Don’t worry, let Cody do it!

Are you overwhelmed trying to plan your next vacation? Having a tough time figuring out how to get from point A to point B smoothly? Figuring out which hotel fits you best with the perfect location? Do you want someone to do the research for you to make your dream vacation come true?

I have been traveling extensively for 12 years, planning month-long, multi-country and city vacations, as well as short romantic getaways, themed vacations, walking holidays, and family reunions.

What I have to offer

• Research: I love to research and am good at it.

• Accommodation: I will find the best accommodation for your needs that is walkable to restaurants, shops, markets, and public transportation or, in rural areas, out of the sight of others.

• Tours: I can find the best tours for your interests, whether they are private or in a group.

• Transportation and transfers: This is where a lot of people get stuck, but do not worry—I will give you options on trains, planes, buses, cabs, and town car transfers.

• Communication: I will be there for you throughout the planning process to answer all of you questions and gather any input you have. You can be involved with every step of the process or wash your hands of the planning altogether and simply approve the final plan.

• Budget: You give me a budget, and I will show you various options and the price difference until you find something you are comfortable with.

I can give you a plan for something as simple as the best way to get from London Heathrow Airport to your Airbnb in the rural North of England. Or if you want to see the Alps from five different countries, I will make it happen. Give me an idea, and I will bring it to life for you.

How it works

You can email, text, or call me with a country or city you want to visit and how many people there are in your group. Or simply tell me your travel dream or an idea you would like to explore.

I will then email you a list of questions asking about how you envision your day, your main objective for the vacation (to relax, visit a historical monument, seek adventure, or bond with a partner), and what is most important to you regarding accommodation.

I will start researching and put a plan together for you within a few days. After you review the plan, we can change or continue to build on the initial draft until everything is just right.

I will then put together an easy-to-understand daily itinerary, along with helpful cultural tips.

My fees can be negotiated hourly or as a percentage, depending on the amount of client presentation with booking portions on there own after I have done the research. I am not affiliated with any travel agency, hotel chain, airline, or cruise line. This means you will be getting the best option for you!

Email- coconorris@gmail.com

Text- 1-801-403-9855

I have a few examples for you.

   Annan and Jared's

London, Bavaria, and Salzburg vacation.

Background from Annan and Jared

Jared lived in Bavaria, Germany, in his early 20s and wanted to return to some old favorite spots and visit some new ones. Jared and Annan had limited time to spend on this vacation and wanted help planning their travel between the various locations and deciding which of their planned excursions would be possible. Jared emailed me a list of locations, things he wanted to do, and places he wanted to visit in a numbering system, with 1 being the most important and, at the bottom of the list, things he would like to do if possible.

I booked the hotels, trains, taxi transfers, and a few tours. Annan booked their plane tickets and made arrangements for some of the tours and activities while in the location. Though it was not possible to fit all their ideas into this one trip, Jared and Annan were happy with the end result.

September 17, depart Salt Lake City for London Heathrow, arriving morning of September 18.

September 18, arrive in London for four nights

• Accommodation: The Z Hotel Covent Garden

• Annan had been to London before and had her own itinerary.

• Top things to do: Thames River Cruise; Tower of London before walking over Tower Bridge; Buckingham Palace during the Changing of the Guard, 10:45 Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Sunday; Westminster Abby and Houses of Parliament; Borough Market; Covent Garden; a drink at the Shard.

September 21, London to Salzburg (LGW–SZG)

• Departing London Gatwick at 16:40, arriving in Salzburg at 19:35

• Gatwick Express train leaves every 15 minutes and takes 30 minutes from London's Victoria Station

• Uber or taxi

September 21, Salzburg for one night

• Accommodation: H+ Hotel Salzburg, www.h-otels.com

• The hotel is 300 feet from the train station for easy access the next morning

September 22, Salzburg to Füssen by train leaving at 10:00 and arriving at 14:45

September 22, arrive in Füssen for two nights

• Accommodation: Hotel Sonne, www.hotel-fuesse.de

• September 23, Neuschwanstein Castle at 10:15

• Discover Füssen old town

• Hohenschwangau Castle

September 24, travel to Garmisch-Partenkirchen by car transfer, leaving the hotel at 10:30, travel time of approximately 53 minutes

