Thoughts Archives - Planet Whitley

What happens when an airline breaks your suitcase

I got off the plane to discover my suitcase was damaged. What happened next was… weird. RIP suitcase Last Tuesday I arrived back at Birmingham Airport after a trip to Marrakesh with the family. Awaiting me was a sorry imitation of my suitcase. The logo…

air travel, consumer, luggage

Türkiye vs Turkey: When do you start using a country’s new name?

Türkiye vs Turkey A couple of weeks ago, I watched an episode of the Apprentice. The two teams were selling team-building days in Cappadocia and Bodrum. The Turkish authorities – probably the tourist board – had obviously spent a considerable amount of money to make…

language

Why Rome is a brilliant city for solo travellers

Attraction-heavy Rome is an ideal destination for self-indulgent travel without the family. The treat of alone time You only start to realise how great travelling on your own can be when you rarely get to do it any more. It’s a similar vibe to when…

Italy, Rome, solo travel

Why leaf-peeping is not just for old people

Driving through New England, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, the joy of autumn colours reveals itself. What is leaf-peeping? Up until I actually tried it, I’d treated the concept of “leaf-peeping” with utter contempt. For the uninitiated, the general concept works as follows: You drive…

Boston, driving, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, USA

Some random observations about driving in the US

Americans drive differently, you know. The following random thoughts were ones that sprung to mind as I drove from Boston to Chicago. They’re not entirely based on this trip – a lot of these things I’ve noticed on other big US drives as well. Not…

driving, USA

Revisiting Chicago – and why the third visit to a city is often the best

A third visit to Chicago provides a valuable lesson to apply to the rest of the world. First time vs second time in Chicago The first time I visited Chicago, I was thoroughly bowled over. The skyline got me giddily excited, the vibe seemed right…

Chicago, Illinois, USA

The old customs hut on the France-Switzerland border.

The day I decided to walk to France

There is an irresistible lure in crossing a border, purely because you can… Being entertained by maps From fairly early in my career as an annoying child, my parents realised the way to stop me screaming to go into every Little Chef we drove past…

borders, France, Switzerland

Montreal is Canada’s best city: Here’s why…

David Whitley compares his experiences in Canada’s big three metropoles. A free gig in Montreal Sidling down past cafés and restaurants that have abandoned their usual premises to sell their wares from temporary grills on the street, I find myself following the noise to a…

Canada, Montreal, Quebec

Kayaks lined up by the Muri Lagoon, Rarotonga.

Muri, Rarotonga: The perfect holiday town?

On Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, David Whitley discovers that a decade can make a substantial difference. How Muri has changed Muri doesn’t quite look or feel like it did. The key lure is still the same – the most photogenic stretch of Rarotonga’s lagoon,…

Cook Islands, Pacific Islands, Rarotonga

Why booking a family holiday is horrible – and how to improve it

The problem with booking a family holiday Last night, I booked a holiday. I remember a time when this used to be relatively simple – find the cheapest flight, pick out a decently-located, affordable hotel. But finding somewhere to stay as a solo traveller, or…

accommodation, family travel, hotels