Planning a trip should feel exciting, not like a part-time job with twelve browser tabs, three hotel comparison sites, and one increasingly suspicious spreadsheet.
That is where I come in.
I’m Jackie, the travel blogger and independent travel agent behind The Traveling Owl. I help travelers plan meaningful, practical, and realistic trips across Europe and beyond — from family holidays and city breaks to train adventures, WWII history routes, river cruises, road trips, extreme day trips, and custom itineraries.
Whether you need help choosing where to go, building a realistic route, finding the right accommodation, booking travel, or turning a vague “we want to go somewhere in Europe” idea into an actual plan, I would love to help.
And the best part?
My travel planning services are available at no additional cost to you when you book through me.
How I Can Help You Travel
Every traveler is different, so I do not believe in one-size-fits-all trips.
Some people want a slow, scenic itinerary with beautiful towns and relaxed mornings. Some want a full family adventure with castles, trains, museums, and kid-friendly stops. Some want a WWII history route that feels thoughtful and meaningful. Some want to see how much of Europe they can squeeze into a long weekend without needing a recovery week afterward.
No judgment. I respect a dramatic travel goal.
I can help with:
- Europe city breaks
- Family holidays
- Solo travel
- Couples trips
- Train travel across Europe
- Multi-country itineraries
- Road trips
- River cruises
- Ocean cruises
- WWII and history-focused travel
- Extreme day trips from the UK
- Theme park and family adventure trips
- Custom travel planning
- Hotels and resorts
- Tours and excursions
- Travel logistics and route planning
If you are not sure what kind of trip you want yet, that is completely fine. We can start with your interests, budget, travel dates, group size, and travel style, then narrow down the best options.
Free Travel Planning
One of the questions I get most often is: “How are your services free?”
As an independent travel agent, I may earn commission from travel suppliers when you book through me. That means you do not pay an additional planning fee for my help. You get support with planning and booking, and I am paid by the supplier after travel is booked.
This allows me to help you create a trip that fits your budget, pace, interests, and travel style without adding extra planning costs.
You still control the trip. I simply help make the process easier.
What It Is Like to Work With Me
Working with me is meant to feel personal, practical, and low-pressure.
I am not here to push you into a cookie-cutter trip or tell you there is only one “right” way to travel. I want to understand what you actually want from your trip, what your budget looks like, how fast or slow you like to travel, and what would make the experience feel special for you.
Here is how the process usually works:
Step 1: Tell Me About Your Trip
You send me the basics:
- Where you want to go
- When you want to travel
- How many people are going
- Your approximate budget
- Your travel style
- Your must-dos
- Anything you definitely want to avoid
This is also where you can tell me if you want a relaxed trip, a packed itinerary, family-friendly pacing, historical sites, scenic train routes, beach time, city exploring, or a mix of everything.
Step 2: I Research Your Options
Once I understand your trip goals, I start researching options that make sense for you.
Depending on your trip, this may include:
- Destination ideas
- Hotel options
- Cruise options
- Train routes
- Flights
- Tours
- Transfers
- Family-friendly activities
- Historical sites
- Excursions
- Travel logistics
- Itinerary pacing
I look for options that fit the way you actually travel, not just what looks good in a glossy brochure.
Step 3: We Refine the Plan
After I share options with you, we can adjust the trip until it feels right.
Maybe you want a slower pace. Maybe you want a better hotel location. Maybe you want to swap a museum for a food tour, add a castle, cut a travel day, or make the itinerary more child-friendly.
This is your trip, so the plan should feel like you.
Step 4: You Book Through Me
When you are happy with the plan, you can book through me.
I will help with the booking process and provide support where possible before you travel. My goal is to make the planning experience feel clearer, easier, and less overwhelming from the first idea to the final itinerary.
Trips I Especially Love Planning
I can help with a wide range of travel, but these are some of my favorite types of trips to plan.
Europe Travel
Europe is my favorite place to research, write about, and plan.
Whether you want Paris, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Greece, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Scotland, or a multi-country route, I can help you turn a list of ideas into a realistic itinerary.
Start exploring Europe travel inspiration here:
Europe Itineraries
If you want help figuring out what you can realistically see in the time you have, itinerary planning is one of my favorite things to do.
I can help you plan:
- First-time Europe trips
- Weekend breaks
- One-week itineraries
- Two-week itineraries
- Multi-country routes
- Family-friendly pacing
- Train-based routes
- History-focused trips
- City breaks
- Road trips
For inspiration, browse:
WWII and History Travel
If you love meaningful travel, I can help you build trips around WWII sites, castles, museums, memorials, bunkers, historic towns, battlefields, and places where Europe’s past still feels close.
Historical travel needs thoughtful planning. Some sites are emotional, some require advance booking, and some deserve more time than travelers expect. I can help you balance serious historical stops with lighter experiences so the trip feels meaningful without becoming overwhelming.
