We just finished applying for the UK's new Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). Starting this year, anyone traveling to the UK from the United States (or many other countries) needs to get one of these before entering the UK. It allows you to stay in the UK for up to six consecutive months, and is good for two years. It costs 10 GBP, which today was equal to $13.11. 

To apply for an ETA, head to 
apply-for-an-eta.homeoffice.gov.uk/apply/electronic-travel-authorisation/easier-on-the-app  

They really want you to use their app, rather than do it through your browser, but both methods work quite easily. (I tried both, since Adam and I both needed an ETA). To apply, you'll need your passport handy—make sure it's the passport you'll be using to enter the UK. If you're going to get a new passport before you travel, wait to fill this out until after you've received it. You'll also need a recent picture of yourself from the shoulders up, with a white background—but not the picture used in your passport. You could also just take a selfie within the process. 

The application didn't take me more than 10 minutes to fill out. You'll start by entering your email address, then you'll upload a photo of your passport, and the application will scan it and pull the info out for you to double-check. You'll get a scan of your face to make sure you're the person in the photo, then enter your phone number, address, and profession, then answer a few questions (like, for example "have you committed any war crimes?"). You'll then be directed to pay the fee.

Once the fee is paid, you'll get an email with a confirmation that your application is in process. It will say it could take up to 3 business days, and occasionally will take longer. It gives you a date to contact them, if you haven't heard back. 

We then got our approval email... about two minutes later. So, definitely within the three-day limit. :-) 

The good news is you don't have to do anything with this email, like print it or show it when arriving in the UK. Your passport info will be saved in their system, so as long as you are using the same passport to enter the country that you used in your application, you won't have to do anything else. (I'd still save the email, though, rather than deleting it.)

That's it! Pretty easy! Your ETA will be good for two years.

One more note: If you google "UK ETA" you'll get the official site, but you'll also get several other sites, which might be out-and-out scams, or might be services that charge you money to do it for you. Make sure you are on the official site (an easy check: make sure it's a gov.uk domain).

Now, about the ETIAS, which is the EU's version of this. Though it was originally supposed to be rolled out in early 2025, that has been pushed back to fall 2025 at the earliest. We'll keep an eye on the process and will notify any clients of ours traveling to the EU when it is launched. It will be a very similar process to the one described above (though slightly less expensive—7 euros—and good for three years instead of two). 

Though this isn't travel-related, it bears sharing here regardless. Archer the greyhound, the hound whose leaps inspired our company name, has passed away at 12.5 years old.

He spent the first three years of his life racing at the last dog track in Florida. When he retired, after a few weeks fostered with a lovely woman named Gail and a nice Rhodesian Ridgeback, he came to our family. Initially anxious, he followed us around, never wanting us out of his sight. Over time, he relaxed and began to thoroughly enjoy his retirement. 

He loved napping in the sun, catching the stuffed toys we tossed to him, getting attention from any people who came to see him (and he assumed any people who came in our house were there to see him), wallowing in mud at the dog park like a water buffalo, and barking at any dogs who had the misfortune to pass by our house. He never quite mastered stairs, and, as such, would leap into our house, skipping the few steps from the patio to the kitchen entirely. We always knew spring had come for good when he took his first outdoor nap on our patio, and in summer, he'd lounge in a kiddie pool (aka The Big Water Dish) after his walks. His morning walks were non-negotiable, and if we dared linger over a cup of tea, he would complain vigorously. In 2023, he lost his back leg due to osteosarcoma, but after he healed, he was right back at it, faster than ever with his adjusted gait.  

His decline was swift, and his passing was peaceful and at home, all of us with him together. It was unquestionably the right time for him to go (but, as all of you who have loved a pet know, it hurts like hell regardless). 

Are you planning to travel abroad next year? Let this email be the reminder to double-check that your passport will be valid.  (Remember, most countries require between three and six months of validity past the date of your return.)
 
