City Trips

With rolling valleys, Romanesque cathedrals, and towering peaks nestled between France and Spain, the Principality of Andorra boasts the best ski slopes and resort amenities in the whole Pyrenees. With an area of 468 sq. km (181 sq. miles) and a population of 79,034, Andorra is the world's 16th-smallest country (and 6th-smallest European microstate) by area and 11th-smallest country by population.

The multicultural Qatari capital Doha is dubbed as the Pearl of the Middle East where the old and the new coexist. Being a city steeped in culture, tradition, and heritage, it is home to some of the most striking museums, galleries, and public art projects in the region. Traditional dhows (wooden cargo boats) bob on the water, palace guards still ride camels to patrol the streets, and in the city's century-old souk, traditional fabrics, fragrances, and even falcons are on sale. That my friends, is Doha for you!

Located in the Middle East at the eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, the thriving nation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a federal, elective monarchy made up of seven emirates (autonomous city-states) namely Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah, and Fujairah. In addition to marine boundaries in the Persian Gulf with Qatar and Iran, as well as with Oman in the Gulf of Oman, it shares land borders with Oman to the east and northwest and with Saudi Arabia to the southwest. The largest of the seven emirates, Abu Dhabi is the capital of UAE, and the most populous port city of Dubai is an international financial and commercial hub housing hundreds of global companies in a forest of skyscrapers.

Situated near Faxaflói Bay in southwest Iceland, Reykjavík is the capital of Iceland and the northernmost capital of any sovereign state globally. Glaciers, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions have sculpted the landscape of the city over the millennia, as the area is geothermal; after all the name translates to "Smoky Bay." Though it only has 120,000 residents, it's a thriving city that welcomes a growing number of tourists each year. It is the political, cultural, and economic hub of Iceland and is regarded as one of the world's safest and cleanest cities.

Uniquely situated on the rift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates at the junction of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, the island nation of Iceland is aptly dubbed as the ‘Land of Fire and Ice,’ due to the presence of some of Europe’s largest glaciers and most active volcanoes at the same time. Iceland is a country with dramatic diversity in climate and geography ranging from volcanoes, lava fields, mountains, glaciers, ice caves, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, hot springs, and black beaches. And due to its vicinity to the North Pole, it’s also an iconic destination to chase the Northern Lights. All of these together, create an enchanting otherworldly ambiance that cannot be expressed in words but has to be experienced in person. And probably that’s the reason why Iceland has been the backdrop of several Hollywood and Bollywood movies and TV Series like Starwars, Tomb Raider, Die Another Day, Batman Begins, Thor: The Dark World, Interstellar, Fast and Furious 8, Game of Thrones, Vikings, and Katla to name a few!

There is an inherent fascination with things that are outside the norm for many people. The widespread appeal of the Guinness Book of World Records is living proof of this. Therefore, for something to be the tallest, largest, oldest, greatest, or tiniest is a great thing for business. As a result, a few locations claim or market themselves to be "smallest” in the Netherlands which is driven by the local merchants and the chamber of commerce supporting them. And then naturally, it also means, there will always be an element of ambiguity in these kinds of claims. Today I’m going to talk about two such “smallest” settlements in the Netherlands. Let the journey begin!

To me, Switzerland is all about mountains, lakes, waterfalls, alpine villages, and historic towns. So you need to choose an itinerary combining one or two of each of the above to experience the beauty of Switzerland in its entirety. Also, having too many of each of these may be overkill and turn out to be a very expensive Swiss drama. So, in our itinerary, we chose the best of each of the above to ensure we capture the true essence of Switzerland in our hearts forever, while keeping the itinerary cost-effective.

The inverted letter ‘Y’ shaped (or ‘lambda’ for science students) lake of Como (also known as Lario) is a gorgeous glacial lake in the Lombardy region of Italy, 50 km north of Milan. After Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore, it is the third-largest lake in Italy with a surface area of 146 sq. km. With a depth of 425 m, it is the fifth-deepest lake in Europe. Home to picturesque villages, elegant villas, luscious green mountains, and sparkling blue shores, Lake Como is a place where gleaming red Ferraris glide through little lakeside towns and aristocrats, royals, and celebs vacation in neoclassical villas. Here the 2006 Bond film ‘Casino Royale’ was partly shot and many of the opulent lakeside hotels are priced like 007 properties. Hollywood star George Clooney is known to spend the summer months at his 25-room Villa Oleandra in Laglio on Lake Como.

The Republic of San Marino situated on the slopes of Mount Titano 657 meters (2,156 feet) above sea level, northeast to the Apennine Mountains, is a European microstate landlocked by Italy on all sides, offering breathtaking views of the Adriatic coast. With a population of 33,562 and a land area of just over 61 sq. km, it is the third-smallest independent country in Europe after Vatican City and Monaco, the fifth-smallest country in the world, and until the independence of Nauru (1968), the smallest republic in the world.

