Why This Might Be the Best-Kept Secret in Travel

Even as a veteran traveler and vacation planner, I'd often wished there were an easier way to get all my trip planning done—whether a magic button or just a friend who always knows everything to see/do/eat in any given city. Then I tried Monograms, a style of travel that promises stress-free days and an authentic local experience. And after taking my own Monograms trip to Rome and Venice, I think I may have uncovered the best-kept secret in travel.

What is Monograms exactly? It's not an escorted tour—you won't find yourself squeezing onto a bus at 7 a.m. every day with lots of strangers. Nor is it a solo trip where you're totally on your own. It's the truest kind of happy medium—an "untour," if you will. And here are five reasons I'll be booking another one ASAP:

1. No need for a vacation after your vacation

Nothing makes me feel like I need a vacation more than planning the nitty-gritty of a vacation. By contrast, the "stress-free getaway" Monograms promise kicked in as soon as I booked. I clicked "Confirm," and everything I dislike figuring out was automatically figured out for me: airport transfers, train tickets, train station transfers, plus tours of can't-miss sites. And just that act of handing over responsibility for the details helped flip my mental switch to vacation mode.

During the resulting trip, on the rare occasion that my brain did begin to switch back into "OK, where do I go now" mode, someone seemed to instantly appear with a sign and a smile, ready to help me get to the next place. And you know how helpful this is if you've ever tried to catch a train abroad: Finding your platform, deciphering foreign signage and knowing whether or not (and where and how) to validate your ticket all factor into whether you wind up spending too much time at the station, or worse, missing your train.

As for my transfers: private black cars in Rome and private water taxis in Venice, each waiting for me as soon as I arrived. I could get dangerously accustomed to this version of la bella vita.

2. Local Hosts

Picture a concierge, guide, friend, Siri and Google rolled into one—basically, the very embodiment of reassurance—and you'll start to get an idea of a Monograms Local Host. In Rome, mine was Yolanda, a 30-year resident of the city with a warm smile and quick wit. She greeted me at the hotel with a packet full of maps, her recommendations and customized logistical info—most important, the times I needed to be ready for my scheduled activities and transfers. Everything was presented in the simplest, most transparent format. Still, she gave me her personal cell phone number, too, so just in case I needed directions, a restaurant recommendation or someone to translate with a cab driver, she was available. 

In fact, Yolanda had a dedicated desk in the hotel lobby for Monograms travelers and was there nearly all day to answer questions, arrange transfers and make sure things ran smoothly.

Case in point: One morning, I returned to the hotel famished from biking through the city. With only two hours before my next activity, I told Yolanda I was really hoping to find some amazing carbonara nearby. She walked with me to a restaurant—one I never would have noticed—introduced me to the owner and procured the best-tasting carbonara I've ever had. And with that one pasta dish, she proved the old travelism: You have to "go where the locals go" to really experience a place.

3. Sightseeing sans flag-following

My Local Hosts also coordinated the can't-miss sightseeing that's included in every Monograms trip. In Rome, that meant a tour of the Vatican and Colosseum, while in Venice, we explored St. Mark's Square and the Doge's Palace. Typically, you're with other Monograms travelers while sightseeing, but these are tours you'd likely book anyway—with smaller-than-average groups and your own expert local guide.

The best part, though? The skip-the-line access (which meant saving hours in Rome and Venice) and other VIP perks. For example, I definitely wanted to see the Vatican, but didn't want to figure out how to make a reservation, where to buy tickets, or when and where to get in line. Nor did I have the dual Masters in art and history I would have needed to fully appreciate the Vatican. Monograms was the perfect solution on all counts. My guide both got me where I needed to be and gave me the most compelling crash course on what to look out for.  

There are also optional Monograms tours ranging from the touristy (if you go to Venice and don't ride a gondola, did you even go?) to the trendy (think foodie walking tours of hot neighborhoods). Many of these tours are designed around the idea of "sidestreets"—getting off the beaten path and doing something immersive. Your Local Host can help tailor your experiences to your interests. For my part, I can't stop talking about the organic picnic I had in a gorgeous, secluded Roman park. The views were incredible, the food fantastic and the relaxation priceless. Had I been on my own, I never would have found this park.

4. The perfect amount of time, whatever that may be

Unlike traditional escorted tours that have you following a leader from town A to town B on a fixed schedule, Monograms lets you choose how long you'll be spending in A or B—and whether there will be a C, D or E. So whether you want to do as I did and spend three nights each in Rome and Venice—that seems to be the magic number for first-timers—or piece together some other combo, you're all set: The YourWay program lets you choose two to five nights in Rome, Venice, Florence, London, Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon or Amsterdam.

5. Curated and planned by experts

As part of the larger Globus family of brands, a travel company with more than 90 years' experience, Monograms trips were born of the feedback of thousands of travelers and decades of local expertise. So how does that translate on a trip? Well, on my sightseeing tour of Venice, I joked with my Local Host Graziella that we seemed to be perpetually 10 minutes ahead of the huge crowds wherever we went. She told me that was no accident: She knew exactly when to hit St. Mark's Square to see it without throngs of people in the way. Similarly, my guide in Rome planned our Vatican visit so we had plenty of time to appreciate the Sistine Chapel, unlike other groups I saw sprinting through the museums.

The hotels are chosen equally thoughtfully, with an eye to quality and location. For example, my Venetian hotel was in a historic building right along a small canal that somehow managed to be away from the bulk of the tourist traffic, but still a three-minute walk to St. Mark's Square. In most places, you can choose from a couple of hotels, so you can pick the one that suits you. But be warned: Given how at-home you'll feel thanks to your Local Host, having to check out can come as something of a shock.

So who's This For (and How Much Does It Cost)?

• It's your first time in the destination: You can get your bearings in a new place more quickly and go beyond the guidebook with the local resources and contacts at your disposal.  
• You're tight on time: Monograms plans away a lot of the stress and wasted time in a destination so you can experience more while resting assured that all the details have been seen to by people in the know.
• You love local experiences: The Local Host adds a personal "locals-only" touch, helping you find the secret spots that boilerplate tours will miss.
• Traveling with family or a large group of friends: No one has to be in charge of planning the details of the trip or be the point person while you travel, so everyone can relax.
• Extended trip takers: You can plan a two- or three-week trip across multiple cities or countries all at once without ever having to research how to get from points A to B to C to D.

Booking a trip through Monograms will cost a bit more than booking the flights and hotels on your own (but less than booking a fully escorted tour). Still, in my experience, the expertise of the Local Hosts, the time and stress I saved—and yes, the posh perks—were worth every penny. In fact, when I was recapping my trip to my fellow well-traveled Deal Experts, over and over, I heard "Man, I could've used that when I went to ________."

Ready to go?

Check out the Monograms website or call 866-667-3804 for special offers to Europe and beyond. You can also sign up for the Monograms Wanderlist for monthly vacation package specials, including 25% off select London vacations this month.