Travel Blog

It's official! On October 29th, 2022, Switzerland's Rhaetian Railway (RhB) operated the longest narrow gauge passenger train in the world. And they did it in spectacular style, over the UNESCO World Heritage Albula Railway Line. The Swiss passenger rail company linked together 25, 4-part, brilliant red railcars for the event, creating a 2084-yard long train – that’s 1.2 miles long! Then 7 train conductors and 21 technicians worked together to run the train along a 15-mile route on the UNESCO World...

Trail-blazing women is a theme of Celebrity Cruises in general, and it was a triple play at the christening of the Celebrity Beyond. The newest of Celebrity's Edge-class ships was christened by Simone Biles, nicknamed the 'G.O.A.T.,' or 'Greatest of all Time' U.S. gymnasts, in Port Everglades, Florida on November 5th. Biles is a 19-time World Champion, seven-time Olympic Medalist and most decorated American gymnast in history. In addition to the renowned godmother, the naming ceremony was also attended by...

The twin-nation island of St. Martin is one of the Caribbean's most popular destinations. It's the smallest place in the world divided between two countries: the south end is Dutch and the north end is French. Famous for its beaches, shopping and gastronomy, there's much more to St. Martin. Whether you're in St. Martin on a cruise ship port of call or an extended stay at a hotel or resort, we recommend you explore the wild side of French St....

Supernatural and macabre films, TV series, and novels feed our gathered-round-the-fire love of a scary story. But there’s nothing like the real-life thrill of visiting in person places around the world whose histories of hauntings, bone-chilling tales and ghostly sightings get our primal senses tingling while we’re standing right there!We’ve rounded up some of our favorite spook-tacular trips:London, EnglandLondon’s long history of royal intrigues and political skulduggery – as well as its wealth of ancient towers, dungeons, prisons and places...

Coinciding with news that Spain has joined the rest of the EU in removing all pandemic entry restrictions for overseas travelers – is the 25th anniversary of a Spanish landmark that transformed modern travel. Before celebrity architect Frank Gehry, not many travelers could put their finger on Bilbao, Spain on a map. Despite being the largest city in northern Spain and its Basque country, and on the estuary into the Atlantic Ocean’s Bay of Biscay with a coastal beach culture all its...

Mexico has some of the best beach destinations on the continent, and four new - or completely renewed - luxury resorts may inspire you to treat yourself to being one of the first guests to experience their unique ultra-luxe lifestyle – served up with Mexican hospitality.  Maroma, A Belmond Hotel, Riviera Maya  By spring, 2023, this storied hideaway in the heart of the Riviera Maya will re-open, completely re-imagined. Nestled between 200 acres of lush tropical jungle and the secluded white sands...

Cruises in the Great Lakes are spiking in popularity, and a proposed new National Marine Sanctuary adds to the many attractions of a Great Lakes cruise. The Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary isn’t a done deal just yet. In April of 2019, following a New York state community nomination, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) subsequently announced its intention to designate a national marine sanctuary in eastern Lake Ontario. You’ll recognize some other beloved maritime destinations NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary...

This may be the smallest type of cruise possible. Luxury travel company Belmond is building another mini-river cruise ship. This one will sail just 6 guests through the legendary Champagne region of France.  Part of its French collection, Coquelicot, A Belmond Boat, Champagne, launches in spring of 2023. It joins a fleet of so-called ‘barges’ in France called Les Bateaux Belmond. The fleet includes intimate vessels sailing in France’s Du Midi, the Camargue, Provence, two in Burgundy, and one in...

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is marking the 103rd anniversary of its founding on October 7 with the creation and presentation of a new Delftware miniature house that is a tiny replica of a Dutch building in one of the destinations where it flies. This charming tradition provides a new addition to the dozens of miniatures that have become niche collectibles for fans of air travel and the famous Dutch porcelain.  Haven’t heard of this? Don’t take my word for it –...

It’s one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World. A UNESCO World Heritage Site. And the world’s largest waterfall. Africa’s Victoria Falls on the Zambezi river on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe is part of the legend and mystique of a trip to southern Africa – a must-see site that awes every visitor, with columns of its spray visible across the landscape for miles. Now, there’s an even more life-changing way to experience this legendary falls – if you...

