For those of you who have felt your wanderlust severely restricted due to COVID regulations surrounding travel, your explorations are about to open once again! Airlines are honoring their credits, bookings are becoming available, reservations for cruises are being taken in Europe again, and hotel prices in many destinations are low as they seek recovery. Four-star hotels in Pacific Northwest cities that have been hit hardest by COVID are going for around $100.00/night, less than one third of the normal rack rates. Many hotels and expensive transportation options are offering free cancellations and rescheduling to lure back lost business. United Airlines is once again flying from the West Coast to New York, non-stop!
Many travelers make arrangements independent of agents by using websites like Booking.com, Expedia, and Travelocity, or even Costco Travel, but there is plenty of help out there if you are looking to enjoy hassle-free arrangements. Two companies that have served the Tri-Cities for many years are Elite Travel & Associates in Kennewick and Travel Leaders in Richland.
Elite Travel’s website can be found at elitetravelassociates.com. They are located at 7605 W. Kennewick Ave, Suite A, and can be reached at (509) 222.1222. According to their website, their agents are presently working from home, so they can be contacted directly by email. You can open conversation by emailing [email protected] or [email protected]. Travel Leaders is located at 515 Lee Blvd. in Richland’s Parkway. Agents can assist you with all of your travel needs. Their phone number is (509) 943-4686. Both agencies can book individual and group travel, cruises, family reunion adventures, etc. Sometimes there’s good reason to use a local agency, especially if there will be many details for multiple travelers needing various accommodations on one trip, or even if you just need some expert advice on where to stay and what to see.
If you’re looking for an accompanied tour, you can consider the Bell family of Richland who offer group tours to various European countries every few years. Due to COVID, their 2020 tour has been forwarded to the summer of 2022. The Bell’s are long-time educators in Richland and Pasco and operate on word of mouth-their tour groups fill quickly. They are taking reservations for the next tour that will escort participants from Ireland to Scotland, on to Barcelona, and finishing the 22-day trip with a 7-night Mediterranean cruise with ports and excursions along the French Riviera, the Italian coast to Rome, returning via Palma de Mallorca, and back to the Spanish jewel of Barcelona. For detailed information and pricing, ask to join the Facebook group Bell’s Europe Trip 2022. If you don’t have a presence on Facebook, you can inquire via email at [email protected].
It’s time to reward yourself with some new adventures—you’ve made it through the pandemic and it’s time to celebrate. Get that bucket list out from under the pile of papers in the study and make some plans to quench your travel thirst!