If you need to renew your passport, there's some good news from the State Department: online application renewal is now available! That's right, you no longer need to write a check and take it to an in-person appointment. We're quite excited about this convenient new option. 
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If you qualify for online renewal, you'll create a MyTravelGov account, then choose “renew passport.” Enter information from your previous passport, enter your upcoming travel plans, upload a passport photo, pay the fee, and you are all set! You can get started and learn more at this State Department website: Online Passport Renewal

There are a few changes coming to the process of traveling to Europe, and we wanted to keep you in the loop.

1. Starting in November 2024, the European Union is introducing a new EU Entry/Exit system. This electronic registration, where your photo will be snapped and your fingerprint scanned, will occur when you enter or leave the EU. It is replacing physical stamping of passports. Once it's in full operation people should be able to move through quickly, but there could be longer waits at Passport Control when it is first rolled out.
2. Starting in mid-2025, U.S. citizens traveling to Europe must submit an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) authorization. An ETIAS authorization will cost 7 euros (approximately $8) per person, and you'll be able to apply online. The European Union suggests people apply at least a month before travel, though it typically will take less than five days to process your application. 
   
   The EU is not yet collecting ETIAS applications. We will let everyone on our email list know once the system opens and the ETIAS authorization becomes required. At that time, we will also be reaching out directly to anyone who has booked travel with us in 2025, to make sure they know what to do. Once you have your ETIAS, it will be good for three years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.
   
   You can read more about the ETIAS here. 
   
   

Takeaway from both of these items: these steps may be a little bit inconvenient (and if we're honest, it's a bit of a bummer to lose the fun of collecting passport stamps), but they are nothing to be intimidated by.

Think about why you are considering a vacation to Europe. To take in famous sights like the Eiffel Tower or the Colosseum? To enjoy authentic local cuisine? To stroll through charming neighborhoods and soak up the atmosphere?
 
Whatever your reason, we feel pretty confident it isn't “to spend as much time sitting in a taxi or on a subway car as possible.” People often use “vacation” and “travel” interchangeably, but the act of traveling is rarely the highlight of a trip. Keep that in mind when choosing a hotel. Hotels might be cheaper in, say, the suburbs of Paris than in the Latin Quarter or the Marais in the city center, but your vacation time is precious. If you have a long subway ride every single day to reach the things you actually want to see, you'll be adding a tiring and possibly stressful element to your trip that doesn't need to be there.
 
Price matters, of course. But instead of thinking only about a hotel's price, think about overall value. If a hotel is less expensive but is in a less convenient location, then that may not be a good value. 

Staying in a good hotel is one of the most important parts of a vacation. As European travel specialists, we wanted to share some aspects of a hotel stay that might be a surprise if you're new to European travel.

What you should know about European hotels:

1. Rooms are typically small, by American standards. You'll likely find that even four-star accommodations are much smaller than a comparable hotel in the United States. European cities are compact, and hotel room sizes reflect this.
2. Three- or four-person rooms are rare. Typical European hotel rooms will have two options for bedding: one larger bed, or two twin beds. Hotel rooms with two double beds or two queen beds are uncommon. Sometimes, in a room with one larger bed, the bed will actually be two twin beds pushed together inside one bed frame.
3. Historic building status matters. If a hotel is in a building with centuries of history, they won't have gutted it and installed enormous elevators or a massive lobby. In fact, elevators in particular are often a surprise, as they may only fit one or two people.
4. Room keys might control the electricity. If you enter your hotel room and the electricity doesn't work, it's likely because you need to stick your hotel key card in a slot by the door. This energy-saving measure makes sure that the lights aren't left on when you leave your room for the day.

There are, of course, more things that might surprise you, but we've found those four items to be the most common. ​

I couldn't resist designing this vacation inspired by my favorite vampire novel. The Historian, Elizabeth Kostova's epic 2005 novel, is an epic story of a father and daughter chasing Dracula across Europe. 

Start off in Oxford and wind your way down to Istanbul over 7 magical weeks. You'll travel by train through stunning countrysides, climb a hill to reach a castle towering above a brilliant lake, page through centuries-old books in hidden libraries, explore secluded monasteries, take tea in tiny jewel-colored shops, and of course, like Paul and Helen in The Historian, be on the lookout for vampires! 

