From ice cream by the sea to snowy mountain peaks, here's a selection of Italian inspiration for your next trip.

Sun-drunk and still, there&rsquo;s a kind of conversation that drifts between people when you&rsquo;re half lost in sunlight.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;m somewhere along the Ligurian Coast, slathered in SPF and sand, strategically flopping from front to back, playing the part of a rotisserie chicken. Pollo Allo Spiedo, with a pinch of ADHD.&nbsp;
&ldquo;If this place could be bottled, what would the label say?&rdquo; I glance over at my best friend, nothing short of a sun goddess. Palms facing upward, the freckles on her face greet the rays like an old friend.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Hmmm, I guess, real, authentic, low-key, maybe a little quiet, or maybe that&rsquo;s just because it&rsquo;s the end of the season?&rdquo; she responds dazedly.&nbsp;

I sit upright and take in the view before me.&nbsp;
A constellation of boats sways hypnotically to the mellow strum of the chittara battente, a sound that comes from nowhere and everywhere all at once and what would come to be the bass line of the town itself. Across the street, laundry sways, music-tossed, on lines between the buildings.&nbsp;

This beach is empty, except for us and an elderly woman in a two-piece shuffling toward the sea. I watch the years wash away the moment the water touches her skin.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not catchy,&rdquo; I reply, &ldquo;but I think I&rsquo;d put 'We are here too' on the label.&rdquo;&nbsp;
And as if to echo my thoughts, I catch a woman in my periphery, stomping toward us, head-to-toe in glamorous winter gear. She tells us the sun loungers we&rsquo;re lying on cost 40 euros for the day. Otherwise, get lost.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s the first time I&rsquo;ve heard anyone speak English since I&rsquo;ve been here.&nbsp;
She softens when we attempt an apology in Italian and tell her we&rsquo;ll be on our way. Folding her arms, and flicking her scarf, she shivers from a September wind perhaps only Italians can feel. Certainly not two Irish girls in bikinis. 
&ldquo;Why you come here?&rdquo; she arches her brow and points to the ground, as if the sand here in Sestri Levante is somewhat lesser than its neighbors, Portofino and the Cinque Terre. With zero crowds to elbow through, I&rsquo;m beginning to suspect it's better.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Oh, I saw it on a map, I wanted to see what it would look like in real life&rdquo; That gets me a quizzical smile, and she softly points us in the direction of the free beach, Baia del Silenzio.&nbsp;

I&rsquo;m not one for sun holidays, but like Giovanni Descalzo, the poet who named it, I find myself spellbound by the bay's cerulean crescent.&nbsp;

The shoreline is a ribbon of gold and citrus, limoncello-hued houses leaning shoulder to shoulder, their illusionary <a href="https://www.portofinocoast.it/en/the-illusion-of-colour/">trompe l&rsquo;oeil facades</a> trembling in the water like a painter&rsquo;s spilled palette. 
It wasn&rsquo;t exactly as silent as the name promised, but the pace matched every image evoked by the phrase &ldquo;il dolce far niente.&rdquo;&nbsp;

A fisherman drifts past in his canoe. Sunbathers in all directions sprawl out on the sand&mdash;skin so tanned they could double as a designer handbag straight off a Milan runway.

I catch the occasional seagull&rsquo;s cry and the distant, incongruous honk of a Vespa.&nbsp;
In front of me, a man hunches over a sand sculpture, his hands shaping and reshaping as though trying to capture a memory that slips through his fingers. I imagine a story behind his labour &mdash; a love once found on these shores, long ago, lost to time. Or maybe, more simply, he just really likes the female form.

One street over, locals weave in and out of bakeries, pharmacies, and wine bars dressed in autumn coats and scarves. A surreal contrast to the eyeful of neon Speedos I can&rsquo;t unsee.&nbsp;
As we stroll past Trattoria da Turin, I watch a group of German tourists dining al fresco, seduced by waiters dishing out oven-toasted focaccia and steamed mussels.&nbsp;
The whirl of rosemary sweet-talks me into saving this spot for later. It didn't disappoint.&nbsp;

Via XXV Aprile, the main pedestrian street, was a pleasant surprise.
Sure, you&rsquo;ll find a few tacky tourist shops selling magnets and tea-towels of the pope, but mostly it&rsquo;s independent artisan shops and chic clothing boutiques selling all things leather, cashmere, and ceramics.&nbsp;

Not to mention a handful of traditional slow-turning gelaterias.&nbsp;
I start the week with vegan strawberry and chocolate, full of intentions to end it the same way. But then I saw the pistachio&nbsp;gelato -&nbsp;surely my lactose intolerance could take a short break from reality, too?

On caf&eacute; patios, elderly women huddle together over steaming cups of coffee and curling cigarettes. Their gossip comes to a crescendo whenever familiar figures walk past. I could easily waste my days watching them.&nbsp;
For dinner,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/DON+LUIGI/@44.2707418,9.390941,676m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x12d497d41fdb6463:0x23940afc1c63e043!8m2!3d44.270738!4d9.3935159!16s%2Fg%2F11qb5jstf2?entry=ttu&amp;g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAwNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D">Don Luigi&rsquo;s</a> chalkboard and dim lighting lure us in. I settle on a glass of Arneis and the trofie al pesto&mdash;it'd be rude not to; Liguria is <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/pesto-perfect-italy-liguria">the birthplace of pesto</a>, after all.

One bite in, and I see God.
I ask Her life&rsquo;s biggest question; why do people keep going back to the same old tourist traps when places like this exist?&nbsp;

Cinque Terre? Never heard of her. Meet Sestri Levante.

This article was originally published in the Detour in January 2024
<hr>

Q:&nbsp;"We are taking our two grandchildren, 6 &amp; 9, to Rome in July! What some things we can do or visit that they would enjoy? We have been there before twice."
&nbsp;&mdash; Rob

Hey Rob! Sounds like you&rsquo;ve got plenty of gelato-tasting sessions lined up for your holiday :-)
Considering it&rsquo;s not your first time in Rome, here are a couple of places I believe you and your grandchildren can all enjoy.
<h2>Villa Borghese</h2>
Villa Borghese is not only one of the largest parks in Rome, it&rsquo;s also one of my favourite places in the city! Besides&nbsp;<a href="https://mamalovesrome.com/villa-borghese-gardens-rome/?lid=eeypdt9ign8x#things_to_do_in_villa_borghese_gardens_with_kids">the many activities for kids</a>, you&rsquo;ll also find the Borghese gallery and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.livevirtualguide.com/post/villa-medici-rome/?lid=i4bke8i9lkdr">Villa Medici</a>&nbsp;within the park (art-loving grandparents, listen up!)
The park is immense, and the best way to get around is by biking. At the entrance of the park, you can&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/bicipincio_roma/?lid=v9hbg0mphk5t">rent any type of bike</a>, or even a golf cart if you don&rsquo;t feel like peddling around.
The roads are mostly paved and fully free of car traffic, making it easy and safe to explore the gardens entirely on two wheels.

Inside the park you&rsquo;ll find the zoo, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g187791-d5017461-Reviews-The_San_Carlino_Gran_Teatro_Dei_Piccoli-Rome_Lazio.html?lid=pedlj75luzl3">puppet theatre,</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.villaborghesetours.com/info/item/cinema-dei-piccoli/?lid=gp119tln5w4d">world's smallest cinema,</a>&nbsp;boat rentals around the lake, and a couple of merry-go-rounds.
Top Tip:&nbsp;Stop by a&nbsp;salumeria&nbsp;to get some handmade panini before you enter the park&mdash;the kids will love taking a break from the bike and having a picnic next to the lake!

