by Pat and I have been back in the USA since September 9, spending most of our time settling back into Charlotte, NC. Part of our time has been spent looking for places to travel to over the next several years. It will be hard to top the last couple of years in Singapore, with trips to many other countries. Much of the search has included reviewing travel sites on the internet. The following is the list of sites I have bookmarked (please add comments, or send us emails, with additional suggestions:
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Destinations
These are place we either want to visit or have already been and may visit again.-
Canada
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Costa Rico
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Croatia
- Cres, Croatia: island of ghosts and vultures – The Guardian
- Exploring Croatia on a family road trip – The Guardian
- Top 10 budget stays in Croatia – The Guardian
- Town-hopping in Croatia’s Kvarner gulf – The Guardian
- Kayaking Croatia’s Kornati islands – The Guardian
- Beaches, food, stays and wild places in Croatia – The Guardian
- Croatia: 9 reasons to visit Northern Dalmatia – LP
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England
- England Travel Guide by Rick Steves
- The Brunel Museum
- England’s very own Jurassic Park – BBC
- Walking Land’s End to John o’Groats
- The Seaside Boarding House
- Borders Railway – Scottish Borders
- London’s Plague Pits Map
- London’s Top 25 Indie Cafes/Coffee Shops
- Slow Boat (and Train) From London to Paris – NYT
- The new train in heart of Scotland – BBC
- Where to Run (and Exercise) in London – NYT
- Top five Persian restaurants in London – The Guardian
- Sexy Fish Restaurant – London
- Borough Market
- Walking Holidays in the Cotswolds
- Lady Teal Luxury 5 star Hotel Boat UK
- Yorkshire Dales and Lake District National Parks – The Guardian
- The mystery of England’s ancient tunnels – BBC
- Poldark country: the glories of Penzance – The Guardian
- Dundee – The Guardian
- Britain’s best secret nature spots – The Guardian
- 20 superb UK walks – The Guardian
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Europe (Other)
- 100 Miles, 10 Days, 3 Countries and a Lot of Cheese – NYT
“The Tour is a 105-mile, three-country circumambulation of the Mont Blanc massif, usually accomplished in about 10 days.” The hike is around Mount Blanc and include Switzerland, Italy and France. Boy, do I want to do this.
- Europe’s best national parks – LP
- Exquisite Places in Europe to Escape the Crowds – BT
- 10 great walking holidays in Europe – The Guardian
- Bohemia’s Secret Spot for Cross-Country Skiing – NYT
- By Bulgaria’s Beautiful Black Sea – NYT
- Kotor, Montenegro – LP
- Montenegro: Cheese, beer and a wonderful view – BBC
- 36 Hours in Belgrade – NYT
- 6 Most Affordable Cities in Europe – Jetsetter
- 10 of the best alternative city breaks in Europe – The Guardian
- Five European city tours with a difference – The Guardian
- Porto City Guide – The Guardian
- On the waterfront: Lisbon’s riverside regeneration – The Guardian
- 48 hours in Bucharest: from “little Paris” to “new Berlin” – LP
- Graz is Vienna’s cooler little sister – The Guardian
- 36 Hours in Malta – NYT
- 100 Miles, 10 Days, 3 Countries and a Lot of Cheese – NYT
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France
- 36 Hours Left Bank, Paris – NYT
- Chez Jallot, Limousin 2013|
- The French Side of Basque Country – NYT
- 58 French Villages That Should Be On Your Bucket List
- A Steampunk Park – BBC
- Fresh food & drink in Normandy and Brittany – The Guardian
- Into Corsica, From Rustic Villages to Stony Cliffs – NYT
- Half-mile of magic: rue des Martyrs, Paris – The Guardian
- 10 of the best foodie retreats in rural France – The Guardian
- 36 Hours in Burgundy, France – NYT
- 10 of the best national and regional parks in France – The Guardian
- Les Petites Tables – Un bon petit plan resto Paris pour moins de 10 euros ?
