Aw shucks, folks; we’re speechless. A new study from the folks at usjetcost.com finds that Americans rate Canada as the country with the nicest, most welcoming locals. They also rated Canadians as the second nicest tourists in the U.S.. I’m personally baffled by this, but a majority of Americans in the study said the British are the most annoying tourists, with 31% of respondents naming them as the most bothersome. Next were Germans (16%) and Brazilians (13). I get that Americans overthrew the British government a couple hundred years ago because of taxes and the high cost of tea and Read more
Europe
LONDON – A classic yet modern hotel in one of the world’s great cities. Not to mention great food and a nearly perfect location. One Aldwych is a truly terrific hotel in central London, with wonderful design touches, large and comfortable rooms and an outstanding restaurant that’s creating a substantial buzz. The hotel makes an instant impression with a beautiful, light and airy lobby area that has a great bar. They have a full-time person in charge of flowers and plants, and when we there someone had cleverly taken a huge bouquet of flowers and hung them upside down in Read more
This is part II of my annual Jimmy Awards for best travel experiences of the year, ranging from great pasta at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver to an incredible wine cellar in the Bahamas and an amazing (and surprising) guitar player on the Queen Mary 2. Thanks to everyone that helped along the way! BEST SAILING TRIP: A sunset cruise with the folks at the Santa Barbara Sailing Center in California. I love Santa Barbara, but this was my first time on a sailboat in the region. They do a great job, and we had a stunning sunset. If Read more
This lucky guy has finished up another year of great travel. From classic train journeys in Canada to Atlantic crossings on the Queen Mary 2, and from Florida to Hawaii to London, it’s been another incredible year. In what has become an annual tradition, here’s a look at my some of my favourite spots and photos from the year that was. Without further adieu, I give you Part 1 of the 2018 Jimmy Awards for great/weird/fun/engaging travel. BEST RESTAURANT: I ate in some remarkable places this year, but Don Alfonso 1890 in Toronto takes the proverbial cake. Incredibly creative, remarkably Read more
Dealing with tourism boards is sometimes a funny business for a travel writer. Most of us who’ve been doing this job for years often attend mass meetings where we chat one-on-one with destination marketing organization types, such as Tourism Toronto or Visit Britain. Inevitably, at some point, I ask PR people what’s new. But I’ve discovered – slowly, for the fact is I’m not that bright – that it’s often the wrong question because the person I’m talking to automatically starts focussing on a new hotel or attraction. Which means they ignore the things that people have been visiting their Read more
