For years, I flew from point A to point B without even thinking about the cities in which I had layovers. In Europe, I had stopovers in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and more, and I never really thought about the fact that these cities’ magnificent sights and cultures lay just outside the airport walls. Then an old friend clued me into the extended layover, a great way to take in additional ... Read Full Article
Hiring a Tour Guide: Is it Worth it?
My husband, Bill, and I had never hired a private tour guide before our recent trip to Italy. In the past, we read our guidebooks, consulted the internet, and reviewed EuropeUpClose.com to see what our writers had to say. We then did our own thing. We have also been part of large group tours, but this experience showed us the value of a knowledgeable, private tour guide to help us sort through ... Read Full Article
Traveling to Europe with Young Children
On our last trip to Europe, our extended family faced many unique challenges while traveling with young children. Our entourage included a five-month-old infant, a two-year-old toddler, and a four-year-old preschooler. From finding family-friendly accommodations to surviving long international flights, check out these helpful tips for families traveling abroad with youngsters. Whether ... Read Full Article
Tips for Living Like a Local in Europe
Live like a Local Local is savvy. Local is stimulating. Moving away from mass tourism, the discerning traveler has been on a quest in search of the true taste of living like a local. The quest began by excluding tried-and-tested tourist attractions from their travel itinerary, finding niche boutique hotels, and trying ever so hard to scout out the native hangouts. And the latest: Live like a ... Read Full Article
Hints for Traveling the World as a Single Woman
I have been traveling the world as a single woman for the many years. I have been to North Africa, Turkey, the Middle East, the Caribbean, the US and nearly every European country, always on my own and accumulating a wealth of experiences and insights along the way. I made mistakes and have leaned from them; honing safety skills and perfecting my accommodation choices as well as knowing what to ... Read Full Article
Affordable Boutique Hotels for Solo Travelers
Looking for affordable hotels for solo travelers? It’s a sad but inevitable fact that a solo traveler’s budget can suffer serious dents when it comes to accommodation. Nice, comfortable, single rooms are either not available at all or cost an arm and a leg. Many hotels will rent you a double room for use as a single, but they don’t cut the price in half! I’m always on the lookout for hotels ... Read Full Article
The Compact Guide To Planning a Trip to Europe
This trip planning guide is written for independent vacationers: people who want to travel on their own to a destination and then just soak it up. You may also be interested in The Budget Traveler’s Guide To Planning a Trip to Europe. In creating your dream vacation, you can certainly rely on the internet to assist in planning your travel and to book hotels, rental cars, and arrange for ... Read Full Article
Europe’s Creepiest Sights
There are plenty of down-right creepy things that you may come across while traveling in Europe. And we thought you might be interested in learning about some of the creepiest things our writers have seen when in Europe. I am a sucker for things slightly weird and macabre, and when in Europe I am always on the look-out for an opportunity to get my "creepy fix". While churches ... Read Full Article
Four Top Travel Apps for Europe
Gone are the days of trying to squeeze umpteen maps, guidebooks or currency converter gadgets into your luggage – now all you need are travel apps. The number of travel apps available has increased considerably over the last year alone. There are apps for maps, apps to help you plan your trip, apps for currency conversion and apps with language translators and phrasebooks. Wherever you’re ... Read Full Article
Getting from Beauvais to Paris
Most of you who have traveled to Paris have most likely landed at the Charles de Gaulle or Orly airports. Another airport seving Paris is Beauvais- Tillé which is located approximately 55 miles north of Paris in the town of Tillé. The Beauvais airport welcomes flights from many low cost/budget European airlines including: Ryanair, Wizzair, Sterling, BlueAir and Norwegian Air Shuttle. Unlike larger ... Read Full Article