Travel News by RatesToGo

Before you venture off on vacation or even choose your destination, common sense dictates that you should consult the local weather authority. Many trips have ended in utter ruin because travelers, in their sheer innocence, were oblivious to monsoon season or the prevalence of sandstorms at a particular time of year.

So call ahead. Consult an Almanac. And unless you have some specific scientific or sadistic need, avoid these precipitation-prone places. With many at over an inch a day, they clearly rank as the rainiest inhabited regions in the world.

Crkvica, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Although the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina is devoid of coastline, save for a scant shore of the Adriatic, it nonetheless receives a fair amount of rain, most notably in Crkvica. The town in Bosnia, just northwest of Sarajevo, consistently receives the highest annual average precipitation in Europe. So much for London’s reputation.

Continue reading The Rainiest Places on Earth »

When we think of holes, most of us think of digging a hole to plant a flower, drilling a hole to finish a construction project, or even hitting a hole in one at the next golf outing. There are places in the world, however, that give the word “hole” a whole new meaning. These holes are so large it would be hard to believe they were real if you weren’t able to see them.

Kimberley Big Hole, South Africa

Continue reading 7 Amazing Holes in the Earth »

Our countdown of airports that represent the worst in the airline industry shifts to the former USSR. Indeed, a country in transition - flux if you will - such as Russia, since the decline of communist rule, deserves a certain level of empathy from travelers. Maybe give Putin and company a chance to catch up. No? Not in a charitable mood? Well neither are we. Your first experience in Moscow will shed some light on why that is. Read on.

Sheremetyevo International Airport, Moscow

You almost want to give airports in former communist republics a free pass. Almost. True, Soviet-era architecture - solemn square and rectangular monuments to concrete and steel - will persist on Russia’s landscape for some time as gray reminders of grim days. But the Iron Curtain fell people, so get with the program we say.

Why not start with Moscow’s airports? There were three at last count. Sheremetyevo is the first place most new visitors to Russia, let alone Moscow, see. As far as first impressions go, it ranks right up there with the German Army when it broke the Eastern Front (look it up).

Continue reading The Worst Airports in the World Part II »

Icebergs themselves are amazing natural creations. They are formed when snow falls on the already icy land on the shores of the Antarctic continent. The snow never melts and eventually there is so much it begins to pack down and form ice. That ice eventually begins sliding into the sea – thus, an iceberg is born. Most icebergs display only 10% of their total mass above water while the other 90% remains beneath the surface. It takes hundreds upon thousands of years for an iceberg to form to the sizes we usually see pictured today.

Continue reading Incredible Striped Icebergs »

In the spirit of balance and reciprocity, we felt it necessary to respond to our recent look at The Best Airports in the World. It made sense to honour the best first, given the prevalence of so many poor airports around the globe. Exceptional airports, where time between connections is transcendental, food pleasurable and shops stock more than just gum and pulp fiction paperbacks, are rare.

On the other side of the equation, bad airports are everywhere. Endless lines, incessant delays, abusive personnel, lost luggage, heinous washrooms and worse yet, inferior coffee, typify these shameful places. The big surprise? Several of the worst are in some of the most cosmopolitan, lucrative and wonderful metropolises in the world. In other words, just because you happen to live in London or Paris does not guarantee you a great airport. Ever been to Charles de Gaulle? Then you know what we mean. Continue reading The Worst Airports in the World Part I »

Continuing our look at the 21 most bizarre hotels in the world, here are 11 more to explore!

11. Green Magic Treehouses

The Green Magic Treehouses are located in India, with each house being located 90 feet up a tree. To make it even better, the trees are located in a tropical rainforest and each house still offers running water, telephones, and private baths. Continue reading 21 Most Bizarre Hotels in the World - Part II »

The Guggenheim, Louvre, Prado, Rijks and Smithsonian have one vital thread that binds them in the fraternity of museums: credibility. With reputations intact and names synonymous with art and the museum as a destination, these legendary palaces of culture receive millions of visitors a year.

One could expound at great length on what makes these museums so special. The permanent collections, the architectural prestige, the historical preservation and of course, the educational worth they represent is priceless. Together, these five symbolize the very best. Continue reading 5 Weird Museums Around the World »

Sometimes the hotel is as much a destination as the city or attractions you’re planning on visiting. If you are looking for a truly unique vacation experience, you might want to look into staying at one of these bizarre hotels.

1. Exploranter Hotel

The Exploranter hotel is in Brazil, but it won’t be there for long! That’s because this hotel is mobile. The traveling hotel comes complete with hot showers, a kitchen, and 28 beds. In addition, it travels through Chile and Argentina as well as Brazil and the staff will cater theme parties involving activities such as rafting, hot air ballooning and more.

Continue reading 21 Most Bizarre Hotels - Part I »

If you are looking for a truly unique vacation experience, you might be interested in staying at the Galactic Suites space hotel. Of course, you will need to have $4 million to spare in order to enjoy a three day stay in this hotel. But, if you have the cash, it just might be worth it.

What could possibly be worth $4 million for a three day stay, you ask? Well, this particular hotel is unique because it is actually located in space. In addition, during your stay, you will be able to watch the sun rise on 15 separate occasions as you orbit the earth.

Continue reading The $4 Million Hotel Stay »

Have you ever passed by or driven down a street whose name really caught your eye? While there are certainly plenty of interesting streets out there, these ones deserve the top spot! Not only do some of them have a strange name, others have some very unique characteristics that make them stick out from other streets.

The World’s Shortest Street

The shortest street in the world, called Ebenezer Place, is found in Wick, Caithness in Scotland. The Guinness Book of Records list this street, which measures only 6 foot 9 inches in length, as the shortest street in the world. Not only is it extremely short, it is also only has one address: 1 Ebenezer Place. This structure, which was originally a hotel, was built in 1883. When it was built, the owner was told to paint the name of the hotel on the shortest side of the building. It wasn’t until 1887 that Ebenezer Place was officially named a street. Continue reading The World’s Strangest Streets »