Europe is a treasure chest of great cultural monuments, but it’s also a continent filled with natural beauty, often overlooked by tourists sprinting from sight to sight or searching for the perfect souvenir. I’ve found that a day biking in the great outdoors can be just as culturally fulfilling as time spent in a great church or art gallery.

Biking through the countryside (using a town as a springboard) is extremely popular in Europe. Thanks to the laws of supply and demand, you can...

(Second of two parts)

En route to the Atlantic coast on our June 2015 driving adventure in southwestern France, my wife, Gail, and I drove 400 kilometers from Collioure to Lourdes, where we found a hotel row stretched along the banks of the Gave de Pau.

After negotiating a good rate of $78 at the 4-star Hôtel Le Méditerranée (23, av du Paradis, Lourdes; www.lourdeshotelmed.com), we joined the stream of visitors, mostly foreigners and many in wheelchairs, making their way to...

Dear Globetrotter:

Welcome to the 477th issue of your monthly foreign travel magazine.

In ITN, we print letters and articles provided by our subscribers. 

After your next trip outside of the US, or if you’ve recently returned from one, write about anything other travelers might appreciate knowing about. A way to save money. A way to save time. A place with a warm welcome. Or maybe a site you would have preferred to avoid.

When you share your travel...