planning, entry requirements, prep
Every place has a system. A pace. An unspoken agreement among the people who live there about how the day is supposed to move. When you travel, you are stepping into someone else’s rhythm, and the faster you find it, the less you interrupt it, and the more you actually enjoy being there. This is […]
Italy Has a Rhythm. Here’s How to Find It. Read More »
Before You Go
The general safety picture for European travel is covered in Keep Your Hands on Your Bag: Staying Safe in Europe — pickpocketing patterns, ATM safety, distraction scams, and what to do if something goes wrong. Read that one first. Italy fits that picture, and a few things are worth knowing specifically before you arrive. At
At the Train Station and Beyond: Staying Sharp in Italy Read More »
Before You Go
Before you get to this list, make sure you have covered the universal apps that belong on your phone for any international trip. CityMapper, Google Maps offline, Google Translate camera mode, Apple Translate for conversation, WhatsApp, Wanderlog, and a few others are all covered in Apps I Never Travel Without. Those are the foundation. This
Your Italy Trip, Right in Your Pocket Read More »
Before You Go
The big picture on handling money in Europe is covered in Your Card Will Work. Probably. A Guide to Money in Europe — ATMs over airport kiosks, notifying your bank, Dynamic Currency Conversion, never traveling with only one card. All of that applies in Italy. Italy adds some texture worth knowing before you land. The
Italy Runs on Cash. Here’s What Else to Know. Read More »
Before You Go
Before you get to this article, the universal pre-departure checklist belongs somewhere else. Passport validity, Global Entry, STEP registration, document copies — all of that is covered in Documentation to Sort Before You Leave the Country. Read that one first if you have not already. This article is about what changed for 2026. Specifically, what
Europe Updated Its Entry Requirements. Here’s What Changed. Read More »
Before You Go
Most travel advice starts with where to go and what to pack. But if you’re planning for more than just yourself, the who might matter even more than the where. If you’re doing any kind of group travel planning, you’ll quickly learn the dynamics of the group shape every detail. Planning a trip for a
Planning for People, Not Just Places Read More »
Before You Go, Travel Planning
Coming back from Paris, I bought wine at the duty-free shop in the international terminal. I had done what you are supposed to do: bought it after security, in the sealed tamper-evident bag, with the receipt inside. I was carrying it on the plane. I understood, or thought I understood, how this worked. In Atlanta,
What Duty-Free Actually Means (And When It Actually Matters) Read More »
Before You Go
Something going wrong on an international trip is not inevitable. But it happens, and the travelers who handle it well are almost always the ones who thought about it before they left. The key is not to panic. Most of these situations have a path through them. The path is shorter and clearer when you
When Something Goes Wrong Abroad Read More »
Before You Go
Before you get to this list, make sure you have covered the universal apps that belong on your phone for any international trip. CityMapper, Google Maps offline, Google Translate camera mode, Apple Translate for conversation, WhatsApp, Wanderlog, and a few others are all covered in Apps I Never Travel Without. Those are the foundation. CityMapper
Before Paris, Do This on Your Phone Read More »
Before You Go
There is a window between now and when you board that plane where you have reliable wifi, full data, and enough time to actually learn how something works. Download these apps for international travel now, while you have all of that, not at the airport gate while the boarding announcement is playing. Download them, poke
Apps I Never Travel Without Read More »
Before You Go
Paris is one of the safest major tourist destinations in Europe. A few things about it are worth knowing before you walk out the door. Pickpockets Are Real, and They Are Very Good Paris is one of the most visited cities in the world, and the tourist areas attract skilled pickpockets. This is not a
Petitions, Protests, and Pickpockets: Paris Safety Read More »
Before You Go
I have sat in a room full of adults being briefed on an upcoming international trip and watched people be genuinely surprised that England does not use American dollars. I share this not to be unkind, because it was a room full of smart, capable people who simply had not thought about it yet. It
Your Card Will Work. Probably. A Guide to Money in Europe Read More »
Before You Go