September 24, arrive in Garmisch-Partenkirchen for two nights

• Accommodation: aja Garmisch-Partenkirchen, www.aja.de

• Spend the day at Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain

September 25, hike the Höllentalklamm gorge in the morning and spend the second half of the day at the aja hotel spa

September 26, travel to Berchtesgaden by train, approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes to Salzburg, then taxi to Berchtesgaden, approximately 25 minutes

September 26, arrive in Berchtesgaden for two nights

• Accommodation: Alpina Hotel, www.alpina-hotel.de

• Eagle’s Nest

• Königssee lake ferry boat tour

• Salt mine

September 28, travel to Salzburg by taxi, 25 minutes

September 28, arrive in Salzburg for two nights

• Accommodation: small luxury Hotel Goldgasse, www.hotelgoldgasse.at

• Sound of Music tour

• Mozart Fortress concert and dinner

September 30, fly back to London Gatwick, departing at 14:00 and arriving at 15:05

• National Express bus to London Heathrow Airport

• Accommodation: Renaissance London Heathrow

October 1, fly back to Salt Lake City, departing at 13:30

Price per two people sharing a room, including:

Hotels

Taxi transfers

Trains: first class

Personal fees and taxes

Total: $4,723.

Excluded: airfare (estimate $1,600 traveling coach) and tours (estimate $500; clients booked themselves)

Jennifer's friends and family Italian vacation

Background from Jennifer

Jennifer asked me to put a vacation together for her and close friends and family. The destination was Sicily, where her friend's ancestors are from. She did not have a location in mind; her friends just said that they wanted to stay near the ocean and within walking distance of restaurants, bars, and markets. They also wanted a certain standard of bedding in the accommodations (which can be hard to find by American standards). The group size would be 12–18 people.

I knew that her family and friends were Catholic and would most likely appreciate seeing Rome and the Vatican. So I suggested flying in and out of Rome and spending three to four days there. Jennifer’s mother was really excited about this portion of the trip and wanted some time at the Vatican.

Due to the size of the group, which consisted of different families and friends, I was asked to do all the research, and they would book everything themselves.

My fee is lower for research only.

October 5, depart Salt Lake City at 14:45, arriving in Rome at 11:50 on October 6

• Prearranged minibus x 2 ($408) or Leonardo Express train (€7 per person), leaving every 15 minutes, then taxis from the train station to the hotel (not far, but it may be difficult to walk on the small narrow cobblestone streets while carrying luggage).

October 6, Rome for four nights

Accommodation:

• Terrazze Navona Hotel, $228 a night per room.

• Palazzo Navona Hotel, $326 a night per room.

• Antico Albergo del Sole al Pantheon, $370 a night per room.

• Airbnb: Navona Residenza di Charme, $1,752 a night with six bedrooms, six bathrooms, and 10 beds (sleeping for 16+), best central location.

• Airbnb: Apartment in Prati Domus Alberico $1,208 a night (a great price for the high standard), 15 min walk to Piazza Navona and a few minutes’ walk to the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica. Located on the Vatican side of the river behind Castel Sant’Angelo. Six bedrooms with 11 beds, six bathrooms, and sleeping for up to 28 people.

October 7

• Vatican City and St. Peters Basilica private tour in the morning (note, the Basilica is closed on Sunday and Wednesday for church service; on these days, only tours of the Vatican Museums are possible).

• After the tour, walk across the Tiber River on the evocative Ponte Sant'Angelo bridge along the winding streets lined with shops and terrace cafes, leading to Piazza Navona. The restaurant recommended in this lovely area, which has great outdoor seating and the best spaghetti carbonara and fired artichokes, is Fattoincasa by Hostelaria La Danesina, Via del Governo Vecchio, 125, Roma RM. https://fattoincasabyhosterialadanesina.business.site

• In the afternoon, do one of the must-do things listed below.

October 8

Today is Sunday, and at noon, the Pope will appear from his apartment window in St. Peters Basilica square, where he will give a short speech followed by the Angelus. The proceedings end with a blessing to the crowds, with the whole event lasting 15-20 minutes.

