Global Travel Planning

Tracy Collins
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Places & Travel
  • Biweekly

Travel planning from people who've actually been there. Real trips, real experience, real advice. The Global Travel Planning Podcast is hosted by Tracy Collins, an independent traveller who has explored more than 60 countries over 40 years. Each episode brings you first-hand trip reports, destination planning guides, and practical advice from travellers who have done it themselves. With 100 episodes and counting, the show covers destinations across Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa, and Australia. Whether you are planning your first international trip or adding a new destination to a well-worn passport, you will find honest, experienced advice here. New episodes every fortnight. Find show notes, links and travel guides at globaltravelplanning.com.

  1. Oct 21

    Discovering the Falkland Islands: Penguins, Wildlife, and Local Life

    If your Antarctica cruise calls at the Falkland Islands, this episode is for you. Seventh-generation Falkland Islander Roxy King-Clark of Lupin Tours joins Tracy to share how to make the most of your time there, whether you're stopping for a day on a cruise or flying in. - Where the Falklands are and what British Overseas Territory status means - Growing up in Stanley as a seventh-generation Falkland Islander - How Lupin Tours began, and when the cruise season gets busy - Getting there by cruise ship, or flying in from the UK or Chile - How to spend one day in port, from Ross Road to the Historic Dockyard Museum - Why Volunteer Point king penguin trips can book up a year or more ahead - Getting around by taxi, hire car or tour, and why most penguin sites are on private land - What to pack for four seasons in one day - Wildlife beyond penguins, including elephant seals and the flightless steamer duck - Where to eat and drink in Stanley, from local gin to Falklands squid - Roxy's postcards from the Falklands, now sent to more than 40 countries Links to everything we talked about, including Lupin Tours, Roxy's social channels, and where to order a postcard, are in this week's show notes - Episode 107. If you're planning a trip of your own, start with our free Global Trip Planner.  We'd love to hear from you, so leave us a message on the episode page or a review, and please share this episode with a fellow travel lover. Plan your next trip step by step with our free Global Trip Planner - download it here. Support the show 🗺️ Free Global Trip Planner Planning a trip of your own? Grab our free Global Trip Planner, a five-step workbook with the checklists, timelines and itinerary templates Doug and I use for our own trips. 🎤 Leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe ☕ Enjoying the show? Support us from $3 a month and get a shoutout on air: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2252461/support 🗺 Global Travel Planning Website | Instagram | YouTube 🇬🇧UK Travel Planning 📍London Travel Planning Work With Us - Contact tracy@globaltravelplanning.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries. Disclaimer: Some outbound links financially benefit the podcast through affiliate programs. Using our links is a small way to support the show at no additional cost. I only endorse products, programs, and services I use and would recommend to close friends and family.  ...

  2. Oct 7

    3 Week Vietnam Itinerary: Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City

    We map out our full 19-day Vietnam itinerary, from Hanoi to Da Nang, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City, including the tours we rate and the hotels we would happily book again. We also share the tough bits, from a Ha Long Bay trip that went wrong to a hospital visit that proved why flexibility and travel insurance matter. - Our 19-day route across four stops, and why it works well with Cambodia - Why a pre-booked airport transfer is worth it when you arrive tired or unwell - Where we stayed in Hanoi, and what the Old Quarter is like day to day - The army jeep tour, Train Street and the water puppet show - Hanoi food tour tips, including how to order without coriander - Ha Long Bay: what we would do differently next time - Inside an international hospital in Hanoi, and how the insurance claim worked - The Laman Express sleeper train in a private two-berth cabin, and why to book early - Da Nang as a base city, and why we found it such good value - Hoi An honestly: what we loved, what we missed and what we would do differently - Doug's day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta - Cooking with a Vietnamese family through LikeLocal, and what it showed us about daily life If you are planning a trip to Vietnam, or you know someone who is, please share this episode with them. We would love to hear which stop you are most looking forward to, so do leave us a message through SpeakPipe, and if you enjoy the show, a review really helps. 📝 Show Notes - Episode 106 Plan your next trip step by step with our free Global Trip Planner - download it here. Support the show 🗺️ Free Global Trip Planner Planning a trip of your own? Grab our free Global Trip Planner, a five-step workbook with the checklists, timelines and itinerary templates Doug and I use for our own trips. 🎤 Leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe ☕ Enjoying the show? Support us from $3 a month and get a shoutout on air: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2252461/support 🗺 Global Travel Planning Website | Instagram | YouTube 🇬🇧UK Travel Planning 📍London Travel Planning Work With Us - Contact tracy@globaltravelplanning.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries. Disclaimer: Some outbound links financially benefit the podcast through affiliate programs. Using our links is a small way to support the show at no additional cost. I only endorse products, programs, and services I use and would recommend to close friends and family.  ...

