Hi, I'm Carole
The friend with all the lists
"I don't share lists of tourist traps. I share the places I'd tell my closest friend about."
I'm Carole — the friend who always has a list.
For every city break, every weekend away, every dinner out. Always hunting for that perfect terrace, the neighbourhood bistro nobody talks about, or the café where the croissants are worth waking up early for. Not necessarily expensive or trendy — just good, with soul.
Atmosphere is everything to me. I can tell within minutes whether a place is somewhere I want to linger — or quietly leave.
How it started
From research rabbit holes to actually enjoying travel
You know that feeling? You spend hours researching a city, follow all the recommendations — and still end up at a tourist trap.
That was me. I'd plan everything meticulously and still come home thinking: next time I'll do this differently.
I wanted to stop sprinting through cities with a phone full of half-researched pins and actually be present. So I started keeping my own notes — first for myself, then for friends who kept asking.
That's how Mapped by Carole was born — the friend with all the lists, available whenever you need her.
How I work
An honest radar
After years of travelling, I know what feels right.
I only share places that genuinely make me happy. And if something disappoints? I'll say so — because that's what a good friend does.
Think of this as the opposite of a travel algorithm. No sponsored rankings, no paid placements — just honest recommendations from someone who's been there.
A second home
France, always France
France is my second hometown. My parents lived there, one sister spent years in Paris, another in Barcelona. I myself lived in Milan for two years.
I travel a lot — Sri Lanka, Mexico, California, Morocco, Thailand — but France always feels like coming home.
Places I'd love to take you
Paris
From classic bistros to hidden wine bars and boutique hotels. Discover my favourite places in Paris.
Rome
Rome stays with you. Quiet squares, the best handmade gelato and hotels overlooking domes.
Barcelona
Barcelona is the city where you have breakfast in an art nouveau café in Eixample, swim in the afternoon, and eat the finest tapas in the evening.
Puglia
Puglia is the south of Italy as the south of Italy should be: wilder, slower, and with masserie you won't want to leave.