RECOMMENDED

The practical pages that don't belong to any one part of the trip
Money, connectivity, transport, tipping, apps — the things you need once or twice on a trip and that don't sit naturally under a destination or a date. They are gathered here rather than scattered, so there is one place to look when the question isn't about where to go.
Budget
Money
What a day actually costs by destination — food, transport, entry fees and a bed — so a trip can be priced before it is booked rather than after.
Cards & ATM
Money
Which card to carry, where cash is still required, and how to avoid the conversion charges that get added at the terminal rather than by your bank.
Tipping
Money
What is expected, what is optional and what is faintly insulting — per country, because the rule that works in one is wrong in the next.
SIM cards
Connectivity
Local SIM, eSIM or roaming — which is cheapest where, and the ones worth arranging before you land rather than at the airport counter.
Travel apps
Connectivity
The apps that genuinely help in a given country — transit, taxi, translation, payment — and the ones that only work if you set them up at home first.
City transit cards
Getting Around
The right travel card per city, what it covers, and the cases where buying one costs more than paying per ride.
Car rental & private
Getting Around
Where a car is the only sensible option, where it is a liability, and what a private driver costs when parking and city restrictions make renting pointless.
Tours & tickets
Booking
Which attractions need booking ahead, how far ahead, and where a guided tour earns its price against simply turning up.
Restaurants
Booking
How far in advance to reserve by city, which meals need it at all, and the places where walking in is still normal.
Sports calendar
Timing
Fixtures and events worth planning a trip around — and the dates that fill every hotel in a city if you arrive without knowing.