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Germany
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Greece
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Hungary
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Ireland
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Italy
- The Italian Hotel inside Medieval Grottos
- Hiking & Haute Cuisine in the Dolomites – NYT
- Hiking Italy’s Dolomites
- Italy’s 4 Best Food Towns
- Hiking in the Dolomite Mountains
- 5 Of The Best Day Trips From Florence – ITALY Magazine
- 36 Hours on the Amalfi Coast – NYT
- The world’s smallest kingdom – BBC
- 36 Hours in Parma, Italy – NYT
- Holiday guide to Sardinia – The Guardian
- Valle di Cadore where ice-cream was invented – The Guardian
- Top 10 budget pensiones/guesthouses in Tuscany – The Guardian
- Palermo Holiday Guide – The Guardian
- Where ice-cream was invented: Valle di Cadore, Italy – The Guardian
- 36 Hours in the Cinque Terre, Italy – NYT
- Drink pink in Tuscany – The Florentine
- Italy’s Food Festivals – The Guardian
- Naples: An ancient world concealed underground – BBC
- Tuscany’s Small Towns Are Awesome & Affordable – BT
- Guide to Friuli, Italy – The Guardian
- 10 of the best places to stay in Italy for foodies – The Guardian
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Nepal
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Panama
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Peru
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Scandinavia
- Norway’s Trains and Fjords
- The Next Great Scandinavian Destination – NYT
- Norway road trip – The Guardian
- Wild Scandinavia without breaking the bank – The Guardian
- Summer activity breaks in Norway, Denmark and Sweden – The Guardian
- Locals’ guide to food, drink and hotels in Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo and Reykjavik – The Guardian
- 10 of the best ways to enjoy Amsterdam on a budget – The Guardian
- The Lofoten Islands – Visit Norway
- Denmark: A 2,000-year-old unsolved mystery – BBC
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Slovenia
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Spain
- Spain Travel Guide by Rick Steves
- 8 Best Cities in Spain to Visit
- 13 Beautiful Spanish Towns
- 18 Free Things in Barcelona – LP
- Off-season in Andalucia – The Guardian
- Catalonia holiday guide – The Guardian
- Barcelona – Lonely Planet
- The mountain hermits of Aragon – BBC
- Moreish and Moorish: a foodie tour of Andalucia – The Guardian
- The cave dwellers of southern Spain – BBC
- Sevilla: architecture and cheap red wine – backpacks and borders
- 10 of the best restaurants and bars in San Sebastian – The Guardian
- 36 Hours in San Sebastian, Spain – NYT
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Switzerland
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Turkey
Turkey is high on our list of places to visit. We will likely do this on an escorted tour with additions in the company of our friends Gulcin and Phil. -
U.S.A.
- 36 Hours on Oahu – NYT
- A Cathedral-Like Cistern Beneath Houston
- National Park Foundation
- Landmark Florida Restaurant
- A backcountry cowboy’s secret – BBC
- 36 Hours in Portland, Me. – NYT
- 20 of America’s most beautiful hotels – CNN
- Portland, Oregon: The Perfect Destination for Beer Lovers – Samantha Brown
- The Columbia River Gorge’s most beautiful hidden gems – Roadtrippers
- 36 Hours in Minneapolis – NYT
- Where to stay in the 10 most popular US national parks – The Guardian
- The Grand Canyon that few ever see – BBC
- 36 Hours in Richmond, Virginia – NYT
- The US one-million-acre secret – BBC
- On the Water, and Into the Wild – NYT
- Journey into the sunset on America’s oldest railway – LP
- 8 Short Walking Tours – NYT
- Australia and New Zealand’s best free walks – Lonely Planet
- BBC – Travel – The haunting Sichuan-Tibet Highway
- On Small Ship, Ocean Life/Passengers Are Up Close – NYT
- The New Old Iceland Cuisine – SAVEUR
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Hotels and Rentals
- Airbnb
We have used this site for our trips to London and for our return to Charlotte after 2 years in Singapore.
