Summer is festival time in Edinburgh, with thousands of visitors descending on the Scottish capital to see some of the best new talents in the arts and entertainment world. From grandiose theatres to tiny, dark pub back rooms hewn from volcanic rock in the medieval Old Town around the Royal Mile, every nook and cranny becomes a stage. Visit the top half of the Royal Mile, which links Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace, and you will find it full of performers showing off and advertising shows they hope will make their careers. And what of the shows themselves? Well, they could be almost anything, with genres spanning comedy, theatre, dance and cabaret. There is no one single Edinburgh Festival; instead there are 12 festivals spread throughout the year, with a flurry of activity in July and August. Details of them all can be found at www.edinburghfestivals.co.uk The largest and loudest is the Fringe (www.edfringe.com), in August. International talent rub shoulders with plucky newcomers hoping to make their name with a decent run. The Fringe is based around a hub in George Square, which features seven theatres as well as bars and stalls serving street food. Many other venues can be found on the other side of the city close to the Royal Mile.

Artists, and art lovers, have been coming to western Cornwall for centuries, but the picture-postcard appeal of St Ives, with its Tate Gallery and Barbara Hepworth Garden, tends to steal the limelight from its plainer sister, Penzance. Yet this historic port has much to love: atmospheric pubs, smart restaurants, designer-y shops and galleries that have established it firmly on Cornwall's art trail. Gallery-cum-boutique hotel Artist Residence is on Chapel Street, the most charming and browsable street in Penzance's old quarter. But for art lovers the real draw is the original designs by British artists in the hotel's 14 bedrooms. The reception area opens into a spacious cafe-gallery hung with paintings of Cornwall (all for sale) and mismatched shabby-chic tables and chairs. On a sunny Saturday it's buzzing with couples and young families, setting a laid-back tone for the rest of the hotel. Friendly staff show us to the Picture Room, a light and airy double with crisp white linen and walls hung with playful graphic prints saying things such as "Rise and shine". It's modest rather than spacious: a comfy double bed leaves room for two stylish arm chairs and a desk with views to the neighbouring buildings. (Only the two attic rooms have sea views.)

1. Start out with a checklist. 2. Identify your suitcase. 3. Create separate travel bags. 4. Designate a travel packing area a week prior to your flight. 5. Purchase magazines at the airport. 6. Bring an extra set of reading glasses, cell charger, and ear buds. 7. Don't get caught without important phone numbers. 8. The name on the reservation and identification should match exactly 9. For special requests, alert the airline in advance. 10. Fly nonstop whenever possible. See here: Summer Travel Tips Bonuses: The Corliss Group Voyage The Corliss Group Luxury Travel Agency

I've been following Gary Arndt's odyssey since 2007, when he started traveling more or less non-stop. "I've been to over 140 countries and territories around the world and all 7 continents," he says. "I also have made a point of visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites whenever I can." To date, he's visited and photographed 262 World Heritage sites around the globe for his site, Everything-Everywhere.com. Arndt was also named the 2014 Travel Photographer of the Year by the Society of American Travel Writers.

What makes him the world's smartest traveler? The fact that he doesn't think he's one of the world's smartest travelers, and which, I confess, made me want to feature him all the more in this series. Why? Because if he's not one of the world's smartest travelers, then I don't know who is. "My biggest travel tip is to ignore most travel tips," he says. "We too often get caught in the minutiae of travel and ignore the bigger picture. Throw stuff in a bag and go. You'll figure it out." He makes a good point. Travelers tend to obsess about packing perfectly or getting the best exchange rate or the lowest fare. "I've landed in dozens of countries without a hotel reservation or a penny of local currency and managed to get by," says Arndt. "We live in an amazing world and travel is our chance to see and experience it. Don't lose sight of the big picture."

The World's Smartest Traveler is a weekly series about the visionaries who inspire us to travel smarter. Its curator, Christopher Elliott, is the author of the upcoming book, How to Be The World's Smartest Traveler (National Geographic Books). Want to nominate someone for this feature? Send Chris a note.