I went to Paris alone. I was in my 20's and I wanted to learn French. Classes at the Alliance Francaise would be my ticket to fluency. But I knew no one in Paris.  I spent the first few nights in a cheap hotel, sharing a hall bathroom. I wandered the streets in wonder. I practiced French I'd...

It's no secret that winter in Europe is stunning and the key to ensuring the most memorable experience is to let the best people plan your trip.  Contiki Vacations, the worldwide leader in unique travel packages for 18 to 35-year-olds, wants you to experience it firsthand.  Here are...

After a week in French wine country, I was ready for a change of scenery and to exchange my alcohol intake from red Burgundy to Rioja.  As the train travelled from Lyon through the Pyrenees to my final destination: Barcelona, the excitement of my first encounter with Spain was quickly...

Paris is to lovers as almost anywhere in Europe is to bikers. Consider Germany's Mosel Valley. Here bicycle-specific signage, racks and lanes, and best of all a population that's inherently friendly toward cyclists, combine with a paved, mostly flat and winding cycle path paralleling the Mosel...

It's the most popular pastime in Denmark, and a national obsession.  You can do it on a cold winter's night, or a warm summer's afternoon.  It can be both a noun and a verb, and while you can do it alone, it's usually more enjoyable with your closest friends and family members....

Clean, green, and at times obscene, Denmark's capital Copenhagen certainly ranks amongst the coolest destinations on the planet.  Copenhagen is a cosmopolitan city renowned for its lush parks, liberal attitudes and strong belief in environmentalism. It is a city where modern Scandinavian...

Save time and airfare by driving or taking the train to a getaway near you ... Like most people, you're likely watching your wallet more carefully these days and a big trip may not be on your list for this year. But getting away doesn't need to be a big affair to an exotic locale. Sometimes the...

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is one of Europe's best-preserved medieval cities.  Today this romantic and charming walled city is a far-cry from the foul-smelling and violent outpost it was some 800 years ago. Experience Rothenburg's stunning architecture, great shopping, interesting museums and...

Need to start planning your backpacking adventure to Europe?  For today's generation of 20 to 30-somethings, backpacking in Europe is almost a right of passage.  Sleeping on overnight trains, chilling at cafes all day and meeting other like-minded vagabonds and wanderers from all over...

When you work for a top-notch travel website like TripAtlas.com, the World's Largest Online Travel Resource, love for travel is an unwritten bullet in the job description.  We even have our right-wing and left-wing travel philosophers - some who are sworn backpackers and Lonely Planet...