Google “Paris pickpockets” and you’ll receive nearly a million results. The city is famous for its landmarks and pastries, yes, but it’s also famous for something else: pickpocketing. In the months leading up to our first trip to the City of Light in 2014, I spent hours online researching scams and pickpocketing techniques (it’s an …
Tag: Travel Tips
The Ultimate Travel Guide for Ghent, Belgium
My top picks for a weekend in Ghent, Belgium – including all the best places to eat, drink, and shop!
20 Questions You Should Ask a Potential Travel Partner Before You Leave Home
Let’s set a scene: You’re hanging out with your best friend you’ve known for ages (it’s late at night, and there’s probably wine involved) and someone declares, “You know what? We should go to Paris!” You clink glasses and each fantasize about what it would be like to explore the City of Light, eventually heading …
Getting from A to B: What You Need to Know About Public Transit in Amsterdam
Amsterdam is a city best explored on foot or by bicycle as it is compact, well-organized, and features plenty of walking and biking lanes. That being said, there are times when it makes more sense to travel across the city via a faster method: when you’re in a hurry, when you are heading clear across …
International Travel Timeline: Booking My Trip to the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium
I get a lot of questions about how far out to book a trip and how to create an itinerary. There is no right or wrong answer of course (despite what you read online, flights aren’t always cheaper on Tuesdays, for example), but my trips to destinations further afield tend to follow a similar booking …
Flavors of Mexico: A Mexico City Food Guide
Mexican food is vastly underrated. It might be due to the fact that, in other countries, it has been so altered from its original form that it is rendered almost unrecognizable. Authentic Mexican food is deceptively simple; the reality is the cuisine is complex, rich, and vibrant. Nearly everything is made from scratch, no matter …
Laundry on the Go: How to Easily Wash Your Clothes While Traveling
I love traveling with just my carry-on. The clothes inside have been carefully selected, I’m left with a free hand to navigate directions on my phone or eat ice cream (this scenario is the most likely), and I can hoist my own bag into the overhead bin, thank you very much. I don’t think I’ll …
5 Easy Things You Can Do Today to Save for Your Next Trip
1. Stop shopping I realize that shopping might not be everyone’s weakness, but it’s definitely mine, particularly when I’m stressed, bored, hungry, or tired. Close the tabs, empty the carts (digital and IRL), and unsubscribe from the emails. Determine what marketing tactics work for you, and do the exact opposite (e.g. if pretty displays in …
Seven Tips for Choosing the Perfect Airbnb
I’ve written before about my love for Airbnb, but today I want to share a few tips on how to find your perfect “home” out in the world. Why choose Airbnb when there are perfectly good, well-rated hotels nearly everywhere you want to go? I find that hotels put a distance between you and the …
How to Pack the Away Carry-On
On Monday I shared my thoughts after a year of using my Away Carry-On suitcase, and today I thought I’d share my packing strategy. It took several tries before I finally figured out what works best for me (my last suitcase had one large compartment rather than two smaller sides), and now I finally have …