Google Flights has revealed the top searches on its platform by people in the U.S. who are looking to travel between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2024. It’s a list that’s heavy on European favourites, plus some ever-popular U.S. destinations and one great Asian spot. As luck would have it, Air Canada has a sale on flights to Europe including top cities like Paris, Rome and London. Click here for more information.
Here’s the top 10, along with suggestions from Google (and me).
LONDON
Google: Along with arts and culture aplenty, shop ‘til you drop in the land of Big Ben on Sloane Street. This drag in the Knightsbridge neighborhood has the famed department store Harrods, along with the city’s flagship Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani and more. Post up at The Carlton Tower Jumeirah. Where you can also experience an afternoon tea and enjoy access to private Cadogan Gardens with tennis courts.
Jim: Take a walk on the south side of the Thames River, starting at Big Ben (actually the name of the bell in the famous clock tower, not the name of the tower itself), and working past the National Theatre, the lovely Tate Modern museum and London Bridge. Stop at borough market for a grilled sausage or something else to eat from one of their great vendors. Also, don’t miss Little Venice, where you’ll find houseboats in a myriad of style on a long canal that many visitors don’t seem to know about. And, yes, be sure to take your photo crossing Abbey Road.
PARIS
Google: To get to the City of Light, you might want to consider booking on a smart-cost long-haul airline like French bee, which also offers flight and train packages if you want to say, “Cheers” in Champagne and clink Cabernet Sauvignon glasses in Bordeaux. In Paris, consider making your stomping grounds the InterContinental Paris Le Grand or Kimpton St Honoré Paris, both veritable jewels in this romantic city.
Jim: Take your morning coffee or an afternoon cocktail at Les Deux Magots, one of the oldest cafes in Paris and a place once frequented by such famous names as Ernest Hemingway. Wander down Rue Mouffetard, a colourful street in the Left Bank with wonderful markets and small shops, many of them run by immigrants. Le Marais is one of the most popular areas for a walk. Don’t miss the Musee D’Orsay, formerly a train station and a gloriously restored building that’s one of the top places in the city to view world famous art. There’s also a famous museum called The Louvre that you may have heard of. Or not.
TOKYO
Google: Last year, the cherry blossom season in Japan reportedly brought in the highest number of travelers since the country re-opened its borders to travelers following the coronavirus pandemic. But Tokyo is just as exciting and vibrant in the summer, where you can visit Imperial Palace, the primary residence of the Emperor of Japan in tranquil park-like environs; scope out the Kanda Myojin, a shrine created some 1,270 years ago; partake in a traditional tea experience and much, much more.
Jim: Check out the shopping and social scene in Harajuku, where you might find young women dressed up as Little Bo Peep or other odd costumes. Don’t miss a visit to the remarkable Sensoji temple in the Asakusa area. Wander around Tsukiji Fish Market and admire endless aisles displaying everything from fresh tuna to mind-poppingly-expensive sea urchins
ROME
A view of St. Peter’s Basilica from our vrbo unit in Rome, Italy. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Google: Here, you may want to visit the Palazzo Massimo (National Museum of Rome), which has great Classical sculptures and art, the Capitoline Museums atop Capitoline Hill and the Ara Pacis Museum, which is designed by the architect Richard Meier. Consider reserving plenty of time for the Borghese Gallery, tucked inside the serene Borghese Gardens, which has some of the most spectacular surviving Bernini sculptures around, including his “Apollo and Daphne.”
Jim: Like many visitors, I love the Trastevere area of Rome. It’s a fun, youthful and somewhat funky part of town, with great boutiques and small cafes lining narrow streets. My wife and I had a great Vrbo unit in the area a few weeks ago. I also suggest a walk to the Belvedere del Gianicolo in Trastevere for a nice view of the city. Any first-time visitor to Rome will want to see the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica. Both are breathtaking.
NEW YORK CITY
Google: There’s no shortage of things to do here, but some suggest the newly-launched Ghostbusters Guide to NYC (NYCTourism.com/Ghostbusters) in partnership with Sony Pictures on the recent debut of, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire?” Consider staying at the Plaza Hotel and round out your NYC experience with the property’s famed afternoon tea in the magnificent Palm Court.
Jim: New York City’s High Line, a former elevated rail line that’s now a linear park on the city’s west side, is one of the great urban parks in the world. Take a stroll and admire the plants and benches, and the views! Another great park is Wave Hill Gardens in the Bronx. Try a Circle Line boat tour in NYC: it’s a great way to see sights such as the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge.
CANCUN
Google: At the Waldorf Astoria Cancun, you’re in an oasis of mangroves that’s located 15 minutes from Cancun International Airport. If you choose, you could also settle into all-inclusive mode at Hilton Cancun, which boasts 12 dining experiences, nightly activities and a kids’ club and teen zone, according to Google Flights.
Jim: One great activity is a snorkel trip to see the MUSA underwater sculpture “museum,” an oceanic attraction where various works of art, including a guy on a couch eating a hamburger, have been placed on the sea bottom. Just south of the main hotel/tourist zone is the Museo Maya, a fine museum that explains the local history in excellent style. There’s also a pretty garden and a short walk among Mayan ruins.
