September News from VBH Travel

Message From Heather

Happy September! Summer always seems to fly by — and I’m flying back from my family’s extended trip to the south of France and Italy as I write this. (It always seems I finally have time to write a newsletter when I’m trapped in transit!) We stayed at a wonderful two bedroom villa in Valbonne, France and a series of hotels throughout Italy. We had a great time and our trip included a tremendous variety of activities in many different spots. Some highlights:

• Beach visits in Juan Les Pins, Nice & Porto Venere

• Boat rides to the Cinque Terre and from Padua to Venice

• Hiking in Gourdon and the Cinque Terre

• Art museums & guided tours in Aix-En-Provence, Antibes, and Venice

• Perfume making in Grasse & driving a Ferrari in Maranello

• And delicious food throughout, including local cheeses and cured meats, lots of seafood, pasta, and of course, plenty of glace, gelato and tiramisu!

It’s always a pleasure to get away from the office with my family on a trip (and a huge shout-out to the team at VBH Travel that takes care of our clients in my absence), but I am always making copious notes and can’t wait to share so many of these amazing experiences and discoveries with you when you’re ready to visit these spots.

We take our job so seriously that we almost all got away this summer — Holly also took a family trip to Italy this summer focused on Florence and Sardinia; Sandy spent a week in Ireland; Katy was in Disney World with her family; and Kelly stayed domestic this time with a trip to the beach in Delaware.

I’m looking forward to being back in the office together so we can share all our experiences and bring our newfound knowledge to our clients heading to all of these amazing destinations.

Back To School Discount for Girlfriends Getaway 2025

If all the summer fun of family time has you craving a true vacation, consider joining our 2025 Girlfriends Getaway! Unlike a family trip where you are responsible for juggling the needs and desires of everyone else and wondering if they remembered to pack a toothbrush or underwear, the team at VBH Travel takes care of all the details (though you still should pack toothpaste and undies!) so you can truly relax and recharge with your friends!

This year will be our fifth time hosting this wonderful getaway and I’m so excited to be heading to Hotel Xcaret Arte for four nights of sunshine, margaritas, and laughter from January 31-February 4, 2025 in the Playa Del Carmen area of Mexico.

Authentic Mexican food, luxurious accommodations, and room rates that include both art workshops and access to amazing adventure parks/attractions (Xcaret, Xel-ha, Xplor, etc.) make this resort truly one-of-a-kind. It’s the perfect choice for anyone who worries about being bored on a vacation (but have no fear if you want to lie poolside and read a book while sipping on your beverage of choice — it’s your vacation after all!)

With our Back To School $100/person discount (put “BTS100” in the how you found out about the trip field), rates start at $2999/person double occupancy with direct flights from Newark, all-fun inclusive accommodations and transfers to/from the hotel, all fully hosted by the VBH Travel team. (Not to worry if you want to use points for flights, you or a friend are traveling from somewhere else or if you want to come solo, we have land-only rates, as well as single rooms available and the $100 discount still applies!)

The discount will be available for bookings until September 15, so you even have a little time to persuade your friends to join you for this great getaway and still secure the special rate.

Full details about the trip and find a link to sign-up here: https://vbhtravel.com/girlfriends-getaway-2025-xcaret

Now’s The Time To Plan For School Breaks!

September always sneaks up on me, but once you have your school break schedule it’s a good time to get planning started if you want to travel over school breaks in 2025. The team at VBH Travel is ready to help you with plans for February, March and April Breaks and we have a good handle on availability for Thanksgiving and December breaks, but please reach out soon to ensure you have the best opportunity to secure space for these popular travel times.

It’s also not too early to think about summer vacation plans — Italy in particular is going to be very busy in 2025 because it is a jubilee year. And most trips require just a small deposit to lock in the best rates and availability, so reach out whenever you’re ready to schedule a free vacation planning session with us so we can get the process started.