Canadians have easier ways to get to great European and Asian destinations this summer. Starting in June, passengers from Montreal will be able to fly direct on Air Canada to Nantes, an historic city on the Loire River in the Normandy region of France. It’s the first time Air Canada will fly to Nantes, which also is served by Air Transat. Air Canada next month also will begin flights from Montreal to Palma de Mallorca in Spain, and Catania, Sicily. TravelPulse Canada reports customers in June also will be able to fly direct from Toronto to Shanghai, China, resuming flights Read more
Sicily
A new list of the top 10 food and wine cities in the world leads with Hong Kong. I also have updates on ambitious, new plans to boost tourism in Toronto and across Canada, plus Expedia tips on where to go in Canada and Europe this year, and the ideal time to book your trip. Food and Wine magazine also looked at the world’s best cities for food and wine. Here’s their top 10 for world cities: Hong Kong (truly spectacular cuisine) London (it wouldn’t have made the list 25 or 30 years ago, but the city has come a Read more
It’s a tough time to be a sun seeker from the US or Canada. In January, flights were disrupted to the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao) due to the US action in Venezuela. A few weeks later, flights to Cuba were halted because of an ongoing lack of aviation fuel, leaving Canadians and other visitors scrambling for alternative sun destinations. Many would-be Cuba visitors, including personal friends of mine, opted instead for Mexico. But some potential visitors are now spooked because of the violent outbreak in Puerto Vallarta on the weekend following the killing of a top Mexican drug Read more
AAA projects 79.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period*. For the first time, AAA’s forecast includes the Tuesday before and the Monday after Thanksgiving Day to better capture the flow of holiday travelers. This year’s projection of nearly 80 million travelers is an increase of 1.7 million people compared to last year and 2 million more than in 2019. “Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year we’re expecting to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Read more
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
