8 Destinations for the Solo Traveler | AOL Travel
As with everything else, traveling alone has its pros and cons. Pros: No scheduling conflicts, you can choose every meal, not to mention grab all the glory of travel triumphs (and pitfalls) all to yourself. Cons: Safety is paramount, and there is the ever lingering feeling of loneliness that can turn a fabulous, delicious dinner into a slow form of torture.
AOL’s suggestions aren’t all that adventurous. I’m not sure even one would qualify as “exotic,” although you could make an argument for Singapore, I guess.
Still, there are some worthwhile suggestions. I can personally vouch for Norway’s solo travel virtues. When AOL writes, “Scandinavians love Scandinavia — particularly when they’re showing you around and lauding the delicious food and fascinating cultural scene,” they could not be more accurate. Despite stereotypes of stoicism, there is likely no more welcoming bunch than you’ll find in Norway. Conveniently, most of them speak better English than the average American. And while culturally it is notably homogeneous, the country is impossibly beautiful and varied.
Case in point: On a train from Bergen to Oslo years ago, I met a girl on her way from Lapland to Oslo to attend university. She had lived in the far north of the country her whole life and this was her first time away. She was on that train for six hours, she told me, before she encountered her first tree.
Yes, her first tree.
This wasn’t like the first time someone saw snow or the ocean. This was a tree. Trust me, there are a lot of trees in Norway. Timber is one of Norway’s primary natural resources. And yet, because this girl had lived all along in Lapland, essentially in the Arctic Circle, she’d never seen a real living one with her own eyes. Remember, she was on her way to college. She was eighteen.
Photo: Aker Brygge | Oslo, Norway | by The Wandering Chicken
The Arctic Light | by TSO Photography
Here’s your Epic Time-lapse Video of the Day. Filmed in Lofoten, Norway.
Great Scenic Train Rides in Europe | Fodor's
Whether it’s a loop ride on a steam train or a practical means for getting from Amsterdam to Brussels, Europe is full of train routes with amazing scenery. Thanks to the amazing Fodor’s community, we’ve compiled some great train trips by country.
10 Under-The-Radar Islands of the World | AOL Travel
Our friends at Travel +Leisure have done the requisite digging to find places you can truly unwind, from the rugged Chilean spot that inspired the novel Robinson Crusoe to a tiny island in the Caribbean that was virtually deserted for decades until a luxe resort opened in 2010.
Photo: Skopelos, Greece (Roger Cracknell01/classic/Alamy)
9 Greek Archaeological Sites That Will Leave You Breathless | BootsnAll
From ancient rituals to majestic temples, to open-air museums so large they could fit on an island, this country of philosophers is the place to be if you are looking for more than just an average holiday. History buffs prepare to have a ball in this multifaceted country where myth and reality still live closely together.
—Natali Lekka, BootsnAll
Photo: Temple of Poseidon | By Stefanos Kofopoulos
World's 50 Best Restaurants | USA Today
According to USA Today, Denmark’s Noma drew top honors in a contest sponsored by San Pelligrino water and overseen by Restaurants Magazine. Six U.S. restaurants made the top 50, only one of which is not in New York. Seems like an awfully low total for the U.S., but then there are a lot of restaurants in the world, and my guess is the best one is actually some place in Nowheresville that few have ever heard of.
Europe’s Best Hotels | Travel + Leisure
The magazine has announced the best European hotels as chosen by its readers. While Palazzo Sasso (Ravello, Italy) and Domaine des Hauts de Loraine (Loire Valley, France) come in at numbers 1 and 2 respectively, the luxury chain Four Seasons dominates the list with five entries.
Photo: Four Seasons Dublin
Europe's Hottest Secret Destinations | AOL Travel
Find out about the secret white sandy beaches that the French don’t want you to know about, some of the best preserved Greek temples outside of Greece and a forgotten Spanish island that is making a comeback.
—Anthony Grant, AOL Travel
Best European Festivals | AOL Travel
Author Elizabeth Brady picks her favorite festivals, from well-known extravaganzas like Munich’s Oktoberfest to more obscure events like the one featured in the above Lonely Planet video — the Baby Jumping Festival in Castrillo de Murcia, Spain.
Most and Least Expensive European Cities | Travel + Leisure
Traveling to Europe? Some cities offer great value. Others, not so much.
—Mark Orwoll, Travel + Leisure
There are very few surprises here. Hey, look at that, London and Venice are expensive. Paris and Geneva, too. So are Scandinavian cities. Who woulda thunk?
About the only things that surprised me were a few cities in the value category. Helsinki? Like I note above, I don’t typically associate Scandinavia and cheap - particularly having traveled a good deal around Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Perhaps Finland is the exception. Munich also struck me and is somewhat inconsistent with my travels through the region.
