"Travel Agents have been replaced by Travel "Experts". So many times we get asked "Do Travel Agents still exist??" What !!!! Yes they do and they are better than ever. The era of cookie cutter vacations is well past. Online booking engines are not as popular now as people have become frustrated and disappointed. These days, the new breed of Travel professionals are "Specialists" in their niche. If you are planning a trip of a lifetime, you want to [...]
Every year from early November through Christmas Eve, cities in Austria, Germany, and nearby countries (France, England, Czech Republic, Italy, Belgium), light up their ancient town squares for the holidays and set up festive stalls. Many markets start on the Friday before Advent, which is four Sundays before Christmas Eve; most end on December 24, especially in Germanic countries, where Christmas Eve is set aside for trimming the tree at home. Others keep [...]
UNESCO World Heritage sites in Europe. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has designated 131 World Heritage Sites in Western Europe. These sites are located in 9 countries (also called "state parties"); France and Germany are home to the most with 37, while Liechtenstein and Monaco have no sites. There are ten sites which are shared between state parties both in and out of Western Europe. The first site from the region to be included on the [...]
Europe’s Christmas Markets - During our River Cruise down the Danube last November, we were fortunate to be there right at the start of the Christmas market season and got to visit these wonderful local events in Prague,Vienna and Budapest. What a treat. (Emer) I was not very familiar with the European Christmas markets prior to the river cruise and once I started talking about it, was surprised by the amount of people who were raving about them. I was [...]
(Eating your way through Europe ) I love food !!! How often do you hear that phrase. When travelers talk about their trip to Europe, one of the things that people remark on is the food !!!! The Food !!! Europe is so diverse when it comes to different tastes and traditional dishes in each country. There is a thriving “food tour” business, offering “secret” local restaurants and tastes in many different cities. Check out some of the options: Italy: [...]
Floating down the Danube, not a care in the World…….. I just returned from the most AHMAZING !!! River Cruise on the Danube River with AMA Waterways. I had heard great reviews but until I actually got to experience it for myself, had no idea just how wonderful a river cruise could be. We spent a few days in Prague at the beginning of the trip and this city is beautiful – we stayed at the Art Deco Imperial [...]