Peru's overwhelming claim to fame is the mystique and majesty of the ancient remains at Machu Picchu - deservedly named recently the 'South America's Leading Tourist Attraction.” But there's more to Peru than its fabled history, leading it to also earn the designation as 'South America's Leading Culinary Destination 2022' and 'Leading Cultural Destination 2022' in the region. Here are some of the reasons why:Annual Día de la Canción Criolla Celebrates Music and Dance on October 31Move over, Hallowe'en. There's...

If your favorite way to experience the world is from the outdoors, then adventure travel is for you. And the best news is: you don’t have to be an Olympian to enjoy adventure the Great Outdoors!  In fact, the Adventure Travel Trade Association recently released a list of this year’s hottest adventure travel activities – and we bet several sound right up your alley. From cycling to safaris, trekking and snowshoeing to wellness and culinary escapes, there’s a hardcore or...

Never before have more women been traveling solo! Singletons of all ages and stages in life: never-been-married, divorced, widowed… all kinds of women are deciding not to wait to be paired up or until a friend can be a travel companion to embark on dream journeys. They’re making plans to travel now. Does that sound like you? If so, you’re part of one of the top travel trends, and the great news is that the world has never been more accessible...

  Beginning in 2024, Avalon Waterways will be the latest river cruise line to embark on this increasingly popular route, joining Uniworld, Tauck, AmaWaterways, Scenic, Emerald Cruises and others on this western-most European river cruise route. Calling its new itinerary “a new view on the Old World,” Avalon Waterways says the new route will provide guests with “the grandest views in cruising and whim-powered itineraries to Southwestern Europe.”  Avalon's new river cruise roundtrip from Porto brings guests into the heart of hillside vineyards...

If you're ‘sizing up’ your next cruise trip - whether you’ve never cruised before or you’re curious about what life’s like on different sized ships – this is essential travel information for you. It’s all about match-making, and one type of ship is going to be “just right” for your cruise travel lifestyle and preferences. An expert travel advisor can help you find your own best type of cruise ship. Hopefully, my tips here about each type of cruise ship will...

Fantasy fans are heading back to Middle-earth with the release of the highly-anticipated TV series ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Which means New Zealand’s real-life fantastical landscapes are taking center stage as the backdrop for the epic new series.  Of course, this isn’t the first time that film-makers have found that the unique and diverse geography of New Zealand is the nearest thing on Planet Earth to J.R.R. Tolkien’s imaginary world of Middle-earth. The country also...

Norwegian Cruise Line has made a habit of inviting global musical superstars to act as new ship godmothers. In the case of the first of Norwegian’s Prima Class ships, pop icon Katy Perry did the honors of welcoming the Norwegian Prima into service, releasing a bottle of champagne to be broken across the Prima’s bow. 'It was so much fun to sprinkle some fairy godmother dust on Norwegian Prima and send her on her way to sail the high seas,' said...

Like its famous Twin Pitons, Saint Lucia’s been recognized as having two-pronged top appeal for visitors to this Windward Island in the West Indies. Recently, Saint Lucia was recognized for the 13th time as the Caribbean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination by the World Travel Awards. And for the first time, it’s also been dubbed the region’s Leading Adventure Tourism Destination. That’s a lot of love – and a lot of action - for this less than-250 square mile island. Maybe it...

You may think of Hawaii as a Pacific paradise. But there’s so much more than mind-boggling sunsets over endless beaches, tropical breezes and scents, hula and ukeleles, surfing and luaus, poke and shave ice. The fall months bring some of Hawaii’s most beloved events and festivals that add new focus and memories to a trip to the islands, as well as opportunities to “malama Hawaii,” helping work to protect the islands for residents and visitors alike. As if you needed any excuse,...

Calling all design lovers and eco-wanderers! Luxury cruise line Regent Seven Seas Cruises has launched two new shore excursion concepts. “Behind the Design” and “Eco-Connect” shore excursions roll out beginning in 2022, and give guests new ways to explore destinations and landmarks from unique perspectives that are right up your alley. The new shore excursions join Regent’s Go Local tours, Gourmet Explorer tours and Wellness tours.Even better, Regent’s an all-inclusive cruise line, and many of the new tours are included...