Need some inspiration for your vacation in 2020? Now is the time to browse, research and prepare. Lonely Planet, my favorite travel guide book, publishes lists of destinations to visit each year and the recommendations are out for 2020. The Top Country to visit in 2020 is Bhutan – find out the rest of the […]
Thomas Cook, the European travel company that started 178 years ago and pioneered package tours, has declared bankruptcy and ceased operations today. All flights, vacations and tours are cancelled. The UK government has launched a repatriation effort to bring home more than 150,000 Thomas Cook customers currently abroad on vacation and has chartered a fleet of
The European Union has some of the strongest consumer protection with regards to flight delays – you can get up to EUR600 for flight delays. Now, a European court has ruled that this also applies to international flights were a second flight, operated by a non-EU airline is delayed. That further strengthens passenger rights and
The ibis Lisboa Liberdade is located in the Principe Real neighborhood, a great location to explore Lisbon’s sights and it’s nightlife. It offers a simple, clean room with a comfortable bed in a central location at a reasonable price. The breakfast is very good. The ibis Lisboa Liberdade has a lot of potential, but a lack
Lisbon reminds me a lot of San Francisco and one reason is the great restaurant and bar scene you’ll have in both cities. Lisbon has lots of little neighborhood bars and restaurants with loyal, local followers that offer unique food and drink options, great ambiance and friendly service. Jobim is one of those places, making
Lisbon is one of the most underrated cities in Europe, but Portugal’s capital has been getting much more attention in the last view years: It has a lot to offer from historic buildings and museums to fairy tale castles and beaches and great food and nightlife. It’s easy to explore, the city is compact, locals
The art’otel Berlin Kurfuerstendamm offers a uniqe, Andy Warhol inspired design, comfortable rooms and friendly service in a good location in Western Berlin. You have access to a small fitness and wellness area, a peaceful garden and a good breakfast. The prices are low for Berlin on cash or Radisson Rewards rates, making this a
The new Istanbul Airport opened on schedule on October 29, 2018 with great fanfare – but few flights! Since President Erdogan cut the ribbon, only a handful of domestic flights have been flying to test the new airport, while thousands of workers scramble to complete it! The opening has been delayed multiple times, but it looks like
Ruegen is not only the largest German island, it’s also one of the oldest and today most popular beach destination in Germany. It’s history has protected it from the overdevelopment you find in many other European holiday destinations, resulting in a charming feel of yesteryear with treelined roads criss-crossing the island, little white villas as
Hotel Du Nord offers simple, modern rooms in a nicely restored historic building on Ruegen, an island on the Eastern Seaboard of Germany. The service if friendly and the restaurant offers very good breakfast and even better dinner. I scored an incredible deal, making this the best value of my German road-trip! It’s not on
I chose the Best Western Seehotel Frankenhorst near Schwerin as my final stop on a road trip along the Eastern Seaboard of Germany. The country-style rooms, lakeside setting and beautiful pool and wellness area look great online, but my stay was ruined by the lack of advertised air conditioning in a record-hot summer and atrocious
The Wyndham Stralsund Hansedom on the outskirts of Stralsund on Germany’s Eastern seaboard has seen better days: you get large, but outdated rooms and have to put up with poor service. The connected water world and wellness area, Hansedom, is the main attraction, but costs extra and can’t make up for the short comings of