Global Travel Planning

If your Antarctica cruise calls at the Falkland Islands, this episode is for you. Seventh-generation Falkland Islander Roxy King-Clark of Lupin Tours joins Tracy to share how to make the most of your time there, whether you're stopping for a day on a cruise or flying in.

- Where the Falklands are and what British Overseas Territory status means
- Growing up in Stanley as a seventh-generation Falkland Islander
- How Lupin Tours began, and when the cruise season gets busy
- Getting there by cruise ship, or flying in from the UK or Chile
- How to spend one day in port, from Ross Road to the Historic Dockyard Museum
- Why Volunteer Point king penguin trips can book up a year or more ahead
- Getting around by taxi, hire car or tour, and why most penguin sites are on private land
- What to pack for four seasons in one day
- Wildlife beyond penguins, including elephant seals and the flightless steamer duck
- Where to eat and drink in Stanley, from local gin to Falklands squid
- Roxy's postcards from the Falklands, now sent to more than 40 countries

Links to everything we talked about, including Lupin Tours, Roxy's social channels, and where to order a postcard, are in this week's show notes - Episode 107.

If you're planning a trip of your own, start with our free Global Trip Planner. 

We'd love to hear from you, so leave us a message on the episode page or a review, and please share this episode with a fellow travel lover.

Plan your next trip step by step with our free Global Trip Planner - download it here.

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🗺️ Free Global Trip Planner
Planning a trip of your own? Grab our free Global Trip Planner, a five-step workbook with the checklists, timelines and itinerary templates Doug and I use for our own trips.

🎤 Leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe

☕ Enjoying the show? Support us from $3 a month and get a shoutout on air: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2252461/support

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Disclaimer: Some outbound links financially benefit the podcast through affiliate programs. Using our links is a small way to support the show at no additional cost. I only endorse products, programs, and services I use and would recommend to close friends and family. 

We map out our full 19-day Vietnam itinerary, from Hanoi to Da Nang, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City, including the tours we rate and the hotels we would happily book again. We also share the tough bits, from a Ha Long Bay trip that went wrong to a hospital visit that proved why flexibility and travel insurance matter.

- Our 19-day route across four stops, and why it works well with Cambodia
- Why a pre-booked airport transfer is worth it when you arrive tired or unwell
- Where we stayed in Hanoi, and what the Old Quarter is like day to day
- The army jeep tour, Train Street and the water puppet show
- Hanoi food tour tips, including how to order without coriander
- Ha Long Bay: what we would do differently next time
- Inside an international hospital in Hanoi, and how the insurance claim worked
- The Laman Express sleeper train in a private two-berth cabin, and why to book early
- Da Nang as a base city, and why we found it such good value
- Hoi An honestly: what we loved, what we missed and what we would do differently
- Doug's day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta
- Cooking with a Vietnamese family through LikeLocal, and what it showed us about daily life

If you are planning a trip to Vietnam, or you know someone who is, please share this episode with them. We would love to hear which stop you are most looking forward to, so do leave us a message through SpeakPipe, and if you enjoy the show, a review really helps.

📝 Show Notes - Episode 106

Plan your next trip step by step with our free Global Trip Planner - download it here.

Support the show

🗺️ Free Global Trip Planner
Planning a trip of your own? Grab our free Global Trip Planner, a five-step workbook with the checklists, timelines and itinerary templates Doug and I use for our own trips.

🎤 Leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe

☕ Enjoying the show? Support us from $3 a month and get a shoutout on air: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2252461/support

🗺 Global Travel Planning
Website | Instagram | YouTube

🇬🇧UK Travel Planning
📍London Travel Planning

Work With Us - Contact [email protected] for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Disclaimer: Some outbound links financially benefit the podcast through affiliate programs. Using our links is a small way to support the show at no additional cost. I only endorse products, programs, and services I use and would recommend to close friends and family. 

