Month: August 2026

SKIP THE CROWDS ENTIRELY

by
A travel planning notebook with a view of the Eiffel Tower — first-time Europe travel questions answered by Fort Collins travel advisor Cathy at Amore Travel Designs

Everyone wants to travel in July. School is out, the weather feels safe, and summer has always been the obvious choice.
It is also, quietly, the worst time to visit most of Europe’s best-known destinations.
Shoulder season sits in the gap between peak summer and the off season, roughly April through early June and September through October. It is the window my most seasoned travelers request again and again, and once you understand why, you will probably ask for it too.

WHAT HAPPENS BEHIND SCENES

by
Behind every unforgettable trip is hours of thought, care, and planning — a look inside the real work that goes into every Amore Travel Designs itinerary

Clients see the finished product. The itinerary document, the confirmed reservations, the trip that unfolds exactly as planned.
What they do not see is everything that happens before that document ever reaches their inbox. So today, I am pulling back the curtain on my actual process, from the first email to the moment you land.

QUESTIONS I HEAR MOST

by
A travel planning notebook with a view of the Eiffel Tower — first-time Europe travel questions answered by Fort Collins travel advisor Cathy at Amore Travel Designs

Sarah reached out with a simple message. She and her husband wanted to celebrate their anniversary in Italy, but they had never traveled internationally together and had no idea where to start.
Over the next several months, Sarah asked me almost every question I hear on a regular basis. Her trip ended up being a two week journey through Rome, Florence, and the Amalfi Coast, and by the end, she told me she could not imagine having planned it alone.

THE REAL NINETEENTH HOLE

by
St. Andrews golf course and historic hotel in Scotland—luxury travel expertly curated by Fort Collins travel advisor Cathy Rowland of Amore Travel Designs.

A great golf trip is not just about the course. It is about the tee time that does not feel rushed, the caddie who knows the greens better than the yardage book, and the dinner reservation waiting after the round. I have planned golf trips to Scotland, Ireland, and some of the finest resorts in the US, and the best ones always have one thing in common. Every detail outside the golf was handled just as carefully as the golf itself.