- Booking.com
This is my go-to site for hotel reservations.
- HomeAway
- WimDu
- Best new affordable hotels in Europe – The Guardian
- Hotels to Suit Your Wallet – NYT
- 10 of the best hostels and lodges you hike to – The Guardian
- 10 of the best small Mediterranean hotels – The Guardian
- Wintergreen Resort, Premier Blue Ridge Mountain Virginia Vacation and Ski Resort
We discovered this place while driving back to NC from MD.
- Top B&Bs, Inns, & Romantic Hotels
- Airbnb
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Travel Companies
- Overseas Adventure Travel
This is who we used for our trip to Patagonia at the end of 2014. I expect to use them again for places such a Mongolia, or Eastern Europe.
- Luxury Hotel Barge Cruises in Europe
In 2008 we took their Midi Canal cruise on the Anjodi. What a wonderful week we had. I highly recommend them and would love to do another one of their barge trips.
- Turkey Tours
- Affordable Tours
- Trip4Real
- Country Holidays (SG)
- Exotissimo Travel
- G Adventures
- Green Global Travel
- Lonely Planet Budget Travel
- National Geographic Expeditions
- Odysseys Unlimited
- REI Adventures
- Road Scholar
- SANDEMANs NEW Europe
- Slow Travel Tours
- Small Ship Cruises – Un-Cruise Adventures
- Viator Tours
Once we have determined where we want to go, I check this site for sightseeing in the area. We have made reservation through Viator many times.
- Context Tours for the Intellectually Curious
This is another place to look for local tours at your travel destination.
- Guided tour with a local – Cariboo
- Anywhere – Expert Vacation Planners
This site is useful for organizing private trips. Currently, the sites are limited to Central and South America, but they are expanding. You tell them where you want to go, how many day, the type of accomodations and transportation, and the amount of money you plan to spend. A friend of mine used them for a trip to Costa Rica and was very pleased with the trip. We will likely use them for our trip to Costa Rica.
- Green Visions – Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Repositioning Cruises
- AutoSlash – The #1 Site for Cheap Car Rentals
- Overseas Adventure Travel
- Home – Culinary Backstreets
- Airport Lounge Access Worldwide | Priority Pass
- Atlas Obscura | Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations
- Budget Travel
- Flights – Google Search
This site is the first place I look for flights around the world. Once I find the flight, I generally book through the airline’s site.
- Hipmunk
- Independent Traveler
- KAYAK
For tracking my reservations when I travel, I use Kayak. This phone app, or the website when using my laptop, can be used to find hotels, flights and rental cars. But I primarily use it to store and track the details of my trips. With this feature, Kayak notifies me when to check in and what terminal and gate to arrive at. If there is a gate change, even when at the airport, I get a text message with the new gate information. The app even provides a screen to show to a taxi driver with the hotel information in the language of the country you are staying in!
- ladyironchef: Food & Travel
We started following this site while we were in Singapore. The site covers Singapore, but also the rest of the world.
- Maps of the USA | USA maps | Imus Geographics
- Messy Nessy Chic Blog
- Nomadic Matt’s Travel Site
- Retiring abroad – Wikitravel
- Rick Steves
Although we have never taken one of Rick’s guided tours, we like to travel in the “Rick Steves” style (pack minimally, stay in his recommended hotels and B&Bs, and eat a some of his recommended restaurants).
- Roadtrippers – Maps Built for Travelers
- Samantha Brown 3 Things Every Traveler Needs to Know About Their Passport
- Skyscanner
- Trains Around the World (Seat61)
- U.S. Passport & Travel Visa Services
- US Global Mail | US Mail Forwarding Service
- WhereFor
If you have a specific amount of money available for a trip, this site will list options for your travel, unlike most sites that show the various trips and then tell you how much it would cost.
