Exeter International: 7 Questions, One Team

Meet the team behind the itineraries. At Exeter International, curiosity—and firm opinions on pillows, power banks, and scarves—helps turn ambitious ideas into effortless trips. Discover what first inspired our passion for travel, from literary classics and exchange programs to first journeys abroad and lives shaped across continents. We also share our favorite destinations, best bites, and the splurges we still daydream about.

Our Experts:

Gwen Kozlowski, President – Central Europe

Leigh Landis, Regional Director – The Nordics, The Baltics, Benelux & Central Europe

Lori Hinkle, Regional Director – Switzerland, Central Europe & experiential trains

Silvia Baigorri, Regional Director – Central Europe, Switzerland & Benelux

Izabel Oliveira, Senior Travel Expert – Croatia, Slovenia, Central Europe

Arina Sazhina, Senior Travel Expert – Croatia, Slovenia, The Balkans, The Baltics, Central Asia, Caucasus

Dana Adkins, Travel Expert – Central Europe

Emily Warren, Travel Expert – The Nordics & Central Europe

Hannah Dressel, Travel Expert – Central Europe

Ala Osmond, Director of Marketing – Croatia, Slovenia, The Balkans

Greg Tepper, Founder

1. Who, what, or where caused you to fall in love with travel?

Gwen:
I think I just always was a big reader and would always read books about people in faraway places, and that’s where I wanted to go too. When I graduated high school, I was absolutely sure that I was going to get a degree in international studies and then work for the State Department or be an ambassador or something like that. And then when I was in graduate school for that, I walked into a travel agency, struck up a conversation, and that was it. That was the end of graduate school and the start of my career. And that was 1993, so it’s been a long time.

Leigh:
Books! Growing up, I loved reading adventures and could not wait to experience every corner of the world.

Lori:
Exeter International—prior to starting to work here 18 years ago, I had only traveled outside the country three times. My first trip with Exeter was to Slovenia, Croatia, and Montenegro, and then six weeks later to Kiev, St. Petersburg, and Moscow. To see places I had never thought I would visit was so surreal. Learning about them, experiencing all the things to see and do, and then coming back and implementing all of that into my job and daily conversations was priceless. I don’t love getting to the destination, but once there, there is nothing like the feeling of travel!

Izabel:
I first came from Brazil to the U.S. to work for Disney. That opportunity allowed me to meet (and live with) a very diverse group of people from all corners of the world. This really sparked my curiosity about all the different cultures out there to be explored.

Dana:
The first time I traveled overseas was with a school group in high school. We toured Italy, and getting to experience the history of the area astounded me. Coming from the U.S., we don’t have that kind of history, and that is when I knew I was hooked.

Arina:
A university exchange program. I remember how deeply it affected me. Living in a new, culturally different place and meeting people with different backgrounds, habits, and perspectives felt like a real discovery. It became my very first strong travel memory and the starting point of my love for travel.

Hannah:
Going to my grandparents’ house in North Carolina every summer as a child ignited my love of travel. Each new journey deepens that passion, as discovering new places and experiencing different cultures only heightens my excitement for the next adventure.

Ala:
Spending my formative years from ages 10–18 living in Africa and the Middle East made me fall in love with diversity, and travel (if you have an open mind) is the best way to experience diversity and appreciate cultures other than our own.

Emily:
Growing up, my parents made travel a priority and took my siblings and me to new places from a young age, which really sparked my love for it. When I graduated, I didn’t expect to end up in the travel industry, but looking back, I can’t imagine myself in any other field. Exeter also helped me realize that I may have expensive taste when it comes to travel—please don’t make me stay in a hostel.

Silvia:
I am pretty sure it was my aunt telling me all those wonderful bedtime stories about her world travels when I was little and visited her. I told myself I would see all those places one day!

2. If you had to pick one, which would it be and why: mountains, ocean, or city?

Gwen:
I like cities because there’s always something to do. I love all the options a city gives you: shopping, sightseeing, just chilling, going to great hotels, eating at great restaurants. I love all of that.

Leigh:
City! Living in Florida, I can get beach any time. Walking around cities with history dating back hundreds (and thousands) of years just amazes me.

Lori:
Ocean—because there is nothing better than a beautiful sunny day, relaxing and listening to the waves crash against the sand.

Izabel:
City. Having grown up in a big city, the hustle and bustle energizes me.

Dana:
City. I am blessed to live close to the ocean that I can visit often and relax there, so a city is a great way to get away. Trying new cuisine, seeing all the history, art, and architecture that so many places have to offer is simply captivating.

