About Bliss Travels
Bliss Travels - Uniquely Designed
Founded on the idea of providing special, hard-to-find experiences for people traveling in France, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Croatia and Portugal, Bliss Travels’ trips deliver just that...unique and immersive, custom vacations and events that cannot be replicated without the special, in depth knowledge of cultural insiders and local residents.
The big bus tours have generic, crowded vacations covered. The airlines, high end credit cards and travel agents have the “do-it-yourself” upscale market. Bliss Travels is different. We have personal relationships with local providers who grant us exclusive access to sights, services and experiences most tourists never have. Bliss travelers have a truly authentic and personalized “insider” travel experience, one that others cannot replicate. We have always been “off the beaten track”. So, if you are ready to become a ‘traveler’ rather than a ‘tourist’, reach out to us!
Bliss Travels offers semi custom vacations with specific departure dates, bespoke trips for private groups, special event planning for weddings and family celebrations, as well as one-of-a-kind vacations centered on food, wine, photography, art, culture and other topics. No matter what the topic we provide customized activities and authentic experiences to suit your energy level and interest. Our low-key approach to exclusive access travel and our flexible scheduling provide a smooth flow of experiences as travelers become immersed in an in-depth experience.
Click here to see a video of where we go and what Bliss Travels trips are like!
Click here to see a TV interview of Wendy
Wendy can be reached by email (wendy@blisstravels.com) or by phone at 609-462‐6213
About Bliss Travels’ Owner - Wendy Jaeger
Wendy founded Bliss Travels in 2003 after leaving the practice of law, her last legal position having been as an Assistant District Attorney in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She had traveled throughout France for more than 30 years, but by 2002 began to develop her significant expertise. She spends several months each year seeking new and unique experiences for her clients and designing Bliss’s most exclusive trips. She has extensive food and wine expertise. She is a former founding member and past president of the Alliance Francaise de Princeton et de la Region, a former instructor and teacher in various culinary programs throughout the Northeast United States, and has taught food and wine pairings as well as led classes on food, wine, and travel in various cities, states and countries for many years. She is recognized in the travel industry nationally as an expert in custom culinary, wine, and cultural travel specifically, and has won industry awards for best custom travel and culinary and wine travel. She has had the honor of being inducted into highly prestigious international culinary and wine societies, and the privilege of working with extremely talented people all over Europe who have extensive knowledge of the areas they share with clients, whether that is France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Croatia or Portugal. Wendy speaks English and French, and rudimentary Italian. She is hopeful she’ll have more than 10 Croatian words soon!
No matter in what language, Wendy and her talented partners have found their Bliss!
The Great People Who Work With Bliss
We have local people who work with us in travel planning and design, as well as traveling on client trips of certain complexity and size. We know the best guides, who provide exclusive custom tours for our clients.
Edouard
is the best tour group manager and a tour leader. He also manages certain private client requests. He was born and raised in Paris and hails from a very old French aristocratic family on his Mum's side that traces its lineage back to William the Conqueror. Some of his ancestors have their portraits in Versailles, which he will show you if you are touring with him! He has dabbled in the culinary world, interning as a teen for Michelin starred chef Guy Savoy, but his real love is storytelling. He has a passion for anecdotes and memorable fun facts. He studied Latin, Ancient Greek and mythology in Lycée and then received his degree in journalism and video production —all enhancing his story telling skills. He has worked for Le Figaro, and various French TV channels, He is a lover of antiquities, classical art, and Napoleonic history. He is naturally curious and happy go lucky, and his relaxed approach to touring and groups allows people to enjoy their time while still learning something about the places they visit. And while he doesn't drink wine (Juracon being the exception to that rule) he does still love good cheese, as a Frenchman should. Edouard speaks French, English and basic German.