Two and a half hours from Johannesburg, no malaria tablets, no light aircraft, and we still saw all of the Big Five in a day. After three weeks in Cape Town, we headed north for Doug's very first safari, staying at Kwa Maritane Lodge inside Pilanesberg Game Reserve and heading out on private game drives with our guide, Heinrich.

• Why Pilanesberg Works for a First Safari from Johannesburg
• What the Big Five Are and How Pilanesberg Compares with Kruger
• Staying at Kwa Maritane Lodge: Chalets, Spa, Bar and Boma Dinner
• Elephants at the Waterhole and Lions Roaring at Night
• Keeping Doors Shut and Dealing with Cheeky Monkeys
• The Hide, the Tunnel and the Live Camera on Your TV
• What a Private Guide Adds: Tracking, Local Knowledge and Comfort
• Why a Full Day in the Park Pays Off
• Lions on a Kill, an Up-Close Leopard and a Black Rhino
• Guided Drives vs Self-Driving
• Packing for Winter Mornings in Open and Enclosed Vehicles
• Pairing Cape Town with a Game Drive

Show notes, photos, and links are at globaltravelplanning.com/episode105. 

If you'd like to connect with Heinrich, send us a message via SpeakPipe. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and share it with a fellow travel lover planning a trip to South Africa. Episodes 102 and 103 cover our time in Cape Town.

Plan your next trip step by step with our free Global Trip Planner - download it here.

Support the show

🗺️ Free Global Trip Planner
Planning a trip of your own? Grab our free Global Trip Planner, a five-step workbook with the checklists, timelines and itinerary templates Doug and I use for our own trips.

🎤 Leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe

☕ Enjoying the show? Support us from $3 a month and get a shoutout on air: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2252461/support

🗺 Global Travel Planning
Website | Instagram | YouTube

🇬🇧UK Travel Planning
📍London Travel Planning

Work With Us - Contact [email protected] for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Disclaimer: Some outbound links financially benefit the podcast through affiliate programs. Using our links is a small way to support the show at no additional cost. I only endorse products, programs, and services I use and would recommend to close friends and family. 

Adventure gets sold to us as faster, harder, higher. In this week's Tracy chats with Lynne Nieman, founder of Wander Your Way and Wander Your Way Adventures, about soft adventure travel in Europe and why gentle can be the most memorable way to explore.

• What soft adventure means and what it avoids
• Why Europe's countryside and small towns make travel feel more connected
• Simple ways to add a short walk to a city-based itinerary
• Using local tourism boards and information centres to find easy routes
• AllTrails and helpful keywords such as family walks and discovery walks
• Soft adventure spots that surprise people, from England's footpaths to accessible Dolomites trails
• What to carry for gentle walks, including water, rain jacket, phone, map photo and charger
• How small group tours reduce planning stress and add local guiding, meals and logistics
• Lynne's Hadrian's Wall walking tour coming in 2027

If you're planning a trip to Europe and have a question, leave us a voice message through SpeakPipe. And if you know someone who would love a gentler kind of adventure, please share this episode with them.

Show notes - Episode 104

Plan your next trip step by step with our free Global Trip Planner - download it here.

Support the show

🗺️ Free Global Trip Planner
Planning a trip of your own? Grab our free Global Trip Planner, a five-step workbook with the checklists, timelines and itinerary templates Doug and I use for our own trips.

🎤 Leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe

☕ Enjoying the show? Support us from $3 a month and get a shoutout on air: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2252461/support

🗺 Global Travel Planning
Website | Instagram | YouTube

🇬🇧UK Travel Planning
📍London Travel Planning

Work With Us - Contact [email protected] for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Disclaimer: Some outbound links financially benefit the podcast through affiliate programs. Using our links is a small way to support the show at no additional cost. I only endorse products, programs, and services I use and would recommend to close friends and family. 

