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phyllisstoller Group Travel

Phyllis Stoller has a BA from Tufts University (History), MA from New York University (Political Science) and a Finance Degree from the University of the South Bank, London England. She has lived and worked in England, France and Switzerland and resides in New York.
Phyllis was an international corporate banker, before starting her own business. The idea for the women’s tour company came from her need to find travel friends. Her first company became the national leader in women’s travel and Phyllis was recognized as Top in Women’s Travel by Travel & Leisure Magazine. The company was acquired in 2006 and Phyllis subsequently restarted as The Women’s Travel Group, www.thewomenstravelgroup.com with strategic partners USTOA active member: SITA World Travel,
Phyllis specializes in smart tours with speakers and insightful itineraries for women. She believes women’s tours should see the country not the carpet emporium and listen to insightful speakers not jewelry hawkers.
Arthur Frommer recently described The Women’s Travel Group as a valuable asset for women who want to travel with other women.
PS Phyllis appears in Fun with Dick and Jane as the travel agent; the movie was written by her son!
Accomplishments:
1967-70 Worked for The New York Times while attending Graduate School at NYU.
1970-80 Public relations consultant in London, networking with Fleet Street journalists. Freelanced: travel and financial articles.
1982-90 Financial analyst and marketer for various international banks, including a stint as a Vice President, Barclays Bank PLC
1991-2008 Tour operator of a leading company focusing on women; the company was acquired in 2006.
2008-2012 Marketing for women’s fitness and travel related clients, travel writing, social media outreach etc.
Phyllis has appeared on CNN, The Today Show, Lifetime for Women, in much print, and on many radio programs. She is available as a speaker for groups interested in travel for women and other related topics.
Pro Bono:
Board member, Women’s Fund of Miami Dade County, Funding Arts Network, both in Miami Fl. Active in Tufts University Women’s Networking Group, past Harvard Parent’s Association. Languages: French Spanish
Married with grown children: Nicholas, a comedy writer/direct

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Considering a Fabulous Trip But Worried Whether You’re Fit Enough? Here’s a Helpful “Stress Test” We Recommend for All Senior Women Booking a Group Tour

By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate As I mentioned in my last post, it's finally time to travel again, and we Boomer/Senior travelers are right up at the front of the line, enjoying …By Phyllis Stoller, …By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate As I mentioned in my last post, it's finally time to travel again, and we Boomer/Senior travelers are right up at the front of the line, enjoying our renewed opportunities to see the world. Thankfully, the travel industry is increasingly catering to us oldies; but you need to be aware that there can still be a trip out there which you should not take, due to your personal limitations or needs. Obviously, you know that you don't want to book yourself for an adventure travel experience, like bicycling across Europe, unless you're experien…

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The Surprising Effect of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Boomer Travel

By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate Who do you think were the first to begin to travel post-Pandemic? Based on our experience as tour operators, is was Boomer Women. Why? Older f…By Phyllis Stoller, …By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate Who do you think were the first to begin to travel post-Pandemic? Based on our experience as tour operators, is was Boomer Women. Why? Older folks were the first with access to the Covid vaccine. We were also the most enthusiastic to get it. Not to forget that we were the most obedient abut safety protocols. And finally, who amongst the 70+ crowd didn’t have a ‘now or never’ gut feel when travel opened? As travel slowly started again, this is what we tour operators experienced. Women wanted to go, more enthusia…

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It’s Finally Time to Travel Again, Boomers: “On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!”

By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate For us Boomers, the time to travel is now. We can leave the United States and travel much of the world without anxiety. The Euro is close to $…By Phyllis Stoller, …By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate For us Boomers, the time to travel is now. We can leave the United States and travel much of the world without anxiety. The Euro is close to $1 and the UK Pound, Mexican Peso, etc are very low; travel costs are way down to compensate for airfares which are up. Why should we feel safe now? Below I answer with facts and my personal feelings: Most of Europe is more vaccinated than we Americans are. Portugal is the outstanding example with 98% fully vaccinated.  Much of Europe has socialized medicine. What does t…

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Phyllis Stoller Suspects We Boomers Are Actually Safer From Covid If We’re Traveling Outside the US Than We Are at Home

By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate You might be safer overseas than in the US or Canada. I just returned from 3 trips: one to Paris, one to Tuscany and London and an October one…By Phyllis Stoller, …By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate You might be safer overseas than in the US or Canada. I just returned from 3 trips: one to Paris, one to Tuscany and London and an October one to Dubai/Abu Dhabi and Oman. Here is what I witnessed and what made me relax about Covid. And I am ready to take more groups to Europe beginning in May and to Mexico in a few weeks. Overseas masking is mandatory. In airports, on flights and in most places you as a tourist will visit.  Masking on a flight also means you no longer catch the cold of the guy in row whatever. Nor do you get sn…

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Phyllis Stoller of the Women’s Travel Group Advises: “What to Expect for Summer Flying”

