare and cake.
We’re looking forward to our next adventure abroad – and hoping Tamara will help us again. What a wonderful professional to have to help us enjoy the world!
Donna Scheck
“From the Mother of the Bride…”
From the Mother of the Bride.
From the Mother of the Bride:
Tamara at Anytime Travel Agency was a pleasure to work with. She planned the vacation wedding trip for our large extended family. It was no any easy job involving travel and reservations for so many individual families and the wedding of our daughter. She was very attentive and courteous at all times. She was prompt with responses and requests. When we had had travel troubles due to poor weather she helped every step of the way. I could not have done it without her! Thanks Tamara, we had a great time.
Libby Harris – Fairfield, TX
From the Bride:
Tamara was awesome! She not only helped my husband and I plan our wedding, but she also planned all our guest’s trip as well. The night before my husband and I were supposed to leave, bad weather hit and our plane got cancelled. She called me immediately and informed me what was going on and said she was already working on an alternative, she had us booked on another airline within the hour and we were back on our way! I could not have done it without her expertise and hard work on getting everyone together. I HIGHLY recommend her.
Courtney – Corsicana, TX
“The Weather was beautiful…”
The Weather was Beautiful
Hi Tamara,
Yes, we’re back! The weather down there was beautiful! We had a wonderful time with so many things to do. As soon as we get our pictures from disney we plan on working on the scrap book. (Great idea!)
We went to 4 parks and our favorites were Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. Epcot was okay, not as much rides for the kids to really enjoy. If we did it again, we would have liked to include going to Sea World. The dinning plan was nice to have because we could pick what restaurants we wanted to eat at ahead of time. But overall it was a wonderful trip.The kids were SO shocked. We told them with my family Thanksgiving night.
They loved the plane. We go them their ‘wings’ for it being their first ever plane ride. The whole time we were in Florida they kept on asking, “When are we going to Disney?” (They associated Disney with the castle at Magic Kingdom.) That was actually the last park we went to before we came home, so they were really excited.
Thank you so much for helping us put together this wonderful trip for our family. We will be calling you for our next vacation and will recommend you to others.
Thanks so much again,
Aaron and Jessica Mann (Sydney & Caden)
“…everything far surpassed my expectations.”
Exceeding Expectations
Hi Tamara!
Sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. Perhaps we did not want to admit that the trip was over. Matt and I both absolutely loved our honeymoon! Thank you so much for helping us to choose something that far surpassed our expectations. The entire process of working with you was incredibly easy. I had thought it would take weeks to find something in our price range and desired locations. Even though I wasn’t the one working directly with you when I called in to make a payment you always knew exactly who I was. Can you teach our insurance agent how to do that?!
Upon arriving at the Montego Bay airport it was easy to follow everyone else and find the Sandals club. They handled our bags while we grabbed a complimentary drink. The 1.5 hr bus ride to Whitehouse Beach was actually very exciting for us. The ride was all a part of the adventure! Upon arriving at Sandals Whitehouse we were given cool moistened towelettes that smelt great. They handled our bags while we went in and relaxed. A guy by the name of Omar came and grabbed us and one other couple and escorted us to the Club Level check-in. They served rum punch and gave us a quick intro.
Our room was nicer than any U.S. room I’ve stayed in and completely clean and in order. We had a mini fridge filled with champagne, beer, water, juices and a bar with full-sized bottles of vodka, gin, whiskey, tequila. Anytime something was emptied they would refill it. They noticed we tended to drink all of the waters and started stocking us with 8 -10 per day instead of 2. On our second night there we arrived back to find a Happy Honeymoon chocolate cake and champagne. On the fourth night, we found two swans and rose petals on the bed. We weren’t in the room much but it seemed to me they would come in twice a day – once in the morning to replace towels, make the bed, etc and in the evening to double check and touch everything up. They were great about working around anything we left lying about and always managed to get all the pesky sand out!
The food at all of the restaurants was excellent. The thing that stood out to me most about the service at the restaurants was how much all of the staff seemed to like their jobs and be happy we were there. They always asked about potential allergies, pulled out chairs for us, kept our glasses full, and even remembered us when we would come back. I have never had that level of service in the states.
The bartenders and event coordinators made the trip. Each evening they had something fun going on from a singer and chocolate fountains to the Jamaican drum band, to live game shows. Each night the party continues in the martini bar with karaoke, dueling pianos and dancing. Every day around 3 or 4 they would have an activity at the main pool. We participated in pool Olympics, bean bag tosses, and learned some new line dances. We tried out the stand-up paddleboards and saw several huge starfish.