Winter might not be the obvious time to visit Cape Town, but after three weeks there we would happily do it all again. Cape Town in winter turns out to be quieter, cheaper and far more enjoyable than we had envisaged, so in this episode we share the practical details that made our stay smooth, from where we based ourselves to how we handled transport, tipping and staying connected.

In this episode:

- Why we chose winter for Cape Town and what the weather is really like
- How to time Table Mountain to avoid closures and queues
- Where we stayed near the V&A Waterfront and why an apartment works for longer trips
- Getting around with Uber, including pick-up points and basic safety checks
- Tipping culture, when you still need cash and how restaurant tipping works
- Everyday surprises like car guards, full service petrol stations and supermarket bag packers
- Simple safety habits for phones, jewellery and walking after dark
- What to pack for winter, including layers, comfortable shoes and spare suitcase space
- What we ate and loved, from bobotie to market samosas to malva pudding
- Where to shop for colourful souvenirs and how to haggle politely
- Winter extras like whale season and planning for early sunsets
- eSIMs, Wi-Fi and why we keep a VPN on while travelling

We would love to hear about your own Cape Town plans, so leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe

Show notes - globaltravelplanning.com/episode-103

If you enjoy the show, a rating or review helps other travellers find us, and do share this episode with anyone planning a trip to South Africa.

Plan your next trip step by step with our free Global Trip Planner - download it here.

Support the show

🗺️ Free Global Trip Planner
Planning a trip of your own? Grab our free Global Trip Planner, a five-step workbook with the checklists, timelines and itinerary templates Doug and I use for our own trips.

🎤 Leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe

☕ Enjoying the show? Support us from $3 a month and get a shoutout on air: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2252461/support

🗺 Global Travel Planning
Website | Instagram | YouTube

🇬🇧UK Travel Planning
📍London Travel Planning

Work With Us - Contact [email protected] for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Disclaimer: Some outbound links financially benefit the podcast through affiliate programs. Using our links is a small way to support the show at no additional cost. I only endorse products, programs, and services I use and would recommend to close friends and family. 

We share the Cape Town highlights from our three week winter stay, from Table Mountain and the V&A Waterfront to day trips for penguins, history and wine. We also talk honestly about what surprised us, what we skipped, and how to plan around weather, tours and travel comfort.

The tablecloth cloud and winter wind can change everything fast, so we explain how we handled tickets, when to go, and how to stay flexible. Kirstenbosch saved us a day when the mountain was blocked, and Bo-Kaap turned out to be Doug's favourite thing we did.

In this episode:

• Choosing a three week base in Green Point while we work and explore
• Using the V&A Waterfront as a hub for food, views and tour pick ups
• Getting Table Mountain right by watching cloud and wind, and going the moment it is clear
• Swapping plans to Kirstenbosch for a full garden day, baboons included
• Taking the Robben Island tour for the history, and preparing for seasickness
• Doing Bo-Kaap properly with a guided walk plus a Cape Malay cooking class
• Cape Point and Boulders Beach for penguins, wildlife and sunset views
• Weighing up car hire versus Uber and tours for getting around
• A Winelands tasting day across Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek
• Finishing with afternoon tea at the Mount Nelson

Remember, if you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving us a review on your favourite podcast app because your feedback helps us reach more travel enthusiasts just like you.

Show notes - globaltravelplanning.com/episode-102

Plan your next trip step by step with our free Global Trip Planner - download it here.

Support the show

🗺️ Free Global Trip Planner
Planning a trip of your own? Grab our free Global Trip Planner, a five-step workbook with the checklists, timelines and itinerary templates Doug and I use for our own trips.

🎤 Leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe

☕ Enjoying the show? Support us from $3 a month and get a shoutout on air: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2252461/support

🗺 Global Travel Planning
Website | Instagram | YouTube

🇬🇧UK Travel Planning
📍London Travel Planning

Work With Us - Contact [email protected] for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Disclaimer: Some outbound links financially benefit the podcast through affiliate programs. Using our links is a small way to support the show at no additional cost. I only endorse products, programs, and services I use and would recommend to close friends and family. 