  3. Sep 23

    Big Five Safari Near Johannesburg: Our Pilanesberg Week

    Two and a half hours from Johannesburg, no malaria tablets, no light aircraft, and we still saw all of the Big Five in a day. After three weeks in Cape Town, we headed north for Doug's very first safari, staying at Kwa Maritane Lodge inside Pilanesberg Game Reserve and heading out on private game drives with our guide, Heinrich. Why Pilanesberg Works for a First Safari from JohannesburgWhat the Big Five Are and How Pilanesberg Compares with KrugerStaying at Kwa Maritane Lodge: Chalets, Spa, Bar and Boma DinnerElephants at the Waterhole and Lions Roaring at NightKeeping Doors Shut and Dealing with Cheeky MonkeysThe Hide, the Tunnel and the Live Camera on Your TVWhat a Private Guide Adds: Tracking, Local Knowledge and ComfortWhy a Full Day in the Park Pays OffLions on a Kill, an Up-Close Leopard and a Black RhinoGuided Drives vs Self-DrivingPacking for Winter Mornings in Open and Enclosed VehiclesPairing Cape Town with a Game DriveShow notes, photos, and links are at globaltravelplanning.com/episode105.  If you'd like to connect with Heinrich, send us a message via SpeakPipe. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and share it with a fellow travel lover planning a trip to South Africa. Episodes 102 and 103 cover our time in Cape Town. Plan your next trip step by step with our free Global Trip Planner - download it here. Support the show 🗺️ Free Global Trip Planner Planning a trip of your own? Grab our free Global Trip Planner, a five-step workbook with the checklists, timelines and itinerary templates Doug and I use for our own trips. 🎤 Leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe ☕ Enjoying the show? Support us from $3 a month and get a shoutout on air: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2252461/support 🗺 Global Travel Planning Website | Instagram | YouTube 🇬🇧UK Travel Planning 📍London Travel Planning Work With Us - Contact tracy@globaltravelplanning.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries. Disclaimer: Some outbound links financially benefit the podcast through affiliate programs. Using our links is a small way to support the show at no additional cost. I only endorse products, programs, and services I use and would recommend to close friends and family.  ...

  4. Sep 9

    How to Add Soft Adventure to Your European Itinerary

    Adventure gets sold to us as faster, harder, higher. In this week's Tracy chats with Lynne Nieman, founder of Wander Your Way and Wander Your Way Adventures, about soft adventure travel in Europe and why gentle can be the most memorable way to explore. What soft adventure means and what it avoidsWhy Europe's countryside and small towns make travel feel more connectedSimple ways to add a short walk to a city-based itineraryUsing local tourism boards and information centres to find easy routesAllTrails and helpful keywords such as family walks and discovery walksSoft adventure spots that surprise people, from England's footpaths to accessible Dolomites trailsWhat to carry for gentle walks, including water, rain jacket, phone, map photo and chargerHow small group tours reduce planning stress and add local guiding, meals and logisticsLynne's Hadrian's Wall walking tour coming in 2027If you're planning a trip to Europe and have a question, leave us a voice message through SpeakPipe. And if you know someone who would love a gentler kind of adventure, please share this episode with them. Show notes - Episode 104 Plan your next trip step by step with our free Global Trip Planner - download it here. Support the show 🗺️ Free Global Trip Planner Planning a trip of your own? Grab our free Global Trip Planner, a five-step workbook with the checklists, timelines and itinerary templates Doug and I use for our own trips. 🎤 Leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe ☕ Enjoying the show? Support us from $3 a month and get a shoutout on air: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2252461/support 🗺 Global Travel Planning Website | Instagram | YouTube 🇬🇧UK Travel Planning 📍London Travel Planning Work With Us - Contact tracy@globaltravelplanning.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries. Disclaimer: Some outbound links financially benefit the podcast through affiliate programs. Using our links is a small way to support the show at no additional cost. I only endorse products, programs, and services I use and would recommend to close friends and family.  ...