ORLANDO
A boat ride in Winter Park, Florida, just outside Orlando. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Google: Whether you’re venturing to Orlando for Walt Disney World or zooming through the headwaters of the Florida Everglades on an airboat tour, there’s no shortage of things to see and do in these parts. Catch shut-eye at Evermore Orlando Resort, a new $1.5 billion luxury resort that opened this year and brings a dreamy, man-made beach to the landlocked city.
Jim: Mills 50 area is a wonderful spot with dozens of great Vietnamese and Asian restaurants. Take a stroll around downtown’s Lake Eola and feel the sun on your face. Just a few minutes from downtown Orlando is the community of Winter Park, a highly walkable, pretty town with great restaurants and shopping. You can also take a marvelous boat tour around the lakes and explore narrow canals.
LAS VEGAS
Google: The biggest draw in Sin City these days seems to be the Sphere, a high-tech, dome-shaped entertainment venue that opened in 2023.But arguably, Vegas wouldn’t be Vegas without living it up on The Strip. To do that, you may want to stay at the pyramid-shaped Luxor, where you can catch the Blue Man Group performing or people-watch at the outdoor pool. There’s also the Play Playground, an adults-only hub that is brimming with fun physical games, team games, puzzles and more.
SEATTLE
Google: Seattle is a city of many wonders. The home of Starbucks and Amazon, stroll around the Seattle Art Museum, Museum of Pop Culture or Chihuly Garden and Glass located next to the Space Needle at Seattle Center. Or, enjoy more active hiking at the Burke-Gilman Trail, the Seward Park outer loop, or the Snow Lake Trail, less than an hour away from downtown Seattle.
Jim: Visitors to Seattle have been charmed by Pike Place Market for years. The fish-throwing vendors are legendary. The Arctic Club is a super-cool hotel. If it’s football season, check out the noisy fans at a Seattle Seahawks NFL game. If you’re into baseball, try a Seattle Mariners contest. Their games against the Toronto Blue Jays attract thousands of Canadians.
ATHENS
Google: Upon arrival at Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” (ATH), you’re likely going to be hungry. Though you’d be hard-pressed to find a meal that doesn’t dazzle your taste buds, some options include Volvi Souvlaki for its affordable and souvlaki (meat skewers) and gyros (souvlaki stuffed in pita with accouterments like tomatoes, onion and tzatziki), Stone Athens for seafood and Acropolis scenic vistas and Abibayio for delectable Greek fare. You may want to visit the Acropolis and the Parthenon, so try a pit-stop at Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, in less touristy Kallithea and then cross the bridge and browse the eateries and boutiques along the pier.
Jim: The Plaka is a legendary place to wander and shop, but I also like Kifisia, a lovely area of the city with beautiful homes and high-end shops. Try a day trip to Hydra, where you’ll find nice beaches and sunny cafes where you can order a Greek salad and a cold bottle of Mythos beer.
SPEAKING OF EUROPE….
Air Canada Vacations is expanding its Europe product offering for 2024 with the addition of 30 new tour packages. With the introduction of these new packages, the tour operator now offers over 180 European tour package options to choose from, complemented by a number of cruise itineraries and flight and hotel packages … Air Transat says it will resume flights between Montreal and Bordeaux, France on May 2. It’s an easy train ride from Bordeaux to Paris.
TOP CITIES IN EUROPE RANKED
London, England. JIM BYERS PHOTO
The Daily Mail reports there’s a new ranking of the best cities in Europe for residents and tourists. The continent’s top destinations were evaluated by Resonance Consultancy, which took factors such as Tripadvisor reviews and education and work opportunities into account, as well as prosperity and livability.
The report looked at more than 180 cities with populations of more than 500,000, in order to identify the Top 100 places to live, visit and invest in Europe. Here’s their top 10:
- London
- Paris
- Berlin
- Rome
- Madrid
- Prague
- Barcelona
- Amsterdam
- Istanbul
- Milan
For those of you keeping score at home, Spain gets two entries in the top seven, while Italy gets two in the top 10.
CRUISE INDUSTRY GROWING QUICKLY
MSC World Europa
Cruise passenger volume around the world last year surpassed pre-COVID levels, and North Americans get most of the credit, says the Cruise Lines International Association.
Global cruise passenger volume reached 31.7 million last year, surpassing 2019 levels by a full seven per cent, CLIA said in its annual State of the Cruise Industry report. Asian cruising was down 37.7%, but CLIA said cruises by North Americans rose 17.5%, by far the largest surge by source region. Some 18.1 million North Americans took to the water for a cruise in 2023, compared to 15.4 million the year before.
Here are some cool facts:
- The CLIA study found that 82% of those who have cruised say they will do so again. Twelve per cent of cruisers take a cruise trip twice a year, while 10% take three to five a year.
- The average age of a cruise traveller is 46. CLIA said 65% of cruisers are Gen Z, Millennials, or Gen X.
- A full 44.2% of all cruises last year took place in the Caribbean, while 18.5% were in the Mediterranean. Another 10.4% were European trips outside the Mediterranean, while 5.7% were Alaska cruises and 5.6 West Coast North America trips.
- Expedition and exploration are the fastest-growing sectors of cruise tourism, with a 71% increase in passengers traveling on expedition itineraries from 2019 to 2023.lobal cruise capacity is forecast to grow from 677K berths in 2024 to 745K in 2028.
