Blog - Travel Planning For Travel

The tools of a well-traveled life — because the best trips start long before you ever leave home

NOBODY TELLS YOU THIS

— but after enough miles, enough countries, and enough trips that went sideways and sideways-in-the-best-way, I feel like I owe you the truth.

I have logged a lot of miles. A lot. And I have many more to come 🤣

And while I wouldn’t trade a single stamp in my passport, there are things I know now that I absolutely did not know in the beginning — things that would have saved me time, stress, and more than a few moments of standing in the wrong place wondering what went sideways.

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May 22, 2026

he heart of Fort Collins, Colorado — where a passion for world travel and local roots meet at Amore Travel Designs

WORLD FROM FORT COLLINS

Everyone knows Paris. Everyone has been to Rome.
And honestly? Everyone is a little tired of fighting the crowds at the Trevi Fountain.
Europe is a continent of jaw-dropping beauty, extraordinary food, and stories that stretch back centuries. But the most memorable experiences? They rarely happen where the tour buses stop.
As a luxury travel advisor, I spend a lot of time steering my clients away from the obvious — and toward the extraordinary. The places that make you catch your breath. The ones you come home raving about, that your friends have never heard of.
Here are five hidden gems that belong on every discerning traveler’s radar this season.

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May 15, 2026

Matera, Italy lit up at dusk, viewed through the opening of an ancient cave — one of Europe's most extraordinary hidden destinations, as featured by Fort Collins luxury travel advisor Cathy at Amore Travel Designs

EUROPE’S EXTRAORDINARY HIDDEN GEMS

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May 2, 2026

Overpacked suitcase bursting with clothes and travel gear — a luxury travel advisor shares smarter packing tips for a European trip with Amore Travel Designs.

PACK SMARTER, TRAVEL BETTER

Packing for a luxury European trip? A Fort Collins luxury travel advisor shares what to bring, what to leave home, and the smart additions that make all the difference. Read the full guide.

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April 24, 2026

Osaka Castle surrounded by cherry blossoms in full bloom with Mount Fuji rising through the clouds in the background — a stunning example of why luxury Japan travel belongs on every serious traveler's bucket list.

JAPAN IS HARDER THAN YOU THINK

Japan has become one of the most talked-about destinations in the world right now. The images are stunning — cherry blossoms over ancient temples, bullet trains cutting through misty mountains, lantern-lit streets in Kyoto’s Gion district. Everything about it looks magical, almost effortless. And that is exactly where most travelers get into trouble.

Japan is one of the most rewarding destinations on earth. It rewards patience, cultural sensitivity, and meticulous planning. What it does not reward is winging it. The gap between a good Japan trip and a truly extraordinary one isn’t budget or luck — it’s preparation and local knowledge, the kind that takes years to build.

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April 17, 2026

Fort Collins-based luxury travel advisor and husband in Dubrovnik selfie museum, pink wigs, yellow frames, with a giraffe prop and blue-toned wall behind them.

CROATIA BY LUXURY YACHT

There’s something very different about seeing Europe from a river.

You don’t arrive in a city the way you do by plane or train. Instead, you slowly drift into town early in the morning while the city is just waking up. Church bells ring somewhere in the distance, cafés are setting up their outdoor tables, and the river is usually calm and quiet.

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April 10, 2026

Dining area and crew onboard a European river cruise ship showing the onboard experience and service

RIVER CRUISE INSIGHTS

There’s something very different about seeing Europe from a river.

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April 3, 2026

Safari guides setting up sundowner drinks beside a game vehicle in South Africa’s Sabi Sand Game Reserve during a luxury African safari experience.

SAFARI MORNING MAGIC

There’s a soft knock on the door…

It’s still dark outside, the air is cool, and the lodge is quiet except for the distant sounds of the bush beginning to wake up. I pull on a sweater and walk toward the main lodge where a small group of guests gathers for a quick coffee and a pastry before heading out. It’s a strange mix of sleepy and excited. You know you’re about to head into the wild, and anything could happen.

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March 27, 2026

Cathy Rowland standing next to an emu at Cleland Wildlife Park in the Adelaide Hills during a South Australia wildlife visit.

INTO WILD AUSTRALIA

Australia is one of those destinations that feels wild in the best possible way.
I visited in September 2024 — on a familiarization trip with fellow travel advisors, specifically designed to experience the destination firsthand before recommending it to clients. It’s how I vet the places I send people, and South Australia made an impression that was difficult to leave.

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March 20, 2026

Cathy Rowland of Amore Travel Designs and her husband visiting Torre a Cona wine estate in the Tuscan countryside near Florence during a Tuscany travel experience.

MOMENTS IN TUSCANY

Morning in the Tuscan countryside begins very differently from the cities.

The light is soft over the hills, the air carries that earthy scent of vineyards and olive trees, and the only sounds are birds and the occasional tractor somewhere in the distance. Instead of crowds gathering for early museum entries or tour groups filling hotel lobbies, the day unfolds slowly here.

I remember stepping outside one morning at Torre a Cona, a historic wine estate about twenty minutes outside of Florence. Torre a Cona has been producing wine on this land since the 15th century — it’s the kind of place that genuinely earns the word “historic,” not just uses it as marketing. Coffee in hand, I looked out across rows of vineyards rolling down the hillside toward olive groves and tall cypress trees.

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March 13, 2026