  5. Aug 26

    Cape Town in Winter: What to Know Before You Go

    Winter might not be the obvious time to visit Cape Town, but after three weeks there we would happily do it all again. Cape Town in winter turns out to be quieter, cheaper and far more enjoyable than we had envisaged, so in this episode we share the practical details that made our stay smooth, from where we based ourselves to how we handled transport, tipping and staying connected. In this episode: - Why we chose winter for Cape Town and what the weather is really like - How to time Table Mountain to avoid closures and queues - Where we stayed near the V&A Waterfront and why an apartment works for longer trips - Getting around with Uber, including pick-up points and basic safety checks - Tipping culture, when you still need cash and how restaurant tipping works - Everyday surprises like car guards, full service petrol stations and supermarket bag packers - Simple safety habits for phones, jewellery and walking after dark - What to pack for winter, including layers, comfortable shoes and spare suitcase space - What we ate and loved, from bobotie to market samosas to malva pudding - Where to shop for colourful souvenirs and how to haggle politely - Winter extras like whale season and planning for early sunsets - eSIMs, Wi-Fi and why we keep a VPN on while travelling We would love to hear about your own Cape Town plans, so leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe Show notes - globaltravelplanning.com/episode-103 If you enjoy the show, a rating or review helps other travellers find us, and do share this episode with anyone planning a trip to South Africa. Plan your next trip step by step with our free Global Trip Planner - download it here. Support the show 🗺️ Free Global Trip Planner Planning a trip of your own? Grab our free Global Trip Planner, a five-step workbook with the checklists, timelines and itinerary templates Doug and I use for our own trips. 🎤 Leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe ☕ Enjoying the show? Support us from $3 a month and get a shoutout on air: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2252461/support 🗺 Global Travel Planning Website | Instagram | YouTube 🇬🇧UK Travel Planning 📍London Travel Planning Work With Us - Contact tracy@globaltravelplanning.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries. Disclaimer: Some outbound links financially benefit the podcast through affiliate programs. Using our links is a small way to support the show at no additional cost. I only endorse products, programs, and services I use and would recommend to close friends and family.  ...

  6. Aug 12

    South Africa Travel Guide: Best Things to Do in Cape Town in Winter

    We share the Cape Town highlights from our three week winter stay, from Table Mountain and the V&A Waterfront to day trips for penguins, history and wine. We also talk honestly about what surprised us, what we skipped, and how to plan around weather, tours and travel comfort. The tablecloth cloud and winter wind can change everything fast, so we explain how we handled tickets, when to go, and how to stay flexible. Kirstenbosch saved us a day when the mountain was blocked, and Bo-Kaap turned out to be Doug's favourite thing we did. In this episode: Choosing a three week base in Green Point while we work and exploreUsing the V&A Waterfront as a hub for food, views and tour pick upsGetting Table Mountain right by watching cloud and wind, and going the moment it is clearSwapping plans to Kirstenbosch for a full garden day, baboons includedTaking the Robben Island tour for the history, and preparing for seasicknessDoing Bo-Kaap properly with a guided walk plus a Cape Malay cooking classCape Point and Boulders Beach for penguins, wildlife and sunset viewsWeighing up car hire versus Uber and tours for getting aroundA Winelands tasting day across Stellenbosch, Paarl and FranschhoekFinishing with afternoon tea at the Mount NelsonRemember, if you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving us a review on your favourite podcast app because your feedback helps us reach more travel enthusiasts just like you. Show notes - globaltravelplanning.com/episode-102 Plan your next trip step by step with our free Global Trip Planner - download it here. Support the show 🗺️ Free Global Trip Planner Planning a trip of your own? Grab our free Global Trip Planner, a five-step workbook with the checklists, timelines and itinerary templates Doug and I use for our own trips. 🎤 Leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe ☕ Enjoying the show? Support us from $3 a month and get a shoutout on air: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2252461/support 🗺 Global Travel Planning Website | Instagram | YouTube 🇬🇧UK Travel Planning 📍London Travel Planning Work With Us - Contact tracy@globaltravelplanning.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries. Disclaimer: Some outbound links financially benefit the podcast through affiliate programs. Using our links is a small way to support the show at no additional cost. I only endorse products, programs, and services I use and would recommend to close friends and family.  ...

