Have you ever noticed the different ways in which visitors to a museum or gallery take in the objects they are looking at? Have you seen how some people stand there, as if in a trance, transported into whatever place or time period they’re observing, while others read a sign, take a photo and move [...]
In the grand scale of things this is a pretty trivial matter, but it’s one that still causes a headache for many travellers at the end of a trip. You’re about to leave a country and your stash of local currency has dwindled down to a few grubby notes and a pocketful of heavy but [...]
Even before the first medal has been contested in the London Olympics it appears that Great Britain has already been crowned champions in one activity. According to a NY Times article we are a nation that enjoys ‘low-grade grousing’ at the best of times and has taken this skill to a new level as a consequence of [...]
If you’re planning a rail trip in Europe you’ll probably need to decide whether it’s worth buying a rail pass or getting individual tickets as you go. Choosing the wrong option can leave you heavily out of pocket. While arranging a recent trip from Rimini in Italy back to London it soon became clear that [...]
Exactly 25 years ago today I said goodbye to my parents and set off for a summer adventure in Europe. Carefully tucked into my money belt were my dark blue passport, an assortment of Eurocheques (remember them?) and my first ever Interrail ticket (bought as a result of successfully listing my 10 speed racer bike [...]
I was in London on Sunday as part of a family day out to experience the Jubilee celebrations. We didn’t see much of the pageant and may have got a brief glimpse of the Queen (it could have been Camilla, we were a long way away) but at the end of the day our troupe [...]
International air travel can provoke many emotions. Airline adverts suggest we will experience a non-stop world of glamour, indulgence and pampering. But what is the reality? This is a look at how you’re more likely to feel after a typical journey through an airport. Idiot First you’re made to feel like a rather stupid child [...]
In my recent post on the subject of travel experts, several folks left excellent comments making the point that while many can claim an expertise in one specific aspect of travel it’s impossible to be an expert in every travel-related matter. If I had to list the areas of travel in which I know absolutely [...]
I’ve been involved in a project looking at recent immigrants’ first impressions of the UK and have been very surprised at what people notice about our country. The sight of double-decker buses, rows of identical red brick houses and the experience of driving on the left side of the road all make a strong impression with [...]
Stay-cation, day-cation, car-cation – when will we see the end of the urge to create these awful PR buzz words, created in an attempt to make the mundane seem a little more exciting? Given that it’s highly unlikely that we’ll see this ridiculous trend finish anytime soon, I thought I’d take a sneaky look at [...]