What cities will you visit? (deep breath) Here we go! Oxford, Amsterdam, Paris, Collioure, Vernet-les-Bains, Montepulciano, Venice, Lake Bled, Ljubljana, Kostanjevica, Budapest, Athens, Crete, Split, Mostar, Dubrovnik, Sofia, and Istanbul!

This is the trip of a lifetime, perfect for lovers of literature, spookiness, and the romance of train travel. Tempted? Fill out our travel interest form and simply write "The Historian" in the "where would you like to go" section (no need for additional details!). We'll reach out to you right away to begin talking about your grand adventure! 

P.S. Though not intended as a guided tour, if you had a group and wanted a guide, we could do that (schedule permitting) for an additional fee. 

Summer is the peak travel season for most destinations, and demand is higher than ever. How can you help your summer travels go smoothly? Here are four simple tips. 

1. Leave more time than you think you'll need. Get to the airport three hours early for international flights, pad the time you leave your hotel room to reach a museum, and head to restaurants before you're “gotta eat right now!” hungry.
2. Be flexible; go with the flow. Things might not go according to plan (unbearably long lines at a food cart festival, a violent thunderstorm when you planned a hike…). If you don't rest the hopes for your vacation all on one activity, and you aren't afraid to pivot to different plans, you'll be better able to roll with challenges.
3. Be prepared, but not anxious. Carry a mini first-aid kit with bandages and basic medicine in your bag in case you get a blister or feel sick; keep your water bottle full; pack an umbrella. But most of all, if you forget something, don't panic. Unless you are truly going into the wilderness, you likely can buy what you're missing or find help if needed.
4. Use the “six-month-old baby” metric. Travel can be stressful, and when you notice yourself getting crabby, treat yourself as you would a six-month-old baby. Ask yourself “Am I hungry? Tired? Thirsty? Over-stimulated? In uncomfortable clothes?” and then get what you need. Being tuned in to your own needs can turn an irritating day into an enjoyable one.

We get it. You don't get the chance to travel to Europe every day, and you want to see as much as you can. So you want an itinerary that takes you EVERYWHERE. But let's look at the opposite sort of trip for a moment. There is a lot of value in choosing a single city and staying there for a week or more. Why? Here are a few reasons.

• Depth of experience. You begin to feel you know the city. You have a favorite bakery you stop at every morning. You can navigate your way to the nearest Metro stop without looking at a map. You have time to notice more details about the people, the architecture, the culture, the history (and of course, the food!). You don't have to make choices between three different museums you want to see--you have time for them all.
• Comfort. You only unpack once, and you only re-pack once. Your hotel room begins to feel a little bit like a home-away-from-home, instead of just a place to catch up on sleep. 
• Pace. Have you ever heard someone say they feel like they need a vacation after their vacation? If you have a fast-paced trip, where you're cramming as much in as possible, it might be amazing, but it will also likely be exhausting. Slow the pace down, and you'll give yourself the chance to relax and breathe as you engage with your destination. Come home from your trip feeling rejuvenated, not exhausted. 
  
  

Kate Thomas from Travel Pro Theory sums up another important reason: for every day of travel you add, you are basically losing a day of vacation. Travel days are busy and tiring, and it's unlikely you'll also be doing sightseeing or exploring on those same days. 

Of course, you know yourself best, and if you love a fast pace and don't mind a lot of travel days, then go for it! We're not saying this is the only way to see the world--just that it's a wonderful, often-unappreciated one that we think more people should consider.

If you do want to see multiple cities, a great way to do so is with a small-group tour. Then you won't have to worry about travel arrangements, you won't need to use your energy figuring out how to navigate new train stations or airports, and you'll have the comfort of a knowledgeable tour guide's presence to introduce you to a new place. Even with small-group tours, though, watch out for ones that try to fit, say, five countries into one week. That often means moving at an exhausting pace. Our recommendation is to find a tour that gives you at least three full days in each city you stay in (hey, like one of ours, perhaps!).