The Blog
Like the way we think about travel?
This is where we work it out: routes and rhythms, the ethics of a cheap flight, the right way to miss a train. If it lands, Mise en Place is the same voice once a month, and the My Life in Burgundy waitlist is open.
Browse our articles…
Trains Are Romantic. Missing One Is Not.
(6 minute read)
European train travel is magical until you're sprinting across a marble concourse with no idea which platform is yours. From sneaky validation rules to seat reservations you didn't know you needed, here's the practical guide to getting it right the first time.
Check In, Give Back: Fairbnb.coop
(5 minute read)
Imagine a booking platform where part of your fee funds the neighborhood you are visiting, at checkout. This look at Fairbnb.coop explains its co-op model, the 50% give-back to local projects, how to use it wisely, and the limits you still need to respect.
Two-Base Europe Trips: Fewer Hotel Moves, Better Vacations
(5 minute read)
Stop paying the “move tax.” For a 9–12 day Europe trip, two home bases often beat five rushed stops: less packing, fewer transfers, and more energy for mornings and nights that matter. Get a simple checklist, sample rhythms, and plug-and-play city pair templates.
Open-Jaw Flights: Add a City and Skip the Backtrack Day
(6 minute read)
Stop wasting a whole day reversing your route. Open-jaw flights let you arrive in one city and depart from another, so your itinerary flows forward. Learn when they are cheaper than round-trip, how to search and book, and which Europe loops become effortless overnight.
The State of the Trip: 2025 Edition
(5 minute read)
Tripologiste’s 2025 debrief turns a year of toilets, ethics, and pastries into a practical manifesto: the best Europe trips are well sequenced, paced for your nervous system, and funded with intention. Get the lessons, the 2026 travel checklist, and the “leave room for one beautiful mistake” rule.
How Far in Advance to Book Europe: Flights, Trains, Hotels & Activities
(7 minute read)
Booking Europe is less about rules and more about sequence. This guide shows the “hard things first” cadence, when to lock flights and bases, when trains and timed entries drop, and a copy-paste countdown that keeps room for strikes, heat, and spontaneity.
Trip Planner vs. Travel Agent—And When to Use Each
(5 minute read)
Confused about trip planners versus travel agents? This guide breaks down who designs the strategy, who books the inventory, and why incentives matter. Learn when a flat-fee planner is best for multi-city Europe, when an agent shines, and how to combine both.
10 Rookie Travel Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them Like a Pro)
(6 minute read)
Even seasoned travelers make rookie mistakes. This list catches the common ones before they cost you time, money, or sanity, from overpacking and tight connections to bad SIM plans, restaurant traps, and ignoring local rules. Steal these simple fixes and travel like you have done it forever.
When to Go Where: A Month-by-Month Guide to Europe
(3 minute read)
Europe rewards timing. This month-by-month guide matches destinations to the best weather, crowd levels, and seasonal events, so you can chase shoulder-season bargains, summer coastlines, autumn harvests, and winter markets with confidence. Choose where to go based on the calendar, not clichés.
How to Actually Read a Review
(6 minute read)
The reviews said the hike was easy. It nearly cooked us. A working method from two people who plan trips for a living: why a 4.9 can be worthless, why a two-star can be a compliment, and where reviews stop working entirely.
Call Them. They Speak English.
(6 minute read)
Find it on the app, then leave the app. Google the hotel, book on their own site, or call them, because they speak English and it is a two-minute conversation. What we put clients in instead of Airbnb, why we still sometimes end up in an Ibis, and the one platform we are still watching.
Why We Broke Up With Airbnb
(7 minute read)
A flat in London with no kitchen, a client we moved out of a beautiful beach apartment in Marseille, and the reason neither story is really the point. Why two travel planners in France route around Airbnb on principle, why abstinence isn't the argument, and where we send people instead.