gtcmarketing

Travel Inspiration: Into the Deep. Discovering Norway’s Magnificent Cities & Splendid Fjords.

Americans have just begun to discover the joys of Scandinavia. We can’t explain what took so long, but we can recommend that you start your northerly exploration in Norway, a crescent of gorgeous turf that separates the Scandinavian peninsula from the Atlantic Ocean and shields it from the Arctic chill. Get there soon. We’re quite [...]

gtcmarketing

Travel Inspiration: The Dalmatian Coast & Beyond. Uncovering the Best of Croatia.

We know how often you’ve consulted your map of Europe, looking for a destination far off the beaten path. Someplace that’s wonderfully quirky and full of personality (and ancient ruins, whenever possible). Does the exercise leave you scratching your head? If you’ve never looked beyond Italy’s boot, we strongly suggest that you start now. It’s [...]

gtcmarketing

Travel Inspiration: The Low Countries: Middle Ages & Modern Kingdoms in the Netherlands & Belgium

There’s high culture in the Low Countries—specifically the Netherlands and Belgium. Think Rembrandt and Vermeer, for instance. (The largest collection of the latter, by the way, will be exhibited at Rijksmuseum in Spring 2023. Mark your calendar!) But beyond the painted canvas, the region has much, much more to offer. There are medieval towns, windmills, [...]

gtcmarketing

Travel Inspiration: Rebirth of a Nation: Medieval Poland Meets the 21st Century. With Time in Germany, Too.

The world welcomed the Polish state, a productive cluster of fortified towns, in the mid-10th century. It would spend the next millennium or so struggling to keep out from under the thumb of Germans, Mongolians, Hungarians, the SS, and the Soviet army. Some battles it won, others it lost. The Poland we know today has [...]

gtcmarketing

Travel Inspiration: All Aboard. A Luxury Train Journey Through Scotland.

Riding Royal Scotsman, a Belmond Train, is one of those pinch-me moments. Ranking among the world’s most luxurious trains, the mahogany-clad cars marry Edwardian elegance with the comforts of a country house. Ten intricately designed carriages, including the sublime Bamford Spa, form a palace on wheels… your home as you traverse Scotland on a three-day [...]

gtcmarketing

Travel Inspiration: Fact & Fancy. Ireland Done Right.

The Irish have always been superb story tellers, creating, over generations, the myths and martyrs for which they are so well loved. Stories have poured forth from the Emerald Island as freely and as easily as stout in her pubs. Remember, James Joyce was an Irishman. Ireland herself is a thing of beauty, a place [...]

gtcmarketing

Travel Inspiration: Romantic Amalfi Coast

Rome—where so many things began—or Naples are both perfect spots from which to launch into a sublime few days on the inimitable Amalfi Coast. During our 4-day Romantic Amalfi Coast itinerary, we explore Naples, Pompeii, Positano, Amalfi, and Capri. No matter the starting point, it’s essentially mandatory to visit the National Archaeological Museum of Naples [...]

gtcmarketing

Travel Inspiration: Port, Ports & Palaces: Inside Portugal

Often called the Little Country on the Edge of the Sea, Portugal is small only in its size on the map. This is the land of courageous seafarers, stunning castles, and rich port wine. Here life is meant to be savored like a fine meal – immerse yourself in the bustle of a riverfront city [...]

gtcmarketing

Travel Inspiration: Gently Barging Through France

Barges were once the workhorses of Europe’s developing nations. Back then they carried everything from potatoes to lumber. Today these boats have been reborn as slender, elegant masters of the French canal for a lucky few who wish to uncover the secrets of the countryside, village by village, in grand style.   During our sample [...]

gtcmarketing

Travel Inspiration: The Ageless Inspiration of Normandy

Normandy. What does the name conjure up? D-Day, of course, and American GIs hitting Omaha Beach. But the region’s history reaches much further back—to A.D. 708, when, in more peaceful times, an angel spoke to a bishop and asked that he build an oracle. And to 1066, when the Duke of Normandy set sail on [...]