Destination Spotlight: Amsterdam

Top 5 Things To Do in Amsterdam

Explore the Van Gogh Museum: The Van Gogh Museum is home to the largest collection of Vincent van Gogh's paintings and drawings in the world. The museum is located in the heart of Amsterdam and is a must-visit for any art lover. You can admire the famous Sunflowers painting, explore Van Gogh's life and art through interactive displays, and learn about the artist's impact on the art world.
Bike tour of the city: Amsterdam is known as the cycling capital of the world! The city is flat and easy to navigate, making it the perfect place to explore on two wheels. Rent a bike or join a bike tour to discover the city's hidden gems, such as the beautiful Vondelpark, the charming Jordaan neighborhood, and the historic Red Light District.
Explore the canals: Amsterdam's canals are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are a defining feature of the city. Take a canal cruise to see the city from a different perspective, or rent a boat or paddleboard to explore the canals on your own. The canals are especially beautiful at night when the city is lit up.
Visit the Anne Frank House: The Anne Frank House is where Anne Frank and her family hid during World War II and is now a museum dedicated to her life and legacy. The museum is a very moving experience that takes you through the secret annex where the Frank family lived in hiding for two years. It's recommended to book your tickets in advance as the museum is very popular.
Visit the Rijksmuseum: The Rijksmuseum is one of the most famous museums in the world and is home to an extensive collection of Dutch art and history. The museum's most famous works include Rembrandt's Night Watch and Vermeer's The Milkmaid. The museum is located in a beautiful building and is a must-visit for any art lover.

Top 5 Foods To Try

Stroopwafels: These delicious thin waffle-like cookies filled with caramel are a must-try in Amsterdam. You can find them in many markets and bakeries throughout the city.
Bitterballen: This is a traditional Dutch snack that is basically deep-fried meatballs. They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and are usually served with a side of mustard.
Dutch Cheese: Amsterdam is famous for its cheese! So, be sure to try some of the local varieties like Gouda, Edam, and Maasdam. You can find them in many cheese shops throughout the city.
Poffertjes: These are small, fluffy pancakes that are typically served with butter and powdered sugar. They are a popular snack in Amsterdam and can be found at many street markets and food stands.
Raw Herring: Feeling adventurous? This may not be for everyone, but raw herring is a staple in Dutch cuisine and definitely worth trying. It's typically served with onions and pickles, and eaten with the fish held up by its tail. You can find it at many fish stands throughout the city, especially during the summer months.

Spotlight: Amsterdam

Amsterdam is one of the most vibrant cities I’ve ever visited! It offers a unique blend of history, rich culture, and modernity. With its charming canals, picturesque streets, vibrant nightlife, and world-renowned museums, Amsterdam is a must-visit destination for travelers from all over the world.

Amsterdam has something for everyone. There is always something to see and do in this amazing city. Whether you're interested in art, food, history, or just having a good time, Amsterdam is sure to provide a memorable experience. So pack your bags and get ready to explore this incredible city!

Top 5 Hidden Gems in Amsterdam

Experience the nightlife: Amsterdam has a unique and vibrant nightlife scene, with plenty of bars, clubs, and live music venues to explore. The city's famous “Red Light District” is also a popular destination, with its many bars, restaurants, and adult entertainment options.
Vondelpark: Vondelpark is the largest park in Amsterdam and a popular spot for locals and tourists alike. It's a great place to relax, have a picnic, or go for a bike ride. The park also hosts concerts and other events throughout the year.
Begijnhof: This hidden courtyard, which dates back to the 14th century, is a peaceful oasis in the heart of Amsterdam. It features historic houses, a chapel, and a beautiful garden.
De Pijp: This trendy neighborhood is often overshadowed by the more popular areas like the Jordaan and the Red Light District, but it's a true hidden gem. De Pijp is known for its eclectic mix of restaurants, bars, and shops, as well as its lively street market, the Albert Cuypmarkt. It's a great place to explore and experience Amsterdam like a local.
Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder: This hidden church dates back to the 17th century and is located in the attic of a typical Amsterdam canal house. It's a unique and fascinating glimpse into the religious history of Amsterdam.

2 Bonus Things To Discover
1. Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam: This botanical garden is one of the oldest in the world and features a wide variety of plants from around the globe. It's a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.
2. NDSM Wharf: This former shipyard has been transformed into a vibrant arts and culture center. It features street art, restaurants, bars, and even a beach club.

