The Europe that isn't on the booking engine.
Mike Leslie is a New York travel advisor with a personal approach and trusted travel partners throughout Europe.
Italy · France · Spain · Portugal · Switzerland · The Netherlands · The British Isles
Meet Mike
The Story Behind Streamline Travels
Thoughtfully planned travel, inspired by a lifetime of exploring.
I've always believed the best trips aren't measured by how many places you visit. They're measured by the memories you bring home.
Every trip I take starts with a walking tour.
It's my favorite way to get to know a destination, understand its history, and find the neighborhoods, cafés, and local spots that make a place memorable. Wandering the streets of Lisbon, dinner in a small Tuscan village, the last hour of an evening in an Edinburgh pub — I've found the best travel experiences come from slowing down and taking a place as it is.
That passion for travel is what inspired me to start Streamline Travels.
Long before I became a travel advisor, I built my career producing high profile live events. Success depended on thoughtful planning, clear communication, and attention to every detail. Behind every flawless event are hundreds of moving parts working together. Planning exceptional travel requires the same mindset: anticipating the details so you don't have to.
I believe every trip should reflect the people taking it. That's why I take the time to understand how you like to travel. Your perfect day might be the landmarks, or a neighborhood café you stumble into, or a long dinner at a family-owned restaurant, or wandering with no agenda at all. I'll build the itinerary around how you travel, not how someone else does.
You'll always get honest advice from me. If I think there's a better route, a better hotel, or even a better time of year to visit, I'll tell you. My goal isn't to sell you a vacation. It's to help you have the best possible travel experience.
Plan Less. Travel More.
That's more than a tagline. It's the philosophy behind Streamline Travels. I'll take care of the planning and the details so you can spend less time worrying about logistics and more time looking forward to your next adventure.
Mike LeslieFounder · Streamline Travels
Anyone can book the hotel. The point is what happens once you're standing in the lobby.
Places I Know and Love
Ten places I go back to, and know well enough to be useful in. Anywhere else in Europe, I'll tell you so and find you the right person.
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01
Paris
The Sixth or the Seventh, and a room above the street instead of facing it. A table at Le Voltaire. The Musée Rodin an hour before it opens to everyone else.
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02
Florence & Tuscany
The Duomo at opening, before the line reaches the Baptistery. Then out of the city by noon — a house with a cook, Montalcino in the afternoon, the Val d'Orcia in the last hour of light.
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03
Amsterdam
A canal house on the Herengracht instead of a hotel by the station. The Rijksmuseum at opening, the library galleries before the Rembrandts. Dinner in the Jordaan, then the walk home along the water once the bridges are lit.
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04
Seville & Andalucía
Seville in April or November, never August. The Alcázar first thing, while the courtyards are still cool. A late lunch, then nothing until evening — which is how the city is built to be used.
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05
Portugal
Two nights in Lisbon, then the train up the Douro with the river on your left the whole way. A quinta with rooms above the vines. Porto at the end of it, late, for the food more than the cellars.
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06
Scotland
Speyside in October, a lodge with a keeper and a beat on the river. Edinburgh for two nights on either end. Golf at North Berwick, which is better than the course everyone asks for.
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07
Milan
The city most people skip, which is exactly the point. Up on the Duomo roof at opening, level with the spires. Lunch in Brera. The Galleria late, after the day crowds have gone.
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08
Lugano
Italian-speaking Switzerland: the food and the light are Italian, the trains and the standards are Swiss. Morcote at dusk, when the campanile turns gold and the lake goes flat. The funicular up Monte Brè before anyone else is out.
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09
Ireland
Kerry and Connemara, where the weather changes four times before lunch and nobody minds. A house on the water with a boat and someone to run it. Dinner in Dublin on the way home.
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10
England
A quiet hotel in Mayfair, and the Wallace Collection while everyone else waits in line at the National. Then west to Bath for the Georgian crescents, or an hour south to Brighton — the Pavilion, and lunch facing the water.
How it works
Tell me what you're thinking, we'll talk it through, and I'll take it from there.
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01
Tell me what you have in mind
A destination, a date, or just an idea. You don't need to have it figured out. I read every inquiry myself, and I'll follow up to set up a short discovery call — 20 to 30 minutes, no charge.
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02
I plan it
After we talk, I'll lay out the direction I recommend. If you want to move forward, we agree on the scope and a Research & Quoting Fee before detailed planning starts.
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03
I take it from there
I research, design, and coordinate the details, and I stay with it before, during, and after your trip. An office line and a cell, both ringing straight to me — no call center, no phone tree — plus emergency support on the ground while you're away.
How I work
Research, then a proposal
Good travel planning begins with understanding why you're taking the trip and how you want it to feel. A honeymoon, anniversary, family celebration, long-awaited adventure, or simply the chance to slow down each calls for a different kind of experience.
From there, I look at how the entire trip works together: the route, pacing, transportation, location of each hotel, room options, experiences, and the details that can make travel either effortless or unnecessarily complicated.
I research through trusted suppliers, destination specialists, tourism partners, and professional travel resources that aren't always available through consumer booking sites. I compare the strongest options, examine what is and isn't included, and consider the tradeoffs before presenting recommendations with a clear reason behind them.
After our complimentary discovery conversation, we'll agree on the scope and a Research & Quoting Fee before detailed planning begins. That fee reflects the time and expertise involved in building your trip and is applied toward your trip cost when you book through me.
Streamline Travels is proudly affiliated with Burr Travel, a full-service travel agency based in Northport, New York, where I am an Independent Specialist. This relationship gives me access to an experienced team, trusted travel partners, and a broad network of destination and supplier specialists. You receive the personal attention of working directly with me, supported by the knowledge and resources of an established travel agency.
Inquiries
Tell me what you have in mind.
A rough idea is plenty — a region, a month, roughly what you'd like to spend. I answer everything myself, usually within a day.
- Office
- 1-866-774-0411
- Cell
- 516-456-9027
- Based in
- Long Island, New York