For future me, and anyone else
Every tip gets graded against what really happened: WorkedDidn't work Do differently. Ungraded tips are claims from the pre-trip plan that haven't been checked yet. 48 of 49 graded.
Venetian cicchetti lean heavily on seafood and anchovies, which I don’t enjoy. The tour was still great, but if a city’s food is seafood-forward, tell the tour operator about your preferences when you book, and plan some non-seafood meals.
Venetian restaurant food leans on seafood, which isn’t my thing. But the cicchetti at Cantine del Vino già Schiavi in Dorsoduro, with a glass of wine, were my favorite bites of the entire trip. Other keepers: Bacarotto (best stop on the food tour) and Bacaro e Trattoria da Fiore by Campo Santo Stefano.
Five tours: Eating Europe Montmartre (Paris), Eating Europe Twilight Trastevere (Rome), Walks & Devour cicchetti (Venice), Undiscovered Lisbon, and Eating Europe Borough Market (London). Each was a great way to learn a neighborhood from a local and pick up first-hand recommendations.
Final ranking: Lisbon > Paris > Venice > Rome > London. Best bites were sausage and mash at Le Saint-Jean (Paris), cacio e pepe at Trattoria degli Amici (Rome), and the natas at Fábrica da Nata (Lisbon), and fish and chips (London’s Borough Market, where the tour was great but the food just OK). The Lisbon tour was my favorite overall. The Palma tour was a no-show (see the tour no-show tip).
Do it on the first evening. In Venice I wished I had, so I could go back to my favorite stops.
I planned the sights but not many restaurants, so most meals started with a raw search on the spot. It wasn’t bad, but on a month-long trip it added a lot of decision fatigue. Next time, save a few vetted options per neighborhood before arriving. (The food tours were the best source of recommendations, which is another reason to do them on the first night.)
My Palma food tour guide never turned up. After waiting 15–30 minutes with another couple, we reached the company on WhatsApp and got most of a refund. The real cost was the beach time I gave up to go into town. Save the company’s WhatsApp or phone number before the tour, and have a plan B nearby. (Mine was a procession through the old town, which was better anyway.)
Twice at Cala Major, something in the water pecked at an open spot: a scabbed-over blister on my heel, and later a scrape on my calf from the boat, which bled a little. It didn’t hurt, but it startled me. Rinse with fresh water afterwards (I had some with me), and check for scrapes before getting in.
After the overnight flight via PHL I still woke at odd hours, but I didn’t let it shape the days. I kept full days and went to bed by 9 for the first few nights, and it worked itself out.
Coming home west was easier: I woke at 4 or 5 a.m. and went to bed around 8:30 or 9 for a couple of days, but it didn’t affect my days. Two or three days of minimal impact.
Hotel Havane Opéra was fine solo, but it had no AC (a stuffy inner room with the window open), a one-person elevator to the 4th floor, and a rule that you leave your key at reception. They didn’t check ID when you collected it, which made me uneasy about my things. Next time, read reviews for “air conditioning,” “elevator” and “key,” and lock valuables in a room safe or keep them with me.
Lisbon repeated the lesson: Figueira House had no AC in hot, humid weather, and with the window open to the square it was noisy. The towels were tiny, too. Add “towels” to the review search.
Hotel Meridiana (5/5) was very convenient for both the Tube and trains: the Piccadilly Line from Heathrow on arrival, and St Pancras next door for the Eurostar. I’d stay there again.
A laundry right across the street from Hotel Ascot made a mid-trip wash easy. When choosing the base for the middle of a long trip, check for laundry nearby.
Hotel Ascot, 5 minutes from Roma Termini, meant almost no luggage hauling on arrival and departure, and Florence (near S.M.N.) worked the same way. For a longer Rome stay I’d pick somewhere more central to fan out from.
This is your standing rule from the travel profile. Every base on this trip was chosen to be walkable. Did any hotel break the rule, or prove it right?
We rented chairs and umbrellas, bought drinks by the water, and a few of us got massages. It was a great day, until the police (very politely) told us most of it wasn’t legal and we had to leave. It happened at the end of the day, so it didn’t spoil anything, but know what you’re buying into, and don’t plan the whole day around it.
The pass was convenient (no thinking about boat timing), but I walk a lot and didn’t ride enough to make it pay off. Buy single tickets for the rides that matter: the Grand Canal on arrival, and the Lido.
