Mountain City's Travel Blog

On August 12, 2026, we are in for a rare and remarkable celestial event – a total solar eclipse - and a cruise may be the best place for you to experience it. This will be the first total solar eclipse visible from Europe this millennium!  When you combine an extraordinary natural spectacle that may be best viewed at sea,...

Arbor Days vary around the world, but for tree lovers, every day is a day to celebrate the awe-inspiring vegetation that towers above us on six of the world’s seven continents. Whether you plant a tree or plan a walk or hike in the woods, worldwide, tree huggers like us find any excuse to commune with the trees, especially while...

AmaWaterways has debuted the AmaMagdalena, the first-ever major river cruise line ship to navigate Colombia’s Magdalena River. The launch opens a completely new cruise destination for fans of river cruising looking to add to their collection of exotic river cruises beyond Europe. With the launch, you can now cruise on AmaWaterways or other river cruise lines on the Amazon in South...

MSC World America has launched! The secret to the success of this new mega-ship is right there in the name - the first MSC Cruises ship designed specifically for the cruising tastes of North Americans. That means you! But MSC Cruises is not turning its back on its European roots. Instead, the cruise line says it’s delivering the best of both...

Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship has arrived in North America ahead of its christening – and its Aqua Slidecoaster, the world’s first hybrid rollercoaster and waterslide, is already going viral. The latest attraction at sea features a high-speed powered launch that propels adventurous guests through one of two different courses across three decks. With dual slides, guests can have two unique...

More people visit the Louvre in Paris than any other museum in the world. The French President has announced a sweeping renovation plan for the iconic institution, to the tune of about 800 million euros over the next decade. It’s hard to believe that the last time the Louvre had a makeover was over 30 years ago! That’s when I.M. Pei’s...

Castles top the list of sights we want to discover when we travel. They let us walk in the very footsteps of history, where battles were won and lost and epoch-changing events took place. Castles were inhabited by history-makers and doers of deeds that became the basis for fairytales and legends that defined the romance of centuries past. As defensive fortifications,...

Cruising just took a giant step towards becoming a lot cleaner and better for the environment and seas we love to sail. Viking and its shipbuilder, Fincantieri, have revealed they’re building the first-ever cruise ship powered by hydrogen, developed by a Fincantieri subsidiary specializing in advanced fuel cell technology. That will allow the ship to operate with zero – yes, zero...

Four Seasons Yachts is set to debut in January 2026, and when its first small-ship, ultra-luxury vessel takes to the seas, it will be helmed by a very familiar figure. One might even say, a “Celebrity.” Captain Kate McCue has moved from Celebrity Cruises to the new cruise line. Even cruise aficionados who have never sailed on Celebrity have likely heard...

Scotland’s so-called ‘Second City’ takes center stage in 2025 as it celebrates its 850th birthday. If you’ve only been to Edinburgh, it’s time to put Glasgow on the top of your Scottish travel list and discover its history and the thriving, vivid, cultural hub of modern Scotland on the River Clyde that’s even a UNESCO City of Music. Far bigger than...

Planes, trains… and sustainability. Adoption of ‘integrated intermodal travel’ is speeding faster than a locomotive around the world, especially in Europe and Asia, and it could mean the next time you book a flight, your journey - and ticket - will include a leg on a train or even a bus. The key to ‘integrated intermodal travel’ is the ‘integrated’ part. It...

Sydney’s one of the most famous harbor cities in the world. From the beautiful natural harbor that is central to Sydney’s identity to the unmistakeable silhouette of the Sydney Opera House, the drama of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the legendary beaches that foster a coastal lifestyle of surfing, sunbathing, barbecue parties and boating, Sydney is all about its one-of-a-kind...

If you’re like 9 out of every 10 people planning to travel to the UK, you’re keen to visit a film or TV location during your trip. And it’s no wonder; while many Hollywood productions are filmed in a studio set, some of the most iconic UK productions have been filmed in a real-life setting, where you can walk in...

It’s been a hundred years since the masterworks of American literary luminaries living in France in the roaring 20s epitomized and inspired the modern era of American travel to Europe. Between F. Scott Fitzgerald and close friend Ernest Hemingway and others, we have a treasure trove of accounts of the glamour and allure of life after WW1 in Europe, including...

St. Patrick’s Day may be the day when we are all just a little bit Irish, but anytime we visit Ireland, we can bring home a little bit of Ireland – for our own memories, or to share an Irish blessing with our friends and loved ones. The Emerald Isle is known for its vivid landscapes, love of life and literature,...

We’ve written before about a few of the many reasons it’s valuable to work with an expert travel advisor, and a new study has just revealed one more: a third of people who book their own travel online end up making crucial errors that can end up: costing you money,creating unnecessary stress during travel or worse –losing your trip altogether!It’s all...

Two of the world’s biggest cruise lines are cracking down on young travelers cruising on their own. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line quietly changed their minimum age policies in February 2025. They are still two of the most family- and kid-friendly cruise lines out there, with cruise guests of all ages welcomed. The change is for young adults traveling...

Denmark has ‘hygge,’ and Scotland has ‘coorie.’ Eons of winds off the North Sea and a bracing climate have given both countries enticing traditions for staying cozy and cheerful year-round. And if you travel to Scotland outside the sunny summer months, you can immerse yourself in Scottish nature and elements of Scottish culture you can only truly appreciate when there’s...

Before Ibiza earned its reputation as the world’s hot spot for beach club nightlife and its electronic dance music scene, the Balearic Islands stayed under the radar of all but the most in-the-know of European travelers. Now the secret’s out – but there’s so much more to these four Mediterranean islands off the coast of Spain than global celebrity DJs...

From Hawaii to Sicily, and now to Thailand, the hit HBO dramatic series The White Lotus has captivated viewers and inspired travelers with its double appeal of intrigue in luxury hotels and their location in exotic destinations. Season 3 shines a spotlight on the Thai destinations of Koh Samui, Phuket and Bangkok as the exotic backdrops of the intrigues of this...