<h2>The Botanical Garden and Butterfly Eden</h2>
The&nbsp;<a href="https://mamalovesrome.com/visit-rome-botanical-gardens/?lid=nb6tes3gs83p">Botanical Garden of Rome,</a>&nbsp;one of Italy's largest, is located in Villa Corsini, near the Trastevere neighbourhood. Within it, you&rsquo;ll find Butterfly Eden, a magical greenhouse that recreates a tropical environment where colourful butterflies of all shapes and sizes flutter around right before your eyes.
Biologists and entomologists are on hand to explain the butterflies' life cycle, but I&rsquo;d suggest planning your visit for a weekend to coincide with the kids&rsquo; labs.

<h2>Cinecitt&agrave; &amp; Cinepiscina</h2>
Cinecitt&agrave;, the epicentre of Italian cinema, has opened an amusement park &mdash;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cinecittaworld.it/en?lid=i0dhbasl5vxz">Cinecitt&agrave; World!</a>
The park has everything from water rides (pretty great for a roasting Roman summer day), to rollercoasters and giant swings, ideal for children of all ages. Plus, you can take a dip in Italy&rsquo;s first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cinecittaworld.it/en/parco/attrazioni/cinepiscina?lid=q2pfwpntx08m">cinepiscina&nbsp;</a>(cinema pool)!
The park is a little outside the city, but a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cinecittaworld.it/en/info/come-arrivare?lid=yxp0is5aqok0">shuttle service</a>&nbsp;runs every day to/from Roma Termini, the train station right in the heart of the city.
Side note: When you&rsquo;re out and about in Rome, make sure to stop at&nbsp;Citt&agrave; del Sole, a historic toy shop chain renowned in Italy for its high-quality wooden toys. I can still remember the exact smell (and excitement!) when I used to enter the shop as a kid!
I hope this gives you a few fun ideas for your trip. Have a great time, and don&rsquo;t forget to send us a postcard :-)

Rome with Kids

This article was originally published in The Detour in August 2024

A First-timer's Guide to Italy at Christmas

Q:&nbsp;&ldquo;So, I am planning a trip to Italy over Christmas holidays, specifically December 25 - January 1. I am not a world traveler. To be fair, I have only been to Mexico, the Virgin Islands and the Bahamas out of state. I know&hellip;boring! But I so desperately want to see other places.&nbsp;
That being said, I need advice on where to go during the winter months. This is a Christmas gift to my 23 and 27-year-old kids and my husband and me. We do not want to ski and we are budget minded. My knowledge of traveling in other countries is limited so I have some anxiety about planning and maneuvering through different parts of Italy. I definitely want to experience the food and wine scene, but also want to visit Rome and the historical landmarks. There&rsquo;s so much information available that I am overwhelmed right now. Please help.&rdquo;

Hey, reader, I absolutely feel you &mdash; organising your first trip to Italy is definitely overwhelming&hellip; there&rsquo;s just so much to see!
For a 7-day trip, I&rsquo;d suggest two types of itinerary:

The Classic&nbsp;&mdash; Rome &amp; Tuscany
Why? Start with a bang with a deep-immersion into Rome&rsquo;s magic, and then get lost in Tuscany&rsquo;s hills for the rest of the trip.
How? Book a round trip ticket to Rome (unless you find some budget-friendly&nbsp;<a href="https://jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/how-to-find-and-book-cheap-multi-city-flights?lid=rxr5x03eqyyj">multi-city trips</a>&nbsp;landing/taking off from Florence) and plan your first three days in the capital. This allows you plenty of time to walk through the main parts of the city, and to overindulge in&nbsp;<a href="https://italysegreta.com/20-foods-you-must-eat-in-rome/?lid=xnhi8gedygd3">carbonara and Roman artichokes.</a>

On your fourth day (or, the third evening) hop on a high-speed train up to Florence and spend a day ticking off the main sights in the birthplace of the Renaissance &mdash; Uffizi, David and Duomo Cathedral non-negotiable! Also, don&rsquo;t forget to stop for a&nbsp;<a href="https://italysegreta.com/11-best-panino-shops-in-florence/?lid=7cwhhbst6kht">lampredotto</a>&nbsp;for lunch.
Spend a night in Florence and kick off your last two days by renting a car and driving around the Tuscan countryside. The&nbsp;<a href="https://italysegreta.com/wild-boars-stolen-peaches-and-the-long-road-from-florence-to-siena/?lid=ko0mb0yppo55">picturesque hills and borghi</a>&nbsp;around Siena, San Gimignano, Montepulciano, and Orvieto will make you forget about the crowded spots you&rsquo;ve just been through. Plus, it&rsquo;s the kingdom of&nbsp;<a href="https://italysegreta.com/tuscan-farmhouses/?lid=99v4f1rgsobm">agriturismi </a>and vineyards, so good&nbsp;<a href="https://italysegreta.com/natural-wine-in-tuscany/?lid=miv1jjny4wnv">(natural!)</a>&nbsp;wine and food is guaranteed!
Hot Tip:&nbsp;You don&rsquo;t need to return the car in Florence, drive all the way down to Rome and leave the car at the airport before your flight :-)

The Hardcore&nbsp;&mdash; Venice, Florence &amp; Rome
Why?&nbsp;Personally, I believe these are the essentials for a first (short) trip to Italy. They&rsquo;re rich in history and culture, and all very different from each other.
Plus, they&rsquo;re conveniently connected by non-stop, high-speed trains (Trenitalia&rsquo;s&nbsp;Frecce), which will make the transport process easy and comfortable. Just remember to book your train in advance &mdash; the earlier, the better!
How?&nbsp;It&rsquo;s a more upbeat itinerary, which would be ideally planned with a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/travel/flights/search?tfs=CBwQAhopEgoyMDI0LTEyLTI0ag0IAxIJL20vMDJfMjg2cgwIAxIIL20vMDdfcGYaKRIKMjAyNC0xMi0zMWoMCAMSCC9tLzA2YzYycg0IAxIJL20vMDJfMjg2QAFIAXABggELCP___________wGYAQM&amp;hl=en&amp;curr=USD&amp;lid=j2sj7u8nyu9h">multi-city trip like this one&nbsp;</a>(assuming you&rsquo;ll be flying from New York City).&nbsp;
You can start by landing in Venice (or Milan and then hop on a train to Venice, if that&rsquo;s more budget-friendly) and spend two days in Venice. This will give you enough time to check out the touristy attractions on the first day (like San Marco square, Rialto bridge, the Biennale, etc) and stroll around more local neighbourhoods (like&nbsp;<a href="https://lionsinthepiazza.com/cannaregio-venice-guide/?lid=2zvf153sjkfg">Cannaregio</a>&nbsp;&amp; Giudecca), or hop over to Murano, Burano, and Torcello during your second day.

Then, onto an evening (or early morning train ride) to Florence. The same 2-day plan applies here, to visit both the upper and lower Arno neighbourhoods, and fill your belly with Chianti classico and fiorentina. I shared some restaurant recommendations in&nbsp;<a href="https://jacksflightclub.com/detour-144-cruise-debate-continues?lid=p8kw18fvewte">this past Detour edition</a>.
Finally, onto the capital. Rome is immense, and two days are definitely not enough to discover all the city&rsquo;s wonders, but you&rsquo;ll be able to tick off the Coliseum, the Pantheon, and the prettiest piazzas in the city.
It is worth looking for a (free) walking tour in each of the three cities on the first day. That way, you&rsquo;ll be sure to visit all the essential sights ASAP!
Whichever itinerary you end up choosing, I strongly recommend booking your trains, accommodation, and museum tickets in advance &mdash; these cities tend to get a significant amount of (especially local) tourists over the Christmas holidays.

