What ETIAS means for your next Europe trip
ETIAS is the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, and starting this year it changes how Americans, Canadians, Brits, Australians, and most other visa-free travellers enter the Schengen Area. It is not a visa. It is also not optional. Here is what it actually means. What ETIAS is ETIAS is a travel authorisation — closer to […]
Paris in 5 croissants — a sweet 3-day itinerary
I have a theory that the best way to see Paris is to plan the day around bakeries, not landmarks. The landmarks happen anyway — Paris is full of them. The bakeries you have to seek out. Three days, five croissants, every neighbourhood that matters. Croissant 1 — Du Pain et des Idées (Canal Saint-Martin) Start in […]
12 European retreat venues I’d actually book
I’ve planned trips at every category of European venue you can imagine. Here are twelve I’d actually book for a team retreat right now — organised by which team profile each one suits. Not the venues retreat platforms push hardest. The ones I’d recommend to a friend planning their own team’s offsite. I’ve planned trips […]
The packing trick that got me through 3 countries with one carry-on
Packing for a trip doesn’t have to mean overstuffed suitcases or expensive baggage fees. While many travelers focus on rolling versus folding clothes or choosing between packing cubes and compression bags, the real secret is much simpler—it’s all about the order you pack your bag. Once you understand this method, you’ll be surprised how much […]
What 30 years of corporate travel taught me about team trust
Five team-trust insights from 30 years inside corporate travel. What distributed teams need to understand about retreats, recovery, and how trust actually gets built.
Team retreat budget breakdown, real numbers, no marketing fluff
What a team retreat actually costs in 2026, by tier, by line item, plus the hidden costs nobody publishes. Real numbers, no opacity.
The 3 reasons most team retreats fail
Most retreats don’t fail because of agenda or food. They fail for three structural reasons the retreat-planning industry doesn’t publicise. From a corporate-travel veteran.
3 nights in Lisbon, a corporate retreat itinerary that earns its budget
Three group-capable Lisbon hotels with partner-programme perks spelled out, a day-by-day itinerary the team will actually enjoy, a ballpark budget by tier, and the small things that decide whether the retreat lands or wobbles.
Why I’m doubling down on team retreats after 30 years in corporate travel
After planning corporate travel for UPS, The Nature Conservancy, Coca-Cola, and Tyler Perry Studios, I started a retreat-planning practice for distributed teams. Here’s the gap I kept seeing, and what changed.
The eSIM that earned its spot, an honest Airalo review
Airalo reviewed across 14 countries, what works, what doesn’t, the install step that nearly broke me, and whether it actually beats your carrier’s roaming plan.