Travel is all about surprises, about serendipitous discoveries and transcending expectations. And, yes, we’ve been surprised in 2011. We were startled to move so quickly from serene and sunny spring back to deep midwinter when in March we traveled by train from the shores of the North Italian lakes to eastern Switzerland. The little train » Read more

By Nina Derham in London— Choosing accommodation in London can be tricky. The city is so vast that if you are on the hunt for cheap accommodation, you run the risk of ending up a long way from the main sights and spending the majority of your visit battling with the Tube! Trust me, nobody » Read more

By Theadora Brack in Paris— According to my movie producer pal, George, the world boils down to two basic categories: the best and the worst. Anything in between isn’t worth talking about. Mediocrity is a crime, he often quips. As you can well imagine, his dinner parties in Paris are always quite lively, dramatic and » Read more

By Marc Justin— With the crazies of the holiday season upon us, our minds turn to those uber-important consumer questions: What will I bring home for my aunt so-and-so? What will hard-to-buy-for brother actually enjoy? What about Mom who’s awaiting both my present and my presence? Hey, you’re in Florence, consider this a good thing! » Read more

By Jessica Colley— A single €20 note can be stretched pretty far in Dublin. Unlike other European cities where transport can be a drain on your budget, Dublin is a compact, walkable city. As long as you have an umbrella for those impromptu showers, it is easy to spend an entire day in Dublin without » Read more

Eurostar’s flagship services linking London’s magnificent St Pancras station with Paris and Brussels have been an overwhelming success, transforming London’s relationship with two close continental capitals. So much well-justified praise is heaped on Eurostar’s capital city links that it is easy to overlook that the rail service through the Channel Tunnel is good for more » Read more

By Bryan Pirolli in Paris— After days exploring the halls of Paris’ biggest and – let’s face it – most exhausting museums, every visitor to the city needs a break. For an inexpensive respite, you can always head to a café or sit in a park. But why not step into one of Paris’s newest » Read more

By Tom Meyers— A few months ago I had to make a key decision while planning a trip from Paris to Berlin. Plane or train? I could take a €50 budget flight on easyJet and be there in about two hours. Or I could take the TGV to Germany, and then board an ICE train » Read more

By Audrey Sykes in Amsterdam— Avoiding tourist scams is part of traveling, and Amsterdam, like any major city, has its fair share of rip offs. There are situations that feel like a scam because they’re simply disappointing (“tourist traps”), and then there are the ones that are downright scandalous (“scams”). We’re focusing on the latter » Read more