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This show is not for everyone. But if you're a biker, have a motorcycle, know a biker, or have seen Easy Rider...it's for you. Ben Van Leewarden runs PlanetChopper, a business that plans and operates guided motorcycle tours with small groups of up to 15 bikes. They handle route planning, lodging, dining options, know all the cool places to see, and even have a support vehicle that follows with a mechanic and extra bike parts. In short, it's pretty worry-free. But, he does have some tips and advice for getting ready for a trip like this, what to do, and what not to do. Enjoy!

My guest today has been travel podcasting about as long any anybody at 15 years, so he brings a lot of experience and insight into today's short show. Everyone is asking similar questions about travel. Should I start planning? Is it too soon? What are the safest options? Chris will share his thoughts on cruise line reopening, how to compare risk levels of different forms of travel, how he's handling a possible Galapagos trip, and more.  

The summer of the road trip has led many travelers to our wonderful National Parks...but many don't know what to expect. Our guest today is Alicia Filley from TheHealthyHiker.com. Alicia and her family traveled to 2 National Parks and has a full report of safety conditions on the road, mask usage, regulations in the parks, and tips for when to go for the best enjoyment. Please enjoy

With so many RVers hitting the road this summer, RV rentals are through the roof. But what if it's your first time renting an RV? What type should you get? Where should you rent it from? How does it all work? We have a pro today. Brooke Johnson is the founder of TumbleweedTravelCo.com, where she helps first time RV renters plan trips. She helps with all the RV details, itinerary planning, and more. Enjoy!

Travelers are pondering many of the same questions. When should I start planning again? Is it crazy to think about this now? What about a simple road trip? There is no clear, simple answer to this that guarantees a no-risk trip, but it is always helpful too hear what others are up to. Today's show is a Quick Take...only about 10 minutes. We'll hear from Nicolette Kay from SemiBudgetTravel.com. Nicolette is planning a short road trip, but will be crossing state borders and has taken into account several safety aspects to stay healthy.

Our guest today is parenting coach, author, and speaker Melissa Schwartz from LeadingEdgeParenting.com. Melissa has advice today for any family considering taking a travel or gap year due to coronavirus. The fall reopening plan for many schools has parents pondering taking a year off...but with that comes many concerns about school, family dynamics, and just getting along. Melissa shares tips about the importance of boundaries and routines, natural learning, and other parenting tips for these tough times.

Have you heard of Unschooling? How about Deschooling? Roadschooling? Worldschooling? I'm sure you've heard of homeschooling, and the bizarre words above are (mostly) all variations of homeschooling. Parents this year are facing an uncertain fall school start. Some districts have already gone to remote learning, some are aiming to go back, and others are in between. The only certain thing is this: No school will open exactly like they did last fall. With all of this uncertainty, some parents (who are able to) are considering taking some time to either home school...or hit the road for some travel and "road school" their children. It's a complicated topic, but today's guest will help guide you towards some answers.  Karen Ricks from OurKitchenClassroom.com is a 25+ year teaching veteran, she opened and later sold a Montessori school in Japan, and she has been traveling and worldschooling her son for years. Karen's love for teaching children is obvious, infectious, and will make you smile. It's a big topic so you won't walk away with a master plan. But for those thinking about homeschool that might be overwhelmed, I bet you will walk away inspired to try. Please enjoy!

Most people have heard of homeschooling, when families choose to skip the typical education system and teach their children themselves. Roadschooling is similar....it's basically homeschooling while traveling. It's a term that covers a lot of different styles from Worldschooling to Unschooling, and it's an overwhelming topic for parents. Today we are speaking with Caroline Makepeace from yTravelBlog.com. Caroline, her husband, and 2 daughters have been traveling the world and roadschooling for most of the kid's lives and she has a lot of experience. She has tips for choosing a style of homeschooling, find help with a curriculum, tackling the social aspect with kids, and more.

As we've talked about before, 2020 us the summer of the road trip. Travelers are packing up the car, renting RVs, and finding any way they can to get out and explore. But, as we all know there are safety concerns. What are safety conditions like on the road? What are hotels doing? Are people wearing masks? What should I do to prepare? To help with all of this we are joined by Cindy Richards, who is the editor in chief of TravelingMom.com. Cindy has combined information from their almost 70 writers, and her personal experience, to bring you a report about what is going on out there. She has road trip safety tips, questions to ask your hotel before you book, and more.

You will probably learn something new in this episode, I definitely did. Here's the situation: Imagine grandma is in Florida and you want to move her closer to you in Boston. She has medical needs and is currently in a nursing home. How do you move her? She can't just get on a plane by herself, and you could help but she has medical needs.  Plus, there's air ambulance services, but the cost is way too high. Today's guest Bob Bacheler runs FlyingAngels, which is a non-emergency medical transport service, and they could help. Bob will answer all the basic questions, including how it works and the ballpark costs, in today's short episode.

