Do you love eating out? Do you cook and entertain at every opportunity? Do you enjoy trying new foods and new methods of preparing foods? You just might be an official ‘food aficionados”! If you go to restaurants at every available opportunity and have taken advantage of cooking classes in your area, and you like to travel, you might be a great candidate for culinary travel. Maybe a trip to the cooking schools in Italy or France is already on your bucket list! With the right frame of mind and preparation, like any good meal, this could be the trip of a lifetime. It certainly won’t be a trip on which you’re apt to experience much weight loss!

Advance planning and research will be the keys to a successful trip. Select the time of year you’d like to travel and narrow down your dates. If you’re interested in taking classes at a culinary school, this will need to be planned well in advance. There are abundant agencies available that provide tours to different restaurants and cooking classes in the restaurants with the private chefs. These are really exciting, hands on experiences. Local travel agencies specializing in culinary travel can provide a wealth of information. Online sites have become plentiful, but be sure to carefully read all the reviews, offerings and details about what is included in the tours, deposits and terms of participation.

Some of the tour agencies specializing in culinary travel will manage accommodations as well as booking cooking classes, and some will require accommodations to be booked separately. Do your booking and planning early to ensure the greatest selection of accommodation options. Frequently the agency will arrange for transportation from your hotel to the restaurants or cooking schools. Quite often tours of vineyards are included in these programs to give participants a greater understanding of wine parings. Have a grand time, take loads of pictures and be sure to try out your new found culinary skills on friends and family upon your return. Best of luck to you!