Journal

Notes From the Road

Planning tips, destination guides and stories from our latest research trips, written by the people who plan your travels.

Traveler with luggage watching planes at sunset from an airport window

Planning tips

October 21, 2026

How to Plan Your First Big Trip Abroad

A simple, step-by-step plan for your first long trip overseas, from choosing where to go and setting a budget to what to do in the week before you fly out.

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Traveler reading a paper map on a sunny street

Destination guides

October 7, 2026

A Long Weekend in Lisbon

Three days of trams, viewpoints and custard tarts: our favorite way to see Lisbon and Sintra when you only have a long weekend, plus where we like to stay.

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Two backpackers laughing outside an airport terminal

Planning tips

September 23, 2026

What We Pack for Every Trip

The short list our advisors never travel without, from a packable rain jacket to the one cable that charges everything, and what we have stopped packing.

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Camper van on a desert road toward mountains at sunset

Travel stories

September 9, 2026

Five Days on the Road in Utah

A camper van, five national parks and more stars than we have ever seen. Notes from our team's research trip through canyon country, and what we changed.

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Two friends in sun hats laughing on a road trip

Travel stories

August 26, 2026

Traveling With Friends Without Falling Out

Group trips are the best kind of travel, until they aren't. Five simple rules our team swears by for sharing a trip with friends and coming home still friends.

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Plan Your Dream Vacation Today

Tell us where you'd like to go. An advisor will call you back within one business day with ideas and an honest quote.

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