Why We Built Allio

When I was 21 years old, my grandfather took me on a road trip through France and Italy. That trip truly changed my life. Not because of the famous landmarks we visited, but because of the moments in between.

I learned to drive a stick shift as we wound through the French countryside visiting centuries-old châteaux. In Florence, we became friends with the owners of a neighborhood bar and spent hours talking and laughing long after closing time. We danced with locals in Paris to American pop songs, despite barely speaking the same language. We stood among the haunting ruins of Pompeii, imagining a civilization frozen in time. We wandered the canals of Venice and felt transported to another era.

Those are the memories that stayed with me. Not because they were on a checklist. Because they made me feel connected to the places we visited.

I realized the best trips aren’t defined by how many landmarks you see. They’re defined by the people you meet, the stories you learn, the cultures you experience, and the moments you never could have planned. That realization shaped the way I’ve traveled ever since.

Over the next fifteen years, I visited 26 countries and became the person friends and family always asked to plan their trips. I didn’t just create itineraries. I spent weeks researching neighborhoods, architecture, local customs, history, food, and hidden gems so every journey felt personal.

Eventually, I realized everyone deserved to travel that way. That’s why I built Allio. Because the world is too extraordinary to experience through someone else’s itinerary.