Throughout its history, the Danube has flowed through dozens of empires, kingdoms and principalities and, now, nations whose independence was won through struggle and endurance. In April-May 2016, I followed its route on an 11-night cruise with Value World Tours* aboard the MS River Navigator.

This “Southern Danube Discovery” cruise, priced from $2,799 to $4,098 per person, double, depending on cabin category, began in Austria and included stops in Slovakia, Hungary,...

As a way to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary, my wife, Rosie, and I wanted to take a family trip that would include our two sons, their wives and our two teenage grandchildren and be in a location away from Southern California. We faced three challenges: finding a time when all were available, deciding on a location and an activity that would appeal to all of us (ranging in age from 13 to 77) and keeping costs to a reasonable amount. 

After considerable consultation, we...

I prefer to travel independently rather than with a tour group, and, over the years, one of the benefits of planning my own travel has been achieving a level of expertise in the various transportation systems abroad. On our September 2015 trip to Europe, my wife, Kris, and I and four friends used quite a few different conveyances to get around, many of which we booked before we left the US. 

Trains

Train travel in Europe is generally safe, efficient and fast....