The Heart

Portugal, with its rich tapestry of history, culture, and natural beauty, is a destination that beckons to the independent traveler. Imagine wandering through Lisbon's charming neighborhoods, where the scent of freshly baked custard tarts wafts through the air, and each corner reveals a new vista of terracotta rooftops and the distant shimmer of the Tagus River.

Natural Beauty

Venture beyond the capital to discover the rolling vineyards of the Douro Valley, where time seems to slow among the terraced hillsides. Or perhaps the rugged cliffs of the Algarve call to you, where sunlit beaches stretch endlessly and the Atlantic's waves crash rhythmically against the shore, offering a serene backdrop for reflection and relaxation.

Nostalgic & Vibrant

In Porto, let the nostalgia of the past guide you across the iconic Dom Luís I Bridge, and into the vibrant Ribeira District, where the riverfront buzzes with life and the whispers of history linger in the alleyways. The city is a canvas of azulejos, the traditional blue and white tiles that narrate stories of old, forming a perfect harmony with the modern art that vibrates through its streets.

Ancient Wonders

For a taste of the ancient, the medieval town of Évora offers a journey back in time. Wander through its maze-like streets, where Roman temples stand in silent testimony to a bygone era, and the haunting beauty of the Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones) provokes contemplation of life’s brevity.

There's a rhythm to independent travel in Portugal that's hard to replicate. The country is incredibly welcoming to those who want to explore on their own. The Portuguese people are known for their warmth and hospitality, and even a few basic phrases—like "Olá" (hello) or "Obrigada/Obrigado" (thank you, for women and men, respectively)—will go a long way. The country is also remarkably safe, making it a popular choice for solo female travelers. Traveling independently in Portugal allows you to immerse yourself fully in its rhythms and nuances

In this land of explorers, let your journey be guided by curiosity and wonder. Whether you find yourself captivated by the intricate Manueline architecture, the vibrant azulejos, or the simple pleasure of a leisurely stroll along a sun-dappled beach, Portugal promises to reward the independent traveler with memories that linger long after the journey ends.

A few years ago, my husband, our two adult kids, and I took a ten-day trip to London and Edinburgh to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Yes, we brought the kids. At 24 and 20, they’d been around for almost all of those twenty-five years—so really, the trip was as much a “congrats, you survived us” as it was a celebration of our marriage.

I planned the entire trip myself, which ended up sparking a bigger dream: to become a travel advisor and start my own business. We spent five full days exploring London, then boarded the train at King’s Cross bound for Edinburgh. For our stay, I’d found a charming self-catering lodge at a caravan park just outside the city—what Americans would call a private vacation rental at an RV park. We rented a car, embraced our inner adventurers, and hit the Scottish countryside.

The train ride was supposed to take 4.5 hours. So we settled into our first-class seats, sipping tea, snacking on Coronation Chicken sandwiches, and watching the English countryside roll by. But two and a half hours in, a porter suddenly announced this was the last stop. “Everyone disembark, please.”

Wait—what? We were still in Newcastle, England, not Edinburgh! Turns out, repairs on the tracks meant we’d be finishing our journey by—of all things—a motorcoach. Not quite what we signed up for, but sure, why not add a little chaos to the itinerary?

In the scramble to grab our things and make the transfer, my daughter didn’t realize her purse was still tucked under the table… along with her passport, her brother’s passport, and her credit cards. (Pause for dramatic effect.) Somewhere between my dash to the loo and the motorcoach revving up, we settled back into our seats with a collective sigh of relief—until Brianna asked the question every traveler dreads: “Where’s my purse?”

Cue slow-motion horror. My husband’s head whipped around so fast I thought he’d need a chiropractor. Sure enough, her bag was still on the train hurtling off to who-knows-where.

To her credit, Brianna stayed calm and called the LNER hotline to file a lost item report. Miraculously, within an hour, they confirmed they’d found her brown leather Coach bag in Newcastle’s Lost & Found. That’s the good news. The bad news? The motorcoach driver was not about to turn around for one family of four frantically waving train tickets.

So once we got to Edinburgh, Brianna bought a same-day roundtrip ticket back to Newcastle. She had just 45 minutes at the station to grab her bag and make the return train. When she arrived, the staff took her deep into the station’s basement-level Lost & Found, where they showed her… a black Coach wallet. Then another brown leather item. No purse.

Panic started to set in—and understandably so. She was running out of time, and the thought of facing her dad back in Edinburgh without her passport was not comforting. As she was about to head back in defeat, she heard shouting behind her. The office manager came running toward her, arms waving, yelling, “We found it!”

Heroic music plays. Purse located. Crisis averted.

But here’s the best part: the reason they couldn’t find it earlier? She’d described it as a purse. In the UK, that word means a wallet or coin pouch. Her “purse,” they explained, was actually a pocketbook. “Next time you travel abroad,” the manager told her kindly but firmly, “learn the lingo.”

So, moral of the story? Learn the lingo, folks—and maybe watch a little BBC before your next trip.