Christmas in Italy for First Timers

Why you should take that cheap flight to Milan (even if you've already visited)

&iexcl;Hola,&nbsp;fellow travellers!
Just yesterday, we had some super exciting Mexico trips spring right into our flight-hacking laps here at Jack's HQ.
First, we dug up some sweet <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/flights/mexico-in-1000s-1190s-rtn">Premium Economy fares</a> all across the country &mdash; a real rarity from the UK, for sure! Then there were the perfect winter sun flights to Canc&uacute;n from <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/flights/cancun-in-430s-510s-rtn">Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg</a>. So far, so good.&nbsp;
Then out of nowhere, as we were busy imagining ourselves sipping margs by the Caribbean, appeared an error fare from London to <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/flights/mexico-city-at-295-rtn">Mexico City for under &pound;300</a>!&nbsp;That one didn't last long, but suffice it to say, it made for a very excitable day.&nbsp;
The thing is, readers, all these surprise Mexican treats were from the European side of the pond. And frankly, awesome fares to anywhere other than Canc&uacute;n come around so rarely for us that I just don't know where to pick, given the choice.
So, this time, I'm looking mostly to those of you in North America, who are used to a little more Mexico on your plate &mdash; where's the place to be? Is it the beaches of <a href="https://theawkwardtraveller.com/cabo-or-cancun/">Canc&uacute;n or Cabo</a>? The street food of <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/1kmaaj8/mexico_city_vs_oaxaca/">Oaxaca or CDMX</a>?
Let us know your favourite spots in Mexico <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-196-slow-and-scenic-italy-alternative-uk#comments">in the comments</a>, or by replying to this email.
Happy travels and safe landings,

Katy - Editor of The Detour

It's Our Summer Sale!

Now is the best time&nbsp;to start planning your winter getaways. As a Premium member, you&rsquo;ll get access to&nbsp;all&nbsp;of our content: 8&ndash;10 flights&nbsp;per week, including error fares and business class.
Keep that summer feeling going long into the winter months with 3 months of Premium for &pound;1 - this is our biggest offer of the year!

Jack's Flight Club Promo

Now is the best time&nbsp;to start planning your winter getaways. As a Premium member, you&rsquo;ll get access to&nbsp;all&nbsp;of our content: 8&ndash;10 flights&nbsp;per week, including error fares and business class.
Keep that summer feeling going long into the winter months with 3 months of Premium for &euro;1 - this is our biggest offer of the year!

Now is the best time&nbsp;to start planning your winter getaways. As a Premium member, you&rsquo;ll get access to&nbsp;all&nbsp;of our content: 8&ndash;10 flights&nbsp;per week, including error fares and business class.
Keep that summer feeling going long into the winter months with 3 months of Premium for $1 - this is our biggest offer of the year!

Now is the best time&nbsp;to start planning your winter getaways. As a Premium member, you&rsquo;ll get access to&nbsp;all&nbsp;of our content: 8-10 flights&nbsp;per week, including error fares and business class.
Keep that summer feeling going long into the winter months with 3 months of Premium for $1 - this is our biggest offer of the year!

Larissa is an Aussie expat from Sydney who only sometimes misses the beach. Currently based in London, she&rsquo;s now working on ticking as many European cities off her travel list as possible, while checking for brunch spots along the way.

By Larissa

I&rsquo;ve just come back from a week in Puglia, and I didn&rsquo;t rent a car. That may surprise you, as the number one way to see southern Italy is from behind the wheel &mdash; and for good reason. Aside from the lax driving rules and how easy it is to pick up a vehicle at the airport, lots of the major visitor attractions are only accessible by car, like the best beaches in the area.&nbsp;
Despite knowing all that, I still decided to rely on trains and buses throughout my trip in June 2025. In fact, this is my second time travelling around the boot of Italy this way. You may be thinking, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t speak Italian, I&rsquo;m not adventurous enough to hop on and off public transportation across the country. Surely it&rsquo;s not worth the hassle!?&rdquo;
Well, neither do I! And you don&rsquo;t have to be as adventurous as you think; the south of Italy is surprisingly well-connected by trains and buses &mdash; we saw plenty of people using both as we navigated around, tourists and locals alike.

<h3 dir="ltr">Why take public transport in Southern Italy?&nbsp;</h3>
If you have the time and don&rsquo;t want the hassle of renting a car, buying petrol and figuring out your insurance, I&rsquo;d recommend ditching the car.&nbsp;&nbsp;
To give you a little background &ndash; I learned to drive as a teenager (as most do in Australia) around the suburbs of Sydney, have always enjoyed it, and still have a driver's licence. So far, so normal. That was, until I moved to London when I was 24. It&rsquo;s been 6 years since then, and that means 6 years since I&rsquo;ve been behind the wheel of a car.&nbsp;
When faced with the prospect of navigating tiny cobbled streets, Vespas and overeager European drivers, it struck me that I&rsquo;d maybe been off the roads for too long. So with that in mind, I decided to throw myself at the whim of bus and train schedules, while baking under the summer Puglian sun.&nbsp;
Before we go any further, a caveat: yes, trains and buses do get delayed, and the service can be infrequent (especially on weekends and the off season). This kind of travel will only work for you if you&rsquo;re happy to spend hours waiting around, and you allow yourself plenty of time to get where you want to go. For some people, it&rsquo;s always going to be easier to just hire a car and have the freedom to move around, which I totally respect!&nbsp;

<h3 dir="ltr">Catching public transport between Brindisi, Maglie, Ostuni, Lecce and Monopoli</h3>
We flew in and out of Brindisi airport, then (thanks to a very beautiful, but very remote wedding) had to make our way down to a little town called Maglie &mdash; it's located almost smack-bang in the middle of the boot, about 80 km from the airport. To get there, we took the airport bus into the centre of Brindisi, stayed overnight, and then spent the next day slowly winding our way down the country.&nbsp;
First, we caught a train from Brindisi to Lecce, &lsquo;the Florence of the South&rsquo;, and then hopped on a bus to Maglie from there. All in all, it took a couple of hours and two hops, whereas if we were to drive, we would have been there in just under an hour. Not the fastest way to go, but it was cheap (less than &euro;10 per person) and reliable (especially when compared to <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/1iagaf6/europes_best_and_worst_rail_operators/">other European rail networks</a>). The train and bus both came when they were scheduled.&nbsp;
We had to do it all again in reverse a couple of days later, which also went off without a hitch.&nbsp;
On separate day trips, we also travelled from Brindisi by train/bus to other spots on our list like <a href="https://www.alongdustyroads.com/posts/things-to-do-ostuni-puglia-guide">Ostuni</a> (the &lsquo;White City&rsquo;, full of boutique shops and has views of rolling hills for days), <a href="https://pugliaparadise.com/puglia-travel-guide/lecce/">Lecce</a> (the &lsquo;Florence of the South&rsquo;, with looming sandstone churches and baroque buildings) and <a href="https://www.bontraveler.com/monopoli-italy/">Monopoli</a> (easiest access to sandy beaches by foot, also a very pretty town in its own right).&nbsp;

<h3 dir="ltr">How to plan your own trip around Southern Italy on public transport</h3>
So, you&rsquo;re intrigued &mdash; how do you follow in my footsteps?&nbsp;
<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/puglia-by-public-transport">Keep reading...</a>

Travel Tales

Alternative UK City Breaks: Bonus Round

Flight Finder Akasha finds phenomenal flights faster than you can decide where you want to take a trip to next. A pro at finding the best of the best fares, she's also a master at sharing must-visit spots for when you land.