Tuscany is renowned for its exquisite scenery, magnificent art, architecture, and extraordinary charm. However, Florence is the only location in Tuscany where all four of these characteristics come together seamlessly to create a majestic, charming, and utterly unique city. Florence is known for the vast political and economic influence it held during the Medici dynasty and for providing a platform for world-renowned personalities like Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, Leonardo da Vinci, Dante, Galileo, Marconi, Botticelli, and Machiavelli, to name a few.

Tuscany in central Italy is not only one of the most well-known regions of the country, but it's also unquestionably one of the most picturesque travel destinations in all of Europe. A few of the attractions that make a trip to Tuscany unforgettable include the fascinating hilly landscapes, pine forests, cypress avenues, rolling hilltop vineyards, golden yellow fields, olive groves, idyllic medieval villages, an immeasurable wealth of art treasures, authentic cuisines, and locally brewed wines. In addition, it is regarded as one of the most significant Renaissance cultural landscapes, having numerous sites and attractions on the UNESCO World Heritage List. No wonder photographers from all over the world come to Tuscany to shoot the best photos of their lifetimes!

Milan is the capital of the Lombardy region in northern Italy and the second most populous city in Italy after Rome. It is the most prosperous manufacturing, commercial, financial, and cultural hub in Italy where life is fast-paced, money does the talking, creativity is a major business, and fashion is an art form!

Situated in the Southern Dutch province of Limburg near the Belgian border, the city of Thorn, popularly dubbed as 'The White Village,' 'The Tiny White Town,' or 'Het Witte Stadje' in Dutch, is a fascinating place to visit, thanks to its history as an Imperial Abbey ruled by women and the turbulent aftermath of the French invasion in the 18th century. Today I’m going to take you along with me on a ride across the 7 best things to see and do in this beautiful town. Let the journey begin!

Giethoorn is an enchanting Dutch fairytale village with centuries-old picturesque thatched-roof houses, a myriad of canals and numerous quaint wooden bridges situated in the province of Overijssel amidst the Weerribben-Wieden National Park - a vast nature reserve. Since the old part of the village has no car roads and hence the only means of transportation are walking, cycling and boating through a network of small canals, it has earned the title of 'Little Venice of the Netherlands' or 'Small Venice of the North.'

The Republic of Kosovo is a partially recognized country and a disputed area in Southeastern Europe. Kosovo became part of the Ottoman Empire from the 15th to the early 20th century. In the late 19th century, it came to be the center of the Albanian National Awakening. Following their defeat in the Balkan Wars, the Ottomans ceded Kosovo to Serbia and Montenegro.

Skopje is the capital and also the biggest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, social and economic hub. To me, it is hands down one of the most beautiful Eastern European capital cities. The massive architectures built under the redevelopment project 'Skopje 2014' (a €560 million controversial makeover in a country whose one-fourth population is unemployed and one-third lives below the poverty line) focused on reshaping Skopje to attract foreign investments has left the city surprisingly beautiful but non-Balkan.

The Moselle Valley region offers families the opportunity to vacation by the Moselle, spend time with their families, have fun, be active, and learn new things right from a child-friendly guided tour of the Cochem Castle, the Reichsburg, to a ride on the chair lift up to the Pinnerkreuz, the fantastic viewpoint above the small town of Cochem, from where it's not far to hike to the Klotten Game and Leisure Park, which, among other things, has a large enclosure with wild animals, to a must-do boat ride from Cochem to Beilstein, that will leave you awestruck! So based on our personal experience, today I’m going to share with you the tips and tricks on how to get the most of this amazing piece of creation named the ‘Moselle Valley’ over a weekend with your family. Let the journey begin!

Zell am See is a quaint alpine town on Lake Zell, around 100 km south of Salzburg. Trails and lifts lead to the ski slopes of Schmittenhöhe mountain and Gipfelwelt 3000 panoramic platform at the top of the Kitzsteinhorn glacier.

The ruggedly charming Balkan nation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (abbreviated as BiH) is known for its passionate human warmth, magnificent mountains, raftable rivers, impressive waterfalls, gorgeous Turkish-era stone architecture with quirky bars, inviting street-terrace cafes, traditional barbecue restaurants, and vibrant arts scenes.

Belgrade is a contemporary European city with a population of about 1.7 million. It is the administrative, cultural and political center of Serbia and is the seat of the Serbian parliament. Among the earliest cities in Europe and the only one built on the confluence of the two rivers Danube and Sava, Belgrade is the city that never sleeps.

The Principality of Liechtenstein is a pristine slice of paradise wedged between the tourist-heavy Switzerland to the west and south and sparsely populated Austria to the east and north. With an area of just over 160 square kilometers and a population of 37,877, it is Europe's fourth-smallest and the world's sixth smallest country.

