Best Of
Re: Massage
Not necessarily. But do be sure you book giving you time incase the safari ends later than expected. This can happen quite often if exciting things are happening out on safari.
British
Re: Hat for Sun exposure
My best hat is with a net that is rolled in a pocket in the back of the sun hat; comes in handy when you go in murky waters to avoid the small bugs; have used the net in our last Africa trip 
Re: Can't decide between excursions.
I looked at the itinerary to refresh my memory. We rode a little trolley around the vineyard either before or after the wine tasting, probably before. The views of the villages below were so beautiful.
I don’t think you can go wrong with either excursion, but I leave chocolate tasting to Switzerland and Belgium.
kfnknfzk
Re: Can't decide between excursions.
Just looked at day nine on the website. It sounds like the wine and chocolate are combined and the hike is the second option. Unless the schedule/choices have changed
Ben
Re: Can't decide between excursions.
I never pass up a wine tasting opportunity, especially in France. This was one of our favorite tours. Enjoy.
kfnknfzk
Re: Can't decide between excursions.
I'd definitely do the chocolate truffle class. I'm not much on alcohol but I love chocolate.
Euros and Pounds
Since we will only be in London a few days (we are flying to London a day early), is there a need to purchase British Pounds, or will credit cards suffice?
I am wondering about the need for Euros in France.
I know that credit cards are not often accepted at various little souvenir places.
I was thinking of bringing a small amount of both Euros and Pounds.
Is it better to get that money here in the states or in Europe? I hear conflicting things.
Sue M
Chase Sapphire Reserve changes
tldr; The annual fee is going up
Chase is making a number of changes, with some additional benefits (most of which are useless to me) and charging a higher annual fee. Seems I'm reevaluating this card's cost-effectiveness once or twice a year...
https://thepointsguy.com/news/chase-sapphire-reserve-refresh-2025/
BKMD
Re: Chase Sapphire Reserve changes
The reason I went with Chase was the $10,000 per person travel insurance. That's $20,000 of travel insurance when my wife and I travel.
Re: Chase Sapphire Reserve changes
My Citi Visa no annual fee - rewards: 3% travel and restaurants, 4% gas & EV charging and no foreign transaction fees. I use various airlines, depending on the route, (direct or length of a connection), time of departure and arrival, and cost of the ticket... so in 2024 & so far 2025 I've used Swiss Air, Delta, United, British Air, ITA, Air France and American. I periodically search other cards but have not found the perks to outweigh the annual fee and restrictions. My Global Entry will expire May 2026. I searched for a card that will reimburse the GE fee, but the annual fees are high. Any suggestions for travel cards are appreciated. I am willing to pay an annual fee if the perks are those I will actually use.
Patrice