I always travel with a long cashmere scarf (about 36×82″) that can double as a blanket. This helps with chilly airplane rides and can also supplement the sometimes light bedding you’ll find in hotels and rental properties. I also love creating “Capsule” wardrobes for each trip; keeping my packing as light as possible while giving me a number of outfit options for day-to-night and variances in weather. Always prepare for unexpected rain!

Wednesdays are often the best day to book air travel. I get some of my best deals early morning, mid-week. I also subscribe to airline newsletters (e.g. Flying Blue) to score loss-leader promotions using frequent flyer miles. I have scored one way tickets to Paris for as little as 15,000 miles (from San Francisco)!

In days past, you used to be able to purchase antibiotics sans prescription in European pharmacies. Almost universally, this is no longer the case. If you’re an adventurous eater (hoping to sample local delicacies), it’s a good idea to be prepared in case of food poisoning or other sudden illness requiring use of an antibiotic. I also travel with hydration packs (Liquid IV is my favorite) as well as a variety of OTC sleep aids to get on the local time zone as quickly as possible. Get as much daylight as you can, too!

If you have a travel issue, make sure you document your attempts to resolve it (try to stick to email as it creates a paper trail). If you’re not successful and need a powerful advocate, I highly recommend reaching out to Christopher Elliott, who runs a non-profit (Elliott Advocacy) and a news site (Elliott Report). I was pleasantly surprised that he emailed me back within 24 hours of contacting him about some troublesome behavior by SIXT rental car company (do not, I repeat, do not rent from them).

Read as many reviews as you can when considering a property on Airbnb or Vrbo. You can often glean a lot of useful details by seeing what people say and how the property owners respond. If I like a property, I will take the time to write a detailed review. If I’ve had a problem with a property, I contact the owner directly (offline) to see if they are amenable to my feedback. I don’t like to leave negative reviews unless I feel responsible for warning anyone about a misrepresented property–so far, none has been bad enough to warrant this.

Calling hotels directly is one way to score an upgrade, especially if you are celebrating a special occasion and hope to elevate the experience as much as possible – this doesn’t often happen if you book through a third-party site, e.g., Expedia.

SPAIN 2024

EGYPT 2022

SPAIN 2019