By Akasha

Before we wrap up last week&rsquo;s roundup of alternative UK cities for a summer break, another entry just hit our inbox from JFC member Claire. Here&rsquo;s what she&rsquo;s got to say:

&ldquo;On the subject of UK cities worth exploring this summer, I'd love to make a case for Newcastle. A compact city centre boasts attractions old and new, particularly for those who love their art and culture. From world-class museums like <a href="https://baltic.art/">contemporary art gallery Baltic</a>, the fascinating <a href="https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/greatnorthmuseum">Great North Museum: Hancock</a>, to the interactive<a href="https://www.life.org.uk/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=19682308792&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADshYFo7ea6fKL-8Ebz43MQ3jWRfe&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwkILEBhDeARIsAL--pjykSj0YmybFRNnBaYYegg8cVyh9kdhWFEjI2NhAPT6tGpODMhP0mzYaAsubEALw_wcB"> Life Science Centre</a>&hellip;&rdquo;

And I have to agree! I spent a few days in Newcastle with my dad last year, and although it was just a quick stop en route to Edinburgh, the city really surprised me. More specifically, the people and their kindness surprised me (from the minute we arrived, the Geordie welcome hit full force), as well as the food!
Traveling with my father can be challenging; he&rsquo;s loud, he&rsquo;s curt, and he&rsquo;ll have no problem telling a waiter what he really thinks of the soup. But he is also a big foodie, which results in a Google Map transformed into a gastronomic guidebook before you&rsquo;ve even made it to the boarding gate.
No need for a tour guide, just follow Geoff. Give him 60 minutes, and he&rsquo;ll be on a first-name basis with the chef at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Restaurant_Review-g186394-d1773852-Reviews-Rani_Indian_Restaurant-Newcastle_upon_Tyne_Tyne_and_Wear_England.html">Rani Indian Restaurant</a>, tucking into a Punjabi feast that&rsquo;s normally reserved for Aunties and VIPs. By dessert, he&rsquo;ll have two staff members and two diners signed up for Jack&rsquo;s Flight Club &mdash; and an entire notes app full of places like Shimla, Sissu and Manali to visit if I ever make it to <a href="https://youtu.be/dHEVGuw5LCE?si=SJ-9Ox83AQs9RQVj&amp;t=40">Himachal Pradesh</a>.&nbsp;

So with that in mind, I followed Geoff through a whirlwind of some of the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/quayingredient/?hl=en">best English breakfasts</a> I&rsquo;ve ever tasted, and <a href="https://www.rio-steakhouse.co.uk/quayside">Churrasco comas</a> come sunset. Relinquishing any notion of gazing up at those museum ceilings.
Okay, that&rsquo;s not exactly fair &mdash; I did manage to peel him away from <a href="https://newcastlegateshead.com/business-directory/shopping/matthews-cheese-specialist">the cheese stall at Grainger market</a> to visit the city&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.newcastlecastle.co.uk/">Norman castle</a>, which I highly recommend. Besides the standard tours of the castle, they also occasionally run movie nights, historical reenactments and talks. &pound;8 to hear someone yak about witches and cholera? Sign me up!

&ldquo;There's also <a href="https://newcastlegateshead.com/events">a free programme</a> of city-wide activities like kayaking on the River Tyne, outdoor movie screenings, and fun activities throughout the summer. The city's music scene is thriving. Head to the trendy Ouseburn Valley for quirky venues, craft beer, interesting eats, and tons of live music.&rdquo;&nbsp;- Claire

I&rsquo;ve heard&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stephaniefox.co.uk/enjoy-a-day-out-to-ouseburn-newcastle/">great things about Ouseburn</a>. Back in the day, it used to be an industrial hub. Now? It&rsquo;s more like what Shoreditch is to London. Quirky, gritty, cool.
By day, you can weave in and out of <a href="https://ouseburntrust.org.uk/events/tunnel-tours/">WWII tunnels</a>, art galleries like the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thebiscuitfactorygallery/?hl=en">Biscuit Factory</a>, farm trails (yes, there&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.ouseburnfarm.org.uk/">an urban farm!</a>) or pass the time with a book and a gluten-free muffin <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thegaragencl/?hl=en">in a garage-turned-caf&eacute;</a>. Think exposed pipes, vintage lights, and coffee so strong it could rotate your tyres. 
At night? You&rsquo;ve got Newcastle&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://ouseburntrust.org.uk/explore-ouseburn-valley/where-to-visit/music-and-gigs-in-ouseburn/">best nightlife, live gigs and pubs</a> at your fingertips.

&ldquo;All this, and the stunning county of Northumberland on the doorstep, where you'll find coastal castles, networks of hiking and biking trails, ancient treasures like Hadrian's Wall, and friendly, welcoming people.&rdquo;

This is why I&rsquo;ve sworn to return to Newcastle solo next time (sorry, dad) &mdash; for the chance to see&nbsp;<a href="https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/hadrians-wall/">Hadrian&rsquo;s Wall</a> poking up among dramatic moorlands and Roman ruins, windswept castles, golden beaches, and quaint coastal towns on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.visitnorthumberland.com/explore/destinations/towns-villages">Northumberland Coast</a>. Or maybe go northwest to be illuminated under the vastness of <a href="https://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/things-to-do/discover-dark-skies/where-to-stargaze/">Northumberland Dark Skies Park</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Don&rsquo;t get me wrong, I wouldn&rsquo;t trade the memories for anything. But next time, I&rsquo;d love to see more of Northern England&rsquo;s natural scenery by venturing out into the wild between the fantastic feasts. Thanks so much for your tips, Claire! We love hearing everyone's destination recommendations, so if there's somewhere you absolutely need to tell The Detour readers about, <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-196-slow-and-scenic-italy-alternative-uk#comments">head to the comments</a> or hit 'Reply'!

Reader's Corner

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across web this week.
<ul>
<li>If all that talk of Mexican street food earlier on got your taste buds tingling, let <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/hubs/feast-2025">Gastro Obscura's 2025 Feast</a> help guide your upcoming travel plans. </li>
<li>Lusting after the most epic of all road trips?&nbsp;<a href="https://wild-places.com/">It's got to be Patagonia</a>. </li>
<li>First they stopped making us remove our shoes, and now they&nbsp;<a href="https://www.afar.com/magazine/tsa-tests-eliminating-bag-recheck-rule-on-connecting-flights">won't make us collect checked luggage</a> on international connections. Seems the TSA are in a good mood? </li>
<li>And finally, getting a slice of life abroad can sometimes be hard without taking a trip. But it turns out that all it takes for some authentic Colombian vibes is <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/reel/video/p0lqjgsz/the-secret-behind-colombia-s-blender-craze">a blender</a>. Time to get juicing!</li>
</ul>

Travel News

Slow and Scenic Southern Italy, Bonus Alternative UK

I&rsquo;ve just come back from a week in Puglia, and I didn&rsquo;t rent a car. That may surprise you, as the number one way to see southern Italy is from behind the wheel &mdash;and for good reason. Aside from the lax driving rules and how easy it is to pick up a vehicle at the airport, lots of the major visitor attractions are only accessible by car, like the best beaches in the area.&nbsp;
Despite knowing all that, I still decided to rely on trains and buses throughout my trip in June 2025. In fact, this is my second time travelling around the boot of Italy this way. You may be thinking, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t speak Italian, I&rsquo;m not adventurous enough to hop on and off public transportation across the country. Surely it&rsquo;s not worth the hassle!?&rdquo;
Well, neither do I! And you don&rsquo;t have to be as adventurous as you think; the south of Italy is surprisingly well-connected by trains and buses &mdash; we saw plenty of people using both as we navigated around, tourists and locals alike.

