Travelera Partners

September 2025 | VOLUME 15

 
End Of The Month
Round Up
WHAT I'M LOVING LATELY
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Hey First name / friend!
 
When your husband has a BIG birthday, what do you do? Well, if you are a travel addict ( flying my freak flag high)  you take him (and a bunch of your friends) to Tuscany
 
If you follow me on social media, you’ve already seen way too much of this trip—but here’s the quick story.
 
We had the best time. 
 
I’d love to say it was because of my amazing planning, but honestly, it was the friends who came along that made it so fun.
 
We started with a villa in Montepulciano. It turned out even better than I had hoped. 
One of the reasons I love renting a villa over a hotel is the flexibility—it feels like “home base.” Everyone can spread out, do their own thing during the day, and then come back together for meals, aperitivos, and long conversations at night. It makes the trip feel both relaxing and connected.
 
Our days were a mix of pool time with the most amazing vineyard views and day trips to Cortona, Siena, Chianti and Florence. By late afternoon, we’d all end up back together again, swapping stories over wine and dinner.
 
Our friends Shannon and Scott, who own Borgo San Vincenzo in Montepulciano, hosted the most perfect birthday dinner under the trees for Sam.  And one night, a chef came in and made pizzas that disappeared almost as fast as he could cook them.  We were all dreading the inevitable bad news from our bathroom scales when we returned home. 
 
It was one of those trips you don’t want to end. Tuscany was gorgeous, but it was the people, and the time we spent together under one roof that made it so much fun. 
 
Read on for more of what I am into lately. 
 
 
   
  
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XO Jackie
 ETA and ETIAS UPDATE
 
PENDING FOR 2026
 
The United Kingdom has already unveiled its travel authorization system (ETA). Even if you are just transiting thru the UK, please go ahead and apply. It is super easy, not expensive, takes a few minutes and is linked to your passport.   
 
 European countries (ETIAS) will require travelers to register in advance of their trips. When the application will go live?
 
Short answer: The launch date is still TBD but we are now hearing October 2026. The European Commission, which is the EU's executive arm has started the entry exit system.  
There are two protocols. 
 
Part One: The entry-exit system comes first in phases this fall. No advance action on your part. When you arrive at the border of any of the 29 European countries using the system, you will have your face and fingerprints scanned and logged in a new digital-registration system. In Italy last week the system seems to be ( sort of) started.  We did not have fingerprints taken but we did do facial recognition.   
 
This registration  happens every time travelers cross external borders and will be in lieu of stamping passports. I hate that, I love to collect passport stamps. 
 
Part Two: ETIAS stands for the European Travel Information and Authorization System. This requirement is for travelers who don’t need a visa, meaning many U.S. vacationers headed to the 30 European countries that will require it (the 29 Schengen countries plus Cyprus).
When you apply, you will need to provide your passport information, address, occupation, past criminal history and information about prior travel. And a credit card.  Again, no firm  start date, but likely October 2026. 
 
Stay tuned, I will keep you posted on when this will go into effect.  
 
 
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WHAT ARE YOU LOVING LATELY?
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1136 South Boundary Ave
Aiken , SC 29801, United States

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