MacMillan Travel Design

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MacMillan Travel Design I design seamless European journeys for accomplished professionals who value their time.

With trusted partnerships and 25+ years of expertise, I take care of the details so your vacations feel effortless, elevated, and unforgettable. As a time-saving travel planner for working moms, Christine helps you personalize and maximize every trip with insider research, optimized itineraries, and booking for stellar land and cruise vacations in the US, Mexico, and Europe. To get help with your next trip, set a free consultation with Christine at macmillantravel.com

Some inquiries stay with me longer than others.Not because they're more complicated, and not because of budget. It's usu...
10/14/2026

Some inquiries stay with me longer than others.

Not because they're more complicated, and not because of budget. It's usually something simpler: the traveler already knows what they want their time to feel like. My job is just to build the trip around that.

A few trips I'd start planning tomorrow. The couple who wants a full week in Portugal without a single logistics decision waiting once they land. The family spanning three generations who wants one Italy summer everyone actually remembers. The couple who wants the ease of a river cruise with a touch of personalization before and after.

If one of these sounds like the trip you've been circling in your head, that's not a coincidence. That's exactly the trip I'd love to help you take.

Which one sounds most like yours?

Portugal and Spain are next, and I’m going beyond the usual itinerary.Tomorrow I leave to experience three regions first...
10/13/2026

Portugal and Spain are next, and I’m going beyond the usual itinerary.

Tomorrow I leave to experience three regions firsthand: Alentejo in Portugal, San Sebastián, and La Rioja in Spain. This is the kind of trip I take so that when a client asks about Portugal or Spain, I’m not working from a brochure.

The plan is to experience each region the way I’d design a client trip: through the food, the w**e, the landscapes, and the people who actually shape them. The real version, not the highlights reel.

So when you’re ready to go, the person designing your trip has actually been there.

I’ll be sharing everything I find along the way, including what’s worth building a trip around and what you should know before you go.

What would you want me to report back on: the food, the w**e, the hidden gems, or something else?

The part of travel design that never makes it into the photos.Every trip I design comes with a series of pre-departure e...
09/30/2026

The part of travel design that never makes it into the photos.

Every trip I design comes with a series of pre-departure emails, timed so nothing becomes urgent all at once. Entry requirements, passport validity, backup documents, all the reminders reach you before any of it becomes a problem.

A client recently told me that getting a heads up on entry requirements for their trip was one of the most helpful things I did. It's also the kind of thing that's easy to miss when you're planning on your own.

By the time you zip your suitcase, it's already handled. So when you land, the only thing on your mind is where to get dinner.

What's the small, easy-to-forget thing you never travel without anymore?

You know when you can go. The harder question is where.Your calendar decides the when. A week in October, spring break f...
09/16/2026

You know when you can go. The harder question is where.

Your calendar decides the when. A week in October, spring break finally locked in, a window in August that you're determined to make count.

But where you go matters as much as when you go. The wrong destination at the wrong time of year still gives you a trip. It just may not give you the one you were hoping for. Too hot, too crowded, or simply not the experience you had in mind.

This is where the real planning begins.

A client recently had August available and wanted Barcelona paired with a second destination that offered great food, culture, and cooler temperatures. So we designed a trip where each city delivers something different.

Barcelona for the architecture, the energy, and one of Europe's great dining scenes. San Sebastián for a slower pace, stunning coastal scenery, and food that quietly rivals anywhere on the continent.

Same trip, but two completely different feelings. That's what matching the right destination to the right time of year actually looks like.

What month do you have available and where have you been thinking about going?

Many people choose a trip the same way. They see a photo of a beach, a mountain village, a row of colored houses, and th...
09/09/2026

Many people choose a trip the same way. They see a photo of a beach, a mountain village, a row of colored houses, and they decide that's the trip.

Then somewhere around day three, they realize the place was beautiful but the week wasn't quite right. Too many activities when everyone wanted to disconnect. Too much downtime when the group wanted adventure. A destination that photographed well but didn't actually fit how they wanted to feel.

The photo was never the problem. The question behind it was just never asked.

So before we talk about where, let's talk about what. How much downtime does everyone actually want? Does the group agree on activity level? Is this a trip built around the kids, or a trip for the adults that the kids are along for?

Those answers point toward very different weeks. And getting them right is exactly where good trip planning starts.

What's one thing you wish you'd known before booking your last trip?

09/02/2026

"Every day was like Christmas."

That's how one of my clients described her Iceland trip, and honestly, it's one of my favorite pieces of feedback I've ever received.

She and her friend knew little about Iceland with no time to plan, so they asked for my help.

On their trip they woke up every morning knowing exactly what was planned for the day. Their favorite memory: a boat ride that took them up close and personal to a glacier.

This is what travel is supposed to feel like. Not time-consuming research and hoping you don't waste your day figuring out what to do. Just a beautiful vacation designed around you, by someone who genuinely loves doing this work.

What destination has been on your list that feels too overwhelming to plan on your own?

"Can we see the major sites without feeling like tourists?"Yes. That's exactly what I design for.The Sistine Chapel with...
07/22/2026

"Can we see the major sites without feeling like tourists?"

Yes. That's exactly what I design for.

The Sistine Chapel without the crowds. Versailles with a guide who shares the stories most visitors never hear. An olive oil tasting with the local family who actually makes it.

But the moments that stay with you longest? Those happen in between.

A guide who spontaneously stops at a hidden cemetery because the story is too good to skip. An extra rest stop mid-afternoon because this is your trip, not a schedule to keep.

That's the difference between private and truly personalized.

What's the one experience you'd want on your European trip that no group tour would ever include?

"I want this trip to feel special." I hear that often from clients. Special doesn't mean the same trip for everyone. It ...
07/15/2026

"I want this trip to feel special."

I hear that often from clients.

Special doesn't mean the same trip for everyone. It means designed for YOU. The right pace. The right balance of planned and spontaneous. Hotels in neighborhoods that fit your preferences.

Special is what happens when someone who knows Europe designs your trip instead of you piecing together blog posts at 11pm.

If 2026 is still on your radar, now is the time. I'm already designing trips for 2027. Let's chat.

Build an entire trip around food? Yes, and I'd start in Bologna. 🍝Bologna is a food city, full stop. Fresh pasta, open a...
07/08/2026

Build an entire trip around food? Yes, and I'd start in Bologna. 🍝

Bologna is a food city, full stop. Fresh pasta, open air markets, and the kind of meal that makes you rearrange the rest of your day around it (nap anyone?). My family found this out firsthand and would visit again in a heartbeat. It's also a super walkable city with a small old town, history, and beautiful architecture.

What's the one thing you'd build an entire trip around? Tell me in the comments.

You've been meaning to book that Spain trip for six months. The tabs are still open. The Pinterest board keeps growing. ...
07/01/2026

You've been meaning to book that Spain trip for six months.

The tabs are still open. The Pinterest board keeps growing. And you still haven't actually planned anything.

Because you don't have time to figure out: How many days in Madrid vs. Seville? Which hotel neighborhood actually makes sense? What needs to be booked ahead?

This is exactly what I do. You tell me what you want. I design it.

DM to start planning.

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