Category Archives: Trip Reports

a close up of stamps

Copenhagen to Stockholm: How Would You Get There?

Cousins ask me the darnedest questions. And they seem to think I’ve been everywhere. One recent question stumped me, so I did some research, but I’m still not sure which option to suggest. The question was how to go from Copenhagen, Denmark to Stockholm, Sweden. My research reminded me of one of the funniest movies ever Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, and in this case, there’s even a bus option.

Turns out getting from Copenhagen to Stockholm is pretty easy, so let’s take a look at the options I discovered. It’s not a trip I’ve done, so I’m curious what you’d all suggest. Seems like each option comes with its pros and cons.

Planes: Copenhagen to Stockholm by Air

There are daily direct flights from Copenhagen to Stockholm. The flight is about 75 minutes. Depending on the time of year, flights can be inexpensive. This option is fast, but you’d have to also add in the cost of getting to and from the airports and also add in some time for the usual airport transit experience.

a map of the united states

Great Circle Mapper: http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=CPH-ARN

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a heart made of coffee beans

Bean Around the World: A Great Coffee & Bakery Combo

My favorite combo is when a great coffee space is coupled with a great bakery. Even if those two are across the street from each other. Or even next door. I discovered a great combo in Boston that I want you to know about.  The last time I was in Boston, I checked out and reviewed one-off coffee shops. On a recent trip, I decided to enjoy my tried-and-true favorite coffee chain, Peets Coffee. Peets doesn’t have a big presence in Massachusetts, but there is one in Cambridge and two in Boston proper. The Cambridge Peets is in Harvard Square. The interior has plenty of seating and I enjoy the outdoor space in the garden. Any Peets with a relaxing outdoor space scores extra points in my book.

a building with a few people walking on the sidewalk

Harvard Square Peets Coffee. Image source: https://harvardsquare.blogspot.com/2011/10/peets-coffee-and-tea.html

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a map of europe with black text

How do you Handle Rude Taxi Drivers?

Time for a reality check! And when I need one, who better to check with than TWG readers? Here’s the backstory. I have a taxi service I use to go to the airport. I’ve been using the same one for a few years now because they give me a great flat rate fee, and up until recently, I haven’t had an issue with them. The company always sends different drivers and it’s always worked well. Drivers are always on time and the cars are generally in good enough shape.

a cartoon of a man driving a yellow taxi

Image source: http://www.universaltaxidispatch.com/blog/2015/01/dealing-with-rude-cabbie-drivers/

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a blue sky with clouds and words

What’s Your Funniest Travel Story? Here’s Mine!

Happy Saturday, everyone! It’s the weekend, so let’s relax and have some laughs. I was thinking about how there are certain experiences we’ve all had that no matter how many times we conjure them up in our memories, they ALWAYS make us laugh. And since we all travel a lot, I wondered if any of your “always make me laugh out loud” experiences are travel-related. I have one that’s travel-related to share with you!

A few years ago, I was staying in an Embassy Suites. I was working while I stayed there, so I preferred to have housekeeping as little as possible. After a few days, it seemed to me that my room needed to be vacuumed. I looked in the hall and didn’t see a housekeeper. I did see a vacuum, though. I thought, why bother the housekeeper when it would only take me a few minutes to vacuum. Turns out the vacuum was broken and barely worked.

a vacuum cleaner on a carpeted hallway

This is not the vacuum I found and this is not the hotel I stayed at. Image source: https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g255069-d257801-i231589895-Pullman_Cairns_International-Cairns_Cairns_Region_Queensland.html

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a close up of a white and blue object

Riding the Rails of China’s High Speed Train Network

During our trip to China over the winter holidays, we took three trips on Chinese high-speed trains:

  • Shanghai to Hangzhou – 99 miles, 52 minutes
  • Chengdu to Leshan – 62 miles, 1 hour
  • Chengdu to Xi’an – 528 miles, 4 hours, 15 minutes

I was really impressed with our experiences. The trains were clean, modern, reasonably comfortable, very punctual, and extremely reasonably priced – the shorter trips cost $8-12 USD per person, and the longer one was $62 USD in first class – much cheaper than flying.

Photo of a panda in an outdoor enclosure.

Taking the train is a great way to visit the pandas in Chengdu.

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