Arina:
Mountains. I always choose the mountains. I feel calmer and more present there. They have a quiet strength that naturally slows everything down.

Hannah:
If I had to choose just one, I would pick the mountains. While I love the ocean and the city, living by the beach already gives me regular access to the coast. When I vacation, I prefer to escape the city’s hustle and bustle and enjoy the peace and scenery that the mountains offer.

Ala:
I would always have said city, until I moved to the sea nine years ago. I think it would have to be the best of both worlds, which is what I have now—the sea, with proximity to London for culture.

Emily:
Ocean, without question. I grew up by the sea and used to tell everyone I wanted to be a marine biologist.

Silvia:
Tough choice, but I would pick the mountains—high ones! I love the feeling of being above the clouds and enjoying the stillness around me.

3. What’s the one item (besides the essentials like phone, passport, luggage etc) you won’t travel without?

Gwen:
Plenty of cables—and now my Anker charging pack that hooks onto the back of my phone. The only reason I have these expensive little phone chargers is because when I was in Tokyo and we were out doing different things, our phones kept dying. We had no way to charge them because everything we had required cables. This one is magnetic and just pops onto the back of my phone and gives it a full charge. That one’s pretty essential. Everything else, I could probably leave behind.

Leigh:
A large scarf—use it as a blanket on a cold plane, a scarf around the neck, or a pillow on a train ride.

Lori:
Two things—my squishy pillow and my medicine bag!

Izabel:
Sunglasses and an extra power bank.

Dana:
Medicine. It’s inevitable that during travel someone comes down with some type of sickness. It’s always smart to be prepared, as I’ve learned!

Arina:
A foldable bag—one that fits into a pocket and unfolds when you need it. It’s perfect for market finds, an extra layer, or anything unexpected you end up carrying during the day.

Hannah:
I always bring some basic medications, like Advil or Tylenol. Better to be prepared.

Ala:
That is a no-brainer—my pillow. On sleeper trains in Uzbekistan or in a village in Transylvania, it makes all the difference!

Emily:
A journal. Whether I use it or not, I always bring one. Sometimes something happens that I know I’ll want to remember later, so I write it down. On some trips, I end up journaling every day.

Silvia:
Saline spray—it works wonders on long flights.

Izabel in Berlin

4. Someone once said that a vacation without good food is no vacation at all. What’s the single best bite of food you’ve eaten during your travels to Europe? 

Gwen:
That’s tough. Probably the single best meal I had last year would be a toss-up between the tasting menu at Chef’s Table at Rote Wand or the tasting menu I had at Mraz & Sohn.

Leigh:
With all the fabulous meals I’ve eaten, I’m embarrassed to admit sugar always wins—nothing beats a freshly made Dutch stroopwafel. I even took a class on how to make them at home!

Lori:
This is a hard one because I’m not a “foodie” person… but Salad Olivier in Moscow and pork knuckle with mashed potatoes in the Hungarian countryside!

Izabel:
The hot chocolate at Nowa Prowincja in Kraków was the most amazing I have ever had. If you love chocolate, it’s a MUST.

Dana:
That is so hard to narrow down! I would have to say I’ve tried some fantastic sausages, and something as simple as stopping by a stand that puts out such amazing food really blew my mind.

Arina:
The simplest food made from fresh, local ingredients—something that takes ten minutes to prepare yet stays with you forever. For example, fried eggs with truffles you’ve just hunted in the woods in Croatia. No extras, no complexity, just pure flavor and a real sense of place.

Hannah:
The single best bite of food I’ve had during my travels to Europe came from a hidden gem called Organic Farm N°5. The farm features a vineyard, heritage livestock breeds, home-grown grain feed, and field-tested vegetable varieties. During our tour, we sampled their potatoes and, most memorably, the Mangalitsa pork. It was truly out of this world.

Ala:
When I lived in Russia in the early 2000s and it was affordable, I would eat caviar at home—a whole jar on an omelet for breakfast! I think food is emotional, and I love eating Romanian food because it reminds me of my mom’s cooking.

Emily:
Since I just got back from Sweden, I’ll say reindeer prepared by a specialty chef in Kiruna. That said, I love food, so choosing just one is incredibly difficult.

Silvia:
A champagne fondue inside a repurposed cable car near St. Moritz. For me, great food is really about the moments around it—and that day was special, spent with fantastic people.