The summer of 2020 is very different for travel. People are avoiding airplanes and taking road trips...and many are hitting the road in an RV too. Among those taking an RV trip are a lot fo newer users, and today's show is all about avoiding the mistakes that new Rvers make. We will speak with Marc and Julie Bennett from RVLove.com. They have been full-time RVers for 6 years, and know their stuff (they also joined the show before and are great guests!). These 12 tips, tricks, and hacks include everything from safety advice, cleanliness tips, and preventing the infamous "pyramid of poo"...we'll get to that. Please enjoy!

The summer of 2020 is the summer of the road trip...at least that is what everyone is saying. If you are thinking of hitting the road, you might be wondering what it is like. What safety measures do you need to know? Is it business as usual as you travel around? Are people wearing masks? What about laws and regulations in the states you will be traveling to and through? To help with all of this and more, I'm speaking with Megan Tenney from FamilyGapYearGuide.com. Megan and her family, including 4 kids, have been on the road for two years...including the coronavirus outbreak. She gives a very useful report from the road, including answers to all of the questions above.

By now all airlines are finally requiring masks for passengers (looking at you Allegiant), sometimes with the risk of lifetime bans for non-compliance. Who is requiring masks? Are they really banning people? How does it all work? The answers to this and more will be provided by Josh Grafman from JetBlue. Josh talks about the mask requirements, the process for dealing with belligerent no-maskers, fake cards, and more. Please enjoy.

If you are taking a road trip this summer, you will be joining millions of other people out on an adventure. But, what happens if there is a problem or accident on the road? It might be a medical emergency, accident, or anything else....but how what happens to your vehicle? How about your family? How do they get home? Today's show will feature Jeremy Murchland who is the President of Seven Corners insurance. Seven Corners is a travel insurance company, but in light of the popularity of road trips this summer they have put together a road trip plan called ARMOR.  This plan helps get you, your family, pets, or your vehicle back home when you're out on a road trip and something happens.  Jeremy will also talk about how Seven Corners has made some changed to some plan so they specifically cover coronavirus, which will become extremely important as people start traveling again.

There are still many unknowns about how the cruise industry is going to handle returning to the seas after coronavirus lockdowns end. When will they start sailing? What will be different? How will they handle safety concerns? Will anyone go? To help answer some of these questions, we are joined today by Nicole Ratner from CruisingWithTheFamily.com. Nicole writes unbiased information about the cruise business, and has many details about the reopening plan. She also has great general tips for planning a cruise, especially for first-timers.x

Coronavirus numbers are declining in much of the United States, and many people are starting to plan travel again (or at least thinking about it). Travel suppliers have enticing trip offerings with low prices and eased cancellation policies, and the deals are so good you feel crazy for not booking. But, since we're not 100% out of the woods yet it still makes most people nervous to book a trip now. What happens if there is another outbreak? What if you needed to cancel? How long will it take to get a refund? Today's guest might be able to help...or more specifically, travel advisors might be able to help. I'll be joined by Mimi Lichtenstein or TruVay travel, and she will share the many benefits of using a travel advisor.  Advisors can help with the problems above, but also help you get extra trip perks that you don't have access to. 

Disney parks are planning to re-open soon, but there are many details that travelers ned to figure out. When are they opening? Which parks will open? Which resorts will open and when? What does my family need to know? To answer these questions and more, we will speak with Kevin Gillooly of TravelingDad...which is part of the TravelingMom media family. Kevin has been doing Disney for 40 years, so he knows the in's and out's of Disney planning...and he has all the details for the park re-opening. Besides the re-opening plan, Kevin also has great general tips for planning trips to Disney, mistakes to avoid, and a common myth to put to rest.

In today's episode you will get an inside look into the world of private jet chartering from a pro in the business. We will be joined by Scott Buss of AdventJets, which is jet brokering company as opposed to one of the membership clubs. Scott's core philosophy in business is based on trust and transparency, and it shows in the interview as he gives insights into the world of private jet travel. Business travelers will learn about the potential ROI of using private travel for work. High net worth listeners who have considered this form of travel will get an inside look, and the casual listener will get a peek at how it all works.

Disney parks are planning to re-open over the next month, but there is no simple answer to how they are going to open. Each park and resort is on a different schedule, which makes it hard to know how to plan your trip. Plus, there are new safety rules in effect that you need to know about for you and your family, and several of the classic attractions of the park will not be happening. Thankfully we have Disney expert Julie Elster from DoubleYourWDW.com to walk us through all the various questions we have about the reopening plan. Julie will talk about when various Disney properties are opening, what to expect when you get there, safety procedures, and what will be open/closed.

This show I am joined by Shy Bredewold from OdysseanTravel.com. Shy is a travel advisor and shares what he has learned in helping travelers plans their vacations, common mistakes, and myths to debunk. Shy was a pleasure to chat with, and the show ran longer than many Safe Travels podcasts but he shares a lot of good tips and stories about the world of travel advisors.