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A street performer at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, 2007 Edinburgh in August has a particular kind of buzz. The old stone streets fill with performers, visitors and the sound of people hurrying to their next show, while around the next corner, a street act or an unexpected little venue invites you to stop and stay awhile. I’ve visited the Fringe several times over the past 25 years, and the secret to a first trip that really delivers is to plan the essentials early, then lea

Richmond is a city of contrasts: important American history, independent neighbourhoods, memorable meals and easy escapes into the mountains or to the coast. I spent several months working here for Capital One, from summer into autumn, and discovered that the best parts of Richmond aren’t all found on a sightseeing checklist. Some of my clearest memories are a bar’s ice-cooled counter, Saturday afternoons in Carytown and the astonishing sound of cicadas filling the trees. For

Before you book an overseas holiday, check your passport validity, the destination's entry rules, visa requirements and travel-health needs, and build the time and cost of those checks into your plan. A holiday can look perfectly straightforward until you check your passport, look into travel health and realise there are costs and appointments to fit in before you go. Warren learned that the expensive way: a same-day passport renewal, a full day at the passport office and a t

Morocco can take you from the lively lanes of Marrakesh to the Atlantic breeze of Essaouira, the mountain roads of the Atlas and the wide-open quiet of the desert. The colours, sounds and pace can change dramatically in a single trip, which is part of the appeal, and why a little thoughtful planning goes a long way.

A Les Gets ski holiday with good mountain food, a bad knee and an honest look at who the French resort might suit.

What Milan is really like for first-time visitors, from Warren Milburn: the drivers, the espresso, the risotto house and what to book ahead.

You have already built the spreadsheet, mapped the trains, and saved a dozen hotel tabs. The question is not whether your trip needs help, but how much help it actually needs. This guide compares the two paid routes available: a structured itinerary review of a trip you have already planned, and full bespoke planning that starts research from scratch. The goal is simple. It helps you choose the right service before you ever make contact, rather than being steered toward the l

Booking a trip yourself can feel like assembling flat-pack furniture without the instructions. Each part looks fine on its own, but the pieces do not quite click, and if something breaks, you are the one holding the allen key. That is where an independent travel agent in the UK changes the picture. This post is not about what an advisor is. It is about what the working method actually produces: one trip joined up from start to finish, with every element chosen to fit the othe

Warren Milburn stayed in Shinjuku and visited Tokyo with ten days to explore. Here's what first-time visitors to Tokyo actually need to know: where to stay, how safe it is, what to skip, and what the city really feels like.

Warren Milburn has visited New York twice. Here's what first-timers need to know: where to stay, how to get around, and what the city really feels like.

Warren Milburn shares honest first-timer insights from ten days in San Francisco — from the Gold Dust Lounge to Alcatraz, the Tenderloin to Blondie's Pizza.

Most Madeira levada walks are fine to do independently. A handful genuinely need a guide — tunnels, exposed drops, remote terrain. Here’s the honest breakdown.

A custom travel itinerary is a trip plan built around you specifically: your interests, your pace, your budget, and the places that actually matter to you. It is the opposite of a package holiday, where someone else decided the hotel, the timing, and which sights you see. A well-built custom itinerary puts every decision back in your hands, with someone who knows how those decisions interact. After four decades of business travel across the UK, Europe, the US and the Far Ea

Warren recalls his honeymoon in the Austrian Tyrol — mountain air, schnapps distilleries, beer festivals, and the kind of trip that stays with you for decades.

Not all travel advisors are the same. Warren at Kite and Compass explains the types of advisor available in the UK, what to look for, and the questions worth asking before you commit.

The best UK getaways are not about cramming in the most places. Warren Milburn explains how to think about what you actually want from a trip before you start booking.

Warren Milburn of Kite and Compass Travel shares what Marrakesh is really like — the souks, the Medina, the pottery trick, and why he's going back.

It depends, honestly. A travel advisor is genuinely worth it for some trips and some people, and a complete waste of time for others. Warren Milburn, with forty years of travel planning experience, gives you an honest answer - including when you probably don't need one.

Travel is more than just visiting new places. It’s about creating memories that stay with you for a lifetime. But planning a trip can be overwhelming. You want something special, not just a standard holiday. That’s where personalised travel planning makes all the difference. It turns your trip into a unique adventure tailored just for you.

The best holidays rarely happen by accident. They come from knowing what matters most, choosing the right places, and shaping each day so the whole trip feels effortless.