We talk with Paris-based wine expert Elisa about how to plan a French wine trip that fits your taste, your budget, and your travel style, whether you are wine-curious or a long-time collector. We share practical ways to choose regions, book tastings, and build a full vineyard experience that goes beyond the bottle. 

• France as a top wine travel destination thanks to wine, food, landscapes and culture 
• quick guide to Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne differences 
• how Elisa matches a region to your preferred styles and grape varieties 
• best wine region day trip from Paris with Champagne and Épernay ideas 
• lesser-known regions to add authenticity with Jurançon and Madiran 
• crowd-free alternatives near Bordeaux with Bergerac and Monbazillac 
• why you should book winery visits in advance and how far ahead 
• tasting basics for beginners and why English is usually available 
• tasting costs from free to premium and when buying is expected 
• getting around safely with tours, private drivers and Loire à Vélo cycling 
• how to bring bottles home with shipping and suitcase packing tips 
• when to visit, what harvest season is really like and festival planning 
• common planning mistakes with research, logistics and wine style expectations 

⭐️ Guest - Elisa from  France Bucket List - Wine Travel Planning
📝  Full links and photos are in the show notes at globaltravelplanning.com/episode-101

If you know someone who is planning a trip to France or who simply loves a good glass of wine, do share this episode with them. 

And if you enjoy the podcast, a review really does help other travellers find us. 

Plan your next trip step by step with our free Global Trip Planner - download it here.

Support the show

🗺️ Free Global Trip Planner
Planning a trip of your own? Grab our free Global Trip Planner, a five-step workbook with the checklists, timelines and itinerary templates Doug and I use for our own trips.

🎤 Leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe

☕ Enjoying the show? Support us from $3 a month and get a shoutout on air: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2252461/support

🗺 Global Travel Planning
Website | Instagram | YouTube

🇬🇧UK Travel Planning
📍London Travel Planning

Work With Us - Contact [email protected] for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Disclaimer: Some outbound links financially benefit the podcast through affiliate programs. Using our links is a small way to support the show at no additional cost. I only endorse products, programs, and services I use and would recommend to close friends and family. 

Nine months on the road with a five-month-old baby and a twelve-year-old chihuahua is ambitious. Doing it after your carefully planned French long-stay visa is rejected two days before the flight is something else entirely.

In this week's episode, Tracy is joined by travel writer Riana Ang-Canning of Teaspoon of Adventure, freshly home in Vancouver after a slow travel adventure that took her family from Toronto to the Loire Valley, through London and Brighton, and on to Málaga for a first birthday in Spain. It is an honest, practical look at what long-term family travel really looks like day to day.

In this episode:

• Riana's travel background and why long-term travel keeps calling her back
• Deciding to travel during parental leave, older rescue dog included
• Building a base-style route across Toronto, the Loire Valley, London, Brighton and Málaga
• Working around a last-minute French visa rejection and the Schengen 90 day limit
• The packing and logistics of nine months with a baby and a dog
• How slow travel routines make a new place feel like home quickly
• Finding baby-friendly and dog-friendly Airbnbs, and the hard lesson about stairs
• Dividing the jobs on travel days to keep the stress down
• What went wrong with the road trip and the electric hire car
• Budget tips that genuinely help, including 28 day discounts and cooking at home
• Letting go of the pressure to see everything and leaning into local life
• What is next for the family, and where to follow Riana online

⭐️ Guest - Riana from teaspoonofadventure.com
📝  Full links and photos are in the show notes at globaltravelplanning.com/episode-100

If you enjoyed this milestone episode, we would love a quick review on your favourite podcast app, and you can leave us a voice message on SpeakPipe.

Plan your next trip step by step with our free Global Trip Planner - download it here.

Support the show

🗺️ Free Global Trip Planner
Planning a trip of your own? Grab our free Global Trip Planner, a five-step workbook with the checklists, timelines and itinerary templates Doug and I use for our own trips.

