Yes, we know it sounds dreadfully sad, but we have been spending the long winter evenings poring over maps. Maps are a must for travel planning, and an essential companion on the road. We count a good map as indispensable on all but the simplest of European journeys. A GPS is great but it is » Read more

Six miles out from the middle of Zagreb, in an underground walkway by a main road in the Stenjevec district, a little stainless steel ball lies affixed to a plaque by the sidewalk. A simple sign reads “Pluto.” It is a far-flung component of a work of art that spans the Croatian capital. The center » Read more

By Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries— Chile wasn’t the only subterranean tale this past week. The news that engineers had burrowed through the Gotthard Massif to create a 57 km-long tunnel deep under the Alps was accompanied by plenty of news reports predicting a revolution in European rail transport. Don’t hold your breath. The first » Read more

This month has seen quite a bit of low cost carrier activity, as airlines from Air Baltic to Ryanair and easyJet added routes eastward to the Baltics and down to the Balkans. Here’s a quick roundup of some of the most interesting additions. Air Baltic Recent weeks have seen Air Baltic aggressively expanding its network, » Read more

Ask any beach-savvy European and they’ll wax on about Croatia being the new, and more affordable, Mediterranean paradise. Dubrovnik especially emits a feeling of romance as its Old Town walls pair with the Adriatic like some majestic dream. But like every beach diamond vacation, Dubrovnik is beginning to saturate itself with tourist traps and overpriced » Read more

It is almost time for us to put down our quill pens and leave the scriptorium for the last time this year. Three weeks of quiet retreat are in the offing, a chance for us to recharge our batteries and plan a few journeys for 2010. So a good moment, perhaps, to look back and » Read more

Croatia may not be as expensive as the French Riviera or Italy’s Cinque Terre coast, but it’s certainly getting there. An undiscovered oasis years back, it’s now packed with plenty of tourists. When I decided to head to Croatia, albeit during high season, I was surprised to find prices higher than I expected: A midrange » Read more

For chilling out in the middle of a long Europe trip, just take a boat. The Baltic, Black Sea, North Sea, and the Mediterranean are all criss-crossed by regular scheduled routes, with ships varying from chic cruise ferries to humble boats that carry tourists, locals, livestock and the mail. A day or two on board » Read more