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
Prague
A new list of the top cities in the world for international travelers from the U.S. gives the inside edge to Portugal, with Spain coming in second. Coming in at number one (a tie, actually) were Lisbon, and Porto, Portugal. I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting Porto, but I love Lisbon, which has fabulous food and great neighbourhoods to explore, including the vibrant Aflama district. There also are great beaches. Spain had two cities in the top 10; Madrid and Seville. Sadly, I haven’t been to either. The authors created a list of 40 major cities around the world, Read more
The folks at Time Out have a nice, new list of the world’s top food cities. I’m quite shocked that Japan didn’t place any city in the top 10, and that only one Japanese city (Osaka) made the top 20. I’m also surprised that only two cities in North America (only one in the U.S.) cracked the top 20. Still, it’s an interesting, tasty list that includes a few cities you might not expect to see. Here’s their full top 20. Lima, Perun (I’ve never been to Peru, but Peruvian cuisine is excellent) Bangkok, Thailand (fabulous street food and very Read more
A new study reveals the best cities for budget travelers, and Rome ranks first for offering the most free tourist attractions. Bangkok offers the lowest average hotel price at just $8 (all figures USD) and the most affordable meal price of $3.14. Lisbon stands out with the highest weather index of 98.6, which allows visitors to enjoy outdoor activities year-round. A recent study by DIPNDIVE revealed the top ten best cities for budget travelers based on a comprehensive analysis of various key factors. The data used in this study included the number of free tourist attractions, average cost of living, meal prices at inexpensive Read more
A record Memorial Day for travel in the United States, Bluey’s World is coming to Brisbane Australia, and how to save on great trips to Europe. I also have news about more WestJet flights to Mexico, the Caribbean and Florida, new Air Transat Club Class discounts and firework cruises coming up at Niagara Falls. A busy today for the old travel blog. RECORD MEMORIAL DAY EXPECTED IN THE U.S.A. By car, plane, rail and sea, nearly 44 million Americans plan to travel over the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, which could beat a record for the late May holiday that Read more
