A lot of us tend to gain weight over the holidays. But our piggy banks seem to go the opposite direction. Still, if you plan carefully you can have a great winter holiday (without the crowds) in Europe, one of the most popular vacation spots for Canadians and North Americans. And there are a number of tips, tool and features known as travel hacks that can help you. Here are my top 2018 travel hacks that will help you plan a European trip that’s enjoyable, safe and cost-effective. 1. Choose your destination based on your budget One of the best Read more

Talk about hogging the spotlight. Toronto last year welcomed almost 44 million visitors, spending $8.8 billion – both record numbers. All told, 43.7 million visitors were welcomed to the region last yearn. For the first time, overnight visits in Toronto, which Tourism Toronto folks like to call “Canada’s Downtown,” surpassed the 15 million mark (15.5 million), joined by 28.2 million same-day travellers. Visitors to Toronto spent $8.8 billion – the most economic activity ever generated by the region’s tourism industry. That figure represents $700 million in extra funds over 2016 levels for hotel rooms booked, attractions seen and restaurants experienced. Read more

We’re number two. But our Prime Minister is number one. A new study by U.S. News and World Report found that Canada was ranked number two in the world in terms of best countries. The study looked at 80 countries in the world, examining their economic influence, quality of life and other issues. Switzerland came out on top of the overall country rankings, followed by Canada, Germany (up from fourth last year), the UK (down from third), Japan, Sweden, Australia, the United States (down one spot from last year), France and The Netherlands. Although we barely number one overall, Canada’s Read more

Toronto’s favourite winter culinary celebration is back, and Aeroplan members can get to the front of the line. Winterlicious runs in Toronto from Jan. 26 to Feb. 8, with fantastic three-course, prix fixe lunches and dinners at more than 200 restaurants. The general public doesn’t get to make reservations until Thursday, Jan. 11. But Aeroplan members can book their favourite dining spot starting Wednesday, Jan. 10 to be sure they get the meal they want at a great price. Top restaurants taking part include Canteen, Bar Buca, and Canoe. On Jan. 10 only, Aeroplan members can make advance reservations by Read more

WestJet and Air Canada appear to be going in opposite directions when it comes to seat-back entertainment on Canada’s most popular airlines. And Americans might be losing quite a lot of them. In a story first published in The New York Times, it was stated that some airlines are taking away the popular seat-back screens that show movies and TV shows on airplanes around the world. They’re expensive to install – about $10,000 USD per seat – and they also weigh a great deal. The Times story said some airlines are looking at the number of passengers who now carry Read more

Another busy year in the old rear-view mirror, with fabulous memories of cliffside walks on laid-back Molokai to terrific tours of Wrigley Field and buttery biscuits in Chicago. Not to mention a wonderful Bordeaux wine cruise, crazy beautiful mountains in the south of France, awesome ice cream in North Carolina and one of the most memorable meals of my life on the border between Napa and Sonoma counties in California. Here’s a look at my favourite experiences and photos from the U.S. and the rest of world for 2017. Best Hawaii hike: A short walk along the cliffs of northwest Read more