When travelers spend a lot of time and money on a vacation, they often discover that they’re in the midst of a pre-packaged, manufactured environment that’s about as authentic as the Las Vegas Egyptian Pyramid. Here are a few ways that travelers can immerse themselves in a place, and a few reasons why this is a memorable way to travel.

Nervous about driving in the UK or Ireland? Here are our thoughts and tips, garnered from dozens of trips to the other side of the pond...

Our recent week in Italy’s famous Tuscany region was a study in contrasts: From renting an entire 11-story, 12th-century tower to a small town B&B; from upscale dining to simple picnicking; from a popular tourist town to a tiny, quiet medieval village. Despite the wide range of experiences, there were common threads: Immersion into the history and the authentic lifestyle of the people who live in this magical and storied country; doing it all in an affordable way while steering clear of tourist crowds; and of course, eating and drinking very well.

We love traveling to Europe in the winter; it's an especially good time to visit tourist hot-spots. The five towns of the Cinque Terre on Italy’s northwest coast are beautiful, iconic, and intolerably crowded in the high season; for this reason, we chose to visit the Cinque Terre in the off-season, in search of its true face. 

We love staying at a remote lighthouse, just steps from the sea. Here are seven of our favorites. 

Are You Blowing Your Budget On Italy Vacation Cliches?  5 Reasons to Hire an Itinerary Service and Ditch The Tourist Traps.