When I went back to Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse to replace the chocolate spread I’d lost, the shop told me it counts as a liquid. I was traveling carry-on only, so I skipped it and brought home chocolate bars instead. If you want spreads, jams or honey to bring home, plan on a checked bag or buy them in small sizes.
It was far too hot for pants, so I was in shorts and couldn’t go inside the Vatican. A light, breathable pair, or a wrap that covers the knees, carried in a day bag solves this for the Vatican, St. Peter’s and other strict churches.
Last night at the Hilton CDG instead of central Paris, then straight to the terminal in the morning. Definitely a good move: CDG security took about two hours that morning (the passport scanners kept failing), and getting there three hours early meant I still had time in the lounge. I still got a last Paris evening by storing my bags at the Gare du Nord and going into town before heading out.
One night, split between a family evening and a full-day class, left almost no time for the city. Piazza della Signoria alone deserved more. Next time, plan two to three nights.
Like the key-phrase cheat sheet, but for history: a quick synopsis of what each major sight is, what to look for, and the story behind it. At Quinta da Regaleira’s Initiation Well I was left wondering what the Masonic symbolism really meant. A short, well-sourced primer beforehand would have grounded the experience instead of leaving me with questions.
After four relaxing days in Majorca, it was harder to get going in Lisbon, and I didn’t see as much as I could have. I still enjoyed walking the city. Next time, either put the beach stop near the end of the trip, or plan the city after it with fewer must-dos.
The planning ahead of time paid off. Having an outline (or a few options) for each day cut down on decisions in the moment, and the freedom to switch things around when I wasn’t feeling it kept the trip fun. Solo travel makes that easy, and it was very freeing. Crossing paths with Carlie and Miguel in Florence, Barcelona, Majorca and London broke up the solo stretches for the times I wanted company. Cramming in a lot of places was deliberate, and it worked.
Five countries, five languages, and I didn’t learn any key phrases. Before the next multi-country trip, build a quick one-page cheat sheet for each place: greetings, please and thank you, ordering, the check, and directions.
After the Louvre grounds, Orsay, the Uffizi plan, the Colosseum and Rome’s churches, I was museumed out by Venice and skipped St. Mark’s and the Doge’s Palace. That was the right call, but it means the timed tickets in the plan would have been wasted. Put the must-see museums early, and plan later cities as wander-and-eat days with nothing booked.
My one London letdown: I wasn’t there while the Premier League was playing, so I couldn’t go to a match. Next time, check the fixture list (international breaks leave gaps) before locking in dates, and book tickets early.
I went after the Colosseum and Palatine, already overheated, and the line was long and in direct sun. With the dress code on top of that (shoulders and knees covered), I skipped going inside. Next time: first thing in the morning, on its own day, with a timed ticket.
I found it while researching Lisbon and I’m so glad I went. The explanations and the timeline of his work gave me much more appreciation for his art. Allow about two hours.
The best day of the whole trip: a charter out of Cala d’Or with a captain who runs his own route through the coves, cooks paella on board, and has paddleboards for swimming stops. Great with a group. I’d 100% do it again.
This is the trip’s biggest planning lesson. In Barcelona, the Sagrada Família (inside) and Park Güell were both sold out, so we saw the Sagrada only from outside and never made it to Park Güell. In Rome I didn’t get Colosseum underground tickets and wish I had.
It’s harder with a group. With seven of us it was hard to coordinate ahead of time, so nobody booked. Next time: pick the must-do timed sights before the trip, buy them for everyone, and leave the rest of the days loose.
The arena floor has its own entrance on the other side of the Colosseum from the regular line. I queued in the wrong one and had to hustle around. Arriving midway through my entry window turned out well: the crowd was small and it was easy to get space up front. The arena floor is worth the extra ticket. Book the underground tour on top of it too, as soon as tickets are released. I thought I had, and I regret that I didn’t.
Passerelle Debilly (reflection) → Trocadéro esplanade (wide view) → Avenue de Camoëns (balustrade terrace) → Pont de Bir-Hakeim (steel arches) → Rue de l’Université (cobbles under the pillars). Shoot it in late-afternoon light. I got shots that beat the one I already have framed.
My best moment in Barcelona wasn’t planned. On my first night I heard fireworks in the distance, went to see, and ended up walking with a correfoc through the narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter, with really loud fireworks and people dancing in the sparks. Leave some evenings unplanned, and follow the noise.
