Part of what makes a great travel experience, is the planning and prep work. Not only is it exciting to research all your possible destinations, it teaches you more about our world. Making that connection is your first step to a truly enriching travel experience.
As you can imagine, the web is full of informative and personal experiences on virtually every destination. Navigating the web to find the most useful information that's relevant to you is a task onto itself. Without knowing where to look, you could easily turn your research into weeks of late nights and loss weekends. At some point you realize you have a very long list of bookmarks that you will either never read or will have to somehow remember which are worthy of your time to revisit and read. It's exhausting. So be careful, that anticipation and excitement you first sat down at the computer with, can very quickly turn to frustration, worry, and stress. You know the old proverb:
How true. If a small amount of knowledge can mislead people into thinking that they are more expert than they really are, imagine what weeks of unorganized collected have-read research will do. Even that, is still a little knowledge to a much larger understanding.
As you can imagine, the web is full of informative and personal experiences on virtually every destination. Navigating the web to find the most useful information that's relevant to you is a task onto itself. Without knowing where to look, you could easily turn your research into weeks of late nights and loss weekends. At some point you realize you have a very long list of bookmarks that you will either never read or will have to somehow remember which are worthy of your time to revisit and read. It's exhausting. So be careful, that anticipation and excitement you first sat down at the computer with, can very quickly turn to frustration, worry, and stress. You know the old proverb:
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing
So, however you collect and prepare for your travel, always go into the experience as a sponge. Absorb everything, open yourself to understand that humility, learning and travel are synonymous, and remember, that you are a visitor - always respect that privilege and be thankful for the opportunity.
In the spirit of helping you navigate to relevant information. This blog will refer you to some great, and respected sites where your research time will be greatly reduced. One of the top on any travel research list is Lonely Planet. A trusted source of global information relevant to travelers. They offer a fantastic eNewsletter. I would suggest signing up for it long before you choose where to go. Even if you're not planning to travel anytime soon, the articles are entertaining and informative, I can promise they will definitely get that inner travel bug stirring.
Here's an article from Lonely Planet I linked to from their May newsletter. Hidden gems are referring to the not-so-touristy sites that can be experienced without navigating crowds. Take the crowds out of travel, and your opportunity for a personal connection goes up tenfold, and that's when the magic happens.
Ten hidden gems of Europe
by: Anita Isalska, Lonely Planet Author
There’s no place like Paris, Barcelona or
Rome – but Europe has untouched corners that match the big hitters on
beauty and charm, and with far fewer tourists. Take the road less
traveled with these ten hidden gems of Europe.
1. Burg Satzvey, Germany
Whisper it: this fairytale castle is a short ride from touristed Bonn and Cologne
but remains off most travellers’ radar. Its medieval castle walls, moat
and quaint setting will delight even the most jaded visitor. Depending
on when you go, you could find witches, jousting or even confused
camels. And even Christmas market refuseniks will feel stirrings of
seasonal cheer come wintertime, when the castle grounds transform into a
medieval-style market with pageantry, gothic trinket shops and the
clanking sound of mulled wine served by the mug. Learn more at www.burgsatzvey.de.
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| Image by Snake3yes |
2. Battle, England
The Battle of Hastings may be well known as the bloody standoff in 1066 that inspired the Bayeux
tapestry, but few make the journey to see where it happened. Take a
spin around the evocative fields where the arrows flew and complete your
visit with shopping in the village’s deliciously quaint streets –
discover the way on www.visit1066country.com.
Don’t miss out on rambling around the glorious Sussex countryside; the
dramatic white cliffs of Beachy Head are one of England’s most iconic
sights and a less than an hour’s drive from Battle.
3. Amiens, France
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| Image by AiresAlmeida |
With a cathedral twice the size of Paris’ Notre Dame, it’s sacrilège
that this town is seldom visited. Amiens’ cathedral is a marvel of
engineering, with intricate stonework that will leave you goggle-eyed,
as well as some of the goriest carvings around (the severed head of John
the Baptist is a recurring theme). And the local delicacy, the macaron d’Amiens, will please the sweetest of teeth: try one at Jean Trogneux (www.trogneux.fr)
where five generations of artisan baking have left the simple recipe of
honey, almonds, sugar and egg whites unchanged. These succulent cakes
are best served with an impossibly thick chocolat chaud.
4. Haarlem, The Netherlands
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| Image by curtis_ovid_poe |
Sure, it’s hard to tear yourself away from the many pleasures of Amsterdam.
But rewards are great for visitors to Haarlem: 17th-century Dutch
master Frans Hals painted some of his finest work here, and you’ll find
his luminous oil paintings at the museum named after him. You can also crane your neck at the church organ in Grote Kerk van St Bavo,
once played by a young Mozart. After a pancake overlooking the bustling
and achingly pretty Grote Markt, you’ll be glad you made the trip.
5. Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
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| A bridge over the Alzette in the city of Luxembourg |
It’s strange for a capital city to be an unsung wonder, even if it is
in one of Europe’s most petite nations. Rarely seen on bucket lists,
Luxembourg City has intriguing contrasts, an intellectual and
multi-lingual population, and some of the slickest modern art around.
Luxembourg is awash with big spenders, but there’s more to its big city
than banks and suits. See cutting edge art at MUDAM Luxembourg (www.mudam.lu),
cycle your way around the city streets, and catch a view – the city is
perched overlooking gorges, valleys and forests. Size certainly isn’t
everything with this European gem. Image by Mark Avellino
6. La Coruña, Spain
As the end destination of the famous Way of St James pilgrimage, evocative Santiago de Compostela
in northwestern Spain gets plenty of love. But less than 45 minutes’
drive away lies a largely overlooked city, La Coruña, which has a wealth
of history, enviable beaches and throbbing nightlife. Visit María Pita
square to see the javelin-wielding statue of the old city’s heroine
defender and the grand façade of the Palacio Municipal; just nearby you
can admire the twin bell-towers of the Iglesia de San Jorge. Don’t miss
the Torre de Hércules, a lighthouse with Roman era origins – check out
the lovely views from the top, and go people-watching along the Passeo
Maritimo. When the sun sets, sample some tapas in the Panaderas area –
but if you really want to burn the midnight oil, join the party animals
in Santa Cristina, Oleiros.
7. Olomouc, Czech Republic
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| Image by Ana Paula Hirama |
While other travellers bump elbows on the tourist magnet Charles Bridge in Prague,
you can chuckle quietly into your potato pancakes. For you are in
Olomouc, arguably the Czech Republic’s most beautiful town. It has all
the architectural charms of the Czech capital without the chaos. And it
has a few aces up its sleeve, too: raise an eyebrow at the
communist-style astronomical clock in Horni Namesti, wander the hallowed halls of the 12th-century cloisters and eat yourself silly at a hearty eaterie like U Anděla. Learn more at www.tourism.olomouc.eu.
8. Klaipėda, Lithuania
A lively port city with German-style taverns dotted around the
waterfront, Klaipėda might just be Europe’s jolliest spot. Take a table
at Memelis
for brimming platefuls of cheeses, olives and sausage, washed down with
an array of beers. Once you’ve drunk the town dry, you’re perfectly
positioned to explore the unspoiled sands of the Curonian Spit, which juts out into the Baltic Sea. Take a lazy roadtrip to experience its forests, seafood and local folklore.
9. Tartu, Estonia
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| Image by decade_null |
Travellers who make it to this beautiful Baltic country usually hang out in fairytale Tallinn
or test the island spas, but vibrant university town Tartu is not to be
missed. Steep yourself in centuries-old student history as you visit
the Student’s Lock-up, where errant students were held in solitary confinement, and wander around the sculpted Toomemägi park. And in student central, dining out won’t break the bank so make your way to a cafe near the university and blend in.
10. Łańcut, Poland
Poland has castles aplenty, but Łańcut has a real showstopper. The
detail of this truly enormous aristocratic residence is breathtaking,
and a tour of the palace will steer you across polished ballrooms with
chandeliers bigger than you are. Plan your visit at www.zamek-lancut.pl/en.
The town has a rich Jewish history, and it’s worth seeking out Łańcut
Synagogue: its unassuming exterior hides a baroque masterpiece of
dazzling pillars and colourful frescoes.
VILSHOFEN,
Germany — It’s hard to think that a rather simple concept — a river
cruise through Europe — could be improved upon so steadily. 
This August, the American Queen
will host some of the world’s foremost experts on the Civil War to
share with guests intricate details of the Civil War. The characters
will come to life before your very eyes with actor portrayals of figures
such as Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee and President Abraham Lincoln.
You will swear you could smell the black powder from musket fire as you
stare through the morning mist across the battlefields like Vicksburg.
Learn about the river towns that were changed forever by the ravages of
war. The unique perspective of exploring Civil War history from a
genuine paddle-wheel steamboat displays the importance of the river as
means of transportation for Confederate and Union forces alike. 
Large
battles were fought in cities like New Orleans, Chattanooga and
Louisville and each bears the scars in the family trees of its
residents. In 1863, more than 19,000 were killed and wounded at
Vicksburg, for example. Once you experience these places, you come to
appreciate the Civil War was far more than just a cavalcade of generals
and names of battlefields. It is standing in the places themselves that
transports you back 150 years to a dark time in American history. And
that journey will, undoubtedly, change you forever. That’s the primary
mission of the Great American Steamboat Company and the key element that
makes an American river cruise a truly unique vacation experience: we
won’t just take you places, we’ll take you through time. 
Skyline from Notre Dame in Paris
Viking River Cruises has released a video tour of its new Viking Longships. Agents can access the video at