Start here:
Train Travel
Train travel can be one of the best ways to see Europe, but planning routes, tickets, seat reservations, and station connections can get confusing quickly.
I can help you decide whether train travel makes sense for your trip, how many stops to include, which routes are realistic, and how to build a train itinerary that does not feel like a logistical puzzle written by a goblin.
Read more here:
Extreme Day Trips
If you are based in the UK and want to take an extreme day trip to another country, I can help you figure out what is actually doable.
Extreme day trips are all about timing, airport buffers, transport, opening hours, and choosing the right priorities. They can be brilliant when planned well and mildly unhinged when planned badly.
Start with:
Family Travel
As a parent, I understand that family travel needs a different kind of planning.
A good family trip should include enough structure to avoid chaos, but enough flexibility for real life. Children need food, breaks, space, realistic walking distances, and activities that make the trip enjoyable for everyone.
I can help plan family trips that include:
- Kid-friendly hotels
- Practical transport
- Realistic daily pacing
- Outdoor time
- Family-friendly tours
- Museums and historical sites
- Castles, trains, parks, beaches, and adventure stops
- Backup plans for bad weather
Family travel can still be meaningful, beautiful, and exciting. It just needs a plan that remembers everyone has legs, moods, and snack requirements.
Cruises and River Cruises
Cruises can be a wonderful way to travel, especially if you want to see multiple places without constantly packing and unpacking.
I can help with:
- Ocean cruises
- River cruises
- Family cruises
- Europe river cruises
- Cruise line comparisons
- Cabin options
- Pre- and post-cruise stays
- Excursions
- Ports of call
- Cruise-and-land combinations
If you are not sure which cruise style fits you best, I can help compare options.
Who I Work With
I work with travelers who want a trip that feels personal, practical, and well-planned.
This may be a good fit if you:
- Feel overwhelmed by travel research
- Want help choosing the right destination
- Need a realistic itinerary
- Are planning Europe for the first time
- Want a family-friendly trip
- Love history or WWII travel
- Want to travel by train
- Need help comparing hotels, cruises, or tours
- Want a trip that fits your budget
- Prefer personal help over generic booking sites
- Want support from someone who genuinely enjoys the research part
You do not need to have everything figured out before contacting me. That is the whole point.
Blog Collaborations
The Traveling Owl is also open to select collaborations that fit the blog’s focus and audience.
I may consider partnerships related to:
- Europe travel
- Historical travel
- Family travel
- Solo travel
- Train travel
- Travel gear
- Travel planning tools
- Hotels and accommodations
- Tours and experiences
- Cruises and river cruises
- Destinations, tourism boards, and travel brands
- Digital travel products or resources
Possible collaboration opportunities may include:
- Sponsored blog posts
- Destination features
- Hotel or tour reviews
- Travel product reviews
- Social media promotion
- Newsletter features
- Affiliate partnerships
- Custom travel content
I only want to share products, destinations, services, and experiences that are genuinely useful for my readers. The Traveling Owl is built around trust, practical advice, and meaningful travel, so any partnership needs to fit naturally with that.
For collaboration enquiries, please contact me directly.
Why Work With The Traveling Owl?
The Traveling Owl is a solo-run travel blog and travel planning business.
That means when you work with me, you are not being passed through a giant call center or handed a generic package with no personality. You are working with someone who loves planning, loves Europe, loves history, and genuinely wants your trip to make sense for you.
I care about:
- Practical routes
- Realistic timing
- Good hotel locations
- Meaningful experiences
- Budget awareness
- Clear communication
- Family-friendly planning
- Historical context
- Avoiding unnecessary stress
- Helping you feel confident before you go
I want your trip to feel exciting, manageable, and personal — not like you copied someone else’s holiday and hoped for the best.
Ready to Plan Your Trip?
If you are ready to start planning, I would love to hear from you.
You can contact me here:
Or email me directly at:
jackie.burke@thetravelingowl.co
When you reach out, please include as much of the following as you can:
- Destination ideas
- Travel dates or approximate timing
- Number of travelers
- Departure location
- Budget range
- Trip length
- Travel style
- Must-see places
- Any mobility needs or special considerations
- Whether you are interested in flights, hotels, cruises, tours, or a full itinerary
Do not worry if you only have a rough idea. “I want to go somewhere in Europe and I don’t know where to start” is a perfectly acceptable beginning.
Explore Before You Book
Still gathering ideas? Start here:
- Start Here
- Europe Travel
- Europe Itineraries
- Travel Tips
- WWII & History Travel
- About The Traveling Owl
Wherever you are in the planning process, I hope The Traveling Owl helps you feel more confident, inspired, and ready for your next adventure.
Happy travels,
Jackie
The Traveling Owl