It was the summer of 1979. I had recently graduated from university in California and was backpacking through Europe. I had hoped to go with a friend but he couldn’t make it. I thought about backing out but a former girlfriend insisted I was nuts and that I should just go on my own. So I did. I bought an airline ticket and a Eurail pass to get me all around Europe, and headed off from San Francisco to London. I was roughly half-way through my trip and was in Rome with a couple American girls I had met along Read more
Italy
The Canadian dollar is in freefall, dropping below 70 cents the other day for the first time in more than a decade. It’s great for the Canadian tourism industry, but not so wonderful for snowbirds who’re looking for greener pastures in winter. Luckily, there are ways to soften the blow. Here are some tips from a guy who’s been a full-time travel writer for the better part of 10 years and has spent a good many nights on the road in his lifetime. 1. STAY HOME: I don’t mean build a man (or woman) cave in your basement and pry Read more
Year after year, Europe tops the charts of travellers from around the world. It seems we just can’t get enough of classic European cities such as London and Paris, not to mention Amsterdam, Barcelona, Rome, Zurich, Berlin and many others. With that in mind, the folks at TD Canada and Aeroplan and I are holding a Twitter chat about Europe on Wednesday, April 29 at 1 p.m. EST. Be sure to tune in (I’m at @jimbyerstravel on Twitter) and look for the #TDAeroplan hashtag. I’ll be chiming in with what I hope are useful tips and advice about using your Read more
A great Ontario getaway, and a smashing cruise offer. Star Travel columnist Kathryn Folliott has a couple of excellent bargains on offer in her latest Fare Deals column. One great deal she outlines is for significant savings on a cruise with Silversea ; a free suite upgrade and on-board spending credit worth up to $1,000 (U.S.) per suite. I was lucky enough to have a suite on a Silversea ship last year, cruising the Mediterranean. It was an outstanding experience, with a HUGE suite that gave us everything we needed. The bedroom was large and comfortable and the bathroom was Read more
SORRENTO, ITALY – I love this part of Italy. We pulled into Sorrento on our last full day of our remarkable Silversea Cruise in the Mediterranean. A lot of folks headed to Capri or Positano for day excursions. But I’ve had the pleasure of visiting both on nicer days in summer so opted to stay close to the boat to get packed and visit the town of Sorrento, which sits high on a dark bluff of rocky land high above the water, facing Naples. It’s nowhere near as pretty as Positano, which clings to a cliff as if for dear Read more
