🤬Scams, Santa & Smart Travel: What You Need to Know This Week

Dear Reader

This week, I’ve got three important things for you—and the first one has me fuming 😤

This week's e-mail includes:

Common Scam Happening in Curacao
Start Your Engines - Christmas Planning is Happening!
Travel Tip of the Week

CURACAO ENTRY SCAM

⚠️ 1. CURACAO ENTRY SCAM: THEY’RE CHARGING FOR A FREE IMMIGRATION FORM?!

There’s a scam happening right now that’s targeting travelers going to Curaçao—and people are falling for it!!!

When you travel to Curaçao, you need to fill out a digital immigration card (the “DI Card”) before you arrive.

🤚It’s free. It’s official. It’s required 🤚

But scammers have built fake websites pretending to be the government form—and they’re charging unsuspecting travelers $30, $40, even $75 USD to complete it 🤬🤬🤬

Worse? Some of those websites look legitimate. People are entering their passport details, travel plans, and credit cards thinking it’s the real deal.

This makes me absolutely furious.

Travelers should feel excited, not vulnerable. And these scams are targeting people who are just trying to follow the rules.

If you’re heading to Curaçao—or know someone who is—please read this post and share it.

➡️ Read the post: Don’t Get Scammed Before You Even Land

It walks you through:
✔️ How to know you’re on the official site
✔️ What to do if you already got scammed
✔️ When to submit your DI Card
✔️ And why cruise passengers might be exempt

CHRISTMAS MARKETS IN EUROPE

Want to Visit Europe’s Christmas Markets This Year? Plan 👉 NOW

**The Amazing Market at Stuttgart, Germany**

Okay, okay.. I'm sorry! I said the "C" word and it's only May...

It might feel early to think about Christmas, but if a European holiday market trip is on your wishlist—you’ll need to book it soon!

Last year, we visited 20+ Christmas markets across 4 countries in the month of December, and I can confidently say: it was magical ✨

😱 But we almost missed out!

Hotels in popular market cities book up months in advance—some of my favorite family stays were sold out by June. And flights? They’re cheapest around 4–6 months out.

That means… the time to plan is right now.

➡️ How to Plan a Christmas Market Trip Without the Chaos

🎄Read my full guide on planning; it walks you through:
✔️ When to book hotels and flights
✔️ Different types of cozy accommadation
✔️ What to Pack
✔️ Budgeting Tips

TRAVEL TIP OF THE WEEK

Travel Tip of the Week: Screenshot Everything

Person uses phone to control electric vehicle charger.

I’ve had phones freeze mid-trip, apps crash at the worst moments, and Wi-Fi drop at the gate.

These days, everything is digital—from boarding passes to train tickets to insurance.

But what happens when tech fails? That’s why I screenshot the following before every trip and save it to an album on my phone:

Hotel address and phone number
Flight confirmations
Train or attraction QR codes
Any WhatsApp convos with tour operators
Insurance card or emergency contacts

You don’t think you’ll need it—until you do. A screenshot can be the difference between stress and smooth sailing.

I’ll be back next week with more tips and travel tools.

Until then, keep your info safe and your plans smart.

Tanya

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