🎤 Leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe

☕ Enjoying the show? Support us from $3 a month and get a shoutout on air: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2252461/support

🗺 Global Travel Planning
Website | Instagram | YouTube

🇬🇧UK Travel Planning
📍London Travel Planning

Work With Us - Contact [email protected] for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Disclaimer: Some outbound links financially benefit the podcast through affiliate programs. Using our links is a small way to support the show at no additional cost. I only endorse products, programs, and services I use and would recommend to close friends and family. 

After more than 20 years and close to 50 countries together, Doug and I share the actual routine we follow before every international trip. Not a generic list, just the 10 things that keep us organised, connected and confident.

• Booking your airport transfer in advance
• eSIMs and VPNs, sorted before you leave home
• The apps we download before we fly
• Travel insurance and why it matters more than you think
• Visas and entry requirements without the overpriced sites
• Wise cards, cash and your currency strategy
• Cultural etiquette and a few useful words
• Staying scam aware and choosing the right bag
• Checking the weather and packing in layers
• What to book in advance, and what to leave free

If you enjoy the episode, please share it with anyone planning a trip abroad and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app. 

Grab our free Global Trip Planner at globaltravelplanning.com/tripplanner to start planning your own.

Full links and show notes at globaltravelplanning.com/episode-99.

Plan your next trip step by step with our free Global Trip Planner - download it here.

Support the show

🗺️ Free Global Trip Planner
Planning a trip of your own? Grab our free Global Trip Planner, a five-step workbook with the checklists, timelines and itinerary templates Doug and I use for our own trips.

🎤 Leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe

☕ Enjoying the show? Support us from $3 a month and get a shoutout on air: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2252461/support

🗺 Global Travel Planning
Website | Instagram | YouTube

🇬🇧UK Travel Planning
📍London Travel Planning

Work With Us - Contact [email protected] for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Disclaimer: Some outbound links financially benefit the podcast through affiliate programs. Using our links is a small way to support the show at no additional cost. I only endorse products, programs, and services I use and would recommend to close friends and family. 

AI can generate an itinerary in seconds. What it cannot do is sit with your story, hear what a place means to you, or notice the detail that changes everything. That is what this conversation is about.

Tracy and Cate from My Germany Vacation explore why the most unforgettable trips are built on personal meaning, not perfect lists, covering:

• Cate's 2019 Germany road trip with Aaron and why sharing meaningful places made it extraordinary
• Travel as time travel, and what happens when your destination includes your own history
• Where AI travel planning falls short and what human expertise actually gives you
• The £500 design meeting story and why expert input pays for itself
• What Cate offers for Germany travel and what Tracy and Doug offer for UK travel: custom itineraries, consults, video reviews and more

Planning a trip to the UK? Visit uktravelplanning.com for resources, podcast episodes, and to book a consult with Tracy and Doug.

Planning a trip to Germany? Visit mygermanyvacation.com to explore Cate and Aaron's services.

Full links and show notes at globaltravelplanning.com/episode-98.

Get in touch via the Speakpipe link in the show notes, and if you enjoyed the episode, a review on your favourite podcast app helps more travellers find the show.

Plan your next trip step by step with our free Global Trip Planner - download it here.

Support the show

🗺️ Free Global Trip Planner
Planning a trip of your own? Grab our free Global Trip Planner, a five-step workbook with the checklists, timelines and itinerary templates Doug and I use for our own trips.

🎤 Leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe

☕ Enjoying the show? Support us from $3 a month and get a shoutout on air: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2252461/support

🗺 Global Travel Planning
Website | Instagram | YouTube

🇬🇧UK Travel Planning
📍London Travel Planning

Work With Us - Contact [email protected] for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Disclaimer: Some outbound links financially benefit the podcast through affiliate programs. Using our links is a small way to support the show at no additional cost. I only endorse products, programs, and services I use and would recommend to close friends and family.