European river cruises are becoming more popular for a number of reasons. Because riverboats sail along Europe’s great waterways, there’s no time spent tendering ashore, or getting to and from the places you want to explore. In most cases, you simply walk off the riverboat and into town. Plus, when the boat is docked there overnight, you can have dinner ashore, or visit a pub after dinner to enjoy the local scene or listen to some music. And you only have to pack and unpack once.

Most European river cruises include shore excursions in the fare, and beer or wine with dinner. So your incidental expenses are less than they would be on an ocean cruise. Many also include an overnight ashore before or after your voyage too. Read more…

Split Croatia may be fairly new to western travelers, but it’s been a tourism hot spot since 305 A.D. when the Emperor Diocletian decided to build his retirement palace here and make Split his base of operations.

The palace is still here, and a lot more, including the studio of Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic, the Croatian Archaeology Museum, and a vibrant old town that dates to Roman times. The waterfront Riva promenade is lined with shops and restaurants. And in summer, there’s a lively cultural festival with concerts, plays, and theatrical performances. Read more…

The British Virgin Islands (BVI) are incomparably beautiful, and Virgin Gorda is one of the pearls of the island chain. Long favored by yachtsmen, the waters here are crystal clear. And these days, Virgin Gorda hotels make the BVI just as appealing to landlubbers.

Although the island is compact, there are several sights you shouldn’t miss. The 19th-century ruins at Copper Mine Point are interesting for history buffs. The views from Virgin Gorda Peak are breathtaking — the 30-minute hike to the top is well worth the effort. And the Baths, a collection of huge boulders that form a series of pools and grottos, is a must-see attraction. Read more…

Having a good hotel room can really make or break your vacation.   Get a big room in a quiet corner with a great view, and you’ll have a wonderful time.  End up in a cramped space above the disco with a broken air conditioner and you’ll wonder why you left home.

But finding the right hotel [...]

England’s lovely Lake District is a beautiful place that has inspired poets and painters from Wordsworth, Keats, and Shelley to Beatrix Potter. Roughly 35 square miles in area, most of the region is now a part of Lakes District National Park.

Few places are more scenic. And the lakes, valleys and mountains provide lots of opportunities for hiking, boating, biking, golfing, and fishing.

An old market town that was chartered in 1276, Keswick makes a great base for exploring the National Park. It’s on the shore of Derwentwater, one of the loveliest of the lakes. Read more…

Nancy is the capital of the province of Lorraine. Unlike neighboring Alsace, Lorraine never fell under Holy Roman or German rule, so it’s completely French.

Once the home of Lorraine’s powerful dukes, Nancy is a beautiful city, noted for its medieval, 18th-century, and Art Nouveau architecture. The heart of the city is Place Stanislas, named for an exiled king of Poland who became the Duke of Lorraine in 1737. The grand, formal square separates the medieval center of town, the Ville Vielle, from the 16th- and 17th-century Ville Neuve. The Place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Read more…

Free bags, free meals, free blankets, free seat assignments.  Those amenities are long gone.   Is there anything left for the airlines to cut?   Probably.

But with a little advance planning, you can eliminate many of the hassles of air travel.  Here’s our list of travel tips for a more enjoyable flight.

1) Book a nonstop flight.  Your [...]

Everyone loves Italian food, and sampling the local specialties is one of the best parts of traveling to Italy. Each of Italy’s regions has its own distinctive cuisine, and Italian restaurants run the gamut from elegant to earthy.
Roman food.

Known for its rustic comfort food, Rome serves some of the meatiest meals in the country. But vegetarians will

Here are the dishes you don’t want to miss if you travel to Italy. Read more…

Croatia and the Dalmatian Coast have really caught on with travelers in the last few years. With miles of stunning coastline, reasonable prices, and a great blend of natural beauty and history, it’s easy to see why.

Dubrovnik and Split are the most popular towns. And both can be overwhelmed with tourists when the cruise ships are in port. But the island of Hvar, which has the sunniest climate in the Adriatic, still has plenty of places where you can escape the masses. Read more…

A lot of people don’t do any travel planning before they go on vacation.  They just show up and let whatever happens, happen.

But if you’re like most of us, you have a lot invested in your vacation, both financially and emotionally.  A little pre-trip planning can save you money, eliminate hassles, and maximize your precious [...]

Livorno Italy is a cruise port that serves as the gateway for Tuscany. As a result, for many travelers, Livorno is just a blur on the way to Pisa or Florence. Which is too bad, because Livorno itself is worth exploring.

Located on a stretch of the Ligurian Sea known as the Etruscan Coast, Livorno has a charming ocean-front promenade, a series of navigable 17th-century canals, and some of the best seafood in Tuscany. Read more…

Almost everyone we know loves to travel.  But for the average vacationer, trip planning can be a real hassle.  Just figuring out where to go and what to do can take hours of research.

Is it any wonder that most people just take the easy way out and book a cruise or vacation package?

But doing your [...]

Do a Google search for “travel,” and you’ll see that there are nearly 800 million sites on the topic.

So how do you know which travel sites can actually help you with your trip planning, and which ones you should check out first?

If you read Trip planning basics – three key questions to ask yourself before you plan a trip, you probably have some idea where you want to go. So figuring out how much it will cost to get there is a good first step. Read more…