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Andrew Harper would like to answer all of your travel questions. To get personalized advice, email AskHarper@AndrewHarper.com. Here are a few inquiries we’ve recently received.
At the moment, the best values are to be had away from the most popular resort regions. In Mexico, for example, colorful colonial cities like Guanajuato, Morelia, Puebla and Mérida have wonderful and quite reasonably priced hotels, in contrast to expensive coastal resorts. Europe in general is an increasingly good value as the dollar strengthens, particularly outside the most famous destinations. The French Riviera and the Amalfi Coast are pricey, but sensationally scenic places like Burgundy and Piedmont are far less so. And consider cities like Lisbon, Amsterdam and Vienna. The strong dollar also makes Canada affordable. Montréal, the Québec countryside and the coast of British Columbia are all delightful in summer and early autumn.
That is a tough question, considering how many fine ships visit Antarctica these days. Those concerned about getting seasick during the Drake Passage crossing should consider a Silversea itinerary, which includes round-trip flights to King George Island, bypassing the crossing altogether. One of the newest ships cruising the region is the Seabourn Venture (launched in 2022), a 132-suite expedition vessel from the perennially popular luxury line. The 114-suite Scenic Eclipse (launched in 2018) and Ponant’s 123-suite Le Commandant Charcot (launched in 2021) also look tempting. One of our travel advisors would be happy to go into detail about the various advantages of each vessel. Now is the moment to secure a cabin for the summer season (November–March).