This year, I’ve seen more people waiting until the last minute to plan their vacations. Sadly, this often leads to higher prices, fewer options, or missing out on the hotels and experiences they really wanted. The best trips usually aren’t booked on a whim. They’re carefully planned, letting you pick where you want to stay, […]

Whenever possible, I recommend a nonstop flight. Fewer flights result in fewer opportunities for delays, missed connections, and luggage taking a “vacation” without you. Many of us don’t live near a major international gateway. If you’re traveling to Europe from cities like Nashville or much of the central U.S., your itinerary will likely include at […]

When people think of Barcelona, the same names usually come up first. La Sagrada Família. Park Güell. Casa Batlló. La Boqueria. Montserrat. I’ve been to all of them, and I wouldn’t tell anyone to skip them. They’re extraordinary for a reason. But on my recent trip to Barcelona, I found myself thinking less about the […]

When I took my first cruise back in 1990, it was a belated honeymoon aboard Premier Cruise Lines’ Big Red Boat (remember them?). More than three years after our wedding, we finally had the chance to celebrate, and I was immediately hooked. Since then, I’ve sailed with Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Virgin Voyages, […]

I use artificial intelligence every day. I use it to draft, research, organize, and brainstorm. It saves me real time. I’m not going to pretend otherwise, and I’m not threatened by it. But I’m not going to let it design my clients’ vacations, either. Here’s why AI is useful and where it falls short of […]

Most of my clients carry a mental list. Machu Picchu is usually on it. So is a safari. The Taj Mahal. The pyramids at Giza. Easter Island, for the adventurous ones who’ve seen the photos and wondered what it actually feels like to stand in front of those stone faces. The problem isn’t ambition — […]

Every client asks for Lake Como. I get it: name recognition, Instagram, Clooney, beauty. I’d never talk anyone out of it. But here’s what I tell my most discerning clients: if Como is the lake you know for its fame, Garda is the lake you’ve been missing for its variety and unique experiences that Como […]

Twenty years from now, people might forget the candle and the flowers, but they’ll remember the trip. They remember the restaurant in Lyon where the waiter brought another bottle of wine without being asked, and suddenly two hours were gone. They remember seeing their mother tear up in front of Monet’s Water Lily Pond, a […]

I’ll be honest: India wasn’t on my bucket list. For years, I had filed it under someday, maybe. Too remote. Too vast. Too chaotic. Too far outside my comfort zone. I was convinced I wouldn’t find anything to eat. I’m not a fan of Indian food. Curry isn’t my thing. I genuinely pictured myself picking at […]

I hear this a lot: “We’re excited, but we’re going to wait a few months and see how things look.” I get it. The world feels uncertain. Prices seem unpredictable. Waiting feels like the cautious move. Hint: It’s usually not. Let’s talk about why. What you’re actually doing when you wait. You’re not avoiding risk — […]