Travelera Partners

09/06/2026

I’ll be attending Discover The World with Made for Spain & Portugal in December, I am so looking forward to staying at these fantastic properties.

09/06/2026

8 days to Kenya.

I’m already thinking about that first game drive.

Heading at sunrise with absolutely no idea what you’re going to find.

Never gets old!

09/05/2026

9 days to Kenya.

At this point, I’m just scrolling through old safari photos and wondering why I ever leave.

09/04/2026

Italy September 2026 Strikes

September is looking like a very busy month for transportation strikes. There are several local strikes, but there is also a nationwide train strike and a general strike that could affect trains, planes, ferries and local transportation.

• September 4

Genoa’s public transportation staff plan to strike from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

• September 5

ATVO buses connecting Venice with the local airports may be affected from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

• September 7 and 8

A nationwide railway strike is scheduled from 9:18 p.m. on September 7 until 9:17 p.m. on September 8. Trenitalia services may be affected, with additional participation expected in Piedmont and Trentino Alto Adige.

• September 10

Local public transportation strikes are planned in Trento and Foggia.

• September 10 and 11

Train services around Verona may experience disruptions from 9:00 p.m. on September 10 until 9:00 p.m. on September 11.

• September 13

Airport strikes may affect Rome Fiumicino, Rome Ciampino, Milan Malpensa, Florence and Pisa. Security staff at both Rome airports plan to strike for 24 hours. Strikes at the other airports are generally scheduled from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

• September 14

Arriva Italia buses in Bergamo may be affected from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

• September 15

Local transportation strikes are planned in Florence, Venice, Ravenna and Naples. Florence and Venice could experience disruptions throughout the day.

• September 18

Another 24 hour public bus strike is scheduled in Florence.

• September 21

Trenitalia and RFI staff in Emilia Romagna plan to strike from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., which may affect regional train travel.

• September 22

Busitalia services throughout Umbria may be affected by a 24 hour strike. Some services should continue during the guaranteed morning and afternoon hours, but those times can vary by city.

• September 26

This is the date I would watch most carefully. A 24 hour national general strike could affect trains, flights, ferries, metros and other public transportation services.

• September 28

AIR Campania buses in the Naples area may be affected from 8:00 a.m. to noon.

• September 30

Air traffic controllers in Rome, Bologna and Bari plan to strike from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Domestic and international flights may be affected, although it is still too early to know the extent of the disruption.

As always, a scheduled strike does not mean that every service will be cancelled. The impact depends on how many employees participate, and some essential services will continue during the guaranteed hours.

09/04/2026

10 days to Kenya.

The khaki has officially come out.

Earth tones is now a personality trait.

09/03/2026

08/30/2026

Would you like a subscription to Virtuoso, the magazine, on me? Email me your mailing address and I’ll sign you up! Jackie@Travelera Partners .com

08/23/2026

My Kind of Italian Hotel

Vocabolo Moscatelli is a contemporary Italian refuge in a restored 12th-century monastery in Umbria, near the Tuscany border.

Just 12 rooms, ancient stone walls, bold modern design, beautiful gardens, and a restaurant that draws locals as much as hotel guests.

I love that it feels connected to the community rather than tucked away from it. Breakfast has no set hours, dogs are welcome, and dinner takes a creative turn than you might not expect in rural Italy.

Perugia and Cortona are both about 45 minutes away.

Exactly the kind of small, interesting hotel I love in Italy.

08/15/2026

When a Guide Becomes a Friend

A great guide can completely change a trip.

From Japan to Kenya, Bogotá to Scotland, the right guide brings a destination to life in a way you simply cannot get on your own.

For us and for our clients, some of those guides have also become friends along the way.

That connection is one of the best parts of travel.

08/13/2026

The Myth of Shoulder Season in Europe

For years, May, September and October were considered Europe’s shoulder season. Fewer crowds, lower prices, availability.

That is NOT the case.

Demand has spread well beyond July and August. Americans are traveling in huge numbers, baby boomers have the flexibility to travel outside school holidays, and many people are deliberately avoiding peak summer.

September is now one of the hardest months for hotel availability. Good guides, gone. Private drivers are stretched. Prices are sky high.

And the weather is not better either. Italy, Spain and Portugal can be brutally hot in September, sometimes well into October.

I still love Europe in May, September and October. But I would not pick those months because you expect smaller crowds and better prices.

In much of Europe, shoulder season is not shoulder season anymore.