In the middle of the Adriatic, the Lagoon of Venice is an adventurous attempt to create an evocative artwork glittering with miniature islands, marble palaces, monuments, piazzas, meandering roads, canals, bridges, gondolas, and silent waters. It is one of the most ancient and intricate examples of human-nature interactions, containing the highest concentration of tangible cultural items and aesthetic expressions accumulated over millennia. In 1987, Venice and its Lagoon was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site for the uniqueness of its historical, archaeological, urban, architectural, artistic, and cultural values, all of which are integrated into an extraordinary environmental landscape. Today I’m going to take you along with me on a ride across the 19 best places to visit and top things to do in Venice and its Lagoon. Let the journey begin!

Situated amidst one the most dramatic settings on the planet, the ingeniously constructed isolated hamlets of Cinque Terre (pronounced as Cheen-kweh Ter-reh), or "Five Lands," with no automobiles, winding lanes, seemingly impregnable cliff sides, perfectly preserved architecture, a network of stunning mountain trails, and a 19th-century railway line cutting through a series of coastal tunnels connecting the villages can spellbind even the most adept of eyes.

Monaco is a sovereign micro-country located on the French Riviera in Western Europe. The country is bordered on three sides by France, with the Mediterranean Sea on the fourth, and the Italian Riviera a few kilometers east. According to the 2016 census, Monaco is the world's second-smallest (after the Vatican) and most densely-populated sovereign state, with an area of 2.020 km2 and a population of roughly 38,400 people per km2. Monaco has been a magnet for high-rollers and hedonists since the early twentieth century, and it is home to the annual Formula One Grand Prix.

With the sky-kissing wrought-iron Eiffel Tower, the monumental Arc de Triomphe guarding the opulent avenue des Champs-Élysées, the iconic Notre Dame cathedral, lamplit bridges across the Seine, and the wicker-chair-lined terraces of art nouveau cafes, Paris is a beacon of art, architecture, and fashion on the face of our planet. Lutece, Paname, Pentruche, City of Lights, City of Love - known by different names to different people, it has witnessed the creations of masters like Renoir, Rodin, Picasso, Monet, Manet, Dali, and Van Gogh and has housed treasures since antiquity. Today I’m going to take you along with me on a ride across the 13 best places to visit in Paris that can be done over the weekend. Let the journey begin!

Often disregarded as a tourist destination in Europe compared to Spain, France, Germany, or the Netherlands, Belgium is one of Europe's most underrated jewels. Belgium is home to a plethora of incredibly picturesque, frozen-in-time medieval villages and cities, stunning countryside, and, of course, its world-famous beer, making it one of Europe's most beautiful and romantic (short) city breaks.

Copenhagen, which began as a Viking fishing community in the 10th century, has proudly worn the moniker of 'The Happiest City in the World' for years, which I've always found intriguing. However, a visit to the Danish capital would make it very evident. The city has the X factor thanks to its happy-go-lucky snug terraces all along the port, free-flowing wine, fish, and chips, and a laid-back contented attitude among the residents.

The Algarve, Portugal's southernmost coast, is renowned for its jaw-dropping cliffs, golden sands, scalloped bays, and sandy islands. But the Algarve's narrative doesn't finish with "sun, surf, and sand"; there are plenty of other attractions, including activities, beach bars (and discos), sand castles, diving, entertainment, and fun. Portugal's top vacation spot sold its soul to tourism in the 1960s when it turned the whitewashed fishing villages perched on low cliffs overlooking sandy coves into vast conglomerations that ranged from uninspiring vacation homes to brash resorts that now line the country's central coast between Lagos and Faro.

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, the second-oldest capital (after Athens) in Europe, and the westernmost capital city in continental Europe is situated on the estuary of the Tagus (Tejo) River and serves as the nation's principal port, largest city, and commercial, political, and tourism hub. The name of the city, which is a variant of the old Olisipo (Ulyssipo), has been linked to three people: Ulysses (Odysseus), the hero of Homer's Odyssey; Elisha, who is said to be the grandson of the Hebrew patriarch Abraham; and, more plausibly, Phoenician colonists.

As you gaze out over the city's snow-covered rooftops, domes, and towers, the pealing of innumerable church bells will remind you that Christmas is approaching, and the Salzburg Christmas markets will warm you up. It's the perfect time of year for a romantic stroll through the city's hilltops, which provide a spectacular perspective of the city and the cheerful buzz of the Salzburg Christmas Markets will strike you as you return to the town. The aromas of toasted almonds, hot roasted chestnuts, freshly baked apples, and gingerbread hearts, along with nativity figures, Christmas Tree ornaments, toys, and warm knitwear create a one-of-a-kind ambiance.