Scott Hartbeck travel tips

For every world-famous European museum like the Louvre or Prado, there’s one that flies under the radar. The following collection is made up of both quirky & unusual museums and those that are home to world-class collections but just aren’t as well known as they should be. 

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Fans of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will be happy to know they can experience the wild and wonderful world of Willy Wonka during their next trip to Britain. The newly released film Wonka is based on the 1964 novel written by British author Roald Dahl, and it tells the tale of Willy Wonka’s early days as an eccentric chocolatier, counting several notable British sights as backdrops.  From actual film shooting locations to chocolate-centric attractions, you will find a wonderful Wonka-esque experience waiting for you at any of the following places in Britain. 

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Global market research company Euromonitor International has released its annual rankings of city destinations based on tourism, sustainability and economic performance. Europe dominates the field. Paris was crowned the most attractive city destination in the world in the Top 100 City Destinations Index 2023, with seven European destinations landing in the top 10 and the continent owning 63 spots in the top 100 overall. Nadejda Popova, Senior Manager (Loyalty) at Euromonitor International, said: “Paris has retained the title of the world's leading city following exceptional performance across the Tourism Policy and Attractiveness, Tourism Infrastructure and Tourism Performance pillars.” Paris was followed by Dubai in second place, Madrid in third, Tokyo in fourth and Amsterdam in fifth. The top 10 was rounded out by Berlin (6), Rome (7), New York (8), Barcleona (9) and London (10).  

Despite conventional wisdom, Europe is still a dream come true come wintertime. From the merriment of myriad Christmas markets to joyous carnival celebrations, the continent shines bright during the season of darkness. But nothing dazzles quite like the Northern Lights. At their best during the winter months, the Northern Lights are a thrill to those lucky enough to gaze upon them and happen to be entering a period of increased activity. While finding them is always an inexact science due to the famously fickle nature of the lights, many locations across the northern tier of the continent offer travelers increased odds all winter long. And since seeing Europe by rail is always a thrill and you can reach almost any corner of the continent on a train, why not combine the two things for a winter trip you will remember forever? Think days spent gazing out the window at winter wonderlands and nights chasing the magical lights outdoors and having fun staying cozy indoors. You will probably want to bookend your adventure with a stop in a city like Stockholm, Oslo, Gothenburg, Bergen, Helsinki, or even London or Edinburgh to make it a well-rounded rail adventure.

Have you heard the news? Paris is positively teeming with bedbugs. Yep, this autumn, the blood-sucking insects have been crawling all over the French capital, taking a bite out of citizens and travelers alike. In addition to being spotted on beds in hotels and private residences—precisely where you would expect the little critters to be hanging out—there have been bedbug sightings on buses & trains, in airports and even at movie theaters. (Hey, I know Barbenheimer was a big deal, but this is ridiculous.)    How did we find out about this infestation? It's 2023, how else? Videos of supposed bedbug sightings were shared via wobbly social media posts, gaining traction with shocked viewers and amateur exterminators alike. Predictably, the bedbug content set the algorithm alight, going viral and spawning memes and many a reaction video from influencers who wanted to talk about bedbugs, you know, "because a lot of you are asking".  Then, the story swept into traditional media. What followed was a slew of news stories about the "invasion", the panic surrounding it and how it all comes a mere 10 months before millions of people from all over the world are set to descend on the City of Light for the Summer Olympics. People wondered why this was happening now. Was it because of the Rugby World Cup? Paris Fashion Week? Or were bedbugs simply just getting out there and traveling again post-Covid? The fervor reached such a level that, back in early October, it was reported by Reuters that Emmanuel Gregoire, Paris's deputy mayor, said in a letter to Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne that "The state urgently needs to put an action plan in place against this scourge as France is preparing to welcome the Olympic and Paralympic games in 2024,". 

At home, I lead a fairly down-to-earth lifestyle. Like most people, my days are typically grounded, filled with the normal routine of taking care of commitments and ticking to-do lists. But get me on a trip, and it's a whole different story. Without fail, when I'm in a new city, I get as high as I possibly can .... so I can take in the sweet views.The very first thing I did on my first day in Stockholm last month was to take a stroll on the Monteliusvägen walking path, where I was greeted with unbelievable views of the Swedish capital's Old Town and surrounding waterscape. It made things official: I was in Stockholm. 

After a summer filled with headlines about iconic European sights buckling under the pressure of overtourism and moronic tourists running amok on the continent, it’s now more obvious than ever that you need to arrive in Europe with a game plan to avoid some of the most crowded situations.