Durkee Travel Group

22/10/2026

One of the first things you should do before traveling to a new country is find out their entry/exit requirements. Some countries require six months validity on your passport. Some countries require a visa (digital and/or on arrival, it varies). Some countries require you to fill out an e-arrival form online a few days before you arrive.

So how do you figure all this out? I always go to travel.state.gov to see what the requirements are and the current advisories for each country. This site links to the official visa application pages for visas that must be obtained in advance. I’m seeing more and more people accidentally use a third-party site for their visas, so be careful!

To find out if I need additional vaccines for somewhere I am visiting, I go to cdc.gov/travel and search by country.

I also always enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), so the local US embassy knows I am there in the off chance something happens. It's a safety measure.

Lastly, if you travel with prescription medicines, make sure you research if your medicine is legal in the country you are visiting. Some places have strict laws on this!

Travel smart and do your research!

21/10/2026

Wondering what trips you should be booking in the fall? Here is a list:

🛳️ Summer 2027 Cruises, especially European cruises. Now is the time for the best pricing and availability! Plus it gives you more time to pay on it.

🏖️ Spring Break hotels. Not flights quite yet for most popular destinations, but resorts and hotels should be booked now before they fill up.

🏰 2027 Disney World and Disneyland packages. We can always retroactively apply a promo, so it won't hurt to reserve your space early.

🧳Summer Europe trips. Yep, now is the time to let me start booking your Euro-Summers. Not flights, but hotels and tours should be booked as early as possible!

Let's get planning! You know they say people are happiest when they have a vacation booked!

19/10/2026

Looking for a romantic, luxury getaway? Have I got a special vacation idea for you this Monday!

Secret Bay in Dominica is a unique luxury resort. Guests have their own villa with private pool overlooking the island. The resort has recently been awarded two Michelin Keys!

If you haven't heard much about Dominica, it's because those who love it have kept it a secret. It's a lesser known Caribbean island, known simply as paradise or The Nature Isle of the Caribbean because of its rainforests, waterfalls and hot springs.

$10,800 for two with breakfast, dinner, flights and transfers Dec. 13-19.

Why not have take some time to relax before the holidays?

15/10/2026

The inaugural Air France direct Nashville to Paris flight next spring is available to book and the price may surprise you. It did me!

For two roundtrip tickets in economy, with seat selection and a checked bag: $2974

Paris is always a good idea, but now that you can fly there directly from Nashville it's a fantastic idea!

14/10/2026

The rules I follow when booking and taking flights:

1. Two-hour layovers, minimum. I won’t book a connection shorter than two hours unless there are truly no other options, and I would never book one under an hour.

2. I’ll drive to a farther airport if it saves real money. Once, I drove my family of five from Kentucky to Toronto to fly to Japan, and it saved us $2,500.

3. Names match IDs exactly. I include my middle name since it’s on the ID I fly with. If you have a Known Traveler Number, make sure the name on file with the government matches your ID too. When an international carrier’s booking form has no middle name field, I put it in the first name field, since it appears that way on our passports. We’ve never had an issue.

4. I always book directly with the airline. Period. Codeshares are fine, since I can’t control those.

5. I’ll pay to sit together as a family, but in the cheapest seats available. I don’t care if we’re in the back of the plane.

6. I always check a bag. I am not Team Carry-On.

7. I arrive two hours early for domestic flights and three for international. Have I spent a lot of extra time at the airport? Of course. Have I also almost missed a flight? Also yes (hello, Marrakesh!). So I err on the side of caution.

8. Shoes stay on during the flight. Non-negotiable.

9. I try to avoid the last flight of the day. If one is going to get cancelled, that's usually the one. Plus if a morning flight is cancelled, there are many more options throughout the day.

10. I never book two separate tickets to get somewhere without a very long layover (usually an overnight).

11. I take a picture of our luggage before checking it. If it were to get lost, a photo helps.

12. I have an AirTag in every bag, purse, and backpack. And I travel with extra batteries for them.

12/10/2026

Now that we are back from Fall Break, it's time to focus on Christmas travels! I am a firm believer of giving experiences over things, so let me present to you my favorite trips in December:

1.) My top is Germany for the Christmas markets. It's such a magical time to be there. It's easy to rent a car and self-drive, but there are also some amazing river cruises dedicated to seeing the markets.

2.) Disney World. Of course it's magical all times of the year, but during the holidays it's just over the top! Each resort is decorated beautifully, along with the Christmas parties, the park decor, the Candlelight Processional, the Santas around Epcot, the Christmas tree stroll in Disney Springs, it's all such a great way to celebrate the season.

3.) Lapland! I mean it's only the home of Santa Claus! How much more magical can it get? Reindeer rides, the northern lights, Santa Claus Village? Sign me up!

4.) New York City. The window displays, the outdoor ice skating, THE Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, the Rockettes, and shopping. It's a pretty great combo to get you in the holiday spirit. You can also book at Home Alone 2 Holiday Package at The Plaza!

Where do you dream of going in December?

06/10/2026

So many of these items are on sale for fall Prime Days! Some are a significant savings, so if you've been eyeing travel items or need a refresh, this is a great time to do it! They will make great Christmas gifts for the traveler in your life or if someone is taking a trip soon. Don't miss out on these prices! I also did an update on a few items.

The sale is only today and tomorrow, 10/6 and 10/7.

A blog about family travel, which often includes Disney parks and Disney Cruise Line, international destinations, and general trip planning.

03/10/2026

Ready to BOUNCE BACK to Disney World?

PSA for everyone headed to Disney World this week: Don't forget about the Return to the Magic Bounce Back Offer! It has to be booked within 7 days of checking out and it can be a pretty great deal.

Your travel agent will be happy to call and book for you after your magical vacation ends 🥰

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/resort-return-offer/

01/10/2026

But was your travel agent at Epcot the year it opened and Magic Kingdom to celebrate its 50th birthday?? 😜

Happy 55th to Magic Kingdom and 44th to Epcot!

24/09/2026

Still thinking about a fall break trip? Here are three great last-minute deals at Walt Disney World for the full week! It's not too late to make a little magic happen.

These quotes are for two adults, one teen and one child under 10, Sunday to Saturday. The Art of Animation room sleeps six, so you could even bring along grandma and grandpa if you wanted!