Panama City Travel Guide 2026 Stand on the observation deck at Miraflores and watch a container ship the length of three football fields inch through the lock chamber with maybe two feet of clearance on either side, and you get why people plan whole trips around this city. Panama City is the rare capital where a working engineering marvel, a genuinely walkable colonial old town, and a rainforest...

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Travel advisory: Egypt carries elevated terrorism warnings, and North Sinai is a genuine do-not-travel zone. But Sharm el-Sheikh itself sits in a well-established carve-out: the UK FCDO calls Red Sea resort travel...

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Shizuoka isn’t a single city you tour end to end, it’s a long, elongated prefecture strung along the Tokaido corridor between Tokyo and Nagoya, and the honest way to see it is to base-hop rather than pick...

Stavanger is Norway’s oil capital, the country’s fourth-largest city, and the gateway to the fjord hikes of Rogaland in the southwest. The city dates its own founding to 1125, the year its cathedral was completed, which makes Stavanger Domkirke the oldest cathedral in Norway still in use as a working church. A 19th-century herring and sardine boom left behind Gamle Stavanger, roughly...

Surabaya’s calendar centers on one solemn civic anniversary, a Hindu offering ceremony inside an active volcano, and an island bull-racing tradition, plus the nationwide Islamic calendar that shapes daily life in this Muslim-majority city. Hari Pahlawan, 10 November Heroes’ Day marks the start of the Battle of Surabaya’s decisive assault in 1945 and is Surabaya’s single...

Toulouse-Matabiau puts two UNESCO sites, a 17th-century canal, and the Pyrenees all within a couple of hours by train, so a rental car isn’t required for any of the trips below. Here’s what each one is actually worth, and how to get there. Albi: 1 hour by train Albi sits about 85km northeast of Toulouse on the Toulouse-Rodez line, roughly 1 hour direct. It’s a UNESCO World...

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Read this before anything else. The US State Department currently rates Russia Level 4, “Do Not Travel,” its maximum warning, last reissued around 29 December 2025. The UK FCDO “advises against all...

Bled and Postojna are famous for good reason, but they are also the busiest things in the country (Slovenia, not Slovakia). Base in Ljubljana and you can point a car at the quieter versions instead, places that trade the tour buses for space. Most of these need a car, since public transport between them is thin. Distances are from Ljubljana; verify opening times on the official sites before you...

A handful of small things make a Nice trip smoother, and a couple of them save real money. Here is what to know before you go. The airport tram fare trick Tram Line 2 runs from both airport terminals into the centre in 20 to 30 minutes. A standard single is 1.70 EUR, but the airport ticket machines only sell a 10 EUR round-trip fare. To get the cheap single, use the Lignes d’Azur app or buy...

Carnaval de Quebec (Winter Carnival) Held nearly every year since 1894 and annually since 1955, the Carnaval de Quebec runs February 6-15, 2026, and is the largest winter carnival in the Western Hemisphere, drawing crowds that once topped a million in a single edition. The festival’s mascot, Bonhomme, a snowman in a red tuque and traditional ceinture flechee sash, has led it since 1955; each...

A short, practical list for a first Antwerp trip in 2026, covering the things that actually change how the visit goes. Getting there Antwerp has no major airport of its own. Fly into Brussels Airport (BRU) and take a direct train, roughly 25 to 40 minutes into Antwerpen-Centraal. Budget-carrier Charleroi (CRL) needs a shuttle into Brussels plus a train, closer to two hours. Arrive a few minutes...

Norway is genuinely safe and easy for visitors, so the practical adjustments in Trondheim are mostly about cost, weather, and a handful of local rules rather than any real risk. Here are the 10 that matter most. 1. Bring a card, not cash Norway is near-cashless: over 98% of the population pays digitally, and contactless covers roughly 86% of point-of-sale transactions. A card or the Vipps...

Melbourne is an easy, low-friction city for first-timers, but a handful of things surprise visitors more than they should. Sort your visa before you fly Australia has no visa-free entry for anyone. Most passports, including the US, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, need an ETA (subclass 601), about AUD $20 through the Australian ETA app. EU and UK passports use the...

