Travel Style: Valarie D’Elia

Want to know how to travel in style, just like the pros? We check in with frequent fliers to find out how often they fly, their favorite destinations and what they never leave home without.

Name:  Valarie D’Elia aka “Travel With Val”

Occupation:   Digital journalist & travel idea machine

Hometown: Trumbull, CT

Residence:  New York City

Twitter: @TravelWithVal

Facebook: TravelWithVal

Pinterest: nointerest

Bio:  I can be seen traveling the world laboriously leveling a tripod on many different surfaces, from glaciers to mountains, to sandy beaches, to cruise ship decks, city streets and hotel lobbies around the world.

My well-balanced video reports are broadcast on Time Warner Cable stations across the U.S. originating from the flagship NY1 News in Manhattan. I also appear occasionally on various morning news shows as a travel content provider.

Besides shooting, I also trained my brain to edit and feed my pieces from locations near and far, mostly from a spiffy hotel room desk with an FTP connection of (annoyingly) varying speeds.

 How often do you fly: Every time I get on a  plane

How many countries have you been to:  100 and counting with the Traveler’s Century Club tally sheet. (which lets connections count as long as you put your foot down)

 How many continents have you been to: All of them until they break apart into more

 Favorite American city:  New York

 Favorite international city: Cacophonus, crazy, circuitous Rome, or the last place I visited, which at press time was Paris.

 Least favorite country:  Finland. Too much like Fairfield, CT to have traveled that far.

 Favorite World Heritage Site: Taj Mahal. Oh, to be loved so desperately!

 Favorite airline:  Trans Caribbean Airways, my very first flight that ignited my passion for travel

 Favorite aircraft type:  One without turbulence and “woe is me” flight attendants

 Aisle or window: I like the window, my bladder likes the aisle

 Favorite airport lounge: London Heathrow Virgin Atlantic T3

 Favorite U.S. airport: Martha’s Vineyard. When I’m there, it means I’m closer to heaven on earth

 Favorite international airport: Singapore on a connection. Now I’d like to see the city.

 Favorite hotel:  Hotel Queen Mary, Long Beach, CA (transatlantic oceanliner geek that I am)

 Favorite cruise line:  Cunard (see above)

 Favorite island: Anguilla

 Favorite fancy restaurant:  Pimm’s, Cap Juluca for its generous servings of hot & sultry waterfront ambience.

 Favorite hole in the wall: Sunset Beach Bar where the planes fly low when landing in St. Maarten  and/or Capt’n Tony’s Key West of my University of Miami days

 Favorite fruit:  The Big Apple

 Favorite food: Fatty, juicy, cholesterol-ridden medium-rare ribeye and/or seared foie gras

 Least favorite food: White of the egg

 Favorite travel movie(s): Papillon

 Favorite travel show(s): House Hunters International

 Favorite travel book(s):  Pat Conroy, Prince of Tides

 Five things you bring on a plane: My thoughts, My curiosity, My hopes, My dreams, My wanderlust

 What do you always seem to forget:  My angst

 Favorite travel iPhone app(s):  GPS

Most embarrassing/worst travel moment: My family and I getting kicked out of Brazil (yes the entire country) because we didn’t have visas for the cruise. Had to fly back to Argentina, get visas and return to Brazil. It cost the cruise line $11K in fines and expenses because they stated in writing that Americans didn’t need visas if they stuck to ship-led excursions. It was a case of vindictive “reciprocity” on the part of Brazil.

 What’s your dream destination: Seychelles and Maldives in that order.

 Favorite travel website(s) – besides JohnnyJet.com, of course: Vayama.com because they recently sold me a “fat-finger” fare for business class at an economy price.

 Best travel tip:  Let your hair take a vacation from the blow dryer. (does not apply to the dashing Mr. Jet