Viator Travel Blog

Barracks, a water tower, a brewery, a power station, a postal and telegraph center, a tobacco factory, a bank, a slaughterhouse. What do they have in common? Well in the Spanish capital of Madrid, these functional buildings have all been reconditioned to enjoy a fruitful afterlife as cultural centers.

Include them in your Madrid itinerary and you’ll not only encounter some hugely impressive feats of architectural repurposing and a wide range of artistic offerings, you may also discover neighborhoods you wouldn’t otherwise visit. Grab a cheap ticket for the excellent subway service and spend some time getting to know some of Europe’s most exciting cultural spaces in six easy stops from north to south.

If you spend 17 years in the travel industry you end up talking to a lot of travelers, and over time you learn some interesting things about them. One of the most intriguing things I’ve found is that when it comes to thinking about upcoming vacations, it’s just human nature to spend some time worrying about the stuff that can go wrong. After all, many people only take one or two vacations per year, so they put a lot of pressure on the trip for it to be perfect.

With claims of over 500 unique dishes, a world-renowned chef, and inspiration dating back to the Incas, Peru is emerging as the latest in global culinary hotspots. Ranging from the sweet taste of neon-colored Inca Kola, the savory tang of a lemon zested ceviche, and the just plain unusual look of a fully cooked Guinea Pig, enjoying a meal in Peru is an experience to remember. Here are nine mouthwatering dishes to tempt your tastebuds in Peru.

London takes centre stage this year thanks to its role as host for the 2012 Olympics, but that’s not the only reason to swap your money for pounds and head to Europe’s best-loved island. From the highly anticipated London 2012 Festival, a mammoth event running alongside the Olympics, to 21^st Century Beatlemania sweeping the country for the 50^th anniversary of The Beatles, there’s plenty of reasons to celebrate in the country’s capital. Here’s a rundown of 2012’s most important events.

One of the best ways to get oriented to a city, especially on a first visit, is by taking a Hop-On Hop-Off Tour. These tours enable you to get oriented to the layout of the city, see some of the major sites, and learn interesting facts from the tour guide along the way. They are flexible, too, enabling you to “hop off” to explore a site longer, then “hop on” at another point to continue. These tours are especially popular with visitors who are only in the city for a short time. To get you started, here is your guide to the 10 best Hop-On Hop-Off Tours.