Air Canada on June 11 will begin flying from Toronto to Ponta Delgado in the Azores, a remarkable set of islands in the Atlantic Ocean with some of the world’s best hiking, fresh and fabulous food, Mediterranean villages, Hawaiian-looking coastlines and grass so green it makes the Irish weep with envy. Here’s a story I wrote for the Globe and Mail after my first (and still only) visit to the islands. AZORES, PORTUGAL – I am terribly confused. When I envisioned landing on some far-flung islands in the Atlantic Ocean – five and half hours east of Toronto; two hours Read more
Europe
Canadians have easier ways to get to great European and Asian destinations this summer. Starting in June, passengers from Montreal will be able to fly direct on Air Canada to Nantes, an historic city on the Loire River in the Normandy region of France. It’s the first time Air Canada will fly to Nantes, which also is served by Air Transat. Air Canada next month also will begin flights from Montreal to Palma de Mallorca in Spain, and Catania, Sicily. TravelPulse Canada reports customers in June also will be able to fly direct from Toronto to Shanghai, China, resuming flights Read more
A new list of the 30 most beautiful destinations on earth, a fabulous grizzly bear-viewing trip to British Columbia, and new Canadian visitor numbers for Florida. All in today’s blog post. THE 30 MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES ON EARTH: REALLY? Condé Nast Traveller is one of the top names in the biz. It’s an excellent magazine with informed editors and readers. But I’m baffled by their latest list, which claims to show the 30 most beautiful places in the world. There are a couple of entries here that I know nothing about or that don’t appear all that amazing in the Read more
A look at where Canadians will be travelling this summer, as well as a new list of the best family beach vacation spots in the U.S. That and more in today’s blog post. BEST U.S. FAMILY BEACH VACATION SPOTS With the U.S. Memorial Day weekend pretty much here (it’s the unofficial kick-off to summer in the States), here’s a nice U.S. News list of the top 18 places in the US of A for a family beach vacation. Florida took home the top two spots and had a remarkable five places in the top 10. South Carolina has three spots Read more
With Pride Month almost here, I noticed a recent study of the world’s best destinations for LGBGT travellers, as well as for women and people of color. The study by Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, a long-standing travel insurance firm, put The Netherlands on top, followed by Canada and France. Canada was cited for its low crime rate, secure transportation, healthcare for all, diversity and economic stability. Here’s their full top 10: The Netherlands Canada France Australia Austria United Kingdom Ireland Iceland Japan Switzerland TURKISH AIRLINES EXPANDS CANADA FLIGHTS, SPONSORS CANADIAN OPEN GOLF Following a successful inaugural year, Turkish Airlines is Read more
