Vacation packages for family

So you've booked that dream river cruise to Europe. You've chosen your state room, purchased flights, and have already bought a guidebook (or two). Now comes perhaps the hardest part about getting ready for a river cruise: figuring out what to pack! Most people go on European river cruises in the spring and summer months, with a handful cruising in the winter to visit Europe's famous Christmas markets. What you pack will of course depend on which season you're traveling in. But here are my tips for what to pack for a river cruise in Europe after going on 4 such cruises myself. Common questions about packing for a river cruise Do I have to dress up? The top question I get about river cruises is related to how “fancy” you need to get onboard. There are generally no formal nights on river cruise ships. There may be one Captain's Dinner night where you're advised that shorts and tank tops are not appropriate, but otherwise the cruise will be...

Ten exceptional properties, representing a variety of global regions and styles, have been honored as the world’s best hotels. They were feted as the year’s Best of the Best at Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas. Virtuoso surveyed its 11,400-plus travel advisors to identify the winners. Editors of the network’s award-winning VIRTUOSO LIFE magazine identified the nominees on which Virtuoso advisors voted. With more than 1,100 hotels, resorts, villas and private island retreats in over 100 countries, the competition to be one of the world’s best hotels is stiff. This year’s Virtuoso Best of the Best winners are:

No matter where you travel to in the world today, chances are you can find a food tour. This isn't just because people love to eat though (although I'm sure that's at least *part* of the reason). It's because, no matter where you are in the world, food is one of the best reflections of a culture . Food can give you an insight into a destination's past, and also a glimpse into its future. So when I was invited on a food tour of London's East End (a part of London I knew almost nothing about), I jumped at the chance. Eating London Food Tours is a brand new company looking to break into the food tour scene. They were still in trial runs when I booked a spot on a Saturday morning tour, but our guide Nicole was already quite polished in her presentation. The thing I love about food tours is that it's not just about the food. On this particular tour, we also learned a heck of a lot about the history of the East End. It's this history — of immigrants, pove...

Tapas. Museums. Otherwordly cathedrals. Avant garde art and architecture. Wine. Did we mention the tapas? Barcelona is one of the most beautiful cities in Spain and the center of Catalan history and culture. It’s also one of our favorite cities to eat and drink our way through – the last time we visited Barcelona, we arrived at the airport for our flight home still drunk from the night before (true story). But in between stuffing our faces with cones of manchego and acorn-fed iberico ham, we spent most of our time in Barcelona exploring on foot! Our favorite part of town is the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona’s historic center – we fell in love with Barcelona while exploring its tall, narrow alleys. And only sometimes got lost. Because we’re unreliable tour guides who spent half of our trip to Barcelona consume alarming amounts of Cava and the other half getting totally lost, we’ve recruited a few experts to design us the perfect self-guided ...

No matter what your itinerary is, you can fit in a few hours to take one the most special and unique private tours Paris has to offer. Whether you’ll be in Paris for weeks, days, or mere hours, Cedric’s 2CV Paris Tours are sure to impress even the most seasoned tourist in Paris. Contents 1 Perfect for Paris Layovers or Short Stays 2 Perfect for Paris Night Tours 3 Paris Highlights 4 Cedric’s 2CV Paris Tours Are the Best! 5 **Update** Perfect for Paris Layovers or Short Stays I usually hate layovers, and when I realized I’d booked a ticket home from Morocco that left me in Paris from 10pm to 10am, my first thought was “crap.” But then I remembered I am known for making the most of my time; it’s like my modus operandi. So I reached out to tour companies who offer private tours of Paris, but not just any tour. I wanted something unique, fun, classy, and  memorable. When I found Cedric’s 2CV Paris Tours, I knew I’d discovered th...