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 >

The city of Helsinki, Finland named as the world leader of sustainable tourism

sauna complex and market square, Helsinki, Finland. Photograph by arihak.
Swimming pools of a sauna complex in the center of Helsinki.

The consultancy Global Destination Sustainability that publishes an annual tourism sustainability index has awarded the Nordic city of Helsinki leadership title for sustainable travel in 2024. Helsinki’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality and net zero for events it organizes … Read >

Voted by travelers: Valencia, Spain is the best city destination in Europe

plaza de la virgen, valencia, spain.
Plaza de la Virgen in the city center of Valencia.

Do you trust recommendations from other travelers? Well, here is something for you whenever you want inspiration for your next city break in Europe. Conde Nast readers have voted for the best city destinations in 2024, and the winner is … Read >