In Paris last June, I kept running into a delightful woman from Indiana on her first trip there. Wonderstruck by the city's charms, she was doing everything right -- picking up French words, conversing with every local she could, and enjoying the great artistic and cultural experiences.

To get the most out of France, it's essential to connect with the culture. Go on a wine tour, play boules with the locals, and make an effort to understand what matters...

With borders so close and transportation a delight, it's easy to throw a change of scenery and culture into your European itinerary. Here are some of my favorite cross-border day trips.

London to Paris. Zipping on the bullet train from London to Paris (or vice versa), deep below the English Channel (a.k.a. "Chunnel"), is exciting -- and takes just 2.5 hours. Catch an early train, spend about 10 hours in the City of Light, and be back by...

Following is a testimonial that an ITN subscriber, Thomas Selgas of San Diego, California, wrote to his travel insurance broker, Dan Drennen, relating to an experience that he and his wife, Anne, had with their post-departure policy.

Thomas wrote, “I should tell you that the insurance that we had for our trip to Cyprus was great.

“Unfortunately, Anne fell and had a concussion. She was taken to the emergency room and was there for an hour. When they found out that we...