LifeSpotlight: Amsterdam Amsterdam is one of the brant cities I’ve ever visited! It offers a unique blend of history, rich culture, and modernity. With its charming canals, picturesque streets, vibrant nightlife, and world-renowned museums, Amsterdam is a must-visestination for travelers from all over the worl

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At Life is Better Traveling we understand that you may have never used a travel agent before. Many people contact us to help plan their vacations because:

there is too much information out there to weed through, and you aren’t sure where to start
everyone around you is telling you where to look and you feel overwhelmed
there are so many cities to choose from but you aren’t sure which ones are worth the trip
you want to make sure you have everything you need for the trip
you want a real person who can answer your questions and quickly

If any of the above resonates with you, then using a Life is Better Traveling travel agent to help plan your next vacation is a great way to make sure it is amazing!

Mary Yohannan, CTA // Owner and European Vacation Planning Specialist

Favorite city in the world...Budapest, Hungary

Mary has been in the travel industry for many years and believes that a customized travel experience is the best way to travel. She built her business on her own personal travel experiences, including having traveled to over 20 countries on 4 continents.

Mary started Life is Better Traveling as a travel agency built on authenticity, love, and integrity. Mary likes to get to know her client’s travel preferences so when they travel they the travel experience that will create memories of a lifetime. Mary’s customizes vacations for Europe, Disney, Universal Studios Orlando, the Florida Keys, the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska, United States, and the French Polynesia.

Mary is a Certified Travel Associate (CTA) with the Travel Institutes and believe in staying up to date in her industry with continuing education and travel. She also has several other training’s with Disney, Universal Studios Florida, CIE tours, AmaWaterways, Royal Caribbean, and many more.

Mary is also a contributor to the Pittsburgh Moms Blog(SM). She loves to write articles about her travels and giving advice on how to travel with kids! CLICK HERE..to see some of her articles.

#1 RATED Travel Agent in the Pittsburgh area on Travel Leaders.

See what Mary's Clients say about her….CLICK HERE

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How to enjoy holiday light displays with the kids.

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How to enjoy the holiday light displays with the kids

It is that time of year when the holiday light displays are in full swing, and traveling to get to them is part of the journey. When I say journey, I am talking about not only packing the kids up in the car to get to the display but keep them occupied while waiting in line. Whether it is a drive through light display or walk through display, the lines can be long. Little kids just don’t have the patience or the attention span to wait. So how do you keep the occupied and interested?

Read the rest of this article over on the Pittsburgh Moms Blog….CLICK HERE

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation. Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs.

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business. Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

D E A R Subscriber ,

We wanted to take some time to say thank you for subscribing to our newsletter and weekly updates! You’re a valued customer, and we thank you for your loyalty, this year & always.

W I T H G R A T I T U D E ,

The Life is Better Traveling Team

Did you know WHERE the origins of Halloween came from?

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I absolutely LOVE Halloween. It is the one time of year that everyone comes out onto the neighborhood streets and actually talks to each other. Everyone dresses up in various costumes and says “trick or treat!” But where did this neighborhood gathering tradition begin?

According to the HistoryChannel.com, Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1.

November 1^st marked the end of summer and the harvest. Which meant the beginning of the dark, cold winter. 2,000 years ago this time of year was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.

Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other’s fortunes.

Throughout the years the traditions that once brought hope for a future, turned into gatherings and celebrations. In the United States, Halloween wasn’t widely accepted as the idea of witches and goblins were banned in many of the Northern states. It wasn’t until the late-1800’s when talk about it being a holiday to gather neighborhoods together to get to know each other better really took off.

Come the turn of the century with the hay day of parties for everything, people were encouraged to have Halloween parties not just for adults but for children. Having sweets, treats, and a lot of fun and games. The wearing of costumes has transcended into today’s Halloween but instead of old day of giving out fortunes we give out treats.

Halloween FUN in Williamsburg, VA

Mary Yohannan on

Halloween time in Williamsburg, we love it!

Williamsburg, Virginia is one of my favorite places on earth to visit. My family has been going there practically every year since I was a baby. So when my family gets the chance, we take a long weekend and head down. We try to go in the fall because with the changing of the leaves and the cooler weather it is a lot more enjoyable.

For our trip this year we opted to get the Fall Bounce pass that would allow us to get into Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Garden for an unlimited number of times over a seven-day period. We decided to do Colonial Williamsburg on Friday and Busch Gardens on Saturday. Maximizing our time at Busch Gardens was our concern as there had been this constant mist that was making everything wet on Friday.

Read the rest of this article over on the Pittsburgh Moms Blog….CLICK HERE

Christmas Time! Plan on getting away.

Mary Yohannan on

There are 114 days until Christmas! This means you still have plenty of time to think about taking the family away for Christmas on that much needed vacation. You are probably thinking that you can’t think about planning a Christmas vacation when your summer vacation just ended, right? I am here to tell you, you can! In just a few shorts weeks the dynamic in your house will be changing. There will be homework, football or field hockey practices, school plays, early morning band practices, after school clubs, and the list goes on! Soon you will feel like you need a vacation and planning now will have you glad you did.