  7. Jul 29

    A Wine Lover's Guide to Planning a Trip to France

    We talk with Paris-based wine expert Elisa about how to plan a French wine trip that fits your taste, your budget, and your travel style, whether you are wine-curious or a long-time collector. We share practical ways to choose regions, book tastings, and build a full vineyard experience that goes beyond the bottle.  • France as a top wine travel destination thanks to wine, food, landscapes and culture  • quick guide to Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne differences  • how Elisa matches a region to your preferred styles and grape varieties  • best wine region day trip from Paris with Champagne and Épernay ideas  • lesser-known regions to add authenticity with Jurançon and Madiran  • crowd-free alternatives near Bordeaux with Bergerac and Monbazillac  • why you should book winery visits in advance and how far ahead  • tasting basics for beginners and why English is usually available  • tasting costs from free to premium and when buying is expected  • getting around safely with tours, private drivers and Loire à Vélo cycling  • how to bring bottles home with shipping and suitcase packing tips  • when to visit, what harvest season is really like and festival planning  • common planning mistakes with research, logistics and wine style expectations  ⭐️ Guest - Elisa from  France Bucket List - Wine Travel Planning 📝  Full links and photos are in the show notes at globaltravelplanning.com/episode-101 If you know someone who is planning a trip to France or who simply loves a good glass of wine, do share this episode with them.  And if you enjoy the podcast, a review really does help other travellers find us.  Plan your next trip step by step with our free Global Trip Planner - download it here. Support the show 🗺️ Free Global Trip Planner Planning a trip of your own? Grab our free Global Trip Planner, a five-step workbook with the checklists, timelines and itinerary templates Doug and I use for our own trips. 🎤 Leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe ☕ Enjoying the show? Support us from $3 a month and get a shoutout on air: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2252461/support 🗺 Global Travel Planning Website | Instagram | YouTube 🇬🇧UK Travel Planning 📍London Travel Planning Work With Us - Contact tracy@globaltravelplanning.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries. Disclaimer: Some outbound links financially benefit the podcast through affiliate programs. Using our links is a small way to support the show at no additional cost. I only endorse products, programs, and services I use and would recommend to close friends and family.  ...

  8. Jul 15

    Slow Travel With a Baby and a Dog [with Riana Ang-Canning]

    Nine months on the road with a five-month-old baby and a twelve-year-old chihuahua is ambitious. Doing it after your carefully planned French long-stay visa is rejected two days before the flight is something else entirely. In this week's episode, Tracy is joined by travel writer Riana Ang-Canning of Teaspoon of Adventure, freshly home in Vancouver after a slow travel adventure that took her family from Toronto to the Loire Valley, through London and Brighton, and on to Málaga for a first birthday in Spain. It is an honest, practical look at what long-term family travel really looks like day to day. In this episode: Riana's travel background and why long-term travel keeps calling her backDeciding to travel during parental leave, older rescue dog includedBuilding a base-style route across Toronto, the Loire Valley, London, Brighton and MálagaWorking around a last-minute French visa rejection and the Schengen 90 day limitThe packing and logistics of nine months with a baby and a dogHow slow travel routines make a new place feel like home quicklyFinding baby-friendly and dog-friendly Airbnbs, and the hard lesson about stairsDividing the jobs on travel days to keep the stress downWhat went wrong with the road trip and the electric hire carBudget tips that genuinely help, including 28 day discounts and cooking at homeLetting go of the pressure to see everything and leaning into local lifeWhat is next for the family, and where to follow Riana online⭐️ Guest - Riana from teaspoonofadventure.com 📝  Full links and photos are in the show notes at globaltravelplanning.com/episode-100 If you enjoyed this milestone episode, we would love a quick review on your favourite podcast app, and you can leave us a voice message on SpeakPipe. Plan your next trip step by step with our free Global Trip Planner - download it here. Support the show 🗺️ Free Global Trip Planner Planning a trip of your own? Grab our free Global Trip Planner, a five-step workbook with the checklists, timelines and itinerary templates Doug and I use for our own trips. 🎤 Leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe ☕ Enjoying the show? Support us from $3 a month and get a shoutout on air: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2252461/support 🗺 Global Travel Planning Website | Instagram | YouTube 🇬🇧UK Travel Planning 📍London Travel Planning Work With Us - Contact tracy@globaltravelplanning.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries. Disclaimer: Some outbound links financially benefit the podcast through affiliate programs. Using our links is a small way to support the show at no additional cost. I only endorse products, programs, and services I use and would recommend to close friends and family.  ...

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About

Travel planning from people who've actually been there. Real trips, real experience, real advice. The Global Travel Planning Podcast is hosted by Tracy Collins, an independent traveller who has explored more than 60 countries over 40 years. Each episode brings you first-hand trip reports, destination planning guides, and practical advice from travellers who have done it themselves. With 100 episodes and counting, the show covers destinations across Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa, and Australia. Whether you are planning your first international trip or adding a new destination to a well-worn passport, you will find honest, experienced advice here. New episodes every fortnight. Find show notes, links and travel guides at globaltravelplanning.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Tracy Collins
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    108
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Global Travel Planning
  • Show Website
    Global Travel Planning

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