Travel Smart


I love everything about traveling—planning the trip, choosing accommodations, finding great things to see, budgeting my time and my money, exploring new places, meeting new people, breathing new air. And I especially love sharing advice related to arts-inspired travel–museums, cultural experiences, concerts, galleries, anything artsy!

When you travel, everything is new—the streets and the food, the people and the history.

You learn when you travel and as an artsy traveler you seek out and enjoy the creative output of your fellow humans.

Travel Smart Tips

Check out these Travel Smart posts to get you started–everything from traveling green to driving tips to staying healthy on the road!

Driving in Europe: Top Tips for Happy & Safe Travel

Driving in Europe: Top Tips for Happy & Safe Travel

Are you thinking about renting a car to travel around Europe? If you're accustomed to wide roads, grid patterns, and ...
Smart Ways to Travel Green

Smart Ways to Travel Green

Traveling green is a challenge in these days of high fuel costs and encroaching climate change. Can you enjoy traveling ...
My Best Advice for Joyous Solo Travel

My Best Advice for Joyous Solo Travel

Do you enjoy solo travel? I love traveling on my own and have done so ever since my first solo ...
Carol Cram on the beach looking joyous

Top Ten Ways to Joyously Experience Traveling in Europe

In the aftermath of the pandemic, everyone and their cousin who wants to travel and can travel is heading for ...
Travel to Eat: Happy Dining in Europe

Travel to Eat: Happy Dining in Europe

Make some of your travel adventures gastronomic ones. In Europe, you can definitely eat well, even on a budget, if ...
How to Plan Your European Trip in Nine Easy Steps

How to Plan Your European Trip in Nine Easy Steps

Nine steps? Don’t let the number worry you. Each step in the Europe travel planning process flows naturally into the ...
Carol Cram on a cliff above the Atlatnic ocean in northern Portugal

When is the Best Time to Tour Europe?

Are you trying to figure out the best time of year to tour Europe? You probably already know that summer ...
Green cross representing a pharmacy in Europe

How to Travel and Stay Healthy in Europe

Staying healthy while traveling in Europe requires more vigilance than you exercise at home. You’ll come into contact with thousands ...

Accommodation Guides

Here are posts related specifically to finding great accommodations.

Hotel in Italy

How to Find Awesome Accommodation in Europe

Finding awesome and unique accommodation in Europe takes time and patience, but the rewards are worth it. Your enjoyment of ...
Row of cypress trees in Tuscany in the late afternoon

Stay at Sant’Antonio Country Resort near Spectacular Montepulciano in Tuscany

Every so often when traveling, serendipity rears its delightful head. The plans you've made go awry, but instead of facing ...
Where to Stay in Spain: My Best Picks

Where to Stay in Spain: My Best Picks

I've had great luck finding marvelous places to stay in Spain. Hotel proprietors are friendly, and almost all of them ...
Row os half-timbered houses in Germany. A sign in the corner says "Zimmer Frei" which means "Rooms Free". The picture represents the theme of the post which is accommodation options in Germany.

Where to Stay in Germany: My Best Picks

You'll find accommodations in Germany to be clean and reasonably priced, but not always comfortable. Get used to single duvets ...
Where to Stay in Portugal: My Best Picks

Where to Stay in Portugal: My Best Picks

I don't think we've ever stayed in a bad place in Portugal. Hotels and apartments have been comfortable, reasonably priced, ...
Nyhavn in Copenhagen

Two Highly Recommended Places to Stay in Copenhagen

Finding accommodation in Copenhagen can be challenging if you're on a budget. But if you have extra money to spare ...
Woman sitting on a balcony overlooking an Italian city - example of hotel accommodations in Italy

Recommended Places to Stay in Italy That Will Make Great Memories

I've had great luck finding marvelous places to stay in Italy. Hotel proprietors are friendly, and these days almost all ...
Recommended Places to Stay in France That Will Make You Want to Return

Recommended Places to Stay in France That Will Make You Want to Return

You're in luck when it comes to finding great places to stay in France. In fact, some of our most ...
Ten Charming Hotels in Europe I Recommend

Ten Charming Hotels in Europe I Recommend

Europe is a great place to find charming, family-run hotels. Most are small, boutique-style places that won't break the bank, ...