Now Americans typically feel guilty going away at Christmas time. Various thoughts run through our heads like, what will the family think, who will cook the ham, and what will I do about presents? More and more families are finding that they need a break from the hectic fall season. Between the back to school activities, fundraisers, Black Friday planning, church activities, parties, and Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas decorations we put up we do lot of work on top of actually going to work! Yikes, give yourself a much needed vacation during Christmas. Let someone else can cook the ham or buy one pre-cooked, make sure to mail the presents in advance, and put the Christmas lights on a timer.

Taking a vacation over Christmas is becoming very popular among Americans, and I am thinking now you see why. There may be one last thought running through your mind at this point, “But Mary what about those long lines at the airport?” According to the Department of Transportation only 5 to 6 percent of those traveling during the holiday season use air, rail, or bus as their means of travel. If you travel during the week instead of the weekend you will have even less people to worry about. Are you ready to just say, “Ok family, this Christmas we are going away.” I guarantee that excitement about the place you are going to whether it be Europe, Colorado, Caribbean, or Florida, everyone will be happy and relaxed!

So now are you ready to start planning your amazing Christmas vacation with the family? There are still several great places you can book including private villas in Italy! Call us today!

Best Beaches on the Amalfi Coast

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The amount of inquiries to Italy last year to my travel agency increased dramatically. With many of the inquiries that come in, people want to see the iconic Amalfi Coast. Picturesque colorful towns, perched on the cliff side with beautiful sunsets. The beaches have beautiful sunsets and crystal clear water. The only problem is the beaches aren’t like what you get here in the states. The beaches on the Amalfi Coast are a mixture of sand and rock, and are much smaller. You can definitely get a good tan during certain times of the year.

Before I get into which beaches are the best in the Amalfi coast, I want to make sure you know what the best times of year it is to go. Despite what some people think, it does get cold in Italy. People start to go to Italy the end of March, beginning of April. Around this time of year the temperature averages 50 degrees. In the September and October, the temperature averages between 65 and 75 degrees. If you plan on going swimming during any of these months, please keep in the mind the temperature.

Here are some of the best beaches along the Amalfi Coast:

Spiaggia of Marina Grande in Amalfi – this beach has a central location so it can be very busy from June to September. It is very beautiful beach but due to the docks close by large number of visitors come via boat.
Marina Grande in Positano – this beach has the picture-perfect background of Positano. It is a smaller beach but just as perfect to spend a few hours in the sun and enjoy a cool drink.
Gavitella Beach in Priaiano – this is one of the smallest beaches on the Amalfi Coast coming in at only 30 meters long. It is mostly a pebble beach so don’t forget your sandals. You also have to take the stairs down to the beach which can be daunting. Once at the bottom the reward is magnificent views of Positano, the island of Li Galli and Capri! This is also one of the best beaches to view the sunset.
Cavallow Morto or Cala Bellavaia of Maiori – if you are staying in Maiori you are already looking for seclusion and relaxation. If you are looking for white sandy beach, crystal clear and deep blue sea waters then this is the beach is a must. The only thing is that this beach is only accessible by boat so make sure to talk to a local fisherman to get you there.
Marina Piccola Beach in Sorrento – Even though Sorrento is not known for its’ beaches, there is small beach area that would be nice to spend a few hours. Next to Sorrento Port and Villa Comunale there is a small strip of volcanic sand. This stretch is occupied by both private clubs and a public area where you can enjoy crystal clear waters.

When thinking of Italy make sure to consider the time of year you are going as it may ruin your plans to go to the beach. Call a Life is Better Traveling travel agent to help you plan so we can make sure it is the best Italy Trip for you.

Remember, Life is Better Traveling!

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business. Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Want to have Tea with the Queen? This is the time to do it…

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A visit to London wouldn’t be complete without a visit to one of England’s most famous landmarks, Buckingham Palace. This royal palace has served as the official London residence and administrative office of the British royal family since the 19th century. However, access to the public is limited and exclusive but worthwhile for those who arrange a visit.

Year round you can always view the palace’s opulent exterior through the gates. The best time to visit Buckingham Palace is during the legendary Changing of the Guard ceremony when the royal guards change shifts. This tradition that dates back from 1689, and eventually moved to Buckingham Palace in 1837 when Queen Victoria started to use the palace. The best time to see this 45-minute ceremony would be on a Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, or Friday at 11:00 am but can be canceled in bad weather.

