Since I started working here way back in 2011, the Untours regions have been calling on me to give them some attention. Actually, not just attention, but distinction. Now, I know they are all big enough to speak for themselves. They don’t need you to tell them they’re great; we all already know that. What they really need is for you tell them where they excel. That’s why today, a week before the Oscars®, we’re introducing the Unny Awards—a way for you to help us celebrate our regions and give them the recognition they truly deserve. Submit your votes for our regions in these 12 categories: Be ..read more

We find it particularly delightful that Susan started travelling on Untours in the 80’s with her parents, and has continued on her own. Tomorrow, we continue celebrating the Untour habit, as it gets passed down the generations with another slideshow celebrating kids, their parents and their grandparents, on Untours. 1. Tell us a little bit about your most recent Untour. It was a couple of years ago to the Pisa region of Italy. We stayed at an eco-friendly, totally awesome estate. The accommodations were ****! [Four star!]The region is delightful including Lucca, San Gimignano (city of towers ..read more

A note from Helen: The family pix do not include me since I was the photographer. I am looking forward to a Swiss Untour with a friend in August of 2013 and another visit to Kandersteg with grandsons in 2014. Untours does it right!!! 1. Tell us a little bit about your most recent Untour. I am on a mission to take all eight of my grandchildren to Europe to help them see the great world outside of their own hometown. Last summer it was Maya’s turn. She is 12. Joining us for two weeks in St. Goar on the Rhine were her mother, Marie, my daughter, Terri and her 16 year old daughter Andreanna. We ha ..read more

Considering a visit to one or more of the great cities in Europe? Getting the most out of your city travel experience takes a special kind of planning, especially as we navigate COVID and how it has altered the way we dine and sightsee. You can still enjoy the best of Europe’s cities. Many have fewer tourists than usual right now, so it is a great time to plan a city Untour. Here are ten travel and planning tips to help you make the most of your trip to any of Europe’s popular cities. 1. Map it Do some critical thinking about what you want to see and do on your trip, and what themes you wish ..read more

We find it particularly delightful that Susan started travelling on Untours in the 80’s with her parents, and has continued on her own. Tomorrow, we continue celebrating the Untour habit, as it gets passed down the generations with another slideshow celebrating kids, their parents and their grandparents, on Untours. 1. Tell us a little bit about your most recent Untour. It was a couple of years ago to the Pisa region of Italy. We stayed at an eco-friendly, totally awesome estate. The accommodations were ****! [Four star!]The region is delightful including Lucca, San Gimignano (city of towers ..read more

A note from Helen: The family pix do not include me since I was the photographer. I am looking forward to a Swiss Untour with a friend in August of 2013 and another visit to Kandersteg with grandsons in 2014. Untours does it right!!! 1. Tell us a little bit about your most recent Untour. I am on a mission to take all eight of my grandchildren to Europe to help them see the great world outside of their own hometown. Last summer it was Maya’s turn. She is 12. Joining us for two weeks in St. Goar on the Rhine were her mother, Marie, my daughter, Terri and her 16 year old daughter Andreanna. We ha ..read more

Ray leaving old Chapel with 15th century fresco on Wanda’s farm in Umbria. (inset is their photo of the fresco inside) 1. Tell us a little bit about your most recent Untour. It was a dream vacation: 8 days on the Variety Voyager, the sleek 73-passenger yacht that put us ashore at the fabled ports of Capri, Lipari, Malta, plus 4 ports in Sicily. Then, a train ride to the sparkling Cinque Terre for 4 nights and a heavenly 2 weeks in the fabulous Bonalumi apartment in Locarno, with a breathtaking view of Lake Maggiore. 2. Why did you choose to go there? It was sweet serendipity when we found that ..read more

Sometimes a bowl of soup is more than a bowl of soup. Goulash is Hungary’s national dish for some good reasons. Aside from being deeply satisfying and spectacularly red, its development speaks to the development and history of a nation. That’s why we are really excited that our colleague Henriette is inviting Untourists into her kitchen to learn to cook goulash with her! Her lesson is part of an ongoing series of cooking classes we are offering live from Europe on Zoom. Click here for more information. Goulash was a natural, given its interesting history and cultural significance. Here is a li ..read more

We have just extended our Budapest Untour season to go year round. Europe’s cities can be especially appealing in the off season. Plan to visit in the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas to enjoy festive outdoor Christmas markets. Or brighten the new year with a low-cost getaway. Budapest can feel just exotic enough to be exciting, but Untours staff and service will be there to assist you year round. With our local support, you will be able to navigate the city with ease. Here are 8 reasons to consider a winter trip to Budapest. 1. Moderate WeatherBudapest has stable weather year around ..read more

Budapest is often called the City of Spas, and that’s no wonder. There are more than 30 thermal springs, ten of which have won the rank of spa. Although Budapest is known for its baths, few visitors realize what an important role they play in city life and how much faith the locals place in the healing properties of the waters. For many of the city’s older residents, the baths remain as important as they were under the Ottomans, who developed the potential of the city’s hot springs. Most of them are highly sulphurous and are said to be especially effective in treating rheumatism, arthritis, an ..read more