Montreal is one of the great cities of the world. Here are some ways to enjoy it in a new, socially-distant fashion. A great bike ride You can rent bikes from the folks at Montreal on Wheels on the Montreal waterfront (Rue de la Commune). They’re solid, comfortable, multi-speed bikes. They also have electric ones if you need a boost. We were heading west to Griffintown over flat terrain along the Lachine Canal, so we opted for the old-fashioned kind of bike and used pedal power to get around. The Montreal waterfront is simply outstanding. There’s a great café on Read more

A truly magical helicopter ride over the 1,000 Islands. A tour of the Kingston Penitentiary. And lovely boat cruise on the St. Lawrence. Kingston, Ontario has a ton of great attractions and things to see and do. There’s also great food and lovely places to bed down for the night. Here’s one man’s list of things to keep you busy on a visit to this historic Canadian city. All three of our kids went to university at Queen’s, a short walk from downtown Kingston. I believe there’s a plaque in  our honour outside the Loblaws grocery store on Princess Street, Read more

The new Forbes hotel, spa and restaurant rankings contain good news for travellers in Canada and for Canadian properties. The Forbes people today put out a “sneak peek” of their 2021 ratings. As part of the 2021 awards selection, six hotels and spas from Toronto-based Four Seasons were awarded new five-star ratings, adding to the existing 2020 award winners. A total of 46 Four Seasons hotels and resorts, 13 spas and two restaurants have received the five-star designation. Three Four Seasons properties received a new five-star designation this year, including Four Seasons Hotel Montreal and Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia Comcast Read more

A powerful Canadian union is adding its voice to the call for fewer travel restrictions. Unifor continues to lobby the Federal Ministers of Health and Transportation to discuss a plan that eases travel restrictions while not comprising the health and safety of the travelling public. “The air travel sector has arguably been hit the hardest because of the pandemic and easing travel restrictions start by putting the health and safety of workers and passengers at the forefront,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President after speaking with federal officials yesterday. “Canadians are demanding all levels of government to start implementing measures that Read more

I’m  on the road today so this is a re-post from a fun visit to Munich, Germany a few years ago.   MUNICH – Sometimes in life we read too much about a place before we arrive. We get all pumped up about this area or that, and then we get there and it all goes flat. I have to plan my trips reasonably carefully to get the stories I want, but I still try to leave as much unplanned – and un-scouted – as possible. That way, I get to a destination and find myself more surprised than I Read more

With the Canadian tourism and travel sectors in a state of disaster, some of the world’s most important and influential business leaders and the World Travel and Tourism Council today demanded action from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has urgently called on the Canadian government for strong leadership and unprecedented international collaboration, to save the struggling Travel & Tourism sector and recover the millions of jobs already impacted,” said the letter, obtained by TravelPulse Canada. “Over 100 of the world’s major travel and global business leaders, from major airlines, airports, hotels, tour operators Read more