<h3 dir="ltr">How to plan your own trip around Southern Italy on public transport</h3>
So, you&rsquo;re intrigued &mdash; how do you follow in my footsteps?&nbsp;
Well, Google Maps is a good start &mdash; it&rsquo;ll give you an idea of whether or not there is even a bus or a train available, and (because you can adjust the day/time you want to travel) it&rsquo;ll give you a good idea of frequency. That being said, I found that it was more of a guideline than an accurate timetable. For example, we noticed that when we got to a train station, a few extra trains miraculously appeared on the departure board that didn&rsquo;t seem to exist online.&nbsp;
What next? You&rsquo;ll need to look at blogs and official train and bus websites to get the lay of the land. The most important things to find out are:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Where do you want to go?&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Can you get a train or bus there (while double-checking it actually exists)?&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">If it does, who sells you the tickets?&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Where do you catch it from?&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
In general, you&rsquo;ll be able to find timetable information for almost all trains in Puglia on <a href="https://www.trenitalia.com/it.html">Trenitalia&rsquo;s website</a>, but keep in mind that some trains are run by the local provider FSE (including shuttle bus services between stations, as we found out when trying to go from Lecce to Maglie). We found that <a href="https://www.omio.com/">Omio</a> sold tickets for these intercity buses, and I believe they also sell train tickets, too.&nbsp;
Before you go and buy your train tickets online, we found it easier to just buy them beforehand at the station vending machines. They&rsquo;re almost never sold out (especially for high-frequency routes), and it skips the hassle of having to buy it online. You can switch the language on the machine to English, the interface is easy to use, and you can easily see which trains are available/how much tickets cost.&nbsp;

Buses are trickier &mdash; some shorter lines (like the ones from Brindisi airport or Ostuni train station to their respective city centres) are run by the individual city&rsquo;s local authority, which means there&rsquo;s a different way to pay on each.&nbsp;
Our research pointed us to <a href="https://www.stpbrindisi.it/index.php/en/">STP Brindisi</a> for the airport bus tickets, and we used the <a href="https://mooneygroup.it/mooneygo-eng/">MooneyGo app</a> for the Ostuni bus. When we discovered that unofficial taxi drivers were charging &euro;25 for trips into Ostuni&rsquo;s town centre, which was less than a 10-minute drive away, we were glad we&rsquo;d invested a little time into trawling the travel blogs for intel!&nbsp;
The only catch there is that you need to find the bus stop, and they are often poorly marked. In many cities, both intercity and local buses use the same stops, so you may be looking for a very small shelter on the side of an unassuming street. Or if you see BUS written on the road, or a small FSE/local authority bus stop sign, that&rsquo;s likely where you want to be.
We had a couple of examples of this &mdash; the bus stop from Lecce to Maglie was about a block away from the train station, tucked around the corner in a residential street. On the return journey, there was only a humble bus shelter on the side of the very busy highway to indicate where the bus would pick us up. Surprisingly, Google Maps was fairly accurate with pinpointing where these stops should be. But if in doubt, go to the nearest train station and ask.&nbsp;

<h3 dir="ltr">Pros &amp; Cons of travelling by bus and train in Southern Italy</h3>
Pros:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">It was extremely cheap! I think the most we paid was around &euro;15 for an intercity express train, but tickets were more like &euro;2&ndash;&euro;6 per person.&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">No need to rent a car and navigate tiny, winding streets</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Trains are air-conditioned, good quality and generally reliable</li>
</ul>
Cons:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">You are limited in where you can reach by public transport (generally only larger towns and cities). For example, I would have loved to visit the <a href="https://www.charmingpuglia.com/en/guide/lecce/beaches">sandy beaches around Otranto</a>, but it just wasn&rsquo;t worth us trying to squeeze it in by bus (even though it&rsquo;s only a 30-min drive from Maglie)&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">You need to do your research to know where to base yourself for the best connections to the places you want to visit (Monopoli, Bari, Lecce and Brindisi are all fairly good options)&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Sometimes, transport is delayed &mdash; it only happened to us once (a 20-minute delay, but we&rsquo;d seen another train delayed by 3 hours)&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Alternatives (taxi and Uber) can be expensive if you get stranded</li>
</ul>
So, would I recommend taking Puglia by public transport? Yes, if you&rsquo;re happy to stick to the major cities, or don&rsquo;t mind taking the extra time to get where you need to go. It&rsquo;s not as hard to navigate as you might think, but you do need to do a bit of legwork to figure out tickets and timetables. Just remember to look beyond Google Maps!

Ditch the car: Puglia by Public Transport

Hey there, JFC-ers!
Happy Friday, and happy Finland! That's right, for the&nbsp;eighth&nbsp;year in a row, Finland has been named the <a href="https://www.afar.com/magazine/the-worlds-happiest-country-is-all-about-reading-coffee-and-saunas">happiest country in the world</a>, with the rest of the Nordics following closely behind.
Some claim it's being at one with nature that keeps the Finns cheery, while others attribute it to their tendency to oscillate between freezing bodies of water and sweaty saunas.&nbsp;
Flight Finder Hannah just had to find out for herself, so she winged her way up to Lapland last week. Turns out, the key to happiness has been hiding in a <a href="https://arcticsnowhotel.fi/en/">snow hotel near Rovaniemi</a> all along!
<img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/689f8acb842681eb7be31e35227a6d4e8f12be7a" width="289" height="385" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
 Happy travels and safe landings,

It's our Spring Sale!

Spring into travel with 25% off every single one of our Premium subscription plans! 
Go Premium for as little as &pound;3 a month (billed annually). But don't hang around &mdash; this offer won't last long!

JFC Premium Promo

Spring into travel with 25% off every single one of our Premium subscription plans! 
Go Premium for as little as &euro;3 a month (billed annually). But don't hang around &mdash; this offer won't last long!

Spring into travel with 25% off every single one of our Premium subscription plans! 
Go Premium for as little as $3.75 a month (billed annually). But don't hang around &mdash; this offer won't last long!

Taking a Break from Barcelona

Detour Editor Katy is a budget travel aficionado who has already travelled to more than 50 countries. Whether she's at home or on a foreign adventure, she has a particular talent for stumbling upon tasty Georgian restaurants.

Written by Katy

Our JFC travel community is a hive of activity over on Facebook, so I always like to keep an eye on things to see what&rsquo;s hot and happening. This week, I spotted the return of an ever-popular topic: where to spend a Big Birthday in Europe, away from the usual tourist spots?

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m turning 50 and want to have a European weekend away, but not in the usual Barcelona. What&rsquo;s your favourite city with good food, Drink and culture??&rdquo; - Lynsey

Lucky for Lynsey, you JFC-ers understood the task and came up with some great recommendations. Among them were many of Spain&rsquo;s other popular spots, like San Sebasti&aacute;n and Malaga, cool capitals Budapest, Lisbon, and Berlin, and then some altogether more niche suggestions! 
You can&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/jacksflightclub/permalink/2422437634778750">jump into the conversation here</a> to see what everyone suggested, and even add your own two cents. But for now, I&rsquo;ve picked out my favourites from the list to help inspire your next alternative European getaway.
<h4 dir="ltr">Porto</h4>

Here we&rsquo;ve got some insider tips from Flight Finder and Porto native Andreia!&nbsp;
This city oozes charm from the get-go, and you're never too far from a stunning view or a mouthwateringly good <a href="https://portoalities.com/en/best-francesinha-in-porto/">Francesinha</a>. Just make sure to bring your walking shoes, as the city is a tangle of cobblestone stairways and hills. It might take you a while to cover ground, too&nbsp; &mdash; it's hard not to stop and admire the countless <a href="https://www.everysteph.com/best-azulejo-tiles-porto-portugal/">Azulejos</a> everywhere that glaze the walls of buildings, fountains, and churches.
In terms of cuisine, you won't be short of spots to wine and dine, but if we were to recommend somewhere with real heart, it's <a href="https://casadahorta.weebly.com/">Casa de Horta</a>. This cultural space/caf&eacute; is far off the tourist trail and allows visitors a glimpse into Porto's social and political scene &mdash; they also serve the most delicious, affordable homemade meals with a vegetarian twist.
Of course, even though it is known to tourists, a boat tour up the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=douro&amp;source=lnms&amp;tbm=isch&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjuiuzljODxAhUD_RQKHYyjAc0Q_AUoAXoECAEQAw&amp;biw=1536&amp;bih=722#imgrc=n6VTy2w3ENOxiM">Douro Valley</a> is a must in warmer months. Cruises departing from Ribeira go far up the river to regional villages like Castelo de Paiva, R&eacute;gua, or Marco de Canaveses. These spots are very quiet, and you'll be able to find hotels with beautiful views overlooking the river. And best of all, you can eat authentic meals with wine and desert for about &euro;12 total!
<h4 dir="ltr">Gdańsk</h4>