Nice is compact and walkable, so the neighborhood you pick matters more than the exact hotel. The core, Vieux Nice, the Carre d’Or, the Promenade and Place Massena, is entirely on foot, and Tram Line 2 links the airport straight into it. Here is how the main areas compare. Vieux Nice (Old Town) Closest to the market, the socca, and the nightlife, with narrow-lane character and pastel...

Surabaya eats like the halal-majority port city it is: bold, petis-heavy, and built around a few genuinely famous local dishes rather than imported cuisine. Here’s what to actually order. Rawon: the signature, rated the world’s best soup Rawon is a beef soup blackened by ground keluak (kluwek) nut, built with garlic, shallots, candlenut, turmeric, and galangal, and served over rice...

Most visitors do the castle, the bridges, and the market and call it Ljubljana. The city rewards a second layer of walking, and because it is small and flat (Slovenia’s capital, not Slovakia’s), the quieter spots are all within reach on foot or a short bus. Here are the overlooked corners worth your extra hours, most of them free. Plecnik’s National and University Library (NUK)....

Nice photographs well because the light is soft and the palette is consistent, ochre and pastel against a blue bay. The trick is less about finding secret spots than about timing the obvious ones. Here is where to shoot and when. Castle Hill viewpoint (golden hour) The definitive Nice shot: the whole sweep of Vieux Nice’s roofline, the curve of the Baie des Anges, and the port, all from one...

Melbourne’s neighborhoods each suit a different kind of trip, and where you base yourself changes how much you rely on trams versus walking. Here are the seven worth choosing between. CBD Inside the Free Tram Zone, so short hops cost nothing, and everything from the laneways to Queen Victoria Market is walkable. This is the easiest base for a first visit. The historic Hotel Windsor and QT...

Antwerp is relaxed and English-friendly, but a few local customs are worth knowing so you read as a considerate visitor rather than a clueless one. Here is what matters. Speak Dutch, not French The single most important point: Antwerp is in Flanders, and the local language is Dutch (Flemish), not French. Greet people with “dag” or “hallo,” say “dank je” for...

Quebec City’s food identity leans hard into French-Canadian comfort cooking: poutine (fries, cheese curds, gravy), tourtiere (a spiced meat pie), cretons (a pork spread), and pea soup traditionally flavored with a ham hock and a touch of maple. Expect to see all four on menus across Old Quebec and well beyond it. Aux Anciens Canadiens For a meal inside real history, Aux Anciens Canadiens...

Melbourne mixes street art, water and a genuine skyline, which makes for a varied photo list without leaving the city core, from a historic pier at one end to an 88-floor skydeck at the other. St Kilda Pier Sunrise or sunset both work here, with the pier, the beach and Luna Park’s old-world skyline all in one frame; the little penguins that come ashore on the nearby breakwater at dusk need a...

You do not have to leave the city to find green space and open water in Nice. Between the hillside parks, a couple of formal gardens, and 7km of coast, the outdoors is woven through the centre. Here are the calm, low-effort spots, for the proper trails see the companion hiking guide. The park on Castle Hill The Colline du Chateau is more than a viewpoint. It is a full hilltop park with shaded...

Using Antwerp as a base for Belgian day trips is easy, but a few logistics are worth knowing before you start buying tickets. Here is the practical side of ranging out from Antwerpen-Centraal. Everything leaves from one station Every train to Mechelen, Ghent, Brussels, Bruges, the coast, and Lille departs from Antwerpen-Centraal, so stay near it and each morning is a short walk rather than a tram...

Melbourne’s green spaces sit inside and just around the city itself, no day trip required. These ten are worth the detour on a city-focused visit. Royal Botanic Gardens Free to enter and home to thousands of plant species around a central lake, with a separate Aboriginal Heritage Walk offering a different way to see the same grounds. Shrine of Remembrance grounds Next door to the Botanic...

Nice is flat along the seafront but hemmed in by hills, so you can go from a level coastal stroll to a real climb without ever renting a car. These are the walks worth lacing up for, from easiest to most ambitious. Castle Hill (Colline du Chateau): the easy win The obvious first walk. A short, steady climb from Vieux Nice, or the free public lift if the heat has beaten you, gets you to a hilltop...

Trondheim is small enough that almost anywhere in the center puts you within walking distance of the cathedral, but the 3 main options each have a slightly different character. Midtbyen: the classic first-timer base Midtbyen, the historic center on its river peninsula, is where most first-time visitors end up, and for good reason. Nidaros Cathedral, the Torvet main square, museums, and shops are...

