Twice The Traveler
In our monthly newsletter, you'll find travel tips and updates to travel regulations that we have researched so you don’t have to. We also include restaurant and experience recommendations every time we travel; most of our content is on Europe and the UK.
Do European Airlines Really Make You Pay for Carry-on Luggage?
October 2026 What To Expect With Budget European Airlines Ciao Reader, We hope you are enjoying the start of fall. September went by so fast; we’ve been working hard to update our blog. We have been planning trips for some lovely clients. Excited to help a couple take their first trip to Italy, and another couple finally make it to the tulip fields in Holland. We have a family that is taking a multi-city trip in Spain to visit their son who is studying abroad there. Lots of fun trips!...
What do wine, pistachios, olive oil and a volcano all have in common?
September 2026 Wine Tasting Tour In Sicily and Updates To Our Florence, Italy Guides Ciao Reader, This summer in Italy has been especially hot and humid; we keep thinking there is an end in sight and then the forecast changes. We’ve mostly been staying home to avoid the heat and working on our blog; more on what’s new to the blog later in this newsletter. We’re excited to tell you about an amazing new wine and gastronomy tour through Sicily. If you’ve been to Italy before but haven’t made it...
The worst part of travel that we all ignore when we plan a trip
August 2026 Vera Lake, Alaska The science behind jet lag and how to recover from it Ciao Reader, We’ve returned home from a trip to the land of the midnight sun- that’s right - Alaska! We spent almost 5 weeks in Alaska, visiting with family and soaking up the mild weather (and our Mom's amazing cooking). Every summer we try to spend some time in a region with cooler temperatures and escape the heat and humidity of Italy - this was a smart move this year, and we managed to miss most of the...
Know what to expect when you book hotels in Europe
July 2026 Managing heat & navigating hotel bookings in Europe. Ciao Reader, Over the past month, we’ve taken the time to escape the Italian heat and cool off in Alaska. It’s been an opportunity to spend much-needed time with family. We celebrated our mother's 65th birthday with our entire family (almost everyone) on a beautiful lake. Since our whole family was together, we were able to complete the spreading of our grandmother's and great-grandmother's ashes in a peaceful spot along a river....
Tips For Visiting The Tulip Fields In Holland, And More Italy Travel Tips/News
June 2026 Tulips in Holland, Coastal Carrara, Italy, and the reserved ticket process on Trenitalia just got easier. Ciao Reader, We have been busy girls between planning client trips, a little bit of our own travel, catching up on doctors' appointments, and more. In April and May, we planned client trips to the Amalfi Coast of (Italy), Lisbon (Portugal), Paris (France), London (England), Split & Dubrovnik (Croatia), Kotor (Montenegro), and Costa Brava (Spain). We had a great, although short,...
Why you should stop tipping so much in Italy & long waits at European airports
May 2026 Duomo in Lucca, Italy Stop tipping so much in Italy & some reminders about entry requirements & processes in the EU/UK Ciao Reader, Spring is in full swing, and travel season is upon us. If you’re traveling this year, we want to tell you about tipping in Italy, when you should, and why you shouldn’t in some cases. We’ve also got some reminders for anyone coming to Europe or the UK. Round-up of our latest Lucca Recommendations This is a short list because we've mostly been at home...
How To Get Flights And Hotels For Nothing
April 2026 Stock photo by Dave Garcia Getting Trips Paid For With Points & Why You Should Get Travel Insurance Ciao Reader, We’ve been busy updating blog posts on our website and planning some fun trips for our clients. As in years past, Rome is still really popular, but we’ve also got fun beach trips and outdoor experiences we're planning in places like Croatia, Spain, and Norway. Whenever we plan a trip, we discover topics that many travelers are either unaware of or don’t have all the...
Playing It Safe & Smart When You Travel, And New Recommendations For Florence
March 2026 A different view of Florence, Italy Playing It Safe & Smart When You Travel, And New Recommendations For Florence Ciao Reader, The Twin Spin: Florence, Italy We’ve been to Florence so many times that we’ve lost track, but we uncover something new every time we go. Florence is always a great idea, no matter how many times you’ve been! In February, we decided to treat ourselves to a couple of nights in our favorite city, instead of our usual day trip. While we were in Florence, we...
Thinking about travel in 2026, but want to avoid the same place EVERYONE else is going? Read this.
February 2026 Top 2026 Travel Destinations and Alternative Locations Ciao Reader, 2026 Has Already Been So Busy! 2026 is off to a busy start. We’re getting back to the grind; it’s been full of work. But it’s fun! We’ve already begun planning trips for clients; some are in the next month or so, and others are in the fall. Additionally, we are working to launch a new website that will be dedicated to our custom travel planning services, keeping our current website focused on travel tips and...
FOMO about European Christmas Markets This Season? Read This!
January 2026 European Christmas Market Guide (don’t have FOMO next year), Real IDs, and Updated Tips Ciao Reader, We stayed home (in Lucca) for the 2025 Holidays. Here are our experiences and some things to think about if you are considering an Italian Christmas next year. Having lived in Italy for 3.5 years now, we knew that we needed to plan ahead if we were staying home for the holidays. We know that there will be events and traditions not to miss, but we also know there will be holiday...
In our monthly newsletter, you'll find travel tips and updates to travel regulations that we have researched so you don’t have to. We also include restaurant and experience recommendations every time we travel; most of our content is on Europe and the UK.