My Bella Travel

02/05/2026

Travel insurance is an important part of protecting your trip — and we always recommend it.

What many travelers don’t realize is that the medical evacuation included in most travel insurance policies is generally designed to take you to the nearest appropriate hospital, not necessarily the hospital of your choice.

A close friend of ours experienced this after falling on cobblestone streets in Europe and severely breaking her arm. Once she was stabilized locally, Medjet arranged and paid for hospital-to-hospital transport — bringing her to her home hospital, where her doctors and support system were waiting.

The cost of that medical transport exceeded $200,000.
She paid $0.

That’s where Medjet is different. Once you’re stable, Medjet provides hospital-to-hospital transport to the facility you choose — and their memberships can also offer support in certain non-medical situations, including major travel disruptions or security concerns.

For real examples of how expensive medical transports can be, Medjet recently shared this overview:

👉 https://info.medjet.com/webmail/130221/1489306167/66cc980bf2acb50aa94b23c9951f70d63962df8bbcf0e70638d7fa95a5ff182c

If you’re considering a Medjet membership for an upcoming trip, we encourage you to reach out to Bella Travel Planning. We’re always happy to help you decide what level of protection makes sense for your travels.

Peace of mind should travel with you. ✨

12/02/2025

A major TSA update is on the horizon. Starting February 1, 2026, travelers who show up without a REAL ID, passport, or other approved ID will be charged a $45 fee for the Confirm.ID process. The fee provides a 10-day travel window. It's nonrefundable if your identity can’t be verified.

So if you haven't changed your current Driver's License to REAL ID, now is the time to do it.

https://www.travelpulse.com/news/impacting-travel/tsa-to-charge-45-fee-for-travelers-without-real-id

TSA's new rule will begin on February 1, 2026.

10/13/2025

🐘 Elephants, temples, and unforgettable moments — travel in Asia has a way of capturing your heart. Becky shares her story of connecting with these gentle giants on the Bella Travel Diary.

✨ It’s a reminder that travel isn’t just about where you go — it’s about how the experience changes you.

Read the full story ➡️

One unforgettable day in Chiang Mai with Jenka the elephant — equal parts wonder, laughter, and a little mud.

09/17/2025

We are excited about our new project: Ciao Amici Travel Club for everyone. We've been having so much fun with our Ciao Bella Travel Club for Women that we wanted to expand our travels and create a sibling group for our Adventure-Minded Bella Travelers.

Floating along the Amazon River has long been a dream of mine, and we are offering a sailing in October 2026. It's a small ship (like super small) with skiffs taking us out in the river and to places to hike. This is adventure at its finest!! Join us while space lasts!

Click below for more info:
https://view.flodesk.com/emails/68cb0ba1b7e3c315e93e4154

08/12/2025

Wow - this is a really big deal on long flights. For me, I find the existing power and usb outlets at my seat don't work about 25% of the time.

New rules effective October 2025

07/28/2025

Our Ciao Bella NYC winter getaway has just opened up for reservations. Click Below for details.

https://view.flodesk.com/emails/6851c55382224085302bc6cb

06/10/2025

Good things are coming! Stay tuned for Bella small group adventure travel experiences for everyone...... it's going to be awesome! Official announcement coming soon!!

04/03/2025

Hey Travelers! Delta has updated their Luggage Check In Time for domestic travelers. Please take note or risk missing your flight.... and also note these times are not stand IN the line time, but actual They Have Processed Your Bag time--so if you are behind the Slowest People on the Planet with 15,000 bags and 25 children and their pet sloths who won't get into their pet carriers, the time is still the time....

From Delta:

We want to inform you of an important change to Delta’s U.S. domestic check-in cutoff time for customers checking a bag, effective April 8, 2025. To provide your travelers with a smoother experience, our cutoff time to accept checked bags for domestic flights is now 45 minutes prior to departure.

Here’s what your travelers need to know:
New Cutoff Time: 45 minutes prior to departure, with exceptions for JFK (60 minutes), STT (90 minutes) and STX (60 minutes).
Effective Date: April 8, 2025

Arrive Early: We encourage customers to allow extra time for check-in and security screening before their flight. Your travelers should plan to arrive at least two hours prior to the scheduled departure time for domestic flights.

12/21/2024

Had a fabulous Holiday Goose Dinner at White Oak Kitchen and Cocktails last weekend. What a treat!!

This downtown Southern-Infused gem had a gorgeous space (perfect for our group’s holiday dinner), and they created a special goose dinner just for us. (We love love to be off-menu).

The chef came out between each course to share his vision of our bespoke dinner. It’s a nice touch—something we like to do at the Chaine to connect better with our chefs.

Any night where you can dress is all you sparkling glory and have fine wine and a well-crafted tasting menu is. Good night!

Vive la Chaine!

10/31/2024

Bella has made another appearance in our industry's travel publications--this time speaking about the affluent traveler and increasing your share of the Luxury Travel space.

https://agentathome.texterity.com/agentathome/library/page/october_2024/22/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGQjoVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHVGXboP_nFVsRbofzRPTrGq7KtMG5vraFK_7eyIejoFmyeKoPOGvhklbqw_aem_4X1UWmICAWaGgSFuQq4C5g

TappingInto Today’sLuxuryTravelMarket ADVISORS PAINT A PICTURE OF THE AFFLUENT TRAVELER AND OFFER TIPS ON HOW TO CAPTURE A LARGER SHARE OF THE LUXURY MARKET By Claudette...

10/29/2024

Last week, my mother sent the fam a picture of her voting sticker with a quote: “History is made by those who show up.”

I feel very fortunate to belong to a family with a long history of showing up: community volunteers, poll workers, service men and women, nurses, teachers, telephone operators, farmers, entrepreneurs, and the like. They instilled in me a responsibility to take care of my community.

I think of the women who came before me every time I vote. The 19th amendment giving women the right to vote came in 1920. My great grandmothers were in adulthood when it passed.

Imagine being a grown woman and being told you didn’t have the mental capacity nor emotional clarity to cast a vote.

My vote is for Mary Leola, a middle class mama who was smart as a whip, commanded respect, and raised her own kiddos plus many foster children.

My vote is for Zenovia, who being half Cherokee—seen as such an undesirable by society that her wealthy father abandoned her at the insistence of his east coast family. She was an adult when she discovered her last name was Drane and not Dream as she was told. She was taken in by a family who took care of her, but also used her as house labor.

My vote is for Eva Marie who lived on a cattle ranch in Clayton, NM. She fell in love with a professional baseball player and left her family for a new start in Arkansas. She was a horsewoman, and drove a car in the 1920s. Her grit got them through the depression.

My vote is for Millie who was known as a hard working, wiry, country woman. Her father died when she was 3, and at 16, she secured a job keeping the house for a nearby family. She hitched the mules to plow the fields, traded crops (including to***co) for material to make and sell quilts.

Each of these women’s legacies made me who I am today. Resilient, determined, entrepreneurial—and who loved their families—kiddos, grandchildren, and great grandchildren like the dickens. They had no voice in the selection of our country’s leaders in their lifetime.

Proud to vote. I have a voice and because of their legacies, I will use it.