Travelling by rail is one of the great pleasures of life. The pace is lovely, you don’t have to hassle with big security lines, you can gaze out the window at wonderful scenery, and you usually get on and off the train in the middle of great cities; not out in the boondocks miles from town. I had a fabulous train trip all around Europe in 1979, including a journey between Rome and Florence when I met my wife, but also trips within England and Scotland, across France, and also Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden and The Netherlands. I’ve taken the train Read more
Austria
The era of the checklist vacation is over, and the latest booking trends from Kensington, the leader in customized private guided luxury travel, reflect that. Data from March through June 2026, measured against the same period last year, reveals travelers have shifted their travel style from basic sightseeing to storytelling and collecting experiences that can’t be packaged by a chatbot, replicated or rushed. From surging demand in South Korea and Austria to a luxury renaissance in Hawaii and Peru, the destinations leading Kensington’s growth tell a clear story about where luxury travel is headed. “At Kensington, we’re seeing demand rise Read more
Sports Illustrated recently published a ranking of the best cities for taking in the World Cup. They looked at the quality of the games, the cities themselves, the stadiums, and the locations of the stadiums to come up with a list of the best cities of the 16 that are hosting games. Here are the results, along with some of the reasoning. 16. SAN FRANCISCO – not the best games, and too far from downtown S.F. 15. KANSAS CITY – Again, stadium too far from downtown. 14. NEW YORK NEW JERSEY – The Meadowlands stadium is “a nightmare” to Read more
The crowds are gone. But the weather’s still pretty good. Fall is a fabulous time of year to explore European cities and villages. Here are some of my favorite places to check out in Europe in autumn, including Portugal, Italy, France and Austria. WESTERN ALGARVE, PORTUGAL We stayed in the village of Burgau, Portugal a few years ago with friends, and absolutely loved it. It’s a small, huggable little town with several nice restaurants, but it’s not as well-known as other villages on the Algarve and never seemed crowded with visitors. You’ll find fabulous hiking along the cliffs in both Read more
The Big Apple, and sunny destinations such as Orlando and Hawai’i are top of mind for travellers, a new study from Hilton says. According to recent data from Hilton.com, the top searched destinations for stays of 5 days or more between December 23 and January 1 are as follows: New York City Experience the best of the holiday season in the Big Apple at the 1920’s classic landmark hotel Martinique New York on Broadway, Curio Collection by Hilton. The hotel is conveniently located in the heart of midtown, offering unparalleled access to all of NYC’s famous holiday happenings. Guests can Read more
