Planning Guides

City and vacation planning guides for our favorite places around the world, including Japan (Kyoto, Tokyo, Osaka), California (Los Angeles, Laguna Beach), and many more!

2023 Universal Studios Japan Guide & Tips

This 2023 guide to Universal Studios Japan offers tips & tricks for visiting Osaka’s popular theme park, which is home to Super Nintendo World, Harry Potter, Jaws, and more! This includes USJ strategy & info about where to eat, what to do, how to avoid crowds, minimize wait times, and more! (Updated February 15, 2023.) Universal […]

Ultimate 2023 Paris, France City Guide

Our 2023 Paris travel guide offers info for making the most of your vacation, including things to do, transportation tips, hotel recommendations, where to eat, and more. It also covers how to efficiently see the city–where to stay and step-by-step itineraries. (Updated January 14, 2023.) Paris is a world capital of culture: everything from art to food […]

Ultimate 2023 Los Angeles City Guide

Our 2023 Los Angeles, California planning guide offers visit tips, including top things to do, best places to eat in L.A., hotel advice, and how to transportation hacks for SoCal’s notorious traffic. LA is one of our favorite cities in the world, and we’ll help you experience the touristy highlights and hidden gems. (Updated January […]

Ultimate 2023 Kyoto, Japan Planning Guide

Our 2023 Kyoto, Japan planning guide offers tips & tricks, recommendations for hotels and other accommodations, best temples & shrines, transportation hacks, where to eat, crowd info, what it’s like to visit post-reopening, why we love the city, and more. (Updated January 8, 2023.) For the first time in a long time, it’s now possible that […]

Ultimate 2023 Tokyo, Japan City Guide

Our 2023 Tokyo travel guide offers info & tips, things to do, transportation info, where to eat, best hotels, avoiding crowds, itineraries for the city, and more. Whether you’re visiting for cherry blossom, fall colors, or in between, we’ve got you covered. (Updated January 8, 2023.) It’s now possible that some of you reading this are […]

2023 Japan Fall Colors Forecast & Autumn Foliage Viewing Guide

Our fall colors forecast for Japan offers peak viewing info & tips for popular autumn foliage spots, including Kyoto, Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Miyajima, Hiroshima, Himeji, and Nara. We’ll also share strategy for visiting the best temples, shrines, and evening illuminations. Autumn is one of the most stunning times of the year in Japan, and one […]

2023 Laguna Beach, California Planning Guide

Laguna Beach is the perfect relaxing vacation destination in Southern California, and this planning guide offers tips for visiting, things to do in 2023, hotel & restaurant recommendations, and what to know before your trip to Orange County. We love Laguna Beach. It’s our favorite of the beach cities, and one of our favorite spots […]

Pacific Coast Highway Guide: California Road Trip Tips

I love road trips, and my favorite in the entire United States is the stretch of Pacific Coast Highway between Southern and Northern California. This guide will help you plan the perfect ocean-side vacation along PCH, with a multi-day itinerary, tips for where to stay, what to do, dining, and more! Formally known as California […]

French Riviera Planning Guide

The French Riviera, or Côte d’Azur, is one of Europe’s most popular travel destinations thanks to its sunny weather and resort atmosphere. In this planning guide, we’ll offer vacation tips & tricks, things to do, when to visit, and which cities in Southern France are worth day trips. The French Riviera stretches along the coast from […]

Shanghai, China Trip Planning Guide

This Shanghai city guide provides trip planning tips including the best things to do, where & in which hotels to stay, transportation info, and more about China’s largest and most modern metropolis. As the photo above illustrates, Shanghai is a breathtakingly cool and futuristic place, and we’ll try to help you plan for a visit! […]