The Philippines in 1996-1997, China in 2000, Vietnam in 2009, Japan in 2013 and 2025, South Korea in 2014 and 2024, Taiwan in 2017 (the starting point of Trip By Trip), Singapore in 2018, Hong Kong and Macau in 2023. I like travelling to East Asia. Yet I never visited Thailand, for many westerners the…
Tag: Amsterdam
10 underrated cities in Europe to visit in 2026-2027
Italy’s Urban Mood Magazine has highlighted ten European cities it believes travellers should visit in 2026, before they become firmly established on the mainstream tourist circuit.
European Sleeper plans Brussels – Antwerp – Malmö night train for 2028
European Sleeper is exploring a new night train linking Brussels in Belgium with Malmö in Sweden via the Netherlands, and Copenhagen in Denmark, in cooperation with German rail operator RDC Deutschland. The service could start in April 2028, creating a direct overnight connection between the Benelux and Scandinavia for the first time in more than…
Nederlandse Spoorwegen and Deutsche Bahn launch direct ICE services to Hamburg and Bremen
From 2 October 2026, NS International will launch a new direct ICE service from the Netherlands to Hamburg, bringing the popular northern German city within easy reach by rail. The service will initially run to Hamburg and will later also serve Bremen.
Virgin Trains takes major step towards London to Brussels, Paris and Amsterdam services
Virgin Trains has taken a major step towards challenging Eurostar‘s dominance of cross-Channel passenger rail services after the United Kingdom‘s rail regulator gave the green light to a track access agreement that could allow the company to launch international services in 2030.
NMBS / SNCB’s centenary train visits Schaerbeek (29–30 August), Liège (12–13 September) and Antwerp (10–11 October)
NMBS / SNCB will mark its centenary with a unique travelling exhibition bringing together almost a century of Belgian railway history in a single 300-metre-long train. Featuring historic locomotives and carriages spanning from the 1930s to the latest generation of rolling stock, the exhibition will visit Schaerbeek / Schaarbeek in Brussels, Liège-Guillemins, and Antwerp-Central Railway…
BULGARIA | Burgas to host 2027 Eurovision Song Contest on Tuesday 11 May, Thursday 13 May, and Saturday 15 May
Burgas, Bulgaria’s Black Sea city, will host the Eurovision Song Contest in May 2027, bringing the world’s biggest live music television event to the country’s coast for the first time. The 71st Eurovision Song Contest will be staged at Arena Burgas, with the three televised live shows scheduled for Tuesday 11 May, Thursday 13 May…
ANTWERP | Rhine and Danube drought brings surge in river cruise visits
Exceptionally low water levels on the Rhine and Danube are forcing river cruise operators to reroute their itineraries, turning Antwerp into an unexpected summer hotspot for river cruises.
ANTWERP PRIDE | Ype Driessen’s ‘Vanilla’ explores sex, friendship and breaking free from romantic expectations
2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over by rainbow vibes. Prides are a mix of celebration – parties – and activism and advocacy. For the 2026 edition, the organising committee focuses on fearing less and being fearless.
Switzerland breaks tourism records with nearly 44 million overnight stays in 2025
I turned 45 in June. I have this tradition – when possible – of not being in Belgium for my birthday. From Sweden in 2013 to the Châteaux of the Loire Valley in 2014, Lake Orta in 2015, Rome in 2016, London in 2018, North Carolina and Virginia in 2019, England in 2022, and Rotterdam…