Masks Are Mandatory Inside Airports and On the Plane  Which means you really need to bring along more than one mask. This is important, in case you drop yours or sniffle into it. You need to be awar…Masks Are Mandatory …Masks Are Mandatory Inside Airports and On the Plane  Which means you really need to bring along more than one mask. This is important, in case you drop yours or sniffle into it. You need to be aware that even in "no mask" states, federal law requires masks at airports and on the airplane.  (Once you are outside the airport -  hailing a taxi, for example - local laws prevail.) You'll also find free sanitizer dispensers in airports and elsewhere. These days there seems to be a lot of free sanitizer available. Use plenty of it on your hands, even if you wash them intensely. Sea…

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Five Critical Facts Boomers Need in Order to Travel Again

By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate Most Boomers are being told we cannot travel during this time of COVID, as we are in an especially dangerous situation: our age. Of cours…By Phyllis Stoller, …By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate Most Boomers are being told we cannot travel during this time of COVID, as we are in an especially dangerous situation: our age. Of course, by the time we've reached our current ages, almost all of us have at least one pre-existing condition, but as you know, many of these are controllable. We now live for years with conditions that used to be death sentences for our parents. Age 70, as we compare it to our mothers, is the new 50 We regularly work out at gyms More than 50% of us are still working We are always on t…

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Boomer Travelers Have Distinctive Wants, Needs and Expectations

By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate What is unique about Boomer Travel? Only the critical things that make a trip successful: our wants, needs and expectations. You read about Boomer…By Phyllis Stoller, …By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate What is unique about Boomer Travel? Only the critical things that make a trip successful: our wants, needs and expectations. You read about Boomer Travel all the time; however, not all articles are as frank and insightful as we require, at our age and stage. Wants: We want to hear a human voice tell us about travel, not be limited to an email or text message. For example: today some women called, asking about our upcoming Kenya trip, and specifically wondering how many game parks we would visit. We answered their specific question: ther…

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How to Escape the Heat: Summer Travel with Altitude

By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate This summer is anticipated to be a hot one! Overseas hotels are not always air conditioned; however they are often described as  ‘climate control…By Phyllis Stoller, …By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate This summer is anticipated to be a hot one! Overseas hotels are not always air conditioned; however they are often described as  ‘climate controlled’. The latter is not always our expectation of continual cool air flow. So this year, why not plan a trip to a place where it is naturally cool? If you are OK with altitude, choose high places. Altitude plays as much a part in temperature as does location; remember that when you look for an escape from the heat.  (The "altitude rule," also called the lapse rate, says that if there's no prec…

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Advice for Today’s US Travelers: How To Best Present Yourself as an American Abroad

By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate As we travel these days, some of us are wary of being identified as American.  We often forget that we can be ambassadors as well as tourists. Wh…By Phyllis Stoller, …By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate As we travel these days, some of us are wary of being identified as American.  We often forget that we can be ambassadors as well as tourists. Whether or not you agree with the Trump Administration and the current state of US politics in general, you -- yes, you -- can contribute to our image abroad in many ways. Remember, we are the Peace Corps generation, the people who -  in our youth -  journeyed to Europe on rickety old ships we used to call "student ships," then lived "off the land," in cheap student hostels. In other word…

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Single Boomer Women: Now’s the Time to Make New Friends, See New Places. (Especially as you plan ahead for the year-end holidays!)

By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate Boomer women are different. We were born into the post WWII era when things began to change for women. Our mothers went to work, we got college de…By Phyllis Stoller, …By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate Boomer women are different. We were born into the post WWII era when things began to change for women. Our mothers went to work, we got college degrees and became nurses, teachers, lawyers, architects, doctors and accountants. Fast forward to today and we are living longer than our mothers and grandmothers. We're healthier and more active. And many of us are single - either still, or again.  The oft-repeated mantra of our early years - "You've Come a Long Way, Baby," has proven true.  In so many ways we are independent, self-suffi…

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Now’s the Time to Enjoy Traveling to Mexico’s Non-Beach Locales

By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate If you've previously traveled to Mexico for the beaches, you've missed out on a lot of the pleasures of this country, which is an inexpensive trip…By Phyllis Stoller, …By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate If you've previously traveled to Mexico for the beaches, you've missed out on a lot of the pleasures of this country, which is an inexpensive trip from the US that's both a real destination - and not too far away. No doubt that's why the Tourism Authority in Mexico has been successfully promoting Mexico's colonial and historic sites in recent years. And why so many more Americans have begun visiting Mexico's non-beach locales. The Rivera Maya, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta and Cancun are great trips, of course. But those who've been to Me…

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River Cruises Are Among The Best Trips for Senior Women

By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate We all have a travel bucket list, but as we get older our list changes. This is due to physical restrictions, changing diets, an altered tolerance…By Phyllis Stoller, …By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate We all have a travel bucket list, but as we get older our list changes. This is due to physical restrictions, changing diets, an altered tolerance for long flights,  and the fact that while we age our wanderlust likely does not abate, but many of us begin looking for easier ways to travel.  The Women’s Travel Group has found that one of the best ways to travel if you have any restrictions is by river cruise. They offer several departures with special single and double rates.  Here are some facts to consider: River cruises allo…