In Rome I stuck to the itinerary and saw the headline sights, but never got the big-picture view of how the city fits together. A golf-cart tour early in the stay would have given me that.
Starting near Covent Garden: Chinatown, Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery, Horse Guards, the Cenotaph, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey, St James’s Park (look for the pelicans), Buckingham Palace, then down to Tate Britain with the London Eye across the river. Finish with a glass at Gordon’s Wine Bar. Pick a good-weather day.
In Barcelona, a coffee run turned into one of my favorite mornings: from OTTO through Parc de les Aigües, to the Mirador de Can Baró, and on to the top of the Turó de la Rovira (the Bunkers del Carmel). No tickets needed, and doing it in the morning was amazing. Once you’re at the first viewpoint, keep going: the view from the top is worth it.
The Louvre takes most of a day. With only a few days, walking the grounds and then the covered passages (Galerie Vivienne, Passage des Panoramas) gave me architecture and art at an easy pace, and saved the time for Orsay and Notre-Dame.
It cost much less than the Alilaguna water bus, and it’s fine if you aren’t in a hurry. Save the water bus for a time when the views or the timing matter.
Security took about two hours. The passport scanners kept malfunctioning and the system was rebooted several times, people missed flights, and ours left late while they were rebooked. Three hours ahead still left me time in the lounge. Global Entry made customs in Charlotte quick, though even the regular line moved smoothly.
Arriving in Rome, I followed the crowd off the train at Roma Tiburtina instead of staying on to Termini. Just because a lot of people get off doesn’t mean you should. A quick look at the map on my phone would have shown we weren’t there yet. A bus got me the rest of the way.
I booked my flights within Europe with oneworld airlines to earn status points and miles. Several of the Iberia bookings turned out to be operated by Vueling, which isn’t a oneworld partner, so they earned no status points. Check the operating carrier before you book, not just the airline selling the ticket.
In Barcelona, Carlie and Miguel had to collect checked bags to switch airlines. I held the rest of their luggage airside, and then they found out they needed a different terminal. I had to carry everything out to them and go back through security alone. Confirm the departure terminal for each airline first, then decide who goes through security with what.
Worth it for sure. The seat alone was worth it for the extra space, especially traveling solo. The meal was a perfect snack for the journey, and the wine was really good.
At the airport tram stop, a man who didn’t work for the tram company was “assisting” people with tickets and appeared to be reselling them. I walked past him and used the ticket machine, which was quick and straightforward.
For my 5 a.m. departure from Cala Major, the front desk at Be Live Marivent booked the cab for me. No stress the night before. Leaving a beach resort before sunrise is hard, but I got a sunrise from the plane.
Non-EU license holders need an IDP alongside their home license to ride a 125cc scooter in Spain. Get one from AAA before you leave; it can’t be done abroad. I had one, but only brought a photo of it. Nobody checked, but bring the real thing.
To get from Cala Major to a boat in Cala d’Or, my options were a 3-hour bus or a friend driving 45 minutes each way. I ordered a 125cc moped on Aguilar Rentals’ website and was riding 30 minutes later. Over an hour across the island, through the countryside and small towns. Expect to go straight into town traffic and then highway speeds. Next time: plan a scenic route with stops. Shorts and a linen shirt were fine.
It was convenient and cheaper than the €56 flat taxi fare, and it went close to the 9th-arrondissement hotel.
Sintra has several palaces and the bus loop only runs one direction. I didn’t get off where Google Maps told me to, because nobody else was getting off, and ended up at the wrong palace. I had to ride the whole loop to get back. Trust the map. Bring a rain layer too: it was sprinkling when I arrived, which made finding the right bus more hectic. If you miss your timed entry by a few minutes, go to the ticket booth anyway. Regaleira let me straight in.
La Dimora degli Angeli kept my bags during the all-day pasta class, and it was a short walk from S.M.N. You get a full day without hauling luggage. Pick a hotel near the station so the pickup is easy.
When the hotel isn’t on the way, use a bag-storage shop. On the last day I left my bags at Stow Your Bags by the Gare du Nord and had a free evening in Paris before heading to the airport.
It worked: Line 2 to San Samuele, then a flat walk to Campo Santo Stefano with no stepped bridges. But with just a carry-on and a backpack I didn’t need it, and the line at the station was long. Next time I’d walk, and take the Grand Canal ride once purely for the views. This route is only worth it with heavy bags.