Melbourne itself is flat and built for walking rather than hiking, but the surrounding hour or two of Victoria has real trails, from easy forest paths to a genuine mountain range. Only the Dandenong Ranges are reachable by public transport, on the Metro line to Belgrave; everything else needs a car or an organised tour. None of these need technical gear, but check the weather and carry water...

Most visitors do the Promenade, the old town, and one museum, then leave. Nice rewards going one layer deeper. Here are the corners that stay quiet even in a busy summer. Rauba-Capeu, the viewpoint everyone walks past Between Port Lympia and Vieux Nice, a clifftop terrace holds a 32m WWI memorial carved straight into the rock and one of the best free views in the city, back toward Castle Hill and...

If you are basing in Ljubljana and heading out across Slovenia (the country bordering Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia, not Slovakia), the season matters more than any single festival. What is open, swimmable, or skiable changes month to month across the lakes, caves, coast, and Alps. Here is the country’s calendar as it affects day trips, with the genuine seasonal traditions worth timing...

Antwerp is compact, so no neighbourhood leaves you stranded, but the area you pick does change the trip. Here is how the main options compare, and what to weigh before booking. Compare current rooms on Booking.com . The historic centre and Grote Markt The most atmospheric base, and walking distance to almost everything worth seeing: the cathedral, Het Steen, the Scheldt quays, and the restaurants...

Old Quebec’s walls Start on top: walk a stretch of the ramparts that still ring Old Quebec, first inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and pass through one of the four surviving gates, Saint-Louis, Saint-Jean, Kent, or Prescott. This is the only fortified city north of Mexico with its walls intact, roughly 4.6 km end to end. Chateau Frontenac and Dufferin Terrace The Chateau...

Beyond Federation Square and the MCG, Melbourne rewards a slower look. These ten spots sit just off the main circuit, mostly free, and mostly a short tram or train ride from wherever you’re already staying. AC/DC Lane Hosier Lane gets the crowds; AC/DC Lane and neighboring Duckboard Place carry just as much rotating street art with a fraction of the foot traffic. Merri Creek A quiet trail...

Surabaya packs an independence-war monument, a 1911 heritage hotel, a walk-through submarine, and two of Java’s biggest volcanoes within day-trip range. These are the 9 things worth building a Surabaya stop around. 1. Stand at Tugu Pahlawan and the 10 November Museum The 41-meter Heroes Monument, inaugurated in 1952 by President Sukarno, marks the site of the old Dutch courthouse where...

Nice runs on a seasonal rhythm, and timing a trip around one of its set-piece events changes the whole feel of the city. Here is what is worth planning for through 2026. Winter: Nice Carnival (February 11 to March 1, 2026) The Carnival is the anchor of the low season and one of the biggest in France. The 2026 edition carries the theme “Vive la Reine” (“Long live the...

Greetings and a Few Phrases Always greet with “Bonjour” (or “Bonsoir” in the evening) before asking anything, standard French retail etiquette that’s noticeably enforced in small Vieux Nice shops. “Merci” (thank you), “L’addition, s’il vous plaît” (the bill, please), and “Socca, s’il vous plaît” work fine at any...

If day trips are the whole point of your Antwerp stay, where you sleep matters more than usual, because every train to Ghent, Bruges, Brussels, Mechelen, the coast, and Lille leaves from one station. Here is how to base yourself for a week of easy day trips. Compare current rooms on Booking.com . Stay near Antwerpen-Centraal For a day-trip trip, this is the clear winner. Hotels cluster two to...

The Blue Chairs on the Promenade des Anglais The simplest, most iconic shot in the city: the Promenade’s blue chairs against the curve of the Baie des Anges. Best in the soft light of early morning or golden hour before the crowds build. The chairs were fully removed for restoration in spring 2026 and reinstalled in stages from May 2026, so confirm they’re back in place before building...

Trondheim’s sights cluster tightly around Midtbyen and the Nidelva river, so a first-timer can cover the essentials on foot in 2 to 3 days. Here are the 7 things worth building a visit around. 1. Climb into Nidaros Cathedral Nidaros Cathedral is the world’s northernmost medieval cathedral and Norway’s national sanctuary, built over the burial site of St. Olav. High-season entry...