Cedric
is our art, archeology and history expert. He has been enthralled by archeology, history and art since the age of 6 when he started digging holes in his back yard. Fortunately, his studies mirrored his hobbies, and he passed exams in Latin, ancient Greek and Hieroglyphs. Therefore, in 1986 when he turned his attention to ancient foods he was able to work as editor and assist in translation of the 1st century B.C. text of Roman recipes titled “Apicius Culinary Art”. Almost 40 years later he's still working with archeologists, and has even studied the fossilized bones that he found in the cellar of his former home (which was once a Roman temple) ... In his spare time Cédric also has achieved two master’s degrees, and has had a varied career in the arts and tourism. He worked as an art producer for a decade in Paris then moved back to Avignon to run a theater. Since that time, he's been running cultural affairs for different cities around Provence. He worked and lived for 3 years in Italy leading tour groups and is currently the president of a stunning private art museum that houses a spectacular collection of art and artifacts. He lives in a home built from the walls of a 2000-year-old Roman Temple dedicated to the God Dionysus (where he continues to uncover fascinating Roman artifacts). He has been working as a storyteller of all things related to art and history exclusively with Bliss Travels since 2016. Cedric speaks French and English and is conversational in Italian with basic Spanish.
Alice J
a former Sorbonne student, has resided in Paris, Niger and Canada. She has traveled with us on special trip for more than 15 years. She has a dual degree in French and International Relations, extensive experience in service industries and marketing as well as teaching experience (both French and English) and is Bliss Travels tireless secret weapon and considered family.
Our technical super-heroes and website people are working tirelessly as well.
France
We have an extensive list of extraordinary people in France who work with Bliss, and the list is made up of locals. This includes local guides in Paris who work extensively with us. It includes chateaux, luxury retreats, and restaurants that provide us with one-of-a-kind exclusive experiences in Paris, Provence, Loire, Cote d’Azur, Bordeaux, and Burgundy, as well as chefs all over the country who work with us to design one of a kind menus (Martial and Bruno are culinary geniuses). Plus, we have amazing private drivers such as Celine, Marie, and Jean Philippe who keep things moving! When it comes to wines, we have access to some remarkable, not open to the public places because of the valuable, wonderful people we work with --winemakers like Charly, or sommeliers like Camille, and a list of 'too many to mention' --people from Burgundy to Bordeaux to Chateauneuf du Pape and beyond. All of these special people allow us exclusive access to private cellars, wines that are 'sold out' or hard to find, and many other extras that others only dream about.
Spain, Croatia, Netherlands, Italy and More
We have wonderful special guides everywhere who create custom experiences exclusively for Bliss. In Barcelona (Sandra) with her 2 advanced degrees, amazing connections and story telling skills, knows everything, including how to get you in without waiting in long lines (even when you think you have timed tickets, without her, you will wait)! We have tapas chefs/venues who are constantly providing new and exciting menus only for us (Julio, you are my favorite, always), and special venues for our parties (you know who you are, on those rooftops). In Amsterdam, thanks to Silvino for his help over the years and to Isabella (who is truly magical) for her amazing tours, and who shares all of the things she loves about the Netherlands. In Italy we have two fabulous guides (Michele and Teresa) as well as an art expert whose enthusiasm is boundless. Our amazing Croatian guide Paolo (who is both a university professor and a local, whose family has been in the same village for 500 years) is beyond enthusiastic about his country. We can even get you in to see Teddy as he waxes poetic about his award-winning olive oils. We have professional courteous drivers like Jaques, Felix, and Vlad, and some amazing small private luxury properties with fabulous hosts in Florence, Tuscany, Provence, Porto, Nice, Burgundy, and beyond. That’s just a small taste of the “bliss” we can offer you! When it comes to "insider access", top foods (Massimo's special menus -yum) , and wines (thank you Roberto and Marie-Pierre) we have all the right connections.
Last but not least, we also have the benefit of special connections with professional educators and hotel staff with whom we work in tandem.
These people are our friends and coworkers and it’s our pleasure and theirs to share their knowledge and excitement about these places with you.