Want to spend a few days strolling through narrow, centuries old streets, viewing the old masters and modern art, savoring southwestern French cuisine, and listening to music in the squares? Come to Montpellier, the eighth largest city in France and just a little over three hours from Paris on the TGV train. You'll ride through the country's scenic breadbasket with fields of wheat, mustard, and po[...]

Mercifully, the pirate ship is passing by far enough away as to not be heard. I wouldn't even have noticed it had I not looked up at that exact moment. And for that I blame the turtles – a pair of them bobbing along enticingly in front of me, asking to be followed, and then darting down through the endless blue to the sands far beneath, well beyond the range of my snorkel. That pirate ship is a[...]

Switzerland: a most exiting trip worth dreaming of! by Rick Steves From palm trees to snowballs"--perhaps the most thrilling juxtaposition of sights you can enjoy in a day of touring in Europe--is our nickname for driving from the Italian Riviera (Cinque Terre) to the heart of the Swiss Alps--the Berner Oberland. To have the most wonderful mix of cow culture and alpine thrills, we have l[...]

Time flies, except when you're at the German Clock Museum in Furtwangen, Germany. There, time is relative, subject to the various interpretations of the clockmakers and philosophers who built these devices, but more importantly, who thought of time and created the very concept that we now have come to accept as time. If that sounds heavy -- and it is -- then try taking a tour of these impressiv[...]

by Sophie Campbell With fascinating insights from our heritage expert and insider access to London’s finest attractions, this four-day guided walk across the capital – from Hampton Court Palace to the Thames Barrier – will be unforgettable It never ceases to amaze me how far and how fast your feet can take you in London. It’s satisfying to look back at the end of the day and see [...]

by Michael Schuermann If you like Greek Orthodox churches and chapels, the island of Ios in the Greek Cyclades is the perfect place for you. Nobody knows exactly how many churches and chapels are scattered over the island, but according to a popular myth, there are 365 of them: one for every day of the year. This estimate is questioned by Angela Pakos from the local Tourism Association -[...]