Flight Finder Kash here! Ever since our members raved about it as one of their favourite <a href="https://jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/skip-this-see-that28-places-that-our-members-hated-and-loved">underrated cities</a> in Europe, I have been dying to see if it lives up to the hype. And boy, were they right.&nbsp;
Historically, the city is a treasure trove with rich <a href="https://www.inyourpocket.com/gdansk/wwii-in-gdansk_73591f">WWII history</a> and perfectly restored candy-coated architecture. You'd never guess by the looks of it that it was completely destroyed. In fact, the first shots igniting the war were fired just a few miles from Old Town.&nbsp;
Nowadays, the city feels incredibly safe and there's no better thing to do than get lost in its charm. After dumping your bags at your accommodation (I recommend family-run <a href="https://www.booking.com/hotel/pl/wicker-house.pl.html">Wicker House</a>), start with the picturesque Ulica Mariacka, lined with charming caf&eacute;s and merchants selling Baltic Amber.
Follow the street over to Długi Targ, where its colourful facades and fountain of Neptune will make your Instagram pop. Eventually, you'll reach the waterfront, greeted by the sight of its iconic <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lichAotxdTQ">galleon ships</a> majestically floating in the harbour.
When you&rsquo;re in the mood for a proper Polish bite to eat, make a beeline for some pierogies. They&rsquo;re a classic dish, so you won&rsquo;t have a hard time finding them. But if you want the choice of every flavour from the traditional to the downright experimental, Editor Katy recommends heading to <a href="https://pierogarnia-mandu.pl/en/gdynia/menu/">Mandu</a>.
&nbsp;After all that, try telling me you're not a fansk of Gdańsk! :-)&nbsp;
<h4 dir="ltr">Nantes</h4>

When <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/first-time-guide-to-nantes">Lonely Planet calls somewhere &ldquo;quirky&rdquo;</a>, you know it&rsquo;s probably worth visiting!&nbsp;
Only a couple of hours&rsquo; train ride away from Paris, and easily reachable by air from all over Europe thanks to budget airlines, it really is a mystery that Nantes hasn&rsquo;t become more of a tourist destination.&nbsp;
Having once been the capital of Brittany, Nantes is now (somewhat controversially) the capital of the Pays de la Loire region. To say there&rsquo;s a lot of history in that alone would be an understatement! Culturally, however, you&rsquo;ll find a whole load of Breton goodness around every corner.&nbsp;
From palaces to <a href="https://loirelovers.fr/en/passage-pommeraye-nantes/">passages</a>, the architectural wonders never cease. There are also galleries galore, but you definitely mustn&rsquo;t miss the mechanical imaginings of <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/machines-isle-nantes">Les Machines de l&rsquo;&icirc;le</a>. The idea of coming face to face with giant mechanical creatures is equally alarming and intriguing, kind of like a steam punk Jurassic Park.
As for food and drink, you&rsquo;ll be spoiled for choice. The classic <a href="https://en.lebonbon.fr/nantes/tops-food-and-drink/creperie-nantes-the-best-addresses-for-a-delicious/">Breton cr&ecirc;pe</a> (or galette, if you have more of a savoury tooth) is prolific, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if you find yourself enjoying a different one every day. Seafood, such as clams, scallops, and oysters, is another major feature on local menus, and always expect it to be served in a rich beurre blanc. Wash it all down with a glass of local <a href="https://www.cellartours.com/france/french-wine-regions/muscadet">Muscadet</a> or cider, and consider it a weekend trip well done.
 Those are only three out of the hundreds of cities around Europe that we could have mentioned. So tell us, readers, where would you go? Hit 'Reply' to let us know your picks for a European break off the beaten tourist path, and why!

Travel Tips

Our Insatiable Italian Infatuation Continues&hellip;

Flight Finder Fran is an Italian globetrotter with a passion for remote destinations and snacking. Currently based in Brussels, she'll gladly tell you where to find the yummiest fries around the city.

Questions answered by Fran

"Hi, we're planning a small honeymoon road trip to Toscana after our wedding day and before our big honeymoon trip to Fiji. Do you have some recommendations for a Toscana road trip? Must-see villages, stops across the region?" - Salv &amp; Fanny

Hello! Tuscany is so pretty, and you&rsquo;re gonna have suuuuuch a great time.
Starting with the basics &mdash; the Florence-San Giminiano-Siena area is a must. Filled with medieval towns, rolling hills, vineyards, and historical landmarks, it&rsquo;ll be the Tuscany that everyone hopes for. <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@brigrc/video/7379482089822981409?q=volterra&amp;t=1742836784682">Volterra</a>, Monteriggioni, Colle di Val d'Elsa and Montalcino are some lesser-known villages that I really like.

If you&rsquo;d rather check out a less touristy part of the region, I&rsquo;d recommend <a href="https://lovefromtuscany.com/where-to-go/cities-in-tuscany/arezzo/">Arezzo</a> and its collage of Etruscan, Medieval, and Renaissance buildings. It&rsquo;s got the prettiest main square I&rsquo;ve seen in Italy!
From Arezzo, you could even drive all the way down to Perugia and Assisi if you feel like it! The Tuscany-Umbria border, filled with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/poggiodellecaviere/">idyllic agriturismi</a> and incredible producers of wine, olive oils, and cheese, is less crowded and with a more authentic feeling than the upper parts of the region. And guess what? It&rsquo;s obviously less pricey!
Now, onto a real treat &mdash; the Saturnia Thermal Spas, in the lower western part of Tuscany (the Maremma) are a highlight for honeymooners.
The area is divided into two main parts:
<ol>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/saturniatermelibere/">Cascate del Mulino</a> &mdash; This is the free, more rustic part of the springs, where the water slides down a series of picturesque limestone terraces, creating natural pools. It&rsquo;s open year-round and accessible to anyone. The setting, with the old stone mill as a backdrop, is especially beautiful.
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<a href="https://www.termedisaturnia.it/">Terme di Saturnia Resort &amp; Spa</a> &mdash; This is a luxurious thermal spa and golf resort built around the main spring. It offers a more exclusive experience, with pools, treatments, and wellness services.
</li>
</ol>

Whether you decide to treat yourself to the Resort &amp; Spa, or DIY with the free part, I truly recommend stopping at Saturnia.
Oh, and if you decide to visit Pisa, too, don&rsquo;t miss out on Lucca &mdash; riding a bike around the medieval city walls is non-negotiable!

"Any tips for just going to Bergamo itself? (E.g. with a toddler, going further afield isn&rsquo;t always the easiest!) Thanks" - Evelyn

Hey Evelyn! Bergamo can be a lot of fun, but if you&rsquo;re not planning to rent a car and explore outside the city, I would suggest staying for about three days.
With a toddler in tow, these are the activities I&rsquo;d recommend for your visit:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Take the funicular from the Lower Town to the Upper Town &mdash; <a href="https://www.emaroundtheworld.com/cittaalta/">Citt&agrave; Alta</a>. It&rsquo;s a scenic ride with great views, and kids usually love it. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Climb the Torre Civica and check out the Rocca di Bergamo (city fortress) &mdash; the latter has huge gardens perfect to roam around. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Visit the city&rsquo;s Natural Science Museum if dinosaurs &amp; fossils are your thing. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Spend a day at Leolandia &mdash; a kids adventure park just outside the city.</li>
</ul>

If you don&rsquo;t mind hopping on a train, you could even think about spending a day or two in Lake Garda. There are shallow waters suitable for paddling with little ones, plus a sea life centre, zoo with safari area, and theme-park-cum-toddler-heaven, <a href="https://www.toddleronatrip.com/blog/gardaland-italy">Gardaland</a>.
Hopefully that's given you a few pointers. But whatever you decide to do on your trip, I hope you enjoy your time in Italy!

