Going Local Travel

Last Friday afternoon, I went up the tower at Montreal’s Olympic stadium.  It is the tallest leaning tower in the world and, on a clear day, provides views that stretch up to 80km. While I was there a man with an electronic clipboard collared me for a questionnaire. “What did I think of the information [...]

Following on from my recent post about travel buzzwords, I wanted to share a link to an amusing piece about five new types of travel. ‘Bungee climbing’ and ‘cramping’ get a mention, but my favourite has to be the proposed ESL tour. It’s inspired by the success of Eat Pray Love-themed tours. “Based on Lynn [...]

On Sunday I was planning a day trip to Ottawa to see a friend. The bus was going to cost me around 60 plus dollars (around £40). Or I could lift share. Remembering that PickupPal are Canada-based, I decided this was a good place give it a try. On a very short timeframe, I set [...]

This week marks the 2nd anniversary of Going Local Travel. Back in August 2008, I hesitated before I wrote my first post. Would I keep it up? Two years later, my dashboard here is showing 165 posts + 410 comments. I’m quite shocked it has lasted this long, and I can’t see myself packing it [...]

Local blogs are the best insight into local life. The best in-situ bloggers know which places are over-hyped or past their peak. They look beyond the cliches and they are ahead of the guidebooks. This post is a work in process. I’ll add any new ones I find as I go along. Please do make [...]

“No, I’m not a tourist, I’m a traveller.” We’ve all covered this debate before. Many times. So much so that people could be moving on and looking for the next trump card… How long before people start calling themselves ‘un-travellers’? This seems to be the new trend in alternative tourism. We have One Fine Stay [...]

I’m in the middle of doing another article on Argentinian cinema and while researching I was reminded of this incredible scene from Oscar-winning El Secreto de Sus Ojos. I remember being blown away by this sequence when I first saw at the cinema in Buenos Aires. That first sweeping, overhead shot takes you by surprise [...]

London gets its own bike scheme today. Finally. Hurrah. It’s modelled on the Bixi here in Montreal, and for that reason I wrote a comparative piece for the Guardian today: In Montreal’s tracks. There’s a lot of cynicism floating around right now, but I have no doubt they will catch on. Londoners are, by nature, [...]

Buenos Aires – overhyped and annoying? So says the New York Post in this recent article, What’s the deal with Buenos Aires? It’s an interesting take. The author, like many residents, has a love-hate relationship with the city, which is not something that often makes it into the travel press. So, are we ‘over’ Buenos [...]

If you like the idea of renting an apartment during a short break in New York, you could be facing some problems if new legislation is pushed through. The controversial proposal could make it illegal to rent an apartment in the city for any period under 30 days. The “subletting” bill – which has been [...]