When you’re stuck at your desk at lunchtime, it can seem like half of the people you scroll past in your social media feeds are travelling somewhere amazing. The other half are squee-ing over a kitten, puppy or child, but that’s another thing entirely.

If you want to travel more often, but don’t know where to start, buckle up. As someone who isn’t truly happy unless I’m planning my next trip, I’ve got some tried-and-tested tips to share with you. Soon you’ll be posting your own fab photos of your next big adventure or little getaway.

I can’t do anything about your budget, but I can help you break trip planning down into manageable steps so that you don’t have to feel overwhelmed by logistics, discover tools to find good deals, and give you ways to cut the drama and enjoy yourself.

Over the years, I’ve noticed that many people (who tell me that I travel too much) tend to completely dismiss the idea of travelling without doing any research or math – they just tell themselves it’s impossible and leave it at that. That might be true, but have you ever thought to create a breakdown of the actual costs? You might be surprised. Or you might not be, depending on your obligations and other priorities.

This weekly series will walk you through everything you need to know and do for a great holiday. My travel focus, and true love, is the cities of Europe, so most of my advice will be geared towards North Americans travelling to the UK and the continent. But a lot of this advice will also be handy for shorter trips closer to home.

Keep an eye out for posts on the next six Fridays, including:

1. Deciding where to go, and when
2. Who’s joining you?
3. Time to dream
4. Sorting out the boring stuff
5. In transit
6. Your trip, your way

#myguidetobosstravel