Europe

The croissant, like its close cousin, the pain au chocolat, is the quintessential Parisian breakfast. It’s light, quick to eat, and a thing of beauty, but also a burst of buttery, flaky pleasure. Unless you shop at the handful of luxurious, designer-lifestyle bakeries in the French capital, these crescent-shaped pastries are cheap yet delicious. Croissants […]

Located on the Left Bank of the River Seine, the Latin Quarter is a historically vibrant neighborhood that’s long been the epicenter for students, intellectuals and artists. Its name, Quartier Latin, originates from the use of the Latin language once spoken at the Sorbonne University, an academic and cultural cornerstone since the 12th century.  Although

I go to Paris as often as I can. I think I’ve been about 10 times now, maybe more. I always get requests from friends and family on what to do there, where to eat and drink and what to buy, and I thought after last year’s Olympics and all eyes on Paris, it would be best to

Fabienne is a Paris local and one of the authors of our latest Paris guidebook. Here, she shares what you need to know before visiting Paris for the first time. Paris is bustling, diverse and surprising. Given that, first-time visits may seem challenging. And, even after nearly 20 years of living in Paris, I still

Paris is a mosaic of densely populated neighborhoods, known as arrondissements, which spiral clockwise like a snail shell from the Left Bank (south) and Right Bank (north) of the Seine River right up to the périphérique (ring road) that encircles the city. Each arrondissement has its own distinctive personality and draws for visitors, from the

With black volcanic deserts and verdant valleys, steaming geothermal springs and glacial rivers, plummeting ravines and precipitous ridges, it’s no wonder Iceland’s Laugavegur Trail is such a legendary hiking trail. On top of the spectacular, otherworldly landscape, it’s comfortably doable in a week, including flying in and out of Reykjavik. So what should you bring

For a long time the cuisine of Iceland was spoken about in hushed tones, if at all – they eat what? Fermented shark? Sheep’s head? But these days, travellers looking for fine food experiences are spoiled for choice: super-fresh seafood, succulent free-range lamb and creamy, innovative dairy products are among the treats being showcased in

Large or small, rich or poor, every community in Iceland has its own public swimming pool. Here neighbours catch up, children misbehave and the local mayor is confronted about his latest decision. Mix in naturally heated water and some wonderful settings right across the country, and it’s easy to see why a trip to the

Back in the day, when Iceland’s founding fathers decided to make Reykjavík the nation’s capital, they were in fact doing future visitors a massive favor: the southwestern corner is an excellent base for exploring many of the country’s most iconic sights, from glacial caves to steaming lagoons. Here are four of the best day trips

Reykjavik’s most common bird, the joke goes, is the building crane. Construction projects are everywhere, transforming Reykjavik from an oversized fishing village to an international city with all its complications. To first-time visitors, the capital tends to be warmer than expected (winters are like New York) and spread over a wider area (twice the size