Winter is a week away, so this week it’s time to focus on winter activities. And we begin with something you may not have considered if you intend to head to the Great White North of Scandinavia – you’d better bring insect repellant. Expat Health’s Bryony Ashcroft writes about the near-epidemic of tick-borne illnesses in Scandinavian countries. It’s estimated that 40,000 people in Sweden, Norway and Finland got sick in 2011 from infections from ticks, those little insects that burrow under your skin and carry illnesses such as Lyme disease. Scientists blame climate change for the big upsurge in the number of Scandinavian ticks.
As we head into the winter season many sport-minded travelers are dreaming of skiing. So, how about a trip to the French Alps? At the Financial Times, Edwin Heathcote looks at two ski towns that are perfect destinations for people interested in both the slopes and architecture.
And if not the Alps, how about other holiday-oriented destinations? At CNN, Roseann Lake looks at the most Christmassy places to visit in the world.
Thursday the 13th was the day (at least symbolically) that the one billionth international traveler of 2012 crossed an international border. Congrats to all of you!
Despite all those people hopping on to planes to explore the world, the basic act of air travel is as difficult as ever. Air travel is dehydrating, exhausting and noisy. It’s the last fact that some people want to fix – at least that seems to be the rationale for a new survey that Emily Brennan reports on at The New York Times. The survey shows that a significant number of travelers say they want the option of flights without children.
Gadling’s Laurel Miller reports that a new survey rips the flight crews of America Airlines, saying they’re the rudest people in the skies.
At USA Today, Caroline Costello offers some real news you can use – 10 great packing tips. You know you should roll your clothes rather than fold them, right?
At CNN, Joe Minihane takes a look at the best cycling cities in Europe. Cycling is an awesome way to tour a new destination – it is obviously a way to maintain fitness while traveling, and it’s also a different perspective for exploring a new place. Our friends on two wheels will also be interested in our post a few months back in which we detailed some great tools for traveling cyclists.
At the Washington Post, Roberto Loiederman writes about having his wallet stolen while visiting France, and how he embraced being broke in Paris. Kudos to Loiederman for making the best of it, but you probably want to avoid this