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across web this week.
<ul>
<li>One of JFCs most popular destinations, <a href="https://travelobiz.com/japan-travel-authorization-jesta-who-needs-it/">Japan, is launching the JESTA</a> and will soon join the growing list of countries requiring visitors to obtain electronic travel authorization.&nbsp;&nbsp; </li>
<li>Behold <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/voters-crown-the-worlds-ugliest-animal-as-new-zealands-fish-of-the-year-180986287/">New Zealand's fish of the year</a>, chosen for its "unconventional beauty". </li>
<li>Passengers sailing on the maiden world voyage of Cunard's Queen Anne ship got an <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/tiktok-cunard-cruise-line-queen-anne-pirates-warning-b2721636.html">unexpected warning</a> this week, as they passed through an area off the Philippines at risk of piracy threats.&nbsp;&nbsp; </li>
<li>And finally, everyone's favourite budget-airline CEO finally got a <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/michael-oleary-ryanair-restaurant-extra-charge-luvida-b2721151.html">taste of his own medicine</a> last week! When Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary went to pay to his bill at a restaurant in Ireland, the staff had decided to add on a few cheeky extras for legroom, priority seating and a "quiet reservation area". Lucky for Michael, the restaurant's policies were more flexible than his own, and he escaped without having to cough up.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Take a Break From Barça with These Alternative European trips

Ciao,&nbsp;JFC-ers!
I've not long returned from spending the best part of a week on the glorious banks of Lago Maggiore for team JFC's first-ever in-person meet-up. And it was nothing short of fantastic!
Waking up to views over the glistening water, perfectly framed by snow-peaked Alps, is something I didn't quite realise I needed until it hit me square in the eyeballs. In fact, you should all add it to your to-do list if you haven't already! And as inspirational settings go for a productive week of team building, I'd say we nailed it.
Of course, we also had to pop over to visit Maggiore's more famous neighbour, Lake Como (would have been rude not to)! We didn't have time to stop in at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.myprivatevillas.com/travel-magazine/george-clooneys-lake-como-holiday-retreat-beyond-a-luxe-escape-guide/">George and Amal's lakeside mansion</a>, but we certainly enjoyed the views as we whizzed on past towards the cobblestone streets of <a href="https://lifewithbugo.com/travel-guide-to-bellagio-lake-como/">Bellagio</a>.

As a company of avid travellers (after all, we're JFC members too!), it was hardly surprising that most of us took the opportunity to extend our trip a little when it all came to an end on Thursday. When (almost) in Rome, as they say&hellip;&nbsp;
For those of us living in and around Europe, it was a great chance to add on a little weekend break in the city or on the slopes. But for my colleagues from the US, Canada, South Africa, and the Caribbean, it was an epic adventure that definitely called for even more!&nbsp;
I hopped on a flight to Paris with Andrea from Antigua for a whirlwind tour around the sights she'd only ever seen on the big screen before. Meanwhile, Jo, Allan, and Jake headed south for history buffing in Rome and Naples, Marshall set sail for the Greek islands, and Kat headed north for an Amsterdam city break. Phew!
All that to say, readers, that we're just like you. We love to travel, experience new places and cultures, make the most of every trip, and hopefully give you inspiration to do the same. If we've put you in the mood for a bit of northern Italy now, keep scrolling to read some of Flight Finder Fran's top recommendations for things to do near Milan.
Happy travels and safe landings,

A Journey Through St. Croix's Most Historic Distillery

San Diego native Olivia left home two years ago to live on the road, but she always ends up back on the West Coast. When she's not hiking through the desert or the woods, she can usually be found exploring her current city and scoping out the best bars and coffee shops.

Written by Olivia

The island of St. Croix is dotted with conical, flat-topped stone structures. If you don&rsquo;t catch them as they fly past your car window, you&rsquo;ll definitely notice them in the gift shops, where they grace everything from postcards to oven mitts.
One of the most notable of these structures is located at the Cruzan Rum Distillery. That&rsquo;s your biggest hint, if you haven&rsquo;t yet figured out what they are.

They&rsquo;re sugar mills! While these old stone giants are no longer used, they&rsquo;re a visible record of St. Croix&rsquo;s long history in rum production. There are a few operating distilleries left on the islands, including Captain Morgan&rsquo;s (whose reviews were not inspiring) and the historic Cruzan Distillery, (established 1760, 4.7 stars on Google). We knew we wanted to visit one of them, and it wasn&rsquo;t a hard decision.
So today, I&rsquo;m taking you along for a tour! We frequently recommend the Cruzan Rum tour in our deals to St. Croix due to good word-of-mouth, so I was excited to finally see it for myself and make sure it lived up to our hype.
Booking
The tour was $25 USD per person and booked on <a href="https://www.cruzanrum.com/tours-and-experiences#id=cruzan-general-admission-tour">the brand site</a>. I immediately clocked this price as crazy cheap &mdash; drinks on the islands were around $10-$15, and this came with two cocktails and four samples at the distillery bar. The tour didn&rsquo;t even need to be anything special for this to be a great deal.
And while the drinking age in the USVI is 18 (lower than Americans are used to), younger kids can still take the tour,&nbsp;sans all that free booze.
We booked for 1pm on a weekday, which turned out to be the perfect time. The three of us were the only people on our tour.&nbsp;
The Tour
Our guide was Janae, and she was fantastic. It was clear very quickly that our $25 ticket would have been a bargain even without the free booze. My brother is quite the nerd about alcohol, and she easily answered every one of his questions, most of which I didn&rsquo;t even understand.

Highlights included a stop at the aforementioned old stone mill (lined by the flags of every country that has ever governed St. Croix, pictured above), several gigantic vats of fermenting goop, and a pipe spewing molasses into a tank.
We were allowed to taste this molasses. Before I bothered to think, I blurted out, &ldquo;That tastes like molasses!&rdquo;&nbsp;

Janae informed me that on every single tour, someone says the same thing, and she will never understand why.&nbsp;
Towards the end of our journey, we encountered the barrel-maker. Yes, that is &ldquo;maker&rdquo; singular, and yes, it&rsquo;s a person and not a machine.
Turns out, every barrel from Cruzan is handmade by one artisan. Apparently, he&rsquo;s the only one that can do it just right. We found him sitting in a chair, surrounded by several pieces of wood, and lost in focus. Janae tells us they&rsquo;re hoping to find an apprentice for him, so&hellip; if you&rsquo;re good with your hands and want to live on a beautiful Caribbean island, continuing a centuries-old tradition surrounded by rum, maybe give them a call.&nbsp;
Cruzan rum is bottled on the mainland, so our last stop is the delivery trucks. They&rsquo;re labeled as &ldquo;ethanol&rdquo; with no branding whatsoever, which we&rsquo;re told is for anti-theft reasons. A giant tank labeled &ldquo;FRESH CARIBBEAN RUM&rdquo; would simply be too tempting.

The Taste Tests
Janae was also our bartender for the afternoon, so we headed to the bar. It was wide-open, almost outdoor, with a breeze blowing through. There were three of us, which meant we could try six cocktails and 12 samples in total, so we started planning.&nbsp;
Well, the guys started planning. I mostly sipped on rum punch and enjoyed the ambience.

While we drank, we chatted with Janae about life on the island. By this time, it was after 3pm, and the place was definitely starting to fill up. We left her a good tip, hit the gift shop, and then retreated to the lawn to vibe (and sober up from all those samples).
The gift shop had the usual t-shirt and shot glass wares, along with every single kind of rum we&rsquo;d tried. Some flavors are extremely rare or unavailable outside the area, but there&rsquo;s good news &mdash; flights from the islands back to the mainland have looser restrictions on alcohol, provided your booze came from the USVI. So there&rsquo;s really nothing stopping you from stocking up :-)
Between the informative tour, the historic setting, our lovely guide, and drinks enjoyed at a breezy, palm-lined patio bar, we couldn&rsquo;t have been more pleased. There&rsquo;s a reason every guide to St. Croix name-drops this spot, and I can happily add myself to its list of fans.