5. Where do you think the most underrated place is in your area of specialty?

Gwen:
100% Poland. All Americans think it still looks like the Cold War is going on, and everyone comes back absolutely amazed by the food scene, restaurants, hotels, and guides. I love selling it because it’s one of those “I told you so” moments where people say, “I can’t believe this was Poland,” and I get to say, “I know.”

Leigh:
Ghent, Belgium—as lovely as Bruges, but less crowded.

Lori:
The Bernese Oberland in Switzerland.

Izabel:
Slovenia doesn’t get the glory of its neighboring countries, but Ljubljana is such a gem!

Dana:
Poland. It was such a great experience, and I feel like people often miss it on their list of places to travel.

Arina:
Bosnia and Herzegovina. A country with deep layers of history, UNESCO heritage sites, dramatic mountains, waterfalls, and even a small stretch of coastline. It offers an incredible variety of landscapes and stories, yet remains overlooked.

Hannah:
The Austrian countryside is gorgeous, although travelers typically stick to the cities!

Ala:
In Central Europe, I believe the most underrated country in our area of expertise is Poland. It is far more than just WWII history, and I hope that one day this is recognized. In my own area, the region of Istria in Croatia is often left out, as the focus is usually on the Dalmatian coast.

Emily:
Poland. I absolutely loved it. Beyond its rich history, it has such a cool, unexpected vibe that more people should experience.

Silvia:
Luxembourg (where I live!)—overlooked because of its small size, but with so much to offer and still surprisingly undiscovered.

Arina in Sweden

6. What would be your top splurge experience?

Gwen:
I like experiences that involve people rather than just private entry somewhere. Having one of Vienna’s top chefs take me around the city on any theme he wants (except maybe the best shellfish or organ meat) would be ideal. We could explore all of his hidden Vienna gems in the food scene.

Leigh:
Arriving by private boat to a remote Norwegian fjord hideaway.

Lori:
A spa day at Bürgenstock—the most amazing spa I’ve ever seen!

Izabel:
A day cruise somewhere in Croatia is an absolute must, but for me, a sunset cruise in Istria offered one of the most outstanding sceneries I’ve ever seen.

Dana:
An evening carriage ride around Vienna in the winter under the lights. It’s simply magical.

Arina:
For me, the top splurge in any destination is a meal in a local family home—sharing stories, toasts, traditions, and recipes passed down through generations. One evening like this can offer deeper cultural understanding than weeks of travel.

Hannah:
My top splurge experience in any destination would be a guided tour. Having expert insight truly makes a difference and elevates everything you see by adding depth, context, and unforgettable details.

Ala:
I adore boats—there’s nothing better than a private dinner on the Bosphorus in Istanbul or a day on the water in Croatia. If I were being very extravagant, taking a boat from Hvar to Dubrovnik as a transfer would be my top splurge. It saves time and allows you to see Korčula without it taking all day or relying on public hydrofoils.

Emily:
Snowmobiling under the Northern Lights.

Silvia:
A Swiss mountain retreat complete with a hot air balloon ride and a glacier trek.

7. Do you have a top tip for any of your destinations?

Gwen:
Plan your dinners. I know it’s annoying to plan every moment of a trip, but if you don’t plan for dinners, you can get stuck with mediocre food because all the best restaurants are booked. Even though I’m not a fan of overplanning, in almost everywhere we service in Europe, planning dinners is important.

Leigh:
Although Sweden, Denmark, and Norway are labeled together as Scandinavia, don’t assume they are all the same. Each country has its own unique sites and vibe and is well worth exploring individually.

Lori:
Stop and smell the roses! Fully immerse yourself in the destination and be as much of a local as possible—even if it takes you out of your comfort zone (without risking safety, of course).

Izabel:
Schedule time to explore independently, and always stop by a grocery store to randomly choose a few local items to try.

Dana:
Beware of reading train tickets in German! That was very confusing to me at first.

Arina:
Leave space for the unplanned. The most meaningful moments often happen when there’s no rush—when you slow down and let a place unfold.

Hannah:
Make sure you allow enough time in each destination. Travelers sometimes try to fit too many places into a short period, but nothing is worse than leaving feeling like you didn’t have enough time to truly experience a place.

Ala:
Sometimes people say they don’t want a guide—I understand that, but my top tip is always to get one. Our guides are vetted for much more than knowledge. Beyond being incredible sources of insight, they’re fascinating people, and you’ll feel richer for meeting them.

Emily:
You can always fit everything into a carry-on and a personal item.

Silvia:
Give yourself free time to wander, explore, and relax at the fantastic hotels you’ll be staying in. Sometimes the best thing you can do is pause and enjoy the moment.

Reach out and let us plan your European adventure!