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If you’re the kind of traveller who likes to find the less well-known spots on your journey, then a recent guest post on member blog The Spain Scoop will be right up your alley, as it talks about 5 Top Reasons to Visit La Rioja, one of the least visited regions of Spain.

Vineyard views in La Rioja by thirstforwine

La Rioja is a small autonomous community in the north of Spain (between places like Bilboa and Sarragossa). It is most famous for its wine as many excellent red wines come out of La Rioja, so visiting the local wineries is a very popular way to spend time in the region. The food in La Rioja is just as good, with their own particular version of tapas which they call pinchos – these are similar to kinds of tapas you may already know but are served on bread and held together with a toothpick. And on top of all that, the landscape through Lar Rioja is beautiful.

We have some great posts on Spain to give you more travel ideas including one on Asturias if you are planning to stick to northern Spain.

Visiting Venice is the culmination of many people’s travel dreams and when you go, it’s great to have some inside tips like these ones from member Europe Up Close’s post on Where to eat and drink in Venice. There is an abundance of touristy (and not too great) restaurants and pubs in Venice but you’ll do much better to find somewhere a bit more off the beaten track (and preferably filled with locals).

The tips include an intimate, atmosphere restaurant named La Zucca, a larger restaurant with communal tables full of locals, Paradiso Perduto. You can also read about some of the great local nightlife (not so non-existent as many people will have you believe), including the Orange bar complete with a roof-top dance party.

Gelato in Venice by plusgood

The most important tip (in my opinion!) is for the best gelato in Venice. Apparently this comes from Nico in the Dorsoduro neighbourhood, now top on my list for my next Venice visit! If you’re planning your own Venice visit, check our post on Venice on the cheap and our interesting post on seductive Venice.

I’m always keen to learn about the many and varying cuisines of Europe and to go beyond the internationally-known, typical foods and find out what the locals really eat – and member Wandering Italy has provided just this kind of information with a recent post on Winter Food.

For example, puntarella (pictured below) is a kind of chicory that sprouts in cold weather and making this into a winter salad with anchovies is a popular dish in Rome.

Puntarella salad by rfarmer

The post goes on to describe another tasty-sounding dish, bollito misto, a dish full of meat and vegetables in a special broth (and apparently the key is all in the timing of what goes in when – I’ll leave it up to the Italians I think!). Certainly a trip to Italy is, for many people, all about the food, so this post gives some handy insider tips! We also have some tips on where to eat in Rome to help satisfy your Italian food cravings.

Member Lady in London recently spent a weekend in Belfast being guided around some particularly interesting sights, especially for those interested in the Titanic. With the much-anticipated Titanic Belfast museum being opened by April this year, her post on a Titanic Tour of Belfast offers many reasons to visit the city.

Titanic Belfast by RandyStorey

Something I wasn’t aware of is that as well as the coming museum there are numerous Titanic-related sites in Belfast, such as the building where the Harland & Wolff firm designed the ship (now abandoned), the Titanic’s very own dry dock and the permanent Titanica exhibition at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum, which includes over 500 artefacts rescued from the ship.

We’ve already featured numerous other posts on great things to do in Ireland so have a look through if you’re planning a trip to Belfast to take in the new Titanic museum and want some ideas on what else you can combine with your city visit.

The gorgeous Croatian city of Dubrovnik has featured again in a blog post from member Europe Up Close, this time with a piece on Where to eat in Dubrovnik. I don’t remember having any spectacular meals when I visited Dubrovnik and apparently there’s a good reason for that – it’s not a city with a great reputation for meals and especially on the main tourist beat there are a bunch of sub-par restaurants vying for the tourist dollar.

Harbour at Dubrovnik by ser_is snarkish

However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t eat a beautiful meal in Dubrovnik, and this post has some great tips for restaurants where you can eat well (although not necessarily cheaply). Of course, the focus in Dubrovnik is on seafood and there are a number of restaurants listed with good seafood. The key to all of them is that they are either quite removed from the Old Town or on the outskirts – let that be your guide and you’ll already be on the way to a better meal.

While you’re in Dubrovnik, don’t forget to try the new cable car (I’m dying to get back there to see the views from up there!).

