Welcome to the weekly installment of Travel News, where we look back at this week’s articles and essays and what’s going on in the world of trips and tours.
Take a Train Around the World
Train enthusiasts around the world can see 15 countries across 4 continents in an epic 57 days.
Beginning in Chicago, you make your way to New York, then hop on a Transatlantic flight to London. From there you’ll board the Eurostar to Paris. Cross through Geneva, Rome, Venice, Vienna, Prague, Hamburg, and up to Scandinavia for stops in Copenhagen and Stockholm–then St. Petersburg and Moscow.
Zoom across to Mongolia and China to see Beijing, Xi’an, and Hong Kong. Jump across the pond to Australia from a major 3-night journey from Perth to Sydney.
Then back into the USA for a tour of southwestern parks like Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, and Capitol Reef. Cap off the trip back to Chicago!
This epic journey starts at a price tag of $19,079, and includes every night in the train and hotel, sightseeing and 52 meals. Flights, though, are booked separately. Truly a unique way to see the world. Departs since Thursday through 2020, so all board!
Our Favorites
It’s that time of year again when magazines are releasing their best countries to visit in 2020: Lonely Planet kicking off the trend, as usual.
Then, with cruise season just around the corner, Conde Nast says you should Spend the Holidays on a Cruise this Year—because, basically, whether the kids are older or still believe in Santa Claus, don’t you want to give them a Christmas they’ll keep talking about for many Christmases to come?
Go solo or with a partner discovering the Best New Orleans River Cruises. With scenic cruising, New Zealand checks off another tab on the growing list of why this country is just a must go: 8 Reasons Why New Zealand offers the best scenic cruising in the world.
And because you’ve always been secretly wondering: learn what the Most Expensive Bed at Sea costs.
In the world of Travel Tips, Conde Nast returns with a list on the Best Credit Cards with transferable points–so you can save on all those sweet mileage deals.
Bingo Boarding
Cross your fingers, Gatwick and Easyjet are pairing up for a trial of “Bingo Boarding.” This is in hopes to speed up the boarding process, starting with boarding people in window seats in the back, then followed by middle then aisle seats.
Sounds like a more democratic approach, and it HAS been reducing the wait times by about 10%, so fingers crossed more airlines adopt this practice.
The BBC quoted a spokesman from Gatwick saying: “Passengers can be seated until their seat number comes up on the large screen and then board the aircraft without queuing.” Wow, waiting without queuing – imagine that.
