Research Travel Planning for Writers

Research travel planning is custom-designed itinerary support for writers who need time, flexibility, and depth.

This is not a tour and not a writing retreat. It's practical trip planning shaped around a specific place, question, or project—designed to help you understand how a place works before you try to write about it.

Writing is welcome. It's never required.

What Research Travel Planning Is

Research travel planning is a one-to-one collaboration between you and Early & Away. Together, we design a journey that supports observation, movement, and lived experience—without over-structuring your time or directing your work.

Each trip is built around:

• A destination that rewards close attention
• Thoughtful pacing, not packed itineraries
• Space for independent exploration
• Time to write as reflection, if and when it's useful

Some moments are curated. Many are left deliberately open. Not everything is explained.

You travel independently with an itinerary designed specifically for your research needs.

Who Research Travel Planning Is For

Research travel planning is designed for writers who:

• Are working on fiction, nonfiction, essays, or long-term projects
• Need flexibility rather than a fixed group schedule
• Prefer to think and observe before discussing
• Want expert support without losing independence

It's also a good fit for writers who are early in a project and need orientation rather than output—or for those returning to a place they already know and want to see it differently.

How We Design Your Trip

Every research trip begins with a conversation.

We talk about:

• What you're writing (or thinking about writing)
• Why this place matters
• How you tend to work when you travel
• What kind of structure supports your attention

From there, Early & Away designs the logistics, pacing, and framework for your trip—so you can arrive ready to notice rather than manage details.

Our role is not to guide your thinking or evaluate your work. It's to create the conditions that make insight possible.

What's Included

Research travel planning typically includes:

• Customized itinerary design
• Lodging recommendations aligned with focus and pacing
• Transportation planning and coordination
• Curated experiences that support place literacy
• Built-in time for wandering, observing, and writing

Exact inclusions vary based on destination, duration, and service level. We offer three tiers of support, from comprehensive destination guides for self-sufficient planners to full-service planning and booking for complex international trips.

What This Is Not

To be clear, research travel planning is not:

• A writing workshop
• A productivity-focused retreat
• A coaching program
• A sightseeing tour

There are no assignments, critiques, or expectations about what you produce.

The work is attention. Everything else follows.

Begin Planning Your Research Trip

If you're interested in research travel planning, the first step is a short consultation to explore fit, timing, and direction.

Schedule a consultation to talk through your project and research needs.

Looking for a group experience instead? Learn more about our Field Studies, small-group research journeys where writers travel together to a shared destination.