Portugal has captured the imagination of American travelers, and the levels of tourism in the city were rising rapidly before the pandemic began. Even now, Portugal, and especially the cities of Porto and Lisbon, are bouncing back, welcoming growing crowds. Here are 10 tips to help you enjoy Lisbon. 1. When booking flights into Lisbon,…
With its newer buildings and open vistas, Barcelona’s oceanfront is an appealing area and a nice counterpoint to the touristed streets of the city’s oldest quarters. Guests on the Barcelona UnTour have the time to explore the waterfront and enjoy a different view of this gorgeous Spanish city. Here’s a rundown of Barcelona’s seaside neighborhoods…
Hygge is a Danish word that has captured the global imagination. Though there is no exact English word equivalent, “cozy” comes close. Hygge (pronounced HOO-gah) captures a sense of warmth and comfort and hominess that feeds a feeling of contentment and well being. As omicron surges this month and much of the US is in…
At UnTours our goal is to be carbon neutral by 2023. Our operations at UnTours have been 100% carbon neutral for years. We’ve been able to completely offset the CO2 from the electricity and gas we use in our Media office as well as our employees’ European travel and local commuting. We’ve done that by…
Our new Italian UnTour Director Amber Martin recently returned from a visit to all six of our Italian UnTours. It was the only one of our UnTour areas where she had not spent time before. Here she shares her first impressions of the Amalfi Coast. The very moment I stepped off the bus in Amalfi,…
Have you ever wondered about the reasoning behind some of our holiday decorations? Why do we use red and green colors, or candy canes? Why do we adorn gifts with a bow? While some of these may seem arbitrary, most of them actually have a special meaning. Take stars. The Christmas star symbolizes…
Our UnTours Foundation Co-CEO Jonathan Coleman recently returned from his first UnTour trip, and his first time ever visiting Switzerland and France. Here he shares his first impression of Paris. I arrived in Paris on a train from Basel by way of Strasbourg. For the last leg of the trip, I had the bad luck…
Our UnGuide Anne in Provence shares one of her favorite traditions that dates back centuries: the “Galette des Rois” (Kings’ Cake). This flaky pastry, typically filled with almond cream, is enjoyed during the Epiphany celebration, shortly after the New Year. The guest who finds the “fève” in their piece is considered lucky. Would you like to make your own? Here’s…
The origin and the beginning of all good things in life lies in pleasing the stomach. – Epicurus 341-270 BC Greece has one of the oldest and richest culinary traditions in the world. Anyone who has taken the Nafplio UnTour can attest to that. (The restaurant scene in Nafplio is great.) Greek cooking uses ingredients…
Most of us head off to Europe speaking little if any of our destination’s native language (aside from Ireland and the UK, of course). It works because English is so widely spoken and understood in Europe. Lucky us! Still, it is very worthwhile to learn a few polite phrases ahead of time. Among the most…