2016 Travel Review As we do our 2016 travel review we can't help but realize that is was a year of unprecedented travel for us. We set foot in 14 different countries, most of them for the first time. Our visits ranged from the United States to Central America and a wide cross section of Europe. We spent two weeks in Russia (something we never really expected to do) and … [Read more...]
Archives for 2016
Our review of traveling with Go Ahead Tours
Our experience traveling with Go Ahead Tours lived up to their promise of being “a company of passionate adventurers dedicated to creating the best journey for every traveler”. That isn’t an easy promise to deliver on as travelers can expect and be pleased by very different things. Someone’s a foodie, someone’s a shopper and someone likes to be given extensive history and … [Read more...]
A dozen tested gifts for travelers
We have traveled, in economy class, to 13 countries this year giving us the unintended opportunity to develop a list of personally tested gifts for travelers. A gift list at this time of year isn't uncommon. However, we see many with $900 carry-on bags, $1,300 cashmere throws to use as airplane blankets and $450 folding sunglasses. We thought we would offer you more … [Read more...]
Zagreb’s top attractions
As our Go Ahead Tours bus drove into Zagreb and our guide extraordinaire, Tamara, told us its history and we saw the beautiful architecture we couldn't wait to see Zagreb's top attractions. The fact that Zagreb was on our itinerary had been one of the tour's compelling features. As hackneyed as it is to say that somewhere is an undiscovered gem it feels fair to say that Zagreb … [Read more...]
How to choose the right group tour for you
What should you consider so you can choose the right group tour for you? Travelers often determine where they want to go and what their budget is and choose a group tour that fits those two requirements. More research needs to be done though as there are more than two factors that will affect your enjoyment of a trip. Don't be too fast to hit the "book it now" button - you … [Read more...]
7 Things to know when preparing for your trip to Iceland
1. Plan realistically If you're like us you don't envision yourself getting a whole lot of chances to go to Iceland. We only got to go because we won a contest from SadCars. Although it is sometimes seen as a stopover on the way to European destinations most people who do that only spend a couple of nights in Reykjavik. (And that would be worth doing.) However, if you have … [Read more...]
Enjoying Ljubljana – the Green Capital of Europe
Ljubljana, Slovenia is a small (272,000 person) city where, thanks to extensive initiatives which earned it the moniker of Europe's Green Capital, you can truly breathe in the city's beauty. Ljubljana's mayor for the last 10 years, Zoran Janković, has implemented an aggressive environmental plan for the city and the payoff is impressive. One of his early moves was to … [Read more...]
Our Montenegro road trip (with Mitt Romney, sort of)
When we made our plans to go to Croatia and Slovenia we saw a chance to do a Montenegro road trip before joining the tour group. We may never know why Mitt Romney was in Montenegro but he was and we tailed him for a brief while. Good thing we remembered how to drive a stick shift so we didn't end up in the car with him... At luggage claim in Dubrovnik Blonde stood beside … [Read more...]
There’s something for almost everyone in Dubrovnik
We just returned from Go Ahead's tour of Croatia and Slovenia and were happily reminded that there are things to see and do in Dubrovnik for almost anyone. This was Blonde's third trip and our second together to this ancient, romantic, busy, UNESCO city on the sunny Adriatic coast. Entering the city's gates on your own can be confusing at first so we were glad to be coddled … [Read more...]
St. Petersburg Russia – A drama in several acts
St. Petersburg - a hot mess worth knowing After being there twice this summer with Viking Cruises we are sharing our suggestions of things to do in St. Petersburg Russia. Keep in mind that you need to have an appreciation for high drama to really absorb this city. The royal intrigues and various revolutions have left the city a glamorous, slightly exhausted grand dame who … [Read more...]