A look at where North Americans are thinking of traveling, the latest stats on foreign visits to Canada, miscellaneous news and a European theme park with something called “Spitting Toilet Man.” Today’s blog post has a little of everything. WHERE NORTH AMERICANS WANT TO TRAVEL Skyscanner has a new study out that shows North American travelers are seeking new destinations and also looking at old faves. Their date for June to August of this year shows a +3% increase in people looking at South America, a +2% increase for North Asia and a +1% increase for Southeast Asia. The shift Read more
Rome
I’m still working on my story about the MSC World Europa cruise ship. In the meantime, here are some highlights of our shore excursions. Our cruise started and finished in Rome. Along the way we stopped in Palermo (Sicily), Malta, Barcelona, Marseilles and Genoa. A cruise is a fabulous way to see great sights and cities in Europe, as you unpack your bags once and your “hotel” takes you from city to city. No need to arrive at airports two hours prior to a flight and hope your plane leaves on time, no big security hassles. Here’s a look at Read more
We were only a few hours into our first day in Rome when it hit me. And we may never travel the same way again. I’m on the road maybe three months a year, but 99.9% of the time my out-of-town stays take place at a hotel. Most are terrific, with comfortable beds, nice amenities and more. But a hotel isn’t made to make you feel like a local. So, when my wife and I recently decided to stay a couple of extra days in Rome prior to a cruise on the MSC World Europa, we opted to get a Read more
Porter Airlines is celebrating the inauguration of daily roundtrip flights between Toronto Pearson Airport and Las Vegas Airport today. Passengers begin their trip in style with Porter’s elevated in-flight experience, which includes complimentary beer and wine served in real glassware, free premium snacks, and free WiFi, available to all travellers. Everyone can stream their favourite content or access Porter’s inflight entertainment portal on their personal devices. The route is operated by the Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, featuring a 132-seat, all-economy, two-by-two configuration. There are no middle seats on any Porter flight. Fresh, healthy meals, pre-mixed cocktails and additional snack options are also Read more
It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and that means it’s time for romance. The folks at Ubuy.com looked at TripAdvisor data to score each European capital city for romance. The criteria included the number of fine dining restaurants, 5-star hotels, and romantic tours. A romantic tour only gets one point, which I don’t understand. I also would put more emphasis on a five-star hotel than an expensive restaurant, if only because you’re likely to have more time to enjoy a hotel than a restaurant. It’s a tad arbitrary, and it doesn’t take the look or feel of a city into account. But Read more
