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Travel Etiquette: Golden rules to follow when you travel abroad
Exploring a new destination and immersing yourself in the culture of its citizens is an immensely rewarding experience. But it can be even more rewarding if we, as travelers, take care to observe the customs and travel etiquette of the places we visit. In some countries it’s okay to slurp your soup, whistle for a…
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13 Glorious Reasons why a Winter Holiday to Europe is the best idea ever!
Autumn and Winter are on the horizon in the Northern Hemisphere. In most popular areas in Europe, the summer crowds will start to leave for home, and the locals will be getting ready for the winter cold. September to November brings a travel season known as ‘Shoulder Season’. It’s a combination of peak season and…
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10 Reasons You’ll Love Lithuania!
The Baltic country of Lithuania is a popular stop on our Northern Explorer tours. And for good reason! This Northern Europe vacation destination has it all: history, scenery, a buzzing capital, beaches and real charm. Where is Lithuania, you wonder? It is in Northern Europe, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east…
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Travel Story: I travel because every experience, destination and person I meet changes me
Meet Martha Merrill, from New Hampshire, USA, who has with a severe case of GTD (Gotta Travel Disease). Martha booked her first tour with Expat Explore in 2015. Since then she has joined us for five more, and already has two 2018 tours booked! We chatted to Martha about her travels and why she’s so…
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A Guide to our favourite London Markets
It’s almost impossible to explore a city like London to its full extent, even if you live there for a year (or more!). One of the questions we are often asked is how visitors can get the most out of their time in big world cities without spending too much, and we normally tell them…
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How the North of Europe works: Scandinavia & the Nordic countries
Scandinavia VS Nordic countries – what is what & which is where? Is Scandinavia a country? Is Sweden a Nordic country? Are the Finnish considered to be Scandinavians? The map, regions and languages up north can get pretty confusing if you’re a first-time visitor, so we thought we’d clear things up! Scandinavia is a region in Northern…
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7 Coach travel myths you shouldn’t believe
1. You’re stuck with the group Sure, when we’re travelling from one destination to the next you’ll be in close confines with your travel group, but once we arrive you are free to go, do and see whatever you please. We might also mention that most groups we’ve accompanied grew to like each other so…
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A travel highlight in France: Discover the history of French perfume
The Grasse region in France has long been the capital of perfume in Europe. The special microclimate in the region has encouraged growing of aromatic plants that would fuel the local perfume industry since the 18th century. The Fragonard Musée du Parfum is a French artisanal perfume maker originally started in Grasse, France, 1926. With factories in…
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The Vatican State: A country in the heart of Rome
Even though it’s the smallest country in the world (covering just over 100 acres), the Vatican City is one of the world’s most important religious sites, governed as an absolute monarchy with the pope at its head. Over 5 million people visit the Sistine Chapel inside the Vatican each year. Nestled in the heart of…
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Historic Landmarks: The Leaning Tower of Pisa
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is arguably one of Europe’s most recognisable landmarks – no visit to Italy would be complete without a cheesy photograph of you and your fellow travellers playing with perspective while ‘holding up’ the tower. But what’s the deal with the lean and what was the tower originally intended for? Read…