What to Expect From Travel in 2014

Travel is something that changes constantly, but there are some trends that can be forecast for the coming year and here are 3 that I find to be important and/or fun.

Truly unplugged vacations

We are bombarded all day every day with digital media and our electronics that people are returning to the true vacation and leaving their laptops and mobile phones at home. Two weeks of no posting, tweeting, poking, blogging. The more access we have to digital lifelines the more we are glad to get away from it. Sure, we may want to share our travels with all our friends and followers, but we find that it can wait until we get home. Yes, the Digital Detox is becoming more and more popular. Maybe you'd like to plan a trip and spend more face time with your family/spouse than with your smart phone.

More exciting airports

So many people just hate hate hate going to the airport, but that may be about to change. In 2013, airports are getting more exciting around the globe. In addition to airports that have amazing entertainment already - like museums, sculpture gardens and day spas - other cities are giving travelers a reason to head to the airport early to enjoy cool stuff while they wait for their flights. It also helps to have a back-up plan to sitting around and being bored when a flight gets delayed or you have a long layover. Here are a few things you can look forward to:

• In-airport gyms
• Meditation and yoga rooms
• More pet relief areas
• More free Wi-Fi
• Play areas catering to kids and their harried parents

Airfare Hikes?

Nobody likes to hear about rates going up, but go up they do. Of course, this year it appears we may be paying less overall for U.S. travel, but with airline mergers, this may not make a big difference. Fewer planes means they will continue to be overbooked and routes will be as sparse as possible. You will have a harder time finding reward seats when using your frequent flyer miles, so the earlier you can book them, the larger your selection. These are not the times to wait until the last minute if you have plans to travel or absolutely have to be somewhere on a particular day. Make your budget plan and stick to it, so you can make your goals of booking between 6 weeks and 3 months in advance for paid tickets and further from your desired travel date when cashing in your frequent flyer miles.

Have you noticed any travel trends that you're looking forward to in 2014?

The Harry Potter Studios in London

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Harry Potter. I'm not the only one out there that loves the boy wizard and the world he lives in. In 2011 Harry Potter:  The Exhibition stopped in Seattle, so I made a point to take a weekend getaway surrounding it. While I was in London, there was going to be no way I could miss a trip to Leavesden Studios, so Eric and I splurged on tickets to the place where the movies were filmed. In some ways it was a good deal, because it was hours of fun for a Potterphile. (Purchase your tickets online for package deals. You also won't run the risk of tickets being sold out.) Props, sets and videos crowded two buildings and a courtyard and I was in Harry Potter heaven. Here are some photos from our visit.

We also went on a Harry Potter walk, which I will write about in a different post. it took us on other filming locations around London.

Versailles: a Luxury Palace Visit on a Budget

On our last day in France, we packed our day with some interesting things, including taking the RER out to the city of Versailles to see the infamous "chateau" where Marie Antoinette and other French royals once called home. Most don't know that the palace began as a small hunting lodge and was expanded enormously by Louis XIV, the Kardashian of his time. He used his excessive wealth to create the biggest and most lavish dwelling he could, causing the people of France to dispose him. A few rooms were good, but 100 would be better! Giant gates and ironwork are nice, but covering them in real gold was totally awesome. By the time Louis XV and Marie Antoinette moved in, there was almost nothing left to "improve" on.

People have a bad opinion of Marie Antoinette, but walking from room to room, I had to admit, it probably wasn't entirely her fault. She was cut off from everyone she knew and her only friends lived at Versailles with her. If you spend every minute of your day inside what can only be viewed as a small city and never leave the grounds, you have no idea what it's like in the real world or see how the common people live. Eventually, you just assume everyone lives so luxuriously and can't imagine why people would riot against you. Each room is just as decadent as the next and the grounds, even though they were being worked on during our visit, were sure to be even more amazing in their heyday. Here are some photos of our visit.

The infamous Hall of Mirrors 

The grounds of Versailles are huge and we didn't even see all of them in the few hours we were there. During the warmer months, you'll be able to see all the fountains working and every statue in the gardens. There's also a place within the garden maze that sells snacks and beverages, as well as a restaurant on site and several gift shops. it's really a great place to visit and the entry fee is quite reasonable considering the opulence within. Be prepared to have your bags (and possibly your person) searched before entering. Versailles is highly secure. From the photos, you can see why.

Have you ever been to Chateau de Versailles? What are your favorite mansions/palaces/castles?