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The 20 Best Places to Travel in 2018

It’s that time of year again! Every travel publication is putting out their Top List of “must see” and “trending destinations” for next year’s globetrotters. We don’t know if you’ve noticed, but when you look from list to list, it seems like the whole world has made the cut! So we decided to do the dirty work for you. We took a look at all the most popular lists, from Travel+Leisure to Pinterest (and everything in between), and aggregated and tallied up all the trending destinations to give you the true Top 20 Destinations for 2018. You can see the full list below. Then click on the links or scroll down to learn more about select destinations that we visit on some of our tours.

 

  1. Mexico
  2. Canada
  3. Portugal
  4. Australia
  5. Chile
  1. Italy
  2. Malta
  3. Morocco
  4. Spain
  5. Argentina
  1. Croatia
  2. England
  3. France
  4. Greece
  5. Scotland
  1. South Korea
  2. Thailand
  3. UAE
  4. Vietnam
  5. Ireland

 

 LISBON, PORTUGAL | Lisbon Sky ©Deensel / FlickrPortugal

The Friendly Planet Take: Watch Portuguese water dogs help fishermen bring in their nets, then dine on their fresh catch at an outdoor cafe. Explore countryside castles proudly bearing Roman and Moorish heritage. Shop by foot or funicular in the stunning and sophisticated capital of Lisbon. Algarve’s southern beaches beckon, while Porto lures the aficionado of port wine with its ancient traditions and cave cellar tours. We recently released our brand new 11 day Best of Portugal small group tour because we knew how popular the country would be in 2018. Or, you might prefer our classic Douro River Valley Cruise.

What the trendsetters are saying:

  • “Heightening Portugal’s appeal are its incredible affordability and its natural wonders: in 2016, more than 300 beaches earned the coveted Blue Flag rating and two new biosphere reserves were named. It’s no surprise everyone is talking about this small, seafaring nation.” -Lonely Planet
  • “This coastal Portuguese city has all the elements of a world-class travel destination: a striking shoreline, charming architecture and historic sites, plus a one-of-a-kind export – port wine.” -U.S. News & World Report

Read more…

5 reasons Portugal is trending with travelers

Due to its physical geography and its long history of influence from conquered and conquering societies, Portugal has developed its own unique art, architecture, food and culture that can’t be found anywhere else in Europe. From its fortified wines to its fortified cities, its melancholic music to its traditional tile work, it’s no wonder American tourism to Portugal has increased 17% over the past year. The country is trending in travel in 2017; and here are five reasons why!

1. Feasts of food & wine

Calem Port Wine ©Reflected Serendipity /Flickr

Port Wine. Perhaps Portugal’s most potent contribution to the world is its port wine, named for the city where the wine is made, Porto. In fact, a “port” cannot be called a “port” unless the grapes were grown in Portugal’s Douro Valley and the juice was stored and aged in one of Porto’s wine lodges. Locally referred to as port caves, the most tourist-friendly and accessible concentration of lodges in Porto are located along the river in the Vila Nova da Gaia part of town. Just look for the huge 50s-era signs with English names on them proclaiming the past and present British owners of some of these port-producing lodges. You can do a tasting, and if you’re lucky, even tour the “caves” carved underground where the wine is stored in wooden barrels.

Read more…

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