Fodor's Travel Blog: Europe's Best Holiday Markets

December 06, 2011
By Jennifer Ladonne

Nestled in the shadow of ancient cathedrals or in illuminated town squares, Europe's bustling holiday markets offer a taste of Christmas through the ages. Of the hundreds of exceptional celebrations around Europe, we've selected these five festive destinations and their best markets.

-Dazzling Lights at Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens
-Festive Spirits in Germany’s Nüremberg
-Handcrafted Gifts in France’s Strasbourg
-Celebratory Flavors at the Old Viennese Christmas Market
-Christmas Carols and Ice Skating in London

New York State Winter Travel Advisory System

The purpose of the system is to provide information about many of New York State's most traveled roads directly from the operators that are performing the snow and ice operations. Operators will provide reports to this system in areas where they are plowing or treating a highway due to winter weather. This advisory system provides a color coded map of major NYS highways indicating where many of these operations are occurring and the conditions that operators are observing.

The New York State Department of Transportation cautions travelers to avoid travel whenever possible when winter weather makes driving difficult - but in cases where travel is necessary this system can provide you information about potential conditions during your trip.

Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel: top 10 cities for 2012

After globe-trotting research and fierce debate, Lonely Planet has come to a decision on its favorite cities for 2012. As always, our shortlist has some known gems and a few to raise a quizzical eyebrow, but each one is poised for greatness in 2012. While sporting events are bringing new adrenaline to a couple of classic destinations, other cities in our list have bounced back from difficult times with a renewed lease of life. The coming year will put all of these cities in a fresh light, whether they’re showing new flair with music and art festivals or dusting off preconceptions by showing their wilder streak. Without further ado, here’s our top 10 cities for 2012.

1. London, England
2. Muscat, Oman
3. Bengaluru (Bangalore)
4. Cádiz, Spain
5. Stockholm, Sweden
6. Guimarães, Portugal
7. Santiago, Chile
8. Hong Kong
9. Orlando, Florida
10. Darwin, Australia

Click here to read the descriptions of each city.

Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel: top 10 regions for 2012

When people talk about the best places to travel, it’s often all about a city or a country. But if you forget to think regionally you could miss some of the world’s best travel spots. Here are Lonely Planet’s picks of the regions to put on your map from Best in Travel 2012. Chosen by a panel of Lonely Planet experts, they’ve been written up by Lonely Planet authors to give you that most contagious of ailments: the travel bug.

1. Coastal Wales
2. La Ruta Maya, Central America
3. Northern Kenya
4. Arunachal Pradesh, India
5. Hvar, Croatia
6. Sicily
7. Maritime Provinces, Canada
8. Queenstown & Southern Lakes, New Zealand
9. Borneo
10. Poitou-Charentes, France

Click here to read the descriptions of each region...

How You Can Broaden Your Horizons with Travel

Instead of just sitting on some tropical beach and sipping pina coladas during your vacations, it is very possible to get a ton of personal growth from your travels. But in order to do this, you will have to get off those all-inclusive beach resorts and five-star hotels. Although there might be some exceptions, most of these resorts will be too comfortable — unless there are some attractions nearby that offer some type of personal growth opportunities.

Even so, the reality is that the majority of tourists who stay at all-inclusive resorts will never go off site during their entire vacations. If you want to go to the most rewarding travel destinations offering the most personal growth, you have to steer clear of the places that are too “touristy” and aimed for the masses. You have to find less-traveled locations where you may not have the comforts and conveniences of luxury travel.

Read the rest of this Lifehack.org article here...

PLAN AN AUTUMN ADVENTURE!

When the weather turns crisp and the foliage starts to change to brilliant hues, it’s time to plan an autumn adventure. Harvest festivals, hayrides, leaf peeping, apple-picking, pumpkin-picking, and corn maze exploring are all seasonal activities that can be enjoyed right here on Long Island as well as further afield. On the right side of the Travel Hub is a section of web links to help you plan that perfect fall excursion.

I Love New York: Wild New York

Insightful essays combine with more than two hundred full-color photographs to reveal the rich natural wonders of the Empire State, in a volume that explores the unique landscape of diverse regions of the state and captures everything from Niagara Falls and the Hudson River Valley to the Adirondack Mountains and Montauk Point, Long Island.

I Love New York: Short Bike Rides in and Around New York City

Most people wouldn't think of using the terms 'New York City' and 'bicycling' in the same sentence. But believe it or not, the city offers a wide variety of options for the clever urban cyclist. This book will take you on a cycling tour of New York's five boroughs, giving routes for both the urban sprawl of downtown and the wondrous countryside surrounding this hustling, bustling city. Whether you choose an urban, suburban, or rural route, every ride in this book has been chosen on several criteria, such as amount of traffic, road surface quality, terrain, scenic beauty, historical significance and general interest.