What our travelers tell us

Ivana got us onto the walls before the cruise crowds

We were warned about the crowds in Dubrovnik and they were real by eleven, but Ivana had us up on the walls at eight, when the Pile gate was still quiet. She knew every scene and, better, every family on her street. Lokrum with the peacocks and the Iron Throne was silly and fun. Split was the surprise: standing in the palace cellars where the dragons were chained, and then having coffee in a square people still live in. The bus ride north was long but the lunch stop in Ston made up for it.

Winterfell in the rain, and I would not change it

It rained on our Castle Ward morning, which Niamh said was the right weather for Winterfell, and she was right. The studio tour in Banbridge was the highlight for me, the costumes up close are something else. Niamh was honest that the Dark Hedges have lost a lot of trees and that the road is closed to cars, so nobody was disappointed when we got there at eight in the morning. Ballintoy in the evening light was my favorite photo of the trip. Good hotels, good breakfasts, very good company.

Naboo, Dorne and a real western saloon

My husband is the Star Wars fan, I came for Seville, and we both got what we wanted. Ines walked us through the Plaza de España and the Alcazar with the scenes on her tablet, then took us for tapas in Triana. The bullring in Osuna was more moving than I expected. Almería was a different world, dry hills and western towns, and Luis had his photo taken outside the saloon like a cowboy. The one hard day was the drive from Seville to Almería, long, but with good stops.

The steam train over Glenfinnan made me cry, a little

I have read the books to two children and wanted this for myself. Oliver had the timing of every day worked out, the studio tour at Leavesden in the morning, Oxford before the students woke up, and he never once rushed us. The cloisters at Gloucester and Lacock were quieter and lovelier than I imagined. Our train to York was delayed by an hour, and Oliver had sandwiches waiting on the platform. Then the Jacobite over the viaduct on the last morning, with the whole carriage waving. Worth every penny.

Sigrun kept us safe and kept it fun

Iceland in August still gave us four seasons in a week. Sigrun was serious about the rules at Reynisfjara, and after seeing a wave run up the beach we understood why. Kirkjufell at sunset, Thingvellir with the scenes on her tablet, a glacier walk with a mountain guide that Diane still talks about. One day the wind closed a road and we swapped two days around without fuss. The hotels were simple and clean, and the food better than we feared.

Traveling alone and never felt like a spare part

I booked as a solo traveler and was seated with a different couple at every dinner, which I liked. Lena got us to Griffith Observatory early, before the parking filled up, and told the Rebel Without a Cause story right where it happened. The Bradbury Building was my favorite, so quiet inside. One hitch: our Warner Bros. time slot moved by two hours on the day. Lena swapped the afternoon around, took us to Union Station first, and we lost nothing. I am already looking at Rome.

On the back of a Vespa at 74

I have loved Roman Holiday since I was a girl, and I rode around the Colosseum on the back of a Vespa with a very patient driver called Marco. Chiara knew where to stand at the Trevi Fountain to get the angle from the film without the crowd. Cinecittà was a treat, especially the old Rome set. The Spanish Steps were busier than I hoped and you cannot sit on them anymore, which Chiara had warned us about. Small group, good hotel, lovely dinners.

Ten days in Middle-earth, and the weather mostly behaved

We are both big Tolkien readers and this was our trip of a lifetime. Kiri knew the books as well as the films, which made the days much richer. Hobbiton was busy but magical, and the drink at the Green Dragon was a nice touch. Cloud hid Mount Doom on our Tongariro day, so Kiri took us back to the lookout early the next morning and there it was. Wellington and the Weta Workshop were the high point for Tom, Glenorchy for me.

I was nervous about Jordan. I should not have been.

My family worried about me going to Jordan, and I felt welcome every single day. Omar is a wonderful guide, proud of his country and very funny. Walking through the Siq and seeing the Treasury appear is as good as the Indiana Jones scene, better really. The climb to the Monastery is hard work, so take your time. The night in the Wadi Rum camp was cold, so bring a warm layer, but the stars were the best I have ever seen.