Hello and welcome to the Informed Traveler Podcast Newsletter, our monthly newsletter designed to compliment our weekly travel podcast, offer additional travel tidbits and tips. As always, your feedback is welcome.

Quotes from last month's podcast:

If you haven’t heard this month’s podcast episodes yet you can find the full interviews HERE. Some notable quotes include:

“if you take just a local destination as in Provence in the art of Provence, it's one hour drive time to Côte d'Azur, one hour drive time to the Alps, and half an hour to all the best spots in Provence”

“most of my guests who are booking a tour with me are here for once in their lifetime who knows when they will be back and I want to give them the best possible memory and experience”

“take pictures of the screen or get a printout from the desk saying your flight's been delayed or a screenshot of like the flight status online. Take a screenshot after that four hours, you can go start buying food and sundries if you require. You know, up to you know, some cars are$500, some are$1,000, and you can submit those and get those paid for after.“

^{3 Things I Learnt this Month}

Should pajamas be worn at the airport? Personally I don't think so but last month Tampa International Airport took a light hearted stand in new statement. In a joke statement posted to social media, TPA said "it's time" to ban pajamas in its facility. "We've seen enough. We've had enough," the post reads. 
The pajama post came about four months after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy launched "The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You" - a civility campaign that encouraged travelers to improve their airport etiquette; this included everything from assisting others with their bags to saying "thank you" to airline staff to "dressing with respect." Duffy added that having a stricter dress code could inspire travelers to behave better. 
"I can't mandate you dress up, but don't wear pajamas and slippers to the airport," he said. "I think if you dress a little better, you behave a little better," he said. "We're all getting into pretty tight airline seats. But I want people to be well behaved and I think a little better dressed would help with that." 
I would agree, how about you?

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The Government of Jalisco reported that order and security have been restored in its principal tourist destinations, including Puerto Vallarta and the Guadalajara metropolitan area. According to the official update:
Puerto Vallarta remains in safe conditions with federal and state forces on active patrol
Hotels have remained open and continued assisting visitors
The Puerto Vallarta International Airport remains open with progressive recovery of connectivity
Beaches, the Malecón, cruise port, historic downtown, restaurants, and tourism establishments report no impacts and safe conditions
Federal and state highways are open and under security monitoring

State officials indicated that normalization of economic and tourism activity continues to advance under permanent surveillance to safeguard residents and visitors. The Government of the State of Nayarit, together with the Nayarit Ministry of Tourism, reported that its main tourism destinations — including Riviera Nayarit, Sayulita, and the Punta Mita area — have no incidents to report and have continued operating.

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Cozumel’s main roadways are being repaved with money collected from cruise ship passengers. Around 33 million of collected cruise ship passenger tax money is being invested in the repaving project. The project includes the repaving of over 13,600 square meters of road. Another part of the 33 million peso project also includes complementary work of domestic water connections of which 152 have been placed so far. The project not only seeks to improve the image of the streets, but also to make them safer and more functional, allowing for faster, more efficient and safer mobility in the city center.

Looking at the Month Ahead 

Easter Weekend Around the World April 3 - 6, 2026 Easter weekend is a time of celebration and renewal, observed by millions worldwide.

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (Indio, California, USA) April 10-12 and April 17-19, 2026 -A renowned music festival featuring a diverse lineup of artists across various genres, along with art installations and food vendors.

Songkran Water Festival (Thailand) April 13-15, 2026
Celebrated as the Thai New Year, this festival involves water fights and rituals to cleanse and purify, symbolizing the washing away of sins and bad luck.

Tulip Festival (Amsterdam, Netherlands) Date: April 2026 (exact dates may vary)
A celebration of spring with millions of blooming tulips, featuring exhibitions, markets, and cultural events.

Travel Tip of the Month

I borrowed this one from my friend Leigh McAdam at HikeBikeTravel - If you’re traveling to a country where you don’t know the language, take a picture of the hotel to show to a cab driver. Taking a business card if one is available is also a great idea.