Thoughts Archives - Planet Whitley

Three games to play on road trips

Chances are, if you’re old enough to be going on a big road trip across Australia, South Africa or the United States, you’re probably a bit old for I Spy. But there will come an inevitable point on big journeys where you need to create…

driving

Why American radio is the secret highlight of a US road trip

American radio stations provide endless entertainment on a road trip in the USA. From soft rock and country music to Spanish tunes and Christian broadcasts, the radio becomes an experience as memorable as the scenery. Radio as the soundtrack to a US road trip For…

driving, music, USA

The Eden Project, near St Austell, Cornwall.

The attraction price problem that will kill British family holidays

Letting people visit as many times as they like for the cost of one admission has become a burden, rather than a bonus. A budget British holiday I spent the last two weeks of the school holidays driving around England with my family. We were…

England, family travel, museums, UK

The Deutsche Arbeitsschutzausstellung in Dortmund, Germany.

The joy of absurdly niche museums

From Britain's Lawnmower Museum to Vienna's collection of terrible globes, niche museums have a bizarre appeal. These delightfully obscure attractions celebrate the most unexpected subjects - and they're worth seeking out on your travels. The relationship test at Britain's Lawnmower Museum In every lasting relationship,…

Dortmund, England, museums, North-West England, UK, Vienna

Purple pitcher plants at the Eden Project in Cornwall.

The joy of learning from your children while travelling

Family travel brings unexpected joy: watch your children connect their classroom knowledge with the real world, like finding purple pitcher plants at the Eden Project. The Sarracenia purpurea may not be a plant you are familiar with. It is certainly one I didn’t know about…

Cornwall, England, family travel, gardens, South-West England, UK

The Tower of London from the River Thames.

Is the £35.80 Tower of London ticket price worth the money?

The Tower of London entrance fee includes the Crown Jewels, Beefeater tours, the White Tower and the Bloody Tour. Nine centuries of history makes the ticket price worth it. How much is the Tower of London entrance fee? The first thing most travellers will think…

England, London, palaces, UK

Why you shouldn’t trust ChatGPT for travel information – yet

A ChatGPT-researched guide provides too much wrong information to be trusted. The unforgivable sin? A lot of travel writers are going to hate me for this. Indeed, I kinda hate me for this, but I did it anyway. I got ChatGPT to write a travel…

AI, ChatGPT, Norway, Oslo, travel planning, travel writing

Which five countries have you spent most time in?

Try to work out which five countries you’ve spent most time in. It may be trickier than you think… A surprisingly difficult question The other day, I was posed what I thought was an easy question: “Which five countries have you spent the most time…

Australia, New Zealand, Spain, UK, USA

A selection of Chicago's architecture from the Chicago River.

Ten reasons why Chicago is the best city in the US

David Whitley rates Chicago as his favourite city in the US – and here are ten reasons why. Over my twenty-plus year career as a travel journalist, I’ve visited dozens of US cities. Many of them more than once. I thoroughly enjoy most of them,…

Chicago, Illinois, USA

When having bad handwriting is useful

Hotels asking for email addresses It’s increasingly common when checking in to a hotel to be asked for your email address. “If you can just fill in your name, address and email address,” the receptionist will ask after you arrive at the desk. Up until…

hotels