WHAT GUYS ARE SAYING ABOUT
LEATHER TRAVEL PLANNING
BY LEATHERMEN TRAVEL

Working with Will and Chuck was hands down one of the absolute highlights of my recent trip to the Netherlands and Germany! Chuck worked his routing magic to stretch those award miles to their absolute max (seriously, it was like wizardry), while Will crafted an amazingly detailed daily itinerary. It was a perfect mix of their encyclopedic knowledge, my input on what I wanted (and didn’t want) to see, and step-by-step instructions on how to get everywhere—though I’ll admit, I did “go rogue” a few times (sorry… not sorry)!

From where to stay, to what to eat, to the best ways to get around, they filled me up with so much great info. The help they gave was absolutely invaluable and gave me such peace of mind. Will even checked in a couple of times during the trip, which was super reassuring—it felt great knowing help was just a message away.

Big thanks to you both for making my first trip back to Europe in nearly 30 years such an incredible experience. You guys ROCK!

Matt, Dallas

The guys at Leathermen Travel are awesome. When we visited Berlin about 10 years ago, we didn’t have much of a plan and missed most of the gay, leather scene. When we decided to visit Berlin again over New Years, I wanted a better plan so we connected with Will and Chuck. While we love leather bars and bathhouses, we also wanted to visit the historical sites of the city. Between the Zoom calls and a detailed questionnaire, it was clear that Will and Chuck had a deep knowledge of both Berlins’s leather scene but also its more conventional sites. I know creating our itinerary was complicated because we’d be visiting during a holiday week. Museums had more limited hours and the bars had events only on specific nights. Every venue had to be researched and times confirmed. They somehow managed to fit almost everything we wanted to do into a clear, concise itinerary. I have to admit, this was probably the most organized trip I have taken. We visited the important historical places by day and a more “alternative” ;-)~ scene by night. In addition to the itinerary they provided their own guide of bars, restaurants and leather shops which was a super useful reference. It took away the hit or miss aspect that can happen in a foreign city. We went to a bunch of the restaurants on their list and they all had a more local vibe, not your typical tourist traps. Oh and I almost forgot to mention they have their own guide to useful phrases guide — many of the phrases you won’t find in other guidebooks. And knowing the phrase “Wo soll ich abspritzen?” was indispensable. If you’re planning a trip and don’t want your typical cookie cutter vacation, I strongly recommend working with the men at Leathermen Travel.
Courtney and Sherwood, Provincetown

Even if leather isn’t your thing, if you’re not male, nor gay, Leathermen Travel can help put together your bucket list excursion like they did for us the past two years. We plan in January for our trip in September, and I won’t do it without them. They had great ideas all along the way and helped shop flight options. They determined which neighborhoods are best for lodging, restaurants, things to do during the day, and where to do it after dark. Will is great with lists. Which bars or bathhouses welcome bears in BCN? Will has a list. Champagne bars in Paris? That, too. Excellent chocolate in Brussels? Two lists; one with the little boy peeing and another for all the others. Will provides a daily itinerary of planned events with travel instructions from your lodging to your tours and events. He navigates your train, metro, or bus travel including platform numbers! If I couldn’t figure something out during our trip, I could rely on him to guide us via WhatsApp or text.  You know; traveling with a safe-word, because you should have it the way you like it. Complimentary tee-shirt included.

Bob, Palm Springs

In a way our September 2023 trip to Rome was our second adventure with Will & Chuck. We randomly met up with a Canadian friend during Folsom Europe 2022 – as one does – and were so impressed with his travel planning itinerary that we tagged along for an architecture day trip in Potsdam and some museum and bar hopping jaunts in Berlin. We learned so much and had such a great time (Lime bike riding in city parks, public transport made easy) that I contacted Will to help plan our 2023 Roman Holiday. The brilliant thing about working with an expert is the wealth of experience and number of options set before us to consider. These guys are certainly not “If It’s Tuesday This Must Be Belgium” style operators. (Google it) Will & Chuck listened to our travel preferences and what we wanted to see by day versus how we wanted to spend our evenings after dinner. It was Chuck who recommended we find lodging in Trastevere for the food alone. Each evening after our nap the four of us would head out in any direction for some of the best meals of our lives. Seriously! The restaurant recommendations alone are Leathermen Travel recommendation enough. But they offered so much more! Yes, we wanted to see the stuff everybody sees, but it was the less traveled options that augmented our sightseeing: the butterfly garden, the Philip Halsman exhibit at the Museo di Roma, the Appian Way Eco Bike Tour (!!!), strolling the grounds of the Villa Borghese. These are the kinds of secondary exhibits that made our trip spectacular. So much so that before we got home we were contemplating how Will & Chuck could help us plan our 2024 vacation. What do you think: Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Paris OR Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Salzburg, Paris? See ya somewhere!

Bryan, Palm Springs

Will and Chuck are extremely knowledgeable men who made a big difference to my sabbatical in Europe. I’m an experienced independent traveller, and because I was away for several months I didn’t need a day by day itinerary. But I wanted a great gay focused experience with plenty of gay events and venues, and I needed intelligence on what would match my age group/interests and what would not suit me.  They were able to provide this in spades, and their advice really enhanced my time away. Will and Chuck are friendly and very easy to deal with. Nothing seemed too much trouble.  I hope to be returning to Europe again soon, and I will definitely ask them to help me.

Sam, Sydney

Been travelling the world for decades; always looking to find the deepest darkest corners. However there are some challenges in being limited to the English language. These guys were really helpful for a trip to Mexico City; one of the largest cities in the world and Spanish-speaking. Through their contacts they dug out the most suitable bars/baths/points of interest and were a great help.

Doug, Vancouver

Leather and kink is a huge driver of the traveling that I do. That is something that a regular travel planner isn’t versed in and so I’ve been doing my own travel planning for years. The chance to work with Will and Chuck has been enormously beneficial and great fun besides. They’re brimming with practical suggestions from transportation to hotels, have an up-to-the-minute grasp of what’s happening in leather communities around the world, and have even connected me with some guys in the places I’m traveling to. Chuck and Will have become more than planners—they almost feel like companions on my journeys.

Paul, Toronto

Will reminds me of a classic travel agent.  Someone who takes the time to get to know me and my likes/dislikes.  He uses this information to research and recommend things to do and places to see that align with my interests, yet may border on expanding them.  As a seasoned traveler himself, Will gets both the thrill and pitfalls of today’s travel environment.  Maybe you can do this yourself, but it is like self-diagnosing.  Let the professional do it!  And there is no one as astute and well versed in leatherman travel, with our array of interests, as Will is!

Doug, Maryland

Will and Chuck did magical things with my points!  And they helped me decide on the right event for me.  I’m not a stay-up-all-night guy, so they steered me toward Folsom Europe vs Easter Berlin.

Warzie, San Francisco

When my partner and I were attending Folsom Europe in Berlin for the first time in 2021, Will was extremely helpful in providing info on the evolving COVID rules for international travel and Germany in particular. He helped us choose a hotel that was walking distance to the street Fair and the bars, and when we texted him one afternoon and said we didn’t know what to do; he texted back immediately with a suggestion for a tiny place we had never heard of that was busy in the afternoon and perhaps the sleaziest find of the whole Berlin adventure.

If you avail yourself to all that Will has to offer (and that’s a great deal) he can put together the end to end package for someone heading for unfamiliar territory. We also particularly like his efforts to put you in touch with local leather men from the global Rolodex he has developed by simply being a guy regularly travelling the world to attend our events.

Phillip, Vancouver

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