Nantes is a lively and peculiar city near the French Atlantic coast. The old town offers everything you’d expect from a classic French city trip, but on top of that its streets and squares are full of quirky public art and home to some very strange creatures. Trot Op! headed south on the TGV and went in for a closer look. Anyone who regularly browses this blog – and why wouldn’t you, it rocks – might have noticed there aren’t…
The Belgian coastal town of Koksijde-Oostduinkerke was recently chosen as one of Flanders’ best cycling destinations. Time for Trot Op! to plan another visit to the seaside, rent a bike and see if it lives up to the hype. Somewhere in my icy rock of a heart, I have a soft spot for Koksijde. This is because my trip to this charming coastal town in 2019 was the first genuine collaboration I published on this then almost empty blog. Even…
In sunny Ticino, Switzerland suddenly takes on a Mediterranean flair. The country’s only Italian-speaking canton swaps alpine cottages for colourful piazzas, and on the shores of beautiful Lago Maggiore, you can enjoy the beach in the shade of a palm tree. Trot Op! took a thorough look around. Booking a trip to Switzerland? In many people’s minds, this almost automatically means spending whole days swooshing down the slopes and dipping bread into a cheese fondue – just to fill you…
As from March 2024, you can book the European Sleeper Train to Prague directly from Antwerp or Brussels. We of course had to try this out for ourselves, and since we were there anyway we decided to list all of the best sights and attractions Prague had on offer. Buckle up, ’cause there are plenty. Prague is one of those top European cities where even after five extensive visits, you still haven’t seen half of it. The old centre –…
The last leg of my Texas road trip led from Austin to beautiful San Antonio: both the state’s second biggest and most Latin American city. When I arrived, Fiesta San Antonio was in full swing: the largest and most colourful street festival of the year. I got here just in time to lose myself in the festivities, but not before I listed all the main sights. You might not have noticed, but Texas isn’t exactly small. So when you’re driving…
This spring, Trot Op! flew to Texas for a road trip to three of the state’s most exciting cities. From Dallas, the road let to Austin: the most progressive city in Texas as well as the Live Music Capital of the World. Is this self-proclaimed title justified or is it mostly hype? We were very happy to find out for you. Without too much dilly dallying, the drive from Dallas (read the article here) to Austin takes about three hours.…
This spring, Trot Op! crossed the Atlantic to embark on a road trip through Texas, visiting three of the state’s major cities. First stop on the list was Dallas: one of the fastest-growing metropolises in the US and one of the main drivers of the Texan economy. Dallas is more than just a business hub though and offers several surprising neighbourhoods to explore. Few American states evoke such clear-cut imagery as Texas. When thinking of the Lone Star State, vast…
Over the past few decades, Amsterdam-Noord evolved from a district where nobody wanted to be seen into one of the hippest neighbourhoods in Amsterdam. Trot Op! crossed the IJ on the ferry and visited all of the coolest attractions in Amsterdam-Noord. In recent years, Amsterdam became one of my favourite cities. It’s photogenic, exciting and innovative and there’s always something new to discover. Perfect material for a city trip, but unfortunately this isn’t exactly the world’s best-kept secret. The Dutch…
Right before the turn of this century, Shanghai started a transformation that turned it from a faded old glory into China’s main economic powerhouse. Today, it stands as an overwhelming metropolis, where there’s always something new to discover. Trot Op! had the opportunity to visit the city multiple times in the past twelve years and poured all those experiences into a list of the ten main sights for a Shanghai city trip. When I arrived in Shanghai in April 2011,…