We started each day with a scuba dive. The dive instructors were calm and humorous guys. I am a nervous diver and they immediately helped me feel at ease and I got to go on my most confident and fun dives yet! We paid extra one night to do a night dive – totally worth it.
All in all, everything far surpassed my expectations. Check out was pretty busy. Many people told us it is the one Sandals location they keep coming back to and I now understand why. If you ever find yourself laying on the white sands be sure to order a dirty banana!
Thank you again, We will let you know when we are ready for the next adventure!
Amanda (and Matt) Rabe
“We must say we have been extremely happy with Anytime Travel Agency!”
Extremely Happy
We must say we have been extremely happy with Anytime Travel Agency! With two kids and a busy husband I was at a loss when it came to making travel plans. Thankfully we were able to contact Tamara at Anytime travel who is not only professional but also very helpful! We briefly mentioned to Tamara what we were looking for us as well as our two kids on our vacation to Playa Del Carmen. Tamara came back with a few great suggestions and we chose what best suited our family. Our trip to Mexico was a memorable one! She knew exactly what we were looking for. I will use Tamara’s Anytime Travel business again!
Michelle C.
“…next adventure!”
Our Next Adventure
Tamara was so easy to work with! She helped us to plan our honeymoon and we were so happy to have someone else take care of the travel arrangements for us! Tamara asked us how much we would like to spend and asked for ideas of what we like to do, and then she took it from there. I would highly recommend using Tamara and her travel service on your next adventure!
Jackie L
“…….she made traveling simple and Fun!”
....she made traveling simple and Fun!
What a wonderful trip we had going to Japan this year, thanks to the efforts and expertise of Tamara. She did not have much time. I only knew the city and how long we were staying. The hotel she found could not have been better! It was with in walking distance of the train station, the Palace and many Shriners. We were in the downtown area close to all the action and best of all we had a natural Hot Springs right on the property. It was a great trip I would recommend Tamara to any of my friends and clients ….she made traveling simple and Fun!
Thanks Tamara,
Nancy Giacomuzzi
“…our very first family vacation to Disney World!”
...our very first family vacation to Disney World!
“We worked with Tamara from Anytime Travel on planning our very first family vacation to Disney World. She was able to work within our budget and still include everything we wanted. She worked hard to find the lowest airfare for the time frame we were looking in which really helped the budget. She made great suggestions such as including the dining plan and memory maker deals with our package which turned out to be invaluable services. She also went above and beyond the night before our flight when 2 of our 3 children had the stomach flu and we were stressed out not knowing if we would be able to go or not the next morning. Tamara kept in touch with us and called Disney to see what our options would be if we couldn’t make it. She made sure we knew it would be fine no matter what happened. Thankfully everyone was well enough in the morning so that we could go on time and we had the vacation of our dreams! Everything went so smoothly thanks to the planning by Tamara. We will definitely call her for our future vacations and would recommend her services to everyone.”
Heather, Chad & kids
“…Jamaica Wedding”
Jamaica Wedding
Fun in the sun! Jamaica 2017. Thank you so much for your assistance our trip was wonderful!
Thank you!
Ruth Ann
“…Family Fun in Grand Cayman”
Family Fun in Grand Cayman
It was absolutely an amazing time! Such a beautiful place and we enjoyed every minute! Well, maybe not the part where my daughter and I got stung by a jellyfish at Starfish point-but even that didn’t ruin our vacation. The condo was fantastic and the kids really enjoyed the pool, hot tub, and snorkeling right off our beach. Was a great location-short walk to seven mile beach-but we enjoyed being off the busy part of the beach. Friendly locals were eager to help us at the condo as well. The grocery store had everything we needed and we found some great restaurants within walking distance. Glad we didn’t rent a car-we found the bus system really easy to use! Overall, it truly was a memorable trip, can’t say enough about how much fun and relaxation we had! Now the hard part is thinking about where to go next year! We definitely want to keep exploring the Caribbean! I will send some pics in a separate email for you to use!
Thank you for helping us book and organize a wonderful family vacation! Sure we’ll be reaching out again soon to find our next Caribbean adventure!
Mary Lee
“We Love Working With You!”
We Love Working With You!
Tamara was more than amazing helping us plan our honeymoon! She was just as excited as we were for our trip! She always checked in with us, and had everything in line. It made our vacation so smooth! We can’t wait to book our next trip, and will definitely be calling Anytime Travel again.
