Travel Tips

I believe a regular does of travel memories can be good for the sou. Here’s one of my favorites — and I’d love to hear some of your most memorable travel tales, as well.  It’s...

Watching the recent events in Afghanistan unfold in the headlines, I’ve been thinking about how important it is to humanize far-away tragic events — and the unique ability of artists to do so.  Picasso’s monumental painting “Guernica” — more than 25 feet wide — is a powerful example of this. It’s not only...

Athens is probably the first city in Europe, where we’ve seen the many stray cats belonging to the entire community. Lounging on an ancient pillar, looking out from the Parthenon or sleeping in the...

I believe a regular dose of travel dreaming can be good for the soul. Stow away with me to Siena, Italy, in this excerpt from my book For the Love of Europe, a collection...

For me, one of the great joys of travel is having in-person encounters with great art — which I’ve collected in a book called Europe’s Top 100 Masterpieces. Here’s one of my favorites: Jesus Christ...

Earlier this fall, four of us — total novices at long-distance treks — hiked around Europe’s highest mountain. (On the first day, big birds of prey circled high overhead. My hunch: They were vultures...

There are thousands of travel accessories and gadgets out there but most are gimmicky and a waste of both money and precious space. That’s what I wanted to talk about some of the...

While the Tour du Mont Blanc is demanding, it’s not a particularly difficult hike. It’s just long, with lots of altitude gain and loss, and always scenic. On my recent trek around the mountain...

In the not-so-distant past, the only way to buy train tickets for Europe was through an expensive travel agent or at the train station ticket window. These days, most of Europe’s national rail...

Barcelona finds its way onto most itineraries… and for good reason. It has a vibrant food scene, a plethora of unique historic architecture, great Mediterranean weather, beautiful beaches, and arguably the best nightlife in Europe. This Barcelona...