Nice has its own kitchen, not generic “French” or even “Provencal” food but a distinct Nicoise cuisine with deep Ligurian roots, a legacy of nearly 500 years of Savoy rule before the city became French in 1860. Eat the street food first, and eat it in the old town rather than on the seafront. Socca, the one to get right Socca is a thin chickpea-flour pancake baked in a...

Melbourne’s calendar is dense enough that accommodation prices move around several fixed points each year. Here’s what to plan around, with the 2026 dates that matter. Australian Open (January) Melbourne Park hosts the year’s first tennis Grand Slam every January, and the whole city fills up around it. St Kilda Festival (February) One of the country’s largest free community...

Using Venice as a base for the Veneto works well, but the logistics are their own skill. These tips cover getting out into the region and back without wasting a day. Know your two hubs. Trains for Verona, Padua, Vicenza, Lake Garda and Ravenna all leave Venezia Santa Lucia. Buses to the Dolomites, and any rental car, start at Piazzale Roma. Both are at the same end of the city.

Nice is the unofficial capital of the French Riviera, a seafront city of roughly 340,000 people (closer to a million across the metro area), France’s fifth largest city and its second most visited destination after Paris. It earns that ranking honestly: nowhere else on this coast pairs a genuine old town with a world class modern art pedigree, a 7km curved seafront, its own Ligurian rooted...

Old Quebec is compact enough to see on foot in a couple of days, which leaves plenty of room on a longer trip for the countryside just outside the city walls. Here are the five day trips worth the drive. 1. Montmorency Falls About 15 minutes east of downtown, Montmorency Falls drops 83 meters, roughly 30 meters taller than Niagara Falls, even though Niagara carries far more water. A cable car runs...

The Beaches: Pebble, Not Sand Twenty-two free public beaches line roughly 7km of Nice’s coast, and every one of them is pebble or shingle, not sand, so bring water shoes and a proper mat rather than a thin towel. Castel, Bambou, Galion, Forum, Poincaré, Carras and Sainte-Hélène all hold Blue Flag status in 2026. Coco Beach and the Plage de la Réserve, east of the port, are quieter,...

If you are treating Venice as a base for the whole Veneto, the first real decision is whether to sleep in the lagoon at all. Staying in Venice is magical and gives you the city after the day trippers leave, but it is the most expensive option and means dragging luggage over bridges. A mainland town can be cheaper, easier and just as well connected. Here is how the main bases compare.

Antwerp gives photographers a rare mix of grand architecture, a working river, and an Art Nouveau quarter, and the day-trip towns add canals on top. Here are the strongest frames in the city and a few worth the train, with timing notes. Antwerpen-Centraal The single best interior in the city. The 1905 “spoorwegkathedraal” pairs a stone-domed waiting hall with a vast iron-and-glass...

Nice packs a genuine lived-in city and a Riviera resort into one walkable seafront, which is exactly why a first trip can feel scattered. Here is the short list that actually matters, in the order most people should tackle it. 1. Walk the Promenade des Anglais. Seven kilometers of curved seafront, free and always open, funded originally by the English winter colony in the 1820s. A 20 to 30 minute...

Melbourne’s food scene runs on multicultural neighborhoods and markets rather than one central strip, and the city’s coffee culture is a genuine point of civic pride, not just marketing. Queen Victoria Market The 1878 market is still the place to start, with produce stalls, a deli hall and the seasonal Night Markets adding food trucks and live music after dark. South Melbourne Market A...

Ljubljana packs a lot of programming into a small capital (Slovenia’s capital, not Slovakia’s), and the calendar shapes when you should visit. The single best recurring event is a food market; the summer belongs to two long-running arts festivals; and winter turns the riverbanks into one of Central Europe’s better-kept Christmas markets. Here is what runs when, so you can time a...

Mont Boron: the Best Real Hike Inside City Limits A forested hilltop park east of the port, with a 16th-century fort, Fort Alban, at its summit. The standard route from the Vigier park entrance is a moderate 1.5-2.5 hour round trip, free including parking, rewarding you with views stretching from Cap Ferrat in the east to the Esterel massif in the west, arguably a better, quieter panorama than...