Welcome to Journeymaxx

Recently I was in Rotterdam for the highly insightful Traverse 18 conference. When it came to choosing somewhere to stay, there was one whose mere name caught my attention. That which I chose went by the name of The Student Hotel. Least not because of how intriguing the name sounded. Convenient too, as the venue for the Friday opening night party. So an ideal way to settle in upon arrival. But it was also the slogan on their website that … Read More

An exciting week was coming to a close. The Europe edition of this year’s TBEX (Travel Bloggers Exchange) in Killarney, Ireland had been quite a week. An opportunity to meet many other bloggers with whom we share a love of travel and telling our stories. From first class seminars focusing on blogging and travel writing to a selection of talks on different subjects along with great social events in the evenings, I and many others would come back from Ireland … Read More

Chug-a-chug. Chug-a-chug. The locomotive glided along the railtracks, criss-crossing through a well-kept little village. With a post office, bakers and a doctor’s surgery and all you would expect. Then up a mountain pass it continued and back round in a loop. The model train set of ours fascinated me as a child. How I loved to play the dual role of train driver and mountain climber at the same time. Where else could that be possible? I remember how fascinated … Read More

Neon and Las Vegas. A perfect fit. Few cities in the world fascinate me more. For many reasons. Some good, some not so. I won’t forget my first visit when I was younger, not yet old enough to indulge in the hedonism for which Sin City gets it reputation but old enough to be intrigued by the larger than life structures of the Strip.

Every year, few other cities do Christmas like London. Shop windows with different stories on display. Each trying to encourage you to escape the cold and warm up inside. Trees of various shapes and sizes. Streets decorated so you can almost hear the sound of sleigh bells even in your imagination. And if you take time away from the stress of Christmas shopping, then allow yourself time to take in the special feels of it all.

One of the most fun aspects of a Europe vacation is the number of day trips that can be made from some of the major cities. Although the definition of a day trip may vary for some people, for this purpose I would regard it as a place that is no more than an hour and a half maximum from the main city. Taking a rail trip through Europe can certainly be something of a rite of passage, especially on … Read More