Rebecca P
“XOXO!”
XOXO
Thank you Tamara for having everything perfect for our honeymoon! There was nothing to worry about and everything went smoothly! We are thankful for your expertise and kindness during the whole time!
XOXO
“I would Love to Go Back Again!”
I would Love to Go Back Again!
Our vacation was absolutely wonderful. I would love to go back again. It was really nice to have a car. Our son-in-law drove all over the place. We took the road to Hana. We were in the car for over eight hours. Very long drive, but definitely worth it. We also went to the top of the volcano. Again, lots of driving. We ate at some extraordinary places. The fresh seafood was delicious. Shopping and eating were quite expensive. Our room was beautiful. Oceanview in every room. Very easy check-in at all the airports. Again, a wonderful vacation. Thanks for all your help.
Eileen
“Alsaka!”
Alaska
Tamara booked our first Alaskan cruise package for us. It was an excellent vacation. No hangups anywhere. Beautiful scenery, wonderful food. Everything was “smooth sailing”. I was amazed at how everything from shore to ship and back to shore – then to home – was so well organized. Will book thru Tamara and Anytime Travel the next time we are ready to go!
Sherry S.
“Oh my goodness!”
Oh my goodness!
Oh my goodness, Tamara, it was awesome! We had a wonderful time with our son and his new little family. Once we went to Ireland everything went perfect! The drivers were exactly on time, the hotel was perfect and right in the heart of all the action, the hop-on-hop-off tour was perfect for us, and we had a blast at the Jameson tour! We learned we definitely want to go back because we need more time there but we got a good feel this time!
Thank you so much for everything!
Heather & Shawn
“We had a wonderful time!”
We had a wonderful time!
Hi Tamara,
All 3 of us thought the trip was great. 9.5 out of 10!
Parking and shuttle in Mpls went well. Flight was event free.
LV shuttle and car rental was a treat (those people really care about service), beautiful new full size quality vehicle.
Hotel (Element in Summerlin) we would highly recommend. Quieter part of town, Outstanding staff. Rooms were A-1 for the price. quick jump onto the freeway.
If customers would like an hour ‘nature drive’ and/or a selection of 1 – 3 hour hikes I would recommend picturesque Red Rock Canyon just 30 minutes west of town.
Sun Country, The Element motel, Enterprise car rental – That package you put together for us was outstanding!
Thanks much for your service!
T, D & D
“We had a wonderful time on our vacation! ”
We had a wonderful time on our vacation!
Hi Tamara!
We had a wonderful time on our vacation! The resort was perfect for our family. Food was awesome and they had lots of options and varieties-our girls mainly ate buttered noodles and ice cream! The ice cream was fantastic! We ended up getting two double beds and a roll away-which worked out great for us. We really liked that we could utilize Sunrise and Nizuc-gave us different swimming pools and restaurants. We didn’t mind walking-it was good exercise and was fun to walk along the beach. The beach was good-the water wasn’t the cleanest and the beach did have seaweed on it, but we didn’t mind that. We still spent a lot of time just playing in the sand. To get our great beach day, we took a taxi to the Beach palace resort and spent the day there and the beach and water were absolutely beautiful there. The girls had fun crashing in the waves and spent hours looking for cool shells. We even visited the roof top of Beach palace and had a great view from there. It was a great day trip for us. We did end up going on one excursion-to The Rio Secreto and we went bike riding, rappelled down into a cave, and then put on wet suits, hard hats, life jackets, and explored the caves. We did end up using some of the resort credits for a couples massage.
The weather was ok, only in the mid 70’s most of the time. But we made the best of it, can’t control the weather! And it was still way warmer than here! We also didn’t end up using the child care centers-they were very cool but our girls thought they were kind of babyish and boring for their age. Plus they wanted to play by the pool and beach anyways.
Overall, we were extremely happy with our resort and stay. It was a perfect place for us and we felt very safe with our kiddos. Thank you very much for helping us-we are already thinking of where we want to go next! I will send pictures in another email!
Thank you!
Mary L. 2018
“Our trip was great!!! ”
Our trip was great!!!
Hi Tamara!
Our trip was great!!! One of our favorite parts was just sitting under the tiki huts and palm trees with a beverage and soaking up paradise! We got a nice tan, or I should say sunburn first, and had a relaxing time! :)We enjoyed trying different foods, the service of the employees, the wonderful beach, and being able to check out the other hotels next to us, which we feel we got the better of the 3 hotels! We watched most of the entertainment shows at night and we loved having the swim up to our room!
