Southern Italy & Sicily Newsletter

Issue #1 – March, 2006

Rome , Amalfi Coast & Taormina

November 10-21, 2006

with Joe Laufer & Collette Vacations

A Message from Joe:

This will serve as the first issue of a series of Newsletters on our forthcoming trip to Sicily. As I write this, we are about 240 days from departure. Because a few new people have signed up over the past couple of weeks and since the initially announced departure date has changed twice, I wanted to make sure that everyone had the final and correct information in their files and on their invoices. This first newsletter will simply acquaint you with the names of your fellow travelers (there are now 18 of us) and give you the flight information I recently received from Collette Vacations. There is still room for a few more guests. First come, first served, but no applications will be taken after May 8, 2006.

Joe

WHO’S WHO ON THIS TRIP? – As you will see, there are a number of people who have been on previous trips with me. I’ve listed their earlier adventures next to their names.  

1-2 – Joe & Carolyn Mazzilli, Jackson, NJ – Spain & Portugal ’98, Italy ’99, Alpine Journey ’00, Scandinavia ’00, Luxembourg, Brussels, Amsterdam ’01, British Landscapes ’02, Hawaii ’04, Ireland ’05 .

3 – Doug Ghaul, Burlington, NJ – Paris ‘97, Spain & Portugal ’98, Italy ’99, Central Europe ’99, Scandinavia ’00, China ’00, Great Britain ’02, French Riviera, ’03, Hawaii ’04, and Russia ’05.

4 – Anne Stella, Southampton, NJ - Alpine Journey ’00, Luxembourg, Brussels, Amsterdam ’01, British Landscapes ’02, French Riviera ’03, Hawaii ’04.

5-6 – Margaret & John Hoffman, Edgewater Park, NJ –Spain & Portugal ’98, Central Europe ’99, French Riviera ’03, Russia ’05.

7-8 – Maudestein Taliaferro, Newark, NJ & Mary Taliaferro, Browns Mills, NJ -Spain & Portugal ’98, French Riviera ’03.

9-10 –Peter & Margaret Genzano, Cinnaminson, NJ – Paris ’01, Luxembourg, Brussels, Amsterdam ’01.

11 – Josephine R. Ahearn, Edgewater Park, NJ.

12 – Rozanne Grecco, Willingboro, NJ.

13-14 – Thomas & Virginia DiCiurcio, Jackson, NJ.

15- Charlotte D’Autrechy-Scott, Willingboro, NJ – Ireland ’96, Russia ’05.

16- Sharon E. Johnson, Beverly, NJ.

17-18 – Joe and Penny Laufer, Vincentown, NJ – Joe has conducted 25 international group trips since 1993, introducing several hundred individuals to international travel. He has personally visited 50 countries worldwide. His wife, Penny, has accompanied him on about half the trips. 

AIRLINE INFORMATION

Departure: 11/10/2006 - 6:00 PM - US Airways, Flight 2 - Philadelphia Intl. Airport

Arrival: 11/11/2006 - 8:25 AM - Leonardo DaVinci Airport in Rome.

Departure: 11/21/2006 - 6:45 AM - AP, Flight 2853 Punta Raisi Airport, Polermo.

Arrival: 11/21/2006 - 7:55 AM - Leonardo DaVinci Airport in Rome.

Departure: 11/21/2006 - 11:20 AM - US Airways, Flight 3 - Leonardo DaVinci Airport, Rome.

Arrival: 11/21/2006 - 3:20 PM - Philadelphia International Airport.

PASSPORT INFORMATION  

You are advised to check your passport NOW in order to determine when it expires. Your passport should not have an expiration date prior to 90 days AFTER the completion of our trip. Therefore, if your passport expires BEFORE February 20, 2007, you should initiate measures to have it renewed at this time.

TRAVEL TIPS FOR SOUTHERN ITALY & SICILY

I have enclosed a two-page document received from Collette Vacations dealing specifically with information about our tour (on pink/violet paper). Please read it over and keep it, along with all the information about your tour, in a special folder for future reference and for use at our pre-trip meeting in late October.

TRANSPORT TO AND FROM PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Because our group consists of more than 10 people, Collette Vacations will provide free bus transportation to and from the Airport from a single location. As is my custom, I invite you to park on my property in Vincentown for the duration of the trip if you wish, and join us on the bus, with your luggage, which will depart from the Vincentown Fire Company on Race Street in Vincentown. You may either park your vehicle in Vincentown or be dropped off and picked up at the Fire Station. More details will be provided at our October pre-trip meeting.

INVOICE ENCLOSED

An invoice, reflecting payments already received and total amount due has been enclosed for your information. Final payment isn’t due until September 1, 2006. Anyone wishing to make interim payments may do so at any time. Send all payments to me (check or credit card), but make them payable to “Collette Vacations”. Please be advised that the only items that can and might change on the invoice are “Air Tax” and “Fuel surcharge”. These are subject to change until your balance is paid in full. The only way to avoid possible increases in the price of the trip is to pay your balance in full now. I am not suggesting this – but simply advising you of the option, as written on the back page of the tour brochure.

KEEPING YOU POSTED

You will periodically receive a communication such as this to keep you up to date on information about the trip. You may also visit my travel website, www.LauferTravel.com, where I will post information as I receive it. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me. You may email me at info@Laufertravel.com. I will conduct at least one optional pre-trip meeting sometime in October – most likely at the Flying W Airport in Medford. You will be advised of the date well in advance.