MSN has a fun (maybe not to him) look at European travel expert Rick Steves’ fave places – and not so fave – places in Europe. Rick (I dealt with him briefly when I was travel editor at the Toronto Star) doesn’t hate anyplace in Europe as far as I can tell, but there do seem to be places he recommends more highly than others. Here’s what MSN Travel and xxx published in a story about Steves’ personal faves – and not so faves. RICK’S FAVES Bruges, Belgium Istanbul, Turkiye Rome, Italy Prague, Czechia Mosel River Valley, Germany Norway NOT Read more
Caribbean
Travel and Leisure has come out with its annual list of top destinations, hotels and resorts around the world. It’s a list I always enjoy reading, so here are some highlights to help you make your next travel decision. Travel and Leisure is a pretty high-end publication, so keep in mind that you’re not finding many casual, mom and pop places on the hotel and resort lists. The cities are another story. Below you’ll find highlights for the world, the U.S.A. and Canada, as well as specific areas I love, including Hawaii and Australia. BEST WORLD CITIES San Miguel de Read more
The Fourth of July weekend is officially here, and that means last-minute getaways. Here are some of the top hotels I’ve stayed at in various part of the United States. TEN GREAT PLACES TO STAY IN THE U.S. New York City: The Conrad by Hilton in downtown New York is a former Embassy Suites, so you can expect super-large rooms and luxurious touches worth of the Conrad designation. The on-site restaurant, Atrio Wine Bar, is terrific, and the rooftop Loopy Doopy Bar is a fun spot for a cocktail. Lower New York is filled with cool architecture and great shopping. Read more
Is the Canadian Elbows Up Movement losing steam? Statistics Canada this week reports that Canadian visits to the United States rose to 1.9 million last month. That’s up 9.5% from the same month in 2025. This marks the second month in a row that Canadian visits to the U.S. have gone up. Overall numbers are still well below 2024 levels, but the steady increase in Canadian visitors to the States is encouraging news for U.S. travel and tourism. “Canada remains a vitally important market for the U.S. and we warmly welcome our Canadian neighbors to our 50 states, five territories Read more
A flawed list of the world’s best beaches, plus tourism news from Montreal, Holland America, Fairmont Hotels, Cunard and more. I also take a look the tremendous age gap that exists among Canadians when they’re asked about travel to the United States. THE WORLD”S 50 BEST BEACHES LIST: I DON’T THINK SO I like that this latest list on the world’s best beaches has some unusual places that many travellers don’t know about. The list, put together by The Daily Mail and published by MSN Travel, includes such places as the Maldives, the island of Fakarava in Tahiti, and Cayo Read more