I have been to this event, and it was impressive and worth spending the morning walking over the square and going through the security line. If you are early enough, you can sit on the white chairs; otherwise, you stand, which is what most of the crowd will be doing. I arrived at 11:50 am and still enjoyed seeing the Pope from a distance.

Some of your group may want to attend mass, so I have investigated it for you. I think it would be nice for your mom to go to mass starting at 10:30 am, then exiting the Basilica in time to see the Pope's speech. The exit of the Basilica will be in front of the crowd, so you will have no problem seeing the Pope. They recommend arriving for mass one to three hours early. Bathrooms are available there. See the following link: https://www.st-peters-basilica-tickets.com/mass/

In the afternoon, I recommend visiting one of the must-see sites listed below.

October 9

• Late morning private tour of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum—one of the highlights of Rome. Most tours are three to four hours long, so bring your water bottles; there are a lot of fill-up stations and toilets. Don’t skip Palatine Hill.

Must-do things in the afternoons and evenings that do not require a formal tour and do not take a lot of time.

• Walk the Spanish Steps and window shop in the high-end Italian stores. https://rome.us/squares-and-fountains/spanish-steps.html

• Visit the Pantheon and sit in the Piazza della Rotonda sipping wine and people-watching. The Pantheon is magnificent, and in the evenings, when it is all lit up, it is jaw-dropping. I would recommend going there for the first time at dusk or dark, then going back during the day to peek inside. The Pantheon is a location I go back to many times every time I visit Rome. You could say this is my favorite spot in Rome. https://www.pantheonroma.com/pantheon-history/

• A visit to the Trevi Fountain is necessary in Rome, and it is best seen at night. In truth, it is beautiful and almost magical, but it is always crowded. The area is small, so you cannot hang out for a drink or a bite to eat. The Trevi Fountain is an iconic site where you just walk by and toss a coin in the fountain. You do not need to carve out a lot of time for this site; it will likely take more time to get there than you will spend there. This was my mom's favorite spot, and she would get up before sunrise to spend time there without the crowds. https://romesite.com/trevi-fountain.html

• Campo de’ Fiori, Rome’s oldest market, has been around for 400 years, offering a wide variety of products, including flowers, fresh fruit and vegetables, Italian meats and cheeses, truffles, and olive oils. You can also find leather goods, clothing, and kitchen utensils.

• Castel Sant’Angelo has a lot of history and is definitely worth a visit if you have time. You can spend a lot of time here at the cafes overlooking the Vatican and the basilica, as well as all of Rome, or you can spend 45 mins walking through while learning about past popes’ escape routes and the tomb of the Roman emperor Hadrian. https://romesite.com/castelsantangelo.html

• Piazza Navona is one of the most beautiful and vibrant squares in the city, lined with restaurants and cafes and impressive fountains. Explore history while local kids play and eat gelato. https://romesite.com/piazza-navona.html

October 10

• Depart Rome and arrive at Ortigia Island in Sicily.

• Flights from Rome to Catania–Fontanarossa Airport take one hour and 15 minutes and cost $138.

• The train from Rome to Catania takes eight hours and 30 minutes with one transfer.

• From Catania, you will need to take a taxi transfer to the island. A minibus for seven people costs $159, for 12 it costs $375, and for 16 it costs $418.

October 10, Ortigia Island, Sicily, for five nights.

• Accommodation: Airbnb, Great Loft, Ortigia. It has seven bedrooms, 14 beds with six bathrooms, and sleeps 22 people. The price is $910 per night. This Airbnb also has beach access and is surrounded by bars, restaurants, and shops.

October 10 to 14

• Ortigia Island and Syracuse have beaches and beach clubs with pools, lounge chairs on the beach, and poolside with cafes and bars.

• You can take boat tours of caves with crystal blue waters and smaller islands off the coast. I have found some half-day and a few full-day tours.

• Cultural and historical tours of Sicily are available.

• Have a personal chef come to your Airbnb or to a restaurant for dinner one night to prepare local cuisine for the group. I would highly recommend this one night. I have had personal chefs on vacation, and it is an amazing experience and always one of the best nights. https://www.cookly.me/do/2079-personal-chef-home-or-restaurant-ortigias-island/in/syracuse

October 15, depart for Rome for one or two nights before flying back to Salt Lake City.