View of a red carriage and Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace and Gardens

Hampton Court Palace, located in the county of Surrey, can be reached by train from Waterloo Station in Central London in just over half an hour; in summer boats travel to Hampton Court all the way from Westminster Pier but depending on the tide, the trip can take up to 4 hours so maybe not…

View of the front entrance to Leeds Castle

Leeds Castle: the loveliest castle in the world

Leeds Castle is not as the name would suggest anywhere near the city of Leeds but it is in fact in Kent not far from Maidstone. Advertised as “the loveliest castle in the world” it makes for a perfect day trip from London. Connected by train from London Victoria, it takes just over an hour…

View of a row of colorful houses in Burano

Murano and Burano, a tale of two islands

Murano and Burano are two islands of the Venetian Lagoon and can be easily included on the itinerary on a trip to Venice. Many tourists spend just one day in the city as part of a tour of Italy or as one of the stops on a cruise around the Med but, people who have…

Panoramic view of London's Sky Garden

London’s Sky Garden

The Sky Garden opened in 2015 at the top of the building at 20 Fenchurch Street (commonly referred to as the Walkie Talkie for its curious shape) in the City of London. Although access to the garden is free, tickets need to be booked in advance online. After going through airport-style security checks (including photo ID…

View of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate

A few days in Berlin and a day trip to Potsdam

A few days in Berlin will probably not be enough to get to know this fascinating city but, it will give enough time to see all the main sights and maybe take a short trip out of town. A visit to Berlin should start at its most famous landmark: the Brandenburg Gate. The focal point of…

Looking up at Villa Borghese-Cavazza

A guided tour of Isola del Garda

Isola del Garda, also known as Isola Borghese, is the largest island on Lake Garda near the village of San Felice del Benaco in Italy. Although it is privately owned, access is allowed to the public during the summer season (from April until October).Tours of the island are conducted by members of the Cavazza family who…

View of the velodrome and the Olympic Rings

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park opened in 2014 on the site of London 2012 Olympic Games in Stratford, East London; a whole new neighbourhood has been created with its own brand new postcode: E20. Some of the temporary structures used during the Games were dismantled and the remaining buildings have been made accessible to the general…

View of the red Patscherkofel cable car

Innsbruck, the Capital of the Alps

Innsbruck is located in the Austrian state of Tirol; surrounded by mountains, this small city is a busy ski resort in winter and a hiking paradise in summer. Innsbruck is well connected to the rest of Europe with an international airport and a railway station with direct trains to Switzerland, Germany and to other destinations in…

Some of the houses in Porvoo Old Town

Porvoo, Finland’s second oldest city

Porvoo is Finland’s second oldest city after Turku. It is located about 50 kilometers away from Helsinki perfect for a day trip from the Finnish capital. Buses from Kamppi bus station in Helsinki travel regularly to Porvoo; the trip takes less than an hour. During the summer months, visitors have a more scenic option: a round-trip…