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Group Travel
Tips from The Women’s Travel Group: How You Can Determine If An Airline Is Safe

By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate Several weeks ago, I took connecting flights. On the first intra-Europe, the door to the pilot's cockpit was open. At the second check in, I was gr…By Phyllis Stoller,…By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Group Travel Associate Several weeks ago, I took connecting flights. On the first intra-Europe, the door to the pilot's cockpit was open. At the second check in, I was grilled about why I was traveling, who I worked for, how long, what was the job description and more. So which airline was safer? Stats are that they both were! Here are a few items to investigate: Charters? ~ NO Most insurance companies will not cover you on either a charter or private plane. Code Shares: ~ YES  Code sharing airlines with US carriers are vetted by the FAA and the US …

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Whether or Not You Can Join Us in Paris for the Holidays, Don’t Miss These Great Tips for Seniors Traveling on a Tight Budget

By Phyllis Stoller,  NABBW's Group Travel Associate I've some exciting news for you: The Women’s Travel Group  is offering a fabulous ‘Paris for the Holidays Tour’ December 21-28. We'd love …By Phyllis Stoller,…By Phyllis Stoller,  NABBW's Group Travel Associate I've some exciting news for you: The Women’s Travel Group  is offering a fabulous ‘Paris for the Holidays Tour’ December 21-28. We'd love for you to join us, and we still have a few seats left. BUT, whether you head off to Paris with us, or go later with friends, don't miss these great money-saving travel pointers. For European travel stay within the Euro zone. France is a Euro based country and current rates are close to all time lows of 1.10. In addition, the economy is stagnant so many stores and restaurants have specials. T…

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Widows: Your Wanderlust and Wishes

By Phyllis Stoller NABBW's Associate for Group Travel Please share with friends who have lost a partner! Let me start by saying these  thoughts come from talking to you out there and from my f…By Phyllis Stoller …By Phyllis Stoller NABBW's Associate for Group Travel Please share with friends who have lost a partner! Let me start by saying these  thoughts come from talking to you out there and from my friends. Traveling as a widow is not the same kind of travel. It can still be a meaningful experience with highs, lows and new memories. Some women use women’s travel as part of ‘re-entry’ after losing a partner. Here is our site: www.thewomenstravelgroup.com for reference. Your home social circle talks to you with unwanted pity and empathetic glances.  In a travel group, no one knows y…

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Senior-focused Tips for Enjoying Summer Travel

By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Associate for Group Travel A few tips for traveling when you are older but not less adventurous. Summer brings crowds in airports and on the plane. Here are a few tips…By Phyllis Stoller, …By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW's Associate for Group Travel A few tips for traveling when you are older but not less adventurous. Summer brings crowds in airports and on the plane. Here are a few tips designed to help Seniors to survive the Summer crush: Bring some food for airport hunger. Some of the larger airports- Atlanta comes to mind, have much less food available than passengers who are hungry. Others are so large- Dallas for instance, that you might use up your available time just finding the gate. Alas water can only be purchased in the secure areas of airports but more stores sel…

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Age and Travel: Who Is Too Old For Group Travel? Probably Not You!!

By Phyllis StollerNABBW's Associate for Group Travel We were again asked this week whether The Women's Travel Group has an age limit on the upper end? As you know, we regularly travel with women a…By Phyllis StollerNA…By Phyllis StollerNABBW's Associate for Group Travel We were again asked this week whether The Women's Travel Group has an age limit on the upper end? As you know, we regularly travel with women aged from 30 on up. But potential first-time WTG travelers still regularly ask us what the health standards are -- not just to come along, but join the tour and be assured that they will be able to have fun. To best answer these questions, since your physical capabilities -- and each trip -- are unique, we like to answer with a few questions of our own, which I'm including here: First, did you…

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Don’t Let Your Family’s Unfounded Safety Fears Stop You From Traveling. (Especially If Your Desire Is to Get Away For the Holidays But They’d Rather Eat Turkey At Your House!)

By Phyllis StollerNABBW's Associate for Group Travel Everyone of us has, at some time in our lives, been "stifled/strong-armed" from doing something we love and thoroughly enjoy, by well-meaning fami…By Phyllis StollerNA…By Phyllis StollerNABBW's Associate for Group Travel Everyone of us has, at some time in our lives, been "stifled/strong-armed" from doing something we love and thoroughly enjoy, by well-meaning family members who cite safety concerns. I recognized this recently, after I fell down 15 stairs in my beloved old house, which has steep, painted wooden steps. Everyone in my family had warned me about the perceived dangers of wooden stairs and and urged me to practice better "concentrated banister use." They all fretted over my safety. Did I sell the house? Install an elevator? Stop using the…

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