Mountain City's Travel Blog

Europe is banning short hopper flights in a battle against emissions. The move is sparking a rail revival – and particularly a renaissance of night trains. This is something to celebrate, if you love rail journeys as much as we do. Not just for the reduction in greenhouse gases; although Eurostar says that flying from London to Paris emits 14...

Viking Neptune, the river and ocean cruise line’s newest ocean ship, has been ceremonially named by her godmother, retired NASA astronaut, aquanaut and artist, Nicole Stott. The ship’s naming ceremony was a highlight for its World Cruise guests.  Viking Neptune arrived in Los Angeles on the morning of January 8 and departed for Honolulu following its naming ceremony, continuing its...

Mulled wine, snowballs, and spiked eggnog may headline the list of festive favorites for many cocktail drinkers, but why not switch it up and greet the New Year by projecting your tropical travel resolutions? Here are our picks of some sunny, island-inspired sips to take you into next year – and hold you over until your next sun-kissed vacation.  Cheers!The...

The Caribbean flamingo is an iconic symbol of the tropics, with its vivid pink plumage standing out against a backdrop of turquoise waters, green palm leaves, and pastel-colored buildings. In the Bahamas, where it’s the national bird, flamingos have made a strong comeback thanks to conservation projects. The Islands of The Bahamas may be one of the best places in...

Break away from the beach and inject the wonder of history into your next vacation! Mexico’s ancient past comes alive at archaeological sites around the country that allow you to walk in the footsteps of the inhabitants of highly evolved societies who built pyramids, elaborate cities, and culture rivalling any ancient civilization in the world. Pre-Columbian (the era prior to Christopher...

Now that we’re traveling again, destinations around the world have been wooing visitors back – with promotional videos from the weird to the wild to the wonderful that have been vying for the attention of international travelers like us. In 2022, did any of these campaigns make you look - or want to book?  Iceland Wants to “Out-Horse Your Email” In a...

"May your home be joy-filled, and may you enjoy the warmth of family and friends. Embrace the peaceful calm and the chaotic wonder. Make memories every single day. May you have love in your heart - this season, and every season that follows. Keep cozy and sparkle-on.”With Love and a Very Merry ChristmasDiane

Viking has debuted a new river cruise that would make even the Grinch burst with Christmas spirit! And if you already love Christmas like I do, Viking’s new ‘Christmas on the Rhine' river cruise may be the ultimate way to immerse yourself in the beloved and authentic European Christmas traditions right at their source.  From March until November every year,...

‘Tis the season for good cheer, family togetherness and dreams coming true… and for us, that all adds up to travel. More than ever before, this may the year to give the gift of travel - to yourself or to your family. More and more people are trading in exhausting entertaining for holiday trips where you’re not the one doing all the...

Travel and treating yourself to luxury shopping go hand in hand for many, so this year’s list of the world’s most expensive shopping streets may help you plan a retail therapy trip or holiday shopping spree for those loved ones who like to see presents under the tree with labels that take their breath away.Sometimes, it’s even fun just to...

It may be the ultimate holiday trip: a visit to the land of the original Christmas story, especially during the holiday season. For many, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to sites referenced in the Bible that still exist today, like Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Nazareth. According to the Israel Ministry of Tourism, about half of visitors to the country are Christian, and about...

If you've never been to the British Virgin Islands, you might think their 'Fungi Fest' is a culinary event featuring mushrooms. Fungi (foon-gee) is actually the traditional folk music of the BVI’s. And it’s a lot more lively than edible fungus! Also called 'scratch' music, according to BVI Tourism, fungi music is deeply rooted in African heritage, but also with Euroepan...

The phrase ‘World’s Leading Luxury Train’ evokes images of glass-domed rail cars revealing breathtaking vistas, gliding through otherwise-inaccessible landscapes that awe pampered travelers within. It’s the romance of travel at its best – and it’s much easier to achieve than you may realize. That’s because a passenger train company rather close to home has been awarded the title of ‘World’s...

Trail-blazing women is a theme of Celebrity Cruises in general, and it was a triple play at the christening of the Celebrity Beyond. The newest of Celebrity's Edge-class ships was christened by Simone Biles, nicknamed the 'G.O.A.T.,' or 'Greatest of all Time' U.S. gymnasts, in Port Everglades, Florida on November 5th. Biles is a 19-time World Champion, seven-time Olympic Medalist...

When Regent Seven Seas Grandeur embarks on her inaugural voyage in late 2023, its breathtaking, multi-million dollar art collection will be anchored by a bespoke, sea-inspired Fabergé egg designed just for the ship. Regent Seven Seas Cruises and the legendary house of Fabergé are collaborating on the hand-crafted, precious art object, which will be the first Fabergé Egg to reside...

It's official! On October 29th, 2022, Switzerland's Rhaetian Railway (RhB) operated the longest narrow gauge passenger train in the world. And they did it in spectacular style, over the UNESCO World Heritage Albula Railway Line. The Swiss passenger rail company linked together 25, 4-part, brilliant red railcars for the event, creating a 2084-yard long train – that’s 1.2 miles long! Then...

The twin-nation island of St. Martin is one of the Caribbean's most popular destinations. It's the smallest place in the world divided between two countries: the south end is Dutch and the north end is French. Famous for its beaches, shopping and gastronomy, there's much more to St. Martin. Whether you're in St. Martin on a cruise ship port of...

Supernatural and macabre films, TV series, and novels feed our gathered-round-the-fire love of a scary story. But there’s nothing like the real-life thrill of visiting in person places around the world whose histories of hauntings, bone-chilling tales and ghostly sightings get our primal senses tingling while we’re standing right there!We’ve rounded up some of our favorite spook-tacular trips:London, EnglandLondon’s long...

Coinciding with news that Spain has joined the rest of the EU in removing all pandemic entry restrictions for overseas travelers – is the 25th anniversary of a Spanish landmark that transformed modern travel. Before celebrity architect Frank Gehry, not many travelers could put their finger on Bilbao, Spain on a map. Despite being the largest city in northern Spain and its...

Cruises in the Great Lakes are spiking in popularity, and a proposed new National Marine Sanctuary adds to the many attractions of a Great Lakes cruise. The Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary isn’t a done deal just yet. In April of 2019, following a New York state community nomination, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) subsequently announced its intention...