Long-form travel guides and day-by-day trip itineraries. https://www.travelstorymaker.com/ 2026-08-28T09:00:00Z Benoit Gahttps://www.travelstorymaker.com/about/#author Copyright TravelStoryMaker https://www.travelstorymaker.com/blog/my-trip-in-cuba-7-days/ 2026-08-15T09:00:00Z 2026-08-28T09:00:00Z

Havana, Viñales and Trinidad in a week: casas particulares, the cash situation nobody prepares you for, and why the shared taxi beats the tourist bus.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/blog/my-trip-in-dubai-10-days/ 2026-08-11T09:00:00Z 2026-08-28T09:00:00Z

Ten days in Dubai without spending a fortune: the old city, the desert, a day in Abu Dhabi, and the two hours a day you simply cannot use.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/blog/my-trip-in-greece-5-days/ 2026-08-14T09:00:00Z 2026-08-28T09:00:00Z

Athens and Naxos in five days: the Acropolis at opening time, the ferry decision that saves the trip, and why Santorini is worth skipping.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/blog/my-trip-in-japan-20-days/ 2026-08-17T09:00:00Z 2026-08-28T09:00:00Z

Tokyo, the Alps, Kyoto, Hiroshima and back: twenty days by rail with a JR Pass, day by day, including whether the pass was actually worth it.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/blog/my-trip-in-lisbon-3-days/ 2026-08-09T09:00:00Z 2026-08-28T09:00:00Z

Three days in Lisbon done properly: tram 28 at the right hour, Belém in the morning, Sintra as a full day, and the hills nobody warns you about.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/blog/my-trip-in-moscow-5-days/ 2026-08-10T09:00:00Z 2026-08-28T09:00:00Z

Five days in Moscow: the Kremlin, a metro system built as a palace, and a city whose scale takes two days to adjust to.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/blog/my-trip-in-slovenia-4-days/ 2026-08-12T09:00:00Z 2026-08-28T09:00:00Z

Ljubljana, Lake Bled, the Soča valley and Piran in four days - a country small enough to cross in three hours and green enough to justify every one of them.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/blog/my-trip-in-spain-alicante-granada-seville/ 2026-08-13T09:00:00Z 2026-08-28T09:00:00Z

Eight days across Andalusia and the Levante by bus and train: the Alhambra ticket problem, the best three hours in Seville, and eating at the right hour.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/blog/my-trip-in-thailand-20-days/ 2026-08-18T09:00:00Z 2026-08-28T09:00:00Z

Twenty days from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and down to the Andaman coast: the day-by-day route, what each leg costs in time, and the three things worth changing.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/blog/my-trip-in-usa-roadtrip-10-days/ 2026-08-16T09:00:00Z 2026-08-28T09:00:00Z

Las Vegas to Zion, Bryce, Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon and the Grand Canyon: a 10-day loop with real driving times and the permit traps.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/guides/crossing-a-continent-by-train/ 2026-04-08T09:00:00Z 2026-08-27T09:00:00Z

When rail genuinely beats flying, how sleeper trains actually work, what to book in advance, and the routes worth taking for their own sake.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/guides/responsible-travel/ 2026-08-12T09:00:00Z 2026-08-27T09:00:00Z

Where tourist money actually goes, which choices measurably matter, why the animal experience is usually wrong, and how to spend locally.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/guides/see-the-northern-lights/ 2026-03-04T09:00:00Z 2026-08-27T09:00:00Z

Latitude, season, moon phase, cloud cover and patience: how to plan an aurora trip that works, and what nobody tells you about the photographs.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/guides/how-to-book-a-cheap-flight/ 2026-08-26T09:00:00Z 2026-08-27T09:00:00Z

When to book, which days are genuinely cheaper, why the "clear your cookies" advice is a myth, and the techniques that really cut a fare.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/guides/eat-where-locals-eat/ 2026-05-20T09:00:00Z 2026-08-27T09:00:00Z

Reliable signals for good food anywhere in the world, the rules that work in markets, and why the restaurant with the photo menu is telling you something.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/guides/how-to-rent-a-car-while-traveling/ 2026-08-25T09:00:00Z 2026-08-27T09:00:00Z

The excess trap, why the fuel policy matters more than the daily rate, what an International Driving Permit is, and how to avoid a damage dispute.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/guides/use-your-phone-while-traveling-abroad/ 2026-08-23T09:00:00Z 2026-08-27T09:00:00Z

eSIM, local SIM or roaming - which to choose and when, how to avoid a four-figure data bill, and the settings to change before you get on the plane.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/guides/island-hopping/ 2026-07-15T09:00:00Z 2026-08-27T09:00:00Z

How to build an island route that works: reading timetables, the one-way rule, what happens when the wind gets up, and why three islands beats six.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/guides/jet-lag/ 2026-07-01T09:00:00Z 2026-08-27T09:00:00Z

The body clock explained without the pseudoscience, a light-timing plan that genuinely shortens recovery, and the flight habits that make arrival easier.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/guides/packing-light/ 2026-05-06T09:00:00Z 2026-08-27T09:00:00Z

A carry-on system that survives three weeks and four climates, why the wheels matter less than the weight, and the five items people always regret bringing.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/guides/travel-photographs/ 2026-07-29T09:00:00Z 2026-08-27T09:00:00Z

Fewer, better frames: light, foreground, people, and the discipline of the twenty-four exposure roll. Practical advice that works on a phone.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/guides/tips-and-tricks-for-traveling/ 2026-08-20T09:00:00Z 2026-08-27T09:00:00Z

Forty practical habits collected from the road: before you go, at the airport, on arrival, and the ones you only learn by being caught out.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/guides/travelling-at-altitude/ 2026-06-03T09:00:00Z 2026-08-27T09:00:00Z

What thin air does to you, why fitness does not protect you, the ascent rules that prevent most problems, and the symptoms that mean go down now.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/guides/desert-travel/ 2026-06-17T09:00:00Z 2026-08-27T09:00:00Z

Deserts are colder, emptier and more organised than people expect. How to plan the trip, what to carry, and why the night is the real surprise.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/guides/where-to-stay-while-traveling/ 2026-08-24T09:00:00Z 2026-08-27T09:00:00Z

Hotels, guesthouses, hostels and apartments compared honestly: what each is good at, how to pick a neighbourhood, and the costly booking mistakes.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/guides/which-credit-card-to-use-abroad/ 2026-08-22T09:00:00Z 2026-08-27T09:00:00Z

Foreign transaction fees, the dynamic currency conversion trap, why you carry two cards on different networks, and what matters when choosing.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/guides/which-travel-insurance-to-choose/ 2026-08-21T09:00:00Z 2026-08-27T09:00:00Z

What travel insurance is actually for, the exclusions that catch people out, single-trip versus annual, and how to work out the cover level you need.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/guides/shoulder-season/ 2026-04-22T09:00:00Z 2026-08-27T09:00:00Z

Half the price, a third of the crowds, and weather that mostly behaves. How to work out the shoulder season for any destination - and when it is a bad idea.

https://www.travelstorymaker.com/guides/first-solo-trip/ 2026-03-18T09:00:00Z 2026-08-27T09:00:00Z

Where to go, how long to book, what to do about eating alone, and the three-day rule nobody warns you about. A practical guide for a first trip on your own.