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Perched above Bergen, Norway. Photo by Rick Steves

As we’ve had to postpone our travels because of the pandemic, I believe an occasional dose of travel dreaming can be good medicine. Here’s one of my favorite European memories from the land of my forefathers, Norway — a reminder of the fun that awaits us at the other end of this crisis.

I’ll never forget my first trip to Europe. I was a gangly 14-year-old, dragged to the old country by a conspiracy of grandparents and...

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It is with a note of sadness that I announce that this month’s collection of readers’ On-the-Road Travel Tips — things that enhance the travel experience while actually traveling — will be the last in the series. It feels rather like parting ways with an old friend who served as a loyal companion through the tough, travel-restricted times we have endured during the pandemic.

The tips have helped keep our dreams of, and plans for, post-pandemic international...

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Lhasa, capital of Tibet, means “place of the gods.”

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In the Netherlands, pot users go to coffeeshops — not jail. Photo by Rick Steves

As we’ve had to postpone our travels because of the pandemic, I believe a weekly dose of travel dreaming can be good medicine. Here’s one of my favorite European memories from the Netherlands — a reminder of the rich experiences that await us at the other end of this crisis.

Wandering around Amsterdam, every few blocks you pass a window full of plants displaying a red, yellow, and green Rastafarian flag — both indications that the coffeeshop doesn’t sell...

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Village pubs provide fuel (and memories) for hikers. Photo by Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli

As we’ve had to postpone our travels because of the pandemic, I believe a weekly dose of travel dreaming can be good medicine. Here’s one of my favorite European memories from small-town England — a reminder of the fun that awaits us at the other end of this crisis.

The Cotswolds are crisscrossed with hedgerows, strewn with storybook villages, and sprinkled with sheep. Everything about them — the meadows, thatched roofs, churches, pubs, B&Bs, and even the...

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Kraków’s Main Market Square, with St. Mary’s Church. Photo by Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli

As we’ve had to postpone our travels because of the pandemic, I believe a weekly dose of travel dreaming can be good medicine. Here’s one of my favorite European memories from Poland — a reminder of the fun that awaits us at the other end of this crisis.

My first impression of Kraków is that it feels like it must have been really important a long time ago. In fact, it was Poland’s capital from the 11th through the 16th centuries. Within its medieval walls, I...

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Escargot — a hit with the French. Photo by Rick Steves

As we’ve had to postpone our travels because of the pandemic, I believe a weekly dose of travel dreaming can be good medicine. Here’s one of my favorite European memories from France — a reminder of the fun that awaits us at the other end of this crisis.

Walking through France’s finest vineyards in the fabled Côte d’Or (“Gold Coast”) of Burgundy, the proud vintner guiding me becomes evangelical.

Pointing to the ground, she says, “...

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Street scene in Oranjestad, Aruba

Dear Globetrotter:

Welcome to the 542nd issue of your monthly worldwide travel magazine. Focused on travel outside of the US, the articles and letters inside are mostly written by our subscribers, who share their experiences, travel tips and reflections. (Don’t overlook the ads. though; they’re keeping travel going.) The other component to our content is news, such as the following.

With the return of international travel on...

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