Advice of the week
Three days in a city: how to plan days you will actually keepOne anchor per half-day, short distances, and a first day that forgives the flight. The shape of a city trip that works.
2 min readRead
Advice
Short, tested travel advice from people who travel a lot.
Advice of the week
It's raining. What now?
Swap the order of the day, not the day. Museums and markets in the wet hours, the walk when it clears, and the three things worth doing only in the rain. A plan B you can make in two minutes.
2 min readRead
Too hot to sightsee. What now?
Early, late and in the shade, with the middle of the day given to lunch, a siesta or a museum with air conditioning. How to see a city in a heatwave without hating it.
2 min readRead
More advice
21WeatherIt's raining. What now?2 min read
WeatherToo hot to sightsee. What now?2 min read
Getting aroundTrain or plane? The city-to-city decision2 min read
HolidaysTravelling over a public holiday: what closes, what opens2 min read
PackingCarry-on or checked bag? How to decide2 min read
Getting aroundHow early should you be at the airport?2 min read
PlanningClosed on Mondays: what to check the week before2 min read
MoneyWhen to book flights: what actually moves the price2 min read
- Getting aroundTrain or plane? The city-to-city decision
Count the door-to-door hours, not the flight time. Under about five hours the train usually wins in Europe, with more luggage, a seat at a table and a station in the middle of town. Where the plane still makes sense.
2 min readRead - HolidaysTravelling over a public holiday: what closes, what opens
Christmas, Easter, national days and the long weekends in between. What shuts, what gets busy, what you can only see then, and how to find out before you book the dates.
2 min readRead - PackingCarry-on or checked bag? How to decide
Carry-on for a week or less, checked for gear, cold weather or a family. The liquids rule, the battery rule, the fare that quietly excludes your cabin bag, and what to do if the suitcase does not arrive.
2 min readRead - Getting aroundHow early should you be at the airport?
Two hours for a short flight, three for a long one, and the reasons to add or take away thirty minutes. The gate closes earlier than you think, and that is the only deadline that matters.
2 min readRead - PlanningClosed on Mondays: what to check the week before
The museum under scaffolding, the viewpoint shut for works, the strike on your travel day, the holiday nobody told you about. Six things to check before you go, so the surprise is a nice one.
2 min readRead - MoneyWhen to book flights: what actually moves the price
Forget the magic weekday. Book one to three months ahead for Europe, two to five for long haul, fly midweek, and let a price alert do the watching. The honest version of a crowded subject.
2 min readRead - Getting aroundJet lag, the simple version
Daylight, meals and one firm rule about the first night. How to land five time zones away and feel like yourself by the second morning.
2 min readRead - PlanningPassport and insurance: the two boring checks that save a trip
Six months of validity, blank pages, the entry permit some countries now ask for, and insurance that covers the two things that actually go wrong. Ten minutes, the week you book.
2 min readRead - Getting aroundFrom the airport to the city without overpaying
The train is usually the answer, the taxi rank is usually fine, and the person who greets you at arrivals is never either. The thirty-minute decision that sets the tone of the trip.
2 min readRead - MoneyTipping around the world, roughly
Where a tip is part of the wage, where it is a kind gesture, and where it is a small insult. The rough map, and the one question that always works.
2 min readRead - With friendsTravelling with kids: one big thing a day
One anchor, one playground, one treat, and the afternoon left loose. How families come home with stories instead of a list of things nobody saw.
2 min readRead - FoodEating well for less, the way locals do
The set lunch, the market, the street two blocks from the square, and the one rule about water. How to eat better and spend less in almost any city.
2 min readRead - Getting aroundYour phone abroad: data, maps and power without the bill
An eSIM before you fly, the maps you need saved on the plane, and the three settings that stop a roaming surprise.
2 min readRead - SafetyStaying safe without spending the trip worrying
Most trouble on a trip is small and avoidable. Where to check the real picture, what to carry split, and the two habits that cover almost everything.
2 min readRead - MoneySplitting money with friends without the awkward part
One payer per bill, a shared record, and one settlement at the end. How groups keep the trip about the trip.
2 min readRead - PackingPacking from the forecast, not from fear
Nights times outfits, one smart set, the forecast for the actual dates, and the five things people forget.
1 min readRead - PlanningThe first day after a morning landing
Why day one is a half-day, what to do with the hours before check-in, and how to make the evening count.
2 min readRead - MoneyWhat a day really costs: a budget you can keep
Three lines, per person per day, and one honest check while you travel. A trip budget that survives contact with the trip.
2 min readRead - PlanningWhat to book ahead, and what to leave open
The short list that genuinely sells out, the things that are better decided on the day, and how to tell them apart.
2 min readRead