Member blog 3 Days in London recently posted about 10 reasons to visit Twickenham, a village in the south-west of London, and for someone like me who hasn’t been there, this makes a pretty compelling list!

From the description of the main road of Church Street (including an enticing mention of eateries and pubs) through to the historic York House and its amazing collection of statues, and then on with a mention of Marble Hill House and Marble Hill Park and a stroll along the Thames to Richmond, there seems to be plenty to keep you occupied in Twickenham for a day and it must also be a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of central London.

Pretty Twickenham by Maxwell Hamilton

If you still need convincing then check their list of famous people linked to Twickenham – I was sold by the mentions of Charles Dickens and Henry Fielding myself.

We also have plenty of tips for other off-the-beaten-path visits to London including some secret gardens and information on traditional foods to look out for.

Member 501 Places published a great round up of attractions in Budapest recently in their 10 Highlights of Budapest post. They suggest that you could easily spend a week in Budapest and stay very busy, especially if you are interested in museums and galleries, but at a minimum a 48-hour trip could include some of their top ten highlights.

Memento Park by jaime.silva

Among these highlights are the famous Széchenyi Baths and the Buda Castle, including the National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum which you’ll find inside. Memento Park also rates a mention as a fascinating place to see all the old communist statues (even if the locals think it’s strange that we want to see it!). The Cave Church (not far from Hotel Gellert and the Gellert Baths) is another particularly interesting stop, as is the Citadel, “on the top” of Budapest and worth it for the views.

Budapest is still a reasonably budget-priced destination if  you look around for good deals and its long list of attractions make it a great place for a city break.

Spain’s “second city” of Barcelona is one of my favourite places and a recent post by member Eurocheapo gives some great tips on hotels with amazing locations in this exciting city.

The suggestions are all on the budget side, going as low as €20 double rooms in the Hostal Galeria Marda, which came in at the top of the suggestion list. Others include  the Hotel del Mar on the beach if you are planning a summertime trip to Barcelona and the Hotel Astoria if you are looking for a different perspective on Barcelona, away from the main tourist route. All five hotels have detailed reviews and are in quiet side street locations close to the most important sites of Barcelona and most come with the best and nearest tapas bars recommended!

Tapas in Barcelona by protocol7

If you’re planning a trip to Barcelona our posts on more great tapas bars and things to see beyond the tourist attractions of Barcelona might give you some more inspiration.

With New Year’s Eve fast approaching, it seems fitting that we highlight this post from member Travel with Julie on New Year’s Traditions across Europe. She has written a nice wrap-up of the various habits and customs that different nationalities across Europe bring out of the woodwork for the 31st December every year.

New Year in Berlin by ya po guille

Some of the more interesting traditions that Julie mentions include eating a doughnut or any similar round-shaped food in the Netherlands or in Norway, as this is considered to bring you good luck in the New Year. This seems to me a lot more fun than the tradition in Denmark where apparently good friends smash plates on each other’s doorsteps to show their continuing loyalty (who wants to clean all that up while suffering from a New Year’s Day hangover?!).

My own European New Year’s Eves were mostly spent in Germany where everyone turns the TV on to watch the old “Dinner for One” skit. What about you – what will you be doing on New Year’s Eve?

I’m a big fan of Croatia but have only visited in summer. Recently member Secret Dalmatia wrote a great post about Winter hiking in Dalmatia which could persuade me to visit in the off-season, too. It’s not exactly swimming weather but on a sunny winter day, Croatia is still remarkably scenic and this blog post explores various archaeological ruins in Dalmatia which are accessible to anyone (although some might be tricky to find if you don’t have a local with you).

The first ruin mentioned is near Biograd, at Bosana Beach, where there is a very large Roman estate that has never been excavated, although many parts of the ruins are visible. The “lost village” of Vitalići, close to Tinj, also makes for a great walking location, with abandoned houses to explore. Finally, the Vrcevo Hill near Sikovo is mentioned, a great area for an interesting walk with fortresses which have been used through many eras of the areas history.

The Dalmatian coast by dizznan

Check our best of Dalmatia post for some ideas on exploring this beautiful part of Croatia.