London
The London Underground – 150 Years Young
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the London underground. In fact it was on January 9th 1863 that the first train ran between Farringdon and Paddington. I meant to write about it then but sort of forgot. Anyway, I’m not the only one late to the party and last week the royals headed underground. Read more…
Top 10 London Landmarks
If you haven’t been to London, might we suggest you move it to the top of your queue? It’s a city that seamlessly blends old and new—responsible for bringing us both Shakespeare and Spice Girls; Newton’s laws of motion and, incidentally, roller skates; fish and chips and the best item on any lunch menu (thank Read more…
The Knowledge – Black Cabs of London
London’s black cabs are easily recognized and a bit of a city attraction. However, one thing which people visiting the capital might sometimes fail to notice is the amount of moped riders zipping around the capital with a map fixed to the handlebars, occasionally stopping to make notes or mark something on the map. These are future Read more…
Favorite Tube Station in London
I am heading for London soon to begin a tour (the quite wonderful European Quartet) and that means another bout of training people in tube etiquette. There is a certain skill in getting 40 people onto the same underground train, making sure they stand on the correct side of the escalator and the different way Read more…
Celebrating Birthday Traditions Around the World
Every day on tour is memorable. But if a traveler’s birthday happens to fall during their time abroad, that’s especially true. Being able to celebrate your birthday in a city like Paris, Rome, Barcelona or Beijing—with many of your friends right there by your side—is an experience not to be forgotten. On my first EF Read more…
346th Anniversary of the Great Fire of London
September 5th 1666 is the date on which the Great Fire of London ended. This was a significant event for the city both as it was and for how it was to become. The fire began on the night of September 2, as a small fire on Pudding Lane, in the bakeshop of Thomas Farriner, Read more…
7 Foods to Try Abroad, Regional Guides
A fellow Tour Director recently posted on Facebook that there was little better in life than enjoying an almond granita whilst in Sicily, something which is quite hard to argue with. This led me to asking other Tour Directors which foods they always want their groups to try while travelling in Europe. So, put these Read more…
17 Good to Know Cultural Differences Before You Travel
An esteemed American, following a visit to the Netherlands some years back, was back at home and regaling his co-worker with tales of cultural differences he had encountered. His summary was simple, “it’s the little things.” Recently, a few Tour Directors in Europe were asked to come up with a few cultural differences about which Read more…
Great Britain in 5 Photos, with London and Stonehenge
In two days’ time, I will be going on a walking tour of Ireland organized by Go-Ahead Tours, EF Educational Tours’ adult travel division. I recruited a small group of adults to travel with me and we will be part of a larger group of independent travelers on our 11-day tour of Ireland. After traveling Read more…
Travel Interview with EF’s Sandy Kusano
It’s that time again to meet someone from EF and learn a little about their travel experiences. This month it is Sandy Kusano from Boston. Tell us about yourself – I started at EF as a Tour Consultant for Educational Tours in 2005. After a couple of years as a TC, I had the opportunity Read more…
