15 Things You Should Know About Europe

European travel dreams are nothing new and every traveler we come into contact with has amazing stories of what delighted, disappointed and surprised them when they took on the great European Travel Adventure. One of the things that we like hearing about are all the situations that travelers encounter that made them take a second…

Pivot! 5 Travel Challenges and What To Do!

Sometimes the very things that give us travel stress can show themselves regardless of the great planning we do. We know, we know! It seems that no matter how hard you try, some sort of issue rears its ugly head just when you think you’ve got it covered. We’ve heard them all and perhaps we…

5 European museums to discover (and 5 to skip)

 Skip The Louvre and take on the magnificent Czartoryski in Krakow La Jaconde by Leonardo DaVinci was stolen from the Louvre in 1911. The headlines of the day were sensational with the art caper and the incident sparked her modern fame. Yet, while the world waits in line to view the Mona Lisa behind bullet…

Agriturismos: Italy’s best kept secret.

I was walking through a lovely vineyard with a local vintner enjoying the North Italian sunshine when he stopped and asked me a very abrupt question. “How did you find this place?” he asked me in wonder. At first, I didn’t know how to take his question but then it occurred to me that he…

Extending travel efficiently.

Dear Babcia and YiaYia- I have a great river cruise booked from Amsterdam to Basal, Switzerland! I’m so excited to see so many things. The cruise line says it will take care of my air arrangements if they want me to or I can do it myself. Is there a reason to not just  have…

Milan Day Trip

Milano Tucked up in the north of Italy is the banking and fashion capitol of the country, Milan. Probably most famous for three things, Milan may not constitute a big ticket stay but it can be an ideal day trip. Now hold your fashionista horses for a moment! Normally when we say that a destination…

The thing travelers forget to ask for at the holidays.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! We are happy to celebrate all the holidays in global style and one tradition we love to share is the Scandinavian tradition of reading a book on Christmas Eve. Choosing a cherished book for someone can seem daunting but this thoughtful gift, unwrapped on a cozy evening,…

15 Easy Travel Tips For First Time Travelers

15 Easy Travel Tips For First Time Travelers I’m in the middle of planning my Summer trips and thinking about all of the different details that it takes to pin down each location and ensure that I’ve smoothed out all the potential bumps in my travel road. As always, I divide my planning into three distinct stages: plane…

My Big Fat Trip Planning Strategy

So, if you are like most people, you have one shot a year to book the vacation of a lifetime. I’m not talking about a quick trip down to Florida for a long weekend or a girl’s trip to Vegas. I’m talking about mega- it takes some trip planning– travel. I’m talking about those 14…

North Carolina 101: Amazing Asheville!

It’s time to head off to the mountains and enjoy one of our country’s most unique small cities. Asheville, North Carolina is most famous for the largest private residence in the country: Biltmore. And while the estate should definitely be toward the top of you list, there are two or three other gems that make…