Travel guides

The routing guides, free to read.

8 written guides on the part nobody plans: what order the cities go in, how many nights each one earns, which train to take, and which rail pass is not worth buying.

The Bella-Ruta PTO Guide: Turning 9 Leave Days Into 17 Days Away
Planning · PTO maths

The Bella-Ruta PTO Guide: Turning 9 Leave Days Into 17 Days Away

The bracketing method, worked against the real 2027 calendar, with the exact dates that give you the best ratio.

Where Tokyo Actually Belongs in Your Japan Route
Routing · Japan

Where Tokyo Actually Belongs in Your Japan Route

Why the biggest city on your route is the wrong place to spend your worst days, and the two ways to fix it.

Should You Buy the Japan Rail Pass? Run This Sum First
Budget · Japan rail

Should You Buy the Japan Rail Pass? Run This Sum First

The current prices, the break-even calculation, the discount tickets nobody mentions, and the one reason to buy the pass that has nothing to do with money.

Two Nights Is One Day: How to Count the Days You Actually Get
Planning · Night maths

Two Nights Is One Day: How to Count the Days You Actually Get

The formula for converting days away into usable days, the minimum-nights rules, and why the same journey costs a morning by train and a whole day by plane.

Take the Monday, Not the Friday
Planning · Long weekends

Take the Monday, Not the Friday

The same one day of leave, spent at the other end of the weekend, buys you an extra day and a half. Plus the cases where it does not work.

Overnight Trains: When They Save You a Day and When They Cost You One
Transport · Night trains

Overnight Trains: When They Save You a Day and When They Cost You One

The arrival-time problem nobody writes about, the routes that arrive at a civilised hour, and the one Nightjet route that no longer exists.

Bangkok to Hanoi Overland: Thailand → Laos → Vietnam, Honestly Costed
3 weeks · Thailand → Laos → Vietnam

Bangkok to Hanoi Overland: Thailand → Laos → Vietnam, Honestly Costed

The real day-cost of the overland route, the four-days-a-week flight that dictates the whole itinerary, and the visa detail that gets people turned around at the border.

The Bella-Ruta Booking Timeline: What to Book, and Exactly When
Planning · Booking order

The Bella-Ruta Booking Timeline: What to Book, and Exactly When

Every rail operator's advance booking window, what the airfare research actually says, and the order to book things in.

Your dates, your route

Want one of these planned for your dates?

Send your dates, your departure airport, and every place you're considering — maybes included. You get an honest read in writing.