If you are visiting London in the summer months, you can get a peek into some select state rooms. See the Throne Room, stroll through the palace gardens, and admire masterpieces by artists such as Rembrandt and Canaletto in Queen Victoria’s Picture Gallery. The palace interior is only open to the public during summer, from late July until the end of September, with tours running daily from 9:30 am to 7:30 pm (until 6:30 pm in September). You’ll want to book this coveted experience in advance with our travel agency.

Things to Know Before You Go from Viator.com

The palace is a must for history buffs and royal enthusiasts.
Pair a stop at Buckingham Palace with the Changing of the Guard ceremony and afternoon tea for a quintessential London experience.
Tours of the palace interior are only available in summer from late June to late September, while the queen is on holiday in Scotland.
If the Royal Standard flag is flying atop the palace, it means the queen is in residence; otherwise, the Union Jack flag is flown.

Passport Card vs. Passport Book

Mary Yohannan on

I recently read an article on Facebook about a lady whose daughter booked her and four of her friends on a week-long vacation to Turks and Caicos. The daughter booked everything through an Online Travel Agency (OTA), which I will not name, but an OTA is Expedia, Travelocity, or Hotels.com. The ladies were excited, all packed, ready to go, and at the airport the lady whose daughter booked the trip was denied boarding. She had a passport card instead of a passport book. She could not get through to the OTA so she called a local travel agency and one of their travel agents told her what to do so she could get to Turks and Caicos.

So why couldn’t she board with a Passport Card? According the U.S. Department of State, a passport card can be used to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at, here is the big red flag, land border or sea ports-of-entry only. The passport card cannot be used for international travel by air. As this lady was flying to Turks and Caicos she was required to have a passport book.

So why is there a passport card? The passport card is very convenient to have as it is the size of a driver’s license and can easily be carried around in your wallet. It is much less expensive than getting or renewing a passport book. The passport card also contains an RFID chip that according to the U.S. Department of State does not contain any personal information. When the chip is read, it “points” to your secured information in one of the government databases. Border Patrol can then access your information and photo identification. Each card comes with an RFID blocking sleeve, just in case.

If you plan on crossing the Mexican or Canadian border often, a perk of having the passport card is that you can go through Ready Lanes. These are certain lanes at the border that can expedite inspection when you are crossing the border. Not all ports of entry have these lanes, but if you are interested in learning which ones have these Ready Lanes you can visit www.travel.state.gov.

If you are an avid cruiser and leave from ports of call in the US, then having a passport card is a convenience. But next time you are flying out of the US, please keep in mind to grab that passport book on the way out of the house so you don’t get denied boarding at the airport. Having the wrong identification will surly have you starting your vacation off on the wrong foot, and could cause delays in getting you to your destination.

If you have any questions about photo identification for travel, please contact me with any questions or visit www.travel.state.gov.

NOTE: Life is Better Traveling always recommends a Passport Booklet even when cruising out of a US port. Why? If something were to happen and you were left behind on the island, you would need a passport booklet to return back into the states. The Passport booklet is just a few dollars more, and is good for 10 years, so we always recommend getting a passport booklet.

Who are you going to call? A travel agent…

Mary Yohannan on

If you love to travel you know how easy it is to book your trip online. After the kids go sleep you get on the computer, do a few hours of research, convince your significant other about the trip, then book it. The company sends you an email that you are confirmed and you get so excited. You feel a sense of relief now that you have planned the vacation. What happens next?

What if you have questions, who do you call? Maybe you go online and do a couple more hours of research until you get frustrated then find a Facebook Group to ask questions. You post your question and get 150 different comments with some people even arguing with each other through their comments. You still don’t know the answer to your original question, and you may now even have more questions than you had before. If only there was someone to help you with all of this? CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article on the Pittsburgh Moms Blogs.

Top 5 Things To Do in Amsterdam

Top 5 Foods To Try

Top 5 Hidden Gems in Amsterdam

2 Bonus Things To Discover

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At Life is Better Traveling we understand that you may have never used a travel agent before. Many people contact us to help plan their vacations because:

there is too much information out there to weed through, and you aren’t sure where to start

everyone around you is telling you where to look and you feel overwhelmed

there are so many cities to choose from but you aren’t sure which ones are worth the trip

you want to make sure you have everything you need for the trip

you want a real person who can answer your questions and quickly

If any of the above resonates with you, then using a Life is Better Traveling travel agent to help plan your next vacation is a great way to make sure it is amazing!

Favorite city in the world...Budapest, Hungary

Want FREE vacation planning information? Sign-Up for our newsletter and get great vacation planning tips and destinations.We do not share your information with any other parties.

Want FREE vacation planning information?
Sign-Up for our newsletter and get great vacation planning tips and destinations.
We do not share your information with any other parties.