There are two types of train trip: The long, slow, and often luxurious train journey that takes you through beautiful scenery that you book specifically to spend time on the rails; and the speedy, no-nonsense, cheap train ride you take to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. In the first category, you’ll find grand trips like Australia’s The Ghan, South Africa’s Blue Train, and Britain’s Caledonian Sleeper. In the second, there are trips from London to Brussels in just two hours, from Rome to Venice in four hours, and from Miami to Orlando in three hours. And if you’re a train traveler who belongs to the second category and likes getting places fast without flying, there are plenty of trains in this world that do just that at speeds previously unimaginable on land, including the fastest train in the world and its closest competitors.
Valarie D’Elia, Travel Reporter on TV and Radio, Dies at 64
18.09.2024 - 21:57 / nytimes.com
Valarie D’Elia, a travel reporter who visited 102 countries on all seven continents to advise her viewers and listeners on where to go, how to get there, what the best bargains were and what to pack, died on Sept. 10 in Manhattan. She was 64.
The death, in a hospital, was caused by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the degenerative neurological disease also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, her husband, Ron Cucos, said.
From 1998 to 2017, Ms. D’Elia appeared regularly in a segment called “Travel With Val” on the local cable TV station now known as Spectrum News NY1. She also hosted a syndicated radio program, “The Travel Show,” and wrote a blog, which included the trademark feature “D’Elia’s Deals.” (Her personal mantra was “Travel with VALue.”)
Her viewers, listeners and readers might learn that ski resorts in the Canadian Rockies were opening in early November that year because of snow storms; that a hotel near London was offering complimentary honeymoon accommodations to couples who got married there; or that rare winter discounts were available at a resort in the Florida Keys timed to school vacations the first week of January in several Southern states.
Her advice was coveted. (Her favorite was “Pack light, forget the blow-dryer — who wants to worry about all that stuff? Her wanderlust was celebrated. Her documentary “The Making of a Maestro: From Castelfranco to Carnegie Hall,” the story of the conductor Sir Antonio Pappano, won first place in the North American Travel Journalists Association’s competition for travel videos in 2018.
Things We Love: The Matador Team's 10 Favorite Pieces of Travel Gear and More This Month
The best thing about August isn’t the searing heat – it’s the fact that summer has matured and there’s been (hopefully) plenty of time to get out and test new gear. Matador’s editors tested everything from socks and underwear to luggage to mountain bike gloves this month, and below is the stuff we loved most. The editor who recommended each is listed, so if you have beef – or a competing product – you know who to contact. Preference was given, as it should be, to brands working towards more sustainable production methods.
Healing Spas, Lake Cruises, and World-Class Gastronomy: 3 Small Towns to Visit in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Southeastern France’s Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is famous for some big things, from Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps, and the rolling landscapes that unfurl below it to the millennia-spanning architecture that defines the region’s capital city, Lyon, and beyond. Ironically, one of the best ways to experience all that grandeur is to think small — that is, to visit the small towns that reflect the best of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes’ endless outdoor possibilities, robust agriculture and gastronomy, and long history and cultural heritage.
These Are the 100 Most-Loved Sights in Germany and We Bet You Haven't Even Heard of the Top 5
I think of myself as a well-traveled individual with a very solid knowledge of geography and tourist sights. Most of the people at Matador Network see themselves in the same way. After all, we live and breathe travel day in, day out. Yet, apparently, none of us know much about Germany.
UK Electronic Travel Authorisation: When will the new visa-free entry system apply to Europeans?
The UK's Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) will soon apply to visitors from from Europe, Australia, the US and Canada.
I took a 13-hour flight to New Zealand from LA. Here are 8 mistakes I made.
New Zealand is known for its incredibly stunning scenery — and an incredibly long flight if you live in the US like me.
I moved from the US to Scotland. My social life looks much different here.
In 2017, I moved from the East Coast of the US to the UK and promptly met my Scottish husband.
SAS plots major growth in Copenhagen and a new JFK nonstop to Oslo
The shake-up continues at Scandinavian Airlines following its official entrance into the SkyTeam alliance.
New Storm Impacting Travel: Helene Has Airlines, Cruise Lines on Watch
Weather-wise, this summer has been like the proverbial pebble in the shoe for airlines and cruise lines – not quite enough to be a major disturbance but enough to cause discomfort.
Quark Expeditions Adds Helicopter Flights Over Remote Axel Heiberg Island in the Canadian Arctic
Quark Expeditions is celebrating the success of flightseeing excursions over Axel Heiberg Island in the remote Canadian Arctic.
6 ways to discover NYC’s Roosevelt Island
Sep 17, 2024 • 5 min read
My family moved to Switzerland 8 years ago. We couldn't find the type of life we wanted in the US.
My husband and I have three kids and four pets, and we've moved a lot in search of the American dream.