Amsterdam is one of Europe’s top city destinations. It was founded as a small fishing village in the 13th century. Today it is the capital of the Netherlands. Tourists and business visitors from all over the world regularly lose themselves in Amsterdam’s colorful, 700-year-old history of Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Van Dyke, Vermeer, Delft pottery, Anne ... read more

Do you have to worry about where to eat in Washington DC? Finding food is sometimes one of the biggest chores when you’re traveling… right after finding a place to sleep. So here you are in this big national capital…. You’re exploring the National Mall. There are all those majestic buildings and monuments. Lots of ... read more

Hidden hotel fees can give you sticker shock when you check out if you’re not careful. In general, we’ve found that you’re more apt to run into these fees in bigger, more expensive hotels and hotels that tend to cater to business travelers, but you should be aware of them. Keep an eye out for ... read more

With unrest and terrorism more of a threat these days, you’ll find enhanced hotel security almost everywhere. It’s not only big, high profile hotels that are beefing up their security for elite guests. Moderately priced hotels that most travelers will stay in at least once in a while are adding layers of security. Some of ... read more

Hotels are called just that around the world… especially in the cities.  But if you’re looking for a place to sleep in more rural areas of a country, it pays to know some of the other names you should be looking for.  It’s just like “B and Bs”… The term “B and B” has become ... read more

Have you ever dreamed of staying in castles?  Can You do that?  Don’t you have to be a King or a Queen or something?  Or at least a Lord to stay in a manor house? There are castles and manor houses all over Europe that have rooms available for tourists wanting to indulge in a ... read more

Can you figure out those hotel meal plans?  American Plan, Modified American Plan, European Plan, Half board….  What does it all mean? If you’re looking up hotels in a book or online, you may see that they have meal plans or dining plans listed.  There are different “plans” for providing a room and meals and ... read more

What about breakfast?  Travelers may plan whole trips around culinary experiences…. dining at Michelin starred restaurants, eating a favorite dish in an exotic land, but most people don’t really give too much thought about food beyond dinner and lunch. Breakfast is your first meal of the day.  It gets you going in the morning.  The ... read more

When you’re planning your trip you need to decide…  Will you reserve a hotel or not?  Whether you make reservations ahead of time or not depends on your temperament and your style of travel. You need to decide if you want the freedom of spirit and sense of adventure and spontaneity that going without reservations ... read more