Do you love travel and wine? Do you have two to three years’ salary saved up and ready to spend?
Then you’re in luck, because you can afford to take the ultimate wine-related vacation.
Forget a trip to Provence in the spring or Napa in the fall, where you can explore vineyards and taste at wineries. Now you can take the ultimate wine trip: six weeks, 12 countries, first class filghts, 5-star hotels, regions both presigious in the wine world and some great up and comers.
The Trip At A Glance
Source: DailyMail.co.uk
Lathwaite’s, the UK’s biggest delivery-based wine merchant and Winerist, the specialized travel company, have teamed up to provide this incredible tour. For ￡80,000 (see the currency converter at the end of the article for real-time conversation) travelers get:
12 Countries
- England
- France – 2 locations
- Spain
- Italy – 2 locations
- Moldova
- Romania
- India
- Australia – 2 locations
- New Zealand
- USA
- Chile
- Argentina
- South Africa
A Serious Education In Wine
By visiting all of these destinations travelers will get first hand experience in varietals, terroir, climate, style and more. Tours, tastings, pairings – the trip provides all of this.
Is There A Way To Do This For Less Money?
While you could book a similar trip using a travel agent or discount sites who knows how the pricing would work out but it’s worth exploring. With a little time and effort put into research you could find cheaper flights, use train travel, cycle between certain locations, and stay at hostels or cheaper hotels. But, have no fear: before you spend weeks planning, if your travel budget is less than the ￡80,000 there is a version of the trip, sans first class airfare, for a more reasonable ￡15,000. That’s an 80% price cut without sacrificing the destinations, tours, and five star hotel accomodations.
Is This The Right Trip For Me?
This sounds like a perfect trip so don’t let it become a complete nightmare. Use the following questions when considering whether or not to splurge, as well as careful discussion with your financial advisor. Weigh the pros and cons carefully and consider these things you may not have thought about before splurging on a trip like this.
- Can you afford being away for twelve weeks? Extended travel is an expense in itself. Be sure to consider this in your budget. Will you need to pay a house or pet sitter? Do you have paid vacation time from your job or will you also lose paychecks? Is your boss okay with you disappearing for twelve weeks?
- Have you done extended travel before? If you’ve not traveled internationally or for extended times before this probably isn’t the best place to start. This kind of globe-trotting, even with first class flights and accommodations, is sure to leave you exhausted if you’ve not dealt with time zone changes before. Talk to your doctor first. Certain medical conditions, like risk factors for blood clots, will require special care while traveling. Also: make sure you have enough medication, or can secure any meds you take, to last at least an extra two weeks in case you get delayed on your trip.
- What’s Your Base Knowledge Of Wine? If your knowledge of wine is advanced enough that you understand varietals, terroir, regions, and enjoy drinking wine then this is definitely a trip to consider. If you like wine and want to know more – start smaller. A trip like this could get very tedious for someone who isn’t advanced in their knowledge of wine.
What do you think? Are you ready to take your wine-related travel to the highest level? Or are you thinking you might need a smaller trip or two first and if so, what’s on your wine travel wish list?