By Larry Olmsted

My nephew got married this summer, and with not a lot of lead time, told me they wanted to honeymoon for two weeks, split between Venice and Greece. That’s a good trip – so good that these happen to currently be the two hottest summer destinations in Europe – if not the world – and have been pretty much sold out for months.

I often give detailed local travel tips and advice to family and friends, but this time my advice was succinct and spot on: “You need to use a travel agent.” I referred him to one of my favorites (Anne Scully at Embark Beyond, an industry legend at a top tier agency) and fortunately – as it turned out – he took my advice (My first tip is to seek a referral from a friend or colleague, the best way to find a good travel agent for you – especially since demand is running high and some are not even taking new clients) … continue reading

Award-winning travel journalist Larry Olmsted is the author of “Real Food, Fake Food.” He is a Contributing Editor to Cigar Aficionado Magazine and “The Great Life” columnist for Forbes.com. His newest book is“Fans: How Watching Sports Makes Us Happer, Healthier, and More Understanding.”