Advisors' Notes & Travel Guides
What we've seen, where we've been, and what we learned that didn't make it into the brochure.
Seventeen years of client conversations have taught us which questions come up every time — and which answers actually help. These guides are the short version.
Bowing, tipping, shrines, toilets, dining customs, and a few things that will make you look less like a tourist. What to know before you arrive and what you'll figure out in the first day anyway.
Read the Guide →The JR Rail Pass, the PASMO card, navigating multi-level stations, Shinkansen reservations, the Nozomi warning, train etiquette, and taxis. Everything you need to move through the country with confidence.
Read the Guide →Short answer: yes. Longer answer involves the application process, the interview, and why you should do this before your next international trip.
Read the Full TipJanet handles trip insurance for a reason — it is complicated, the policies vary enormously, and the moment you need it is not the moment to figure out whether you have the right one.
Read the Full TipYou bought the insurance. Something went wrong. Now what? A practical walkthrough of the claims process — what to document, what to save, and what to say.
Read the Full TipNot a guide to private jets. A guide to moving through airports — check-in, security, lounges, connections — with the minimum friction and the maximum dignity.
Read the Full TipEvery winter the norovirus headlines arrive. Cruise ships get the coverage because they're required to report. Here's what the stories don't mention — and what actually keeps you from getting sick.
Read the Full TipAurora hunting is part science, part weather, and part luck. This is what we learned from two trips to Arctic Norway — what worked, what didn't, and what the apps get wrong.
Read the Full TipCruise ship tipping is its own ecosystem. Onshore tipping varies by country in ways that can embarrass you if you're unprepared. Here is what we have learned.
Read the Full TipVirgin has its own language — Sailors, Rockstars, The Brig — and its own culture. Knowing the vocabulary before you board makes the whole experience land differently.
Read the Full TipWhat happens when a hurricane, a conflict, or a health event changes your trip. Your options depend on your insurance, your cruise line, and how early you call us.
Read the Full TipThere is no magic cure. There are, however, strategies that work better than others — and they start before you board the plane.
Read the Full TipThe logistics of group travel are not complicated — they are just numerous. Here is how we approach it, and what every group organizer needs to know before the first deposit.
Read the Full TipThe travel industry's definition of "bargain" and yours are not always the same thing. A guide to reading a deal — what the price includes, what it doesn't, and when cheap is actually expensive.
Read the Full TipFor the longer stories — the meals, the detours, the things that went sideways in the best possible way — Jeff writes Well Traveled, Well Fed on Substack. Travel and food, because they have always had a lot in common.
Read the BlogTell us where you want to go. We'll help you figure out how to get there.
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