Viator Travel Blog

What’s the big deal about Florence? First off, it was an important medieval trade and commerce centre and was the home of the Italian Renaissance, which brought Europe kicking and screaming out of the Middle Ages. More to the point, the city is famous for its Renaissance art and architecture – home to Michelangelo’s David [...]

Most visitors to Dubai never catch the local buses, probably due to the fact that you can actually melt into a sizzling puddle on the sidewalk waiting for one. But it’s a great way to mix it with Dubai’s expat workers – not the ones on the executive packages. You’ll see the neighbourhoods where they live and get a feel for the different expat communities. It’s also a great way to find those authentic workers cafés. Just look for the crowds around a hole-in-the-wall and get off.

Ladies, if you ever need your mood lifted, go to Rome. It’s very difficult for a woman to walk down the street there without being greeted with ‘Ciao, bella’ or ‘Buongiorno, beautiful lady.’ Very good for the ego. And definitely not pick-up lines but just part of the joy of life embraced by Italians. My [...]

A friend told me the first time I came here, that every summer you spend in Berlin, will be better than the last. You have survived the long winter, now the sunshine is warm and you want to make the most of it.The city parks are indeed plentiful, and inside their lush greenery is where [...]

You could easily spend a lifetime in Rome and still not touch every corner. Yet even if your goal is to experience each and every hidden alleyway in Rome, step outside the city for a day trip or two. Even for stays in Rome as short as 5 nights, you could follow our 3-day Rome itinerary and then take one or two of the following Rome day trips.

It’s almost time for Jazz Fest in New Orleans — the last weekend in April and the first weekend in May, to be precise. It’s a time of renewal, when musicians and fans of the city return and, in some parts of town (for at least a week), it feels like Katrina never happened.

What is surprising about Istanbul is not the exotic atmosphere, it’s the cosmopolitan sensation of a city on par with New York or Paris. Sure, the call to prayer echoing from neighborhood mosques is nothing to scoff at — particularly when accompanied by an evening sunset. And sure, many aspects of Turkish culture and history [...]

What to do in Milan? Start with an espresso. Drama. Passion. Coffee. Coffee, coffee, café. You guessed it, the land of the Boot. Italy. That’s where I am now, where the waving pointed finger is the only way to make a conversation work. Where you can never say “yes” just once (“si, si, si” in [...]

If you only ever leave home once more in your life, make it a trip to Dubrovnik, Croatia. It’s a big statement, I know. But, as you are all aware by now, I’m a big fan of Croatia, and Dubrovnik is the pride of the country.

Last week I was picking up a cheeky Viognier at my local bottle shop when I noticed that the bloke lining up in front of me was wearing a Canberra Raiders rugby jersey. “You from Canberra?” I asked. “Oh no,” he replied. “I just liked the colours.” “I’m from Canberra,” I said. “I went there [...]