Flight Finder Fran's Guide to Spots Near Milan

Inspired by our trip to northern Italy, now seems like the perfect time to roll out native Milanese Fran's tips on <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/why-you-should-take-that-cheap-flight-to-milan-even-if-youve-already-visited">what to do when you see those cheap flights to Milan</a>&hellip;

Written by Fran

<h3>Franciacorta</h3>
Some people like to call it the &lsquo;<a class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways css-1broqmw" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmzAG2P1IcE&amp;ab_channel=PaoloAbeni">Tuscany of the North</a>&rsquo; because of the endless vineyards in the region.
Basically, if you&rsquo;re coming to Franciacorta, you&rsquo;re coming for wine. Just take a look at this&nbsp;<a class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways css-1broqmw" href="https://franciacorta.wine/en/wineries/">map</a>&nbsp;that demonstrates the sheer number of wineries in such a tiny area. The sparkling wines are the worldwide speciality, and they&rsquo;re specifically made with only with three types of grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero.
What&rsquo;s so special about Franciacorta is that its wines are still mostly made in family wineries run by craftsmen, meaning wine tastings are very intimate and unique. You can expect plenty of family owned&nbsp;agriturismi&nbsp;(farm stays) offering activities such as horseback riding and mountain biking. One of my favourite is&nbsp;<a class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways css-1broqmw" href="https://www.solive.it/en/">Cascina Solive</a>, which is immersed in vineyards and olive trees, without the inflated prices of other touristy areas :-)

Best time to be here:&nbsp;Every year, the&nbsp;Franciacorta in Cantina&nbsp;festival celebrates the best wineries and local delicacies. It's usually sometime in mid-September (16th-17th in 2023) but keep an eye&nbsp;<a class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways css-1broqmw" href="https://www.festivalfranciacorta.wine/">on their website</a>&nbsp;for up-to-date information.
How to get there:&nbsp;Just like in Tuscany, you&rsquo;ll get the most out of Franciacorta if you can drive around the fields and vineyards in a car. You can easily rent one at Orio al Serio Airport, and it will take you only 30 minutes to drive to Borgonato/Torbiato, where I recommend you base yourself.&nbsp;
<h3 class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-h3 css-d91h7b">Camonica Valley / Adamello</h3>
More into endless valleys and forests? You just gotta go a bit further north.
The little sisters of the Dolomites are just above Lake Iseo, and have tonnes of&nbsp;<a class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways css-1broqmw" href="http://www.reidsitaly.com/planning/lodging/mountain_huts.html">rifugi&nbsp;and&nbsp;bivacchi&nbsp;</a>ready to host you during your hiking adventure. If you&rsquo;re more of a day-tripper, base yourself in the villages of&nbsp;<a class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways css-1broqmw" href="https://www.boundlessroads.com/ponte-di-legno-vacation-alps/">Ponte di Legno</a>&nbsp;or Edolo, where plenty of hiking trails start.
During the winter, adrenaline junkies can hit the slopes at&nbsp;<a class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways css-1broqmw" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@harezaayy/video/7205264067752103174?lang=en">Passo del Tonale&rsquo;s</a>&nbsp;ski area. But if you don&rsquo;t feel like getting those pesky skis on, you can always relax at the very fancy&nbsp;<a class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways css-1broqmw" href="https://www.latanadellorsopontedilegno.it/en/">La Tana dell'Orso</a>.

FYI, Valcamonica was the first Italian site on the UNESCO World Heritage List thanks to the&nbsp;<a class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways css-1broqmw" href="https://www.italia.it/en/lombardy/things-to-do/valcamonica-the-rock-art#:~:text=Generic%20error-,Why%20Valcamonica%20is%20a%20UNESCO%20site,as%20Seradina%2DBedolina%20and%20Sonico.">gigantic collection of petroglyphs</a>&nbsp;(the largest in the world!) held within its valleys. If you want to see a small chunk of them, make a stop at the&nbsp;<a class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways css-1broqmw" href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Parco+nazionale+delle+incisioni+rupestri+di+Naquane/@46.0168421,10.3006253,12z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x4783ca3f9c7004a3:0x735580ac994d711e!8m2!3d46.0283408!4d10.3507878!16s%2Fg%2F122qy7nt?entry=ttu">National Park in Naquane</a>.
How to get there:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">By train: From Bergamo station, get the train to Brescia. From there, you can hop on the teeny tiny&nbsp;<a class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways css-1broqmw" href="https://www.trenord.it/en/">Trenord&nbsp;trains</a>&nbsp;all the way to Edolo. To reach Ponte di Legno, you can hop on one of the local buses from Edolo.</li>
<li aria-level="1">2hr by car from Bergamo Airport.</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-h3 css-d91h7b">Trenino Rosso del Bernina</h3>
You may have already seen videos of this ridiculously scenic train route. A dream of many, the Red Bernina Train is considered the&nbsp;<a class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways css-1broqmw" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CIKylDWAoZs/?hl=en">prettiest ride</a>&nbsp;across the mountains, going from the Italian Alps all the way to Saint Moritz, in Switzerland.&nbsp;
Included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the train leaves from the town of Tirano, close to the border with Switzerland, and reaches the fancy town of Saint-Moritz in 2hr 5-min. Through the large train windows, you can admire valleys, lakes, and even &lsquo;touch the sky&rsquo; at 2,253 m (the highest point reached by a train line in Europe!).

Depending on the ticket you select, you can get back into Tirano the same day or stay in Saint Moritz overnight. You can also extend your stay and head to the town of Lugano with the&nbsp;<a class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways css-1broqmw" href="https://www.interrail.eu/en/magazine/did-you-know/bernina-express-everything-you-need-to-know#:~:text=The%20Bernina%20Express%20is%20one,a%20UNESCO%20World%20Heritage%20Site.">Bernina Express Bus</a>&nbsp;(the bus travels along the shores of Lake Como!), the possibilities are endless :-)
Note:&nbsp;For the best views on the train, sit on the left side of the train going south to north, and the right side in the opposite direction.
How to get there:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">By train: Getting to Tirano from both Bergamo and Milano Centrale is pretty easy. From Bergamo, catch the train to Lecco, and from there hop on the connection to Tirano. From Malpensa, get the train to Milano Centrale and change for the train to Tirano.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Tirano is a 2hr 5-min drive from Malpensa Airport.</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/why-you-should-take-that-cheap-flight-to-milan-even-if-youve-already-visited">Keep reading...</a> 
Do you have a topic or destination you'd like to see in The Detour? Ask us here 👇

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across web this week.
<ul>
<li class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 css-xhcohm css-xhcohm">As St. Patrick's Day revellers painted the town green on Monday, here's how and why&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rd.com/article/chicago-river-green/">Chicago's river</a> follows suit. </li>
<li class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 css-xhcohm css-xhcohm">London's Heathrow Airport was fully closed on Friday, with most in- and outbound flights cancelled or diverted. While the airport has now reopened, we should <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/heathrow-airport-flights-departures-fire-london-today-latest-news-b2719767.html">expect disruption</a> to continue for days to come. </li>
<li class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 css-xhcohm css-xhcohm">Swap Spain's touristy hotspots for one of these <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2025/03/21/5-lesser-known-spain-destinations-tourists-hardly-ever-visit-22769610/">five delightfully under-visited cities</a>. </li>
<li class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 css-xhcohm css-xhcohm">And finally, we're taking a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2025/mar/07/stopped-in-their-tracks-secret-life-congo-rainforest-nouabale-ndoki-national-park-wcs-photographer-will-burrard-lucas">look inside the rainforests of Congo</a>! It's the second-largest tropical forest area in the world, and home to endangered African forest elephants, the elusive palm civet, fanged deer, giant pangolins, and more.</li>
</ul>

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