We want to thank you for all your help planning our honeymoon! We enjoyed working with you and we’d certainly have you help us plan another trip in the future!
Emily & Tyler
“Tamara is AWESOME!!!!”
Tamara is AWESOME!!!!
We cannot say enough about the wonderful, over ten-year relationship, we have with Tamara and the Anytime Travel Agency team. From several different Cruise Ship vacations, All-Inclusive resorts, a wedding in Costa Rica, and the all-important Disney vacation with the grand-daughter, Tamara always delivers on a great vacation experience.
Our experience with Tamara is always positive. She is a passionate and caring professional with a focus on exceeding the customer’s expectations by communicating realistic costs in concurrence with understanding your vacation wants and needs.
Tamara has made recommendations that we did not initially consider which further increased our vacationing experience.
It is with great confidence the we highly recommend Tamara and the Anytime Travel Agency team for all your vacation needs, big or small. You will be pleasantly surprised by her vast knowledge & expertise and her caring disposition.
The Hommer Family
Travel Resources
We love to share advice and resources!
Packing
There are two kinds of travelers in the world: those who packed light and those who wish they had. To include everything needed in as little space as possible, follow these helpful packing tips.
Make a plan and stick to it!
A packing list eliminates the panic of last-second packing, serves as a handy guide for repacking at the end of the trip, and can be beneficial in the unfortunate event of lost or stolen luggage. When planning your wardrobe, consider the events you will participate in both day and night and write down a possible outfit for each activity. Crosscheck this packing list to determine if one piece can cover multiple occasions. Pick clothes that coordinate well together, based around complimentary colors.
Check the weather forecast of the destination and plan accordingly. Also, be sure to know the local traditions, where a t-shirt for dinner could be a serious blunder, or bare shoulders may bar your entrance into such places as St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. For almost all outdoor activities, take pieces that can be layered. Pack your travel documents in your hand luggage for easy access, not in your suitcase. Carry a written prescription for any required medications or eyewear, in case you lose them. Pack a spare change of clothes in your hand luggage in case of baggage loss or delay. Couples who have several types of Credit Cards should select one different card each. If one of the credit cards is lost or stolen immediate credit is available with the use of the other card. Call your credit card to let them know you are traveling. Do not forget to visit your airline’s website for additional details for both checked and carry-on luggage.
Below is a guide with general packing tips. But always consider your destination, activities and how long you will be gone.
Travel Insurance
Intending travelers often ask the question, “Why should I bother with Travel Insurance? Nothing is likely to happen to me on this trip”.
The top three reasons to get travel insurance are:
– Peace of mind
– Protection against the unexpected
– Concern over losing the financial investment in a trip
Reasons to buy Travel Insurance
Your flight has been canceled.
Your bags are lost and your medication is in it. You need to have an emergency prescription filled.
Your passport and wallet are stolen, and you need emergency cash and a replacement passport.
You’re involved in an accident and adequate medical treatment is not available. You need medical evacuation.
You need to cancel your trip due to illness.
Your cruise line, airline or tour operator goes bankrupt. You need your non-refundable expenses covered and to get to your destination.
You have a medical emergency in a foreign country.
A terrorist incident occurs in the city where you’re planning to visit and you want to cancel your trip.
A hurricane forces you to evacuate your resort, hotel or cruise.
Many travel insurance policies will cover you if you need to cancel your trip due to a range of circumstances prior to your departure as well as while you are traveling, for example, an accident involving injury to yourself or a spouse or child, even in some cases a problem with your business or illness of a business partner.
To buy, or not to buy?
Compare the cost of the trip versus the cost of the policy. If you just bought a $200 airline ticket, is that worth covering? If you paid for it with a credit card, and the airline ceases to operate before your flight, you’re already covered – under federal credit laws – by your own credit card company, since you bought or contracted for a service which you didn’t get.
Look for a policy with a travel insurer that is independent from your tour operator and is licensed by your state. Many cruise lines and tour operators offer insurance, often at lower premiums than those charged by outside insurers. But if the cruise line or tour company goes out of business, there may not be money to cover your claim. Most importantly, read the policy!!
Basic Travel Insurance Types:
Flight Insurance
Many of us grew up noticing those insurance kiosks at airports. They offer to pay out big bucks if you bought the insurance. This is not necessary. In fact, if you annualized the premium, it’s the most expensive kind of travel insurance you can buy, and probably the least necessary. My advice: NO.
Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
This is a biggie. The key here is price point. If you’re flying on a $59 Southwest Airlines ticket from Burbank to Las Vegas, you have an incredibly small investment to protect. You shouldn’t buy trip cancellation and interruption insurance. A $15,000 once-in-a-lifetime cruise vacation? My advice: YES. Buy this insurance. If you get sick, or miss your trip, or the travel provider (airline, cruise line, bus transfer company) goes out of business, you’re not left high and dry.
Health Care Insurance
This is perhaps the most confusing area. Most people think they are covered if they already have existing health care insurance. Within the United States, that’s true. Outside the U.S., however, is a big IF. And in some cases, your insurance won’t even cover you if you’re traveling on a foreign-flagged vessel. This is a huge red flag, since most cruise ships, even those cruising U.S. waters, are not flagged in the U.S.
Baggage Insurance
Many trip cancellation and interruption policies also provide coverage for lost, damaged, delayed, or stolen bags. This is especially necessary if you’re flying overseas and checking bags. Again, read the policy.
Passport Information
Passports generally take 4-6 weeks to arrive. Everyone will need a passport if you are traveling outside the United States (including children). You do not need a passport if you are traveling to Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands (St Thomas, St John, and St Croix.) Passports are valid for 10 years for adults and 5 years for children. They are obtained through your county government center.
If you already have a passport, check your passport validity for international trips. Be aware of visa requirements for the countries you are traveling to. It is also a good idea to leave your passport details and copies of your travel documents with family. The expiration date of the passport must be at least six months past the date of trip departure.
If you are traveling with your child (or children) outside the United States and both parents are not present, you will need to have a notarized letter from the absent parent stating consent. The only exceptions are if you are the legal guardian or the absent parent is deceased. In this case bring paperwork to support this.
If you are going on your honeymoon and have not changed your last name yet, you will travel with your maiden name. Your name needs to match your license and/or passport.
Link to Sherburne County: http://www.co.sherburne.mn.us/recorder/vital/passport.php
Wright County: http://www.co.wright.mn.us/178/Passports
Strearns County: http://www.co.stearns.mn.us/Government/LicensesandPermits/Passports
Before You Go
Before You Go
- Check with your doctor if any vaccinations are required for any destinations you are unsure of.
- If you are traveling abroad and will be renting a car, you many need to purchase an International Drivers License.
- Reconfirm that your frequent flier numbers are on your booking documents, including any special meals required and any seating preferences. Retain all your boarding passes until the next frequent flier statement to ensure you have received your points.
- If you are staying at an all-inclusive, there probably are dress codes for the evening restaurants.
- For international travel, check the country’s voltage to see if your appliances are adaptable. If not, you may need to buy an adapter.
- Check the currency used in the country you are traveling to and if all credit card types are accepted. You may want to use travelers checks, however if you are traveling to tourist areas in Mexico or the Caribbean, US money may be accepted (and in some places preferred).
- If you are planning to call home when you are gone, you should purchase an international calling card. Charges to call home from your cell or from your hotel will most likely be very expensive!
- When traveling with children, pack something fun and new maybe it is a activity book, chapter book or movie. Also if you are traveling somewhere tropical pack plenty of sunscreen and aloe, they are very expensive when purchasing at your destination.
Airport and Baggage Fees
Airport and Baggage Info
Don’t let the challenges of air travel and airport security scare you away from vacationing in the world’s most spectacular spots. Often the most time-consuming part of your journey is the airport security lines. With a little guidance you’ll be on your way to your dream destination.
To find out the specifics, the TSA has prepared the “TSA Traveler’s Guide” to help ensure passengers have the answers they need to common security screening questions. You’ll find the airport security regulations that you’ll need to know including Permitted and Prohibited items. http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information
Baggage fees
Most airlines are charging for any baggage you check in. Typical prices are $15-$25 for the first checked bag and $25 for the second – one way. You can still have carry-on luggage for no charge which typically consists of 1 suitcase and 1 purse, laptop or briefcase. Check with your specific airline regarding their baggage policies. Check the TSA web link above to find out more regarding prohibited items. Make sure that you have external tags and labels with name and address and internal labels with name address. Record details of the dimensions, brand, value, size and contents in case of lost luggage with an airline. Complete a lost baggage report with the airline and retain a copy for insurance and your own follow-up.
Call your airline to reconfirm your flight times about 24 hours prior to your departure and arrive a minimum of 2 hours in advance to ensure there is adequate time to get through security. If you are traveling with small children you might want to plan on getting there earlier.
