Sure, states have capitals, but in Europe there are also culture, smart, and green capitals

torino (turin) flower market in italy. photo by arihak.
Torino city center in northern Italy.

Yes, we know that the capital of Latvia is Riga and the capital of Slovakia is Bratislava, but what on earth is the Green, Smart, Innovation, or Culture Capital of Europe? Well, they are capitals of European countries that have been awarded an extra … Read >

A traveler is more likely to get scammed when booking a trip than being robbed in a destination

booking.com travel reservation login screen capture

It is quite natural that we are concerned about things that may happen to us in an unfamiliar travel destination. We tend to be cautious and make preparations to protect our valuables. The real danger, however, may be in another direction. If you are making reservations for your next trip … Read >

Nitpicker’s travel journal: travel lessons learned in 2024

krakow main square in poland, photo by arihak.
Krakow, Poland.

Nothing in the world is perfect. Nitpicker can always find something he believes could be made a tiny fraction better. Not to mention travel – when real life experiences in a destination don’t match the expectations and everything that can go wrong, goes wrong. Well, that’s the beauty … Read >

Cyber criminals are targeting Airbnb and Booking.com customers with new tools

booking.com travel safely web page screen shot
Screen capture of Booking.com security advice page. The company acknowledges scams but has done little to protect customers.

If you like to book your travel accommodation on Airbnb or Booking.com, you probably are aware that cyber scammers have had schemes to rip off even internet savvy customers on these platforms. … Read >

Nitpicker’s travel journal: do travelers really need an AI assistant for surviving road toll complexity in EU?

highway traffic moving slowly on a highway in Italian Riviera

A long, but exciting and entertaining road trip took us across Europe from Estonia to southern France in October. All eight countries that were along our route are members of European Union. Thanks to EU, we didn’t have to worry about phenomenal roaming charges for our mobile phone communications, or … Read >