My Favorite International City

It’s officially springtime (yes, difficult to believe with this cold and depressing weather) and it’s time to get really serious about planning summer vacations and getaways (if you haven’t already). For inspiration, we thought we’d share our favorite international cities.

Matt Bray – Montréal
Montréal wins my vote. It has always appealed to me and I try to visit whenever I can. Its people are fun-loving and kind, fiercely independent, and its streets and neighborhoods manageable and attractive. Montreal has a lot of hustle and bustle, but is not a teeming metropolis the way New York is. It has great nightlife, restaurants and a ton of cultural attractions while remaining affordable and unpretentious. And I’m lucky to have some friends who live there so I not only get a free place to stay, but also enthusiastic, local guides. Mere hours from NYC, Montreal can also sometimes feel like you’re in Europe, thanks to the strong Francophone community. And I love Québec French!

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My Favorite International Travel Apps

When I was twenty, I studied abroad in Barcelona. At that time, whenever I left my apartment, my bag had (at least) a Spanish/English dictionary, a map, a camera, a basic cell phone, a notebook and pen, a calling card, a train schedule—shall I go on? Without admitting my true age, technology has dramatically changed travel since then. Now, I can leave with only my iPhone and my credit card/cash and I can easily get around and communicate with locals wherever I am. I love—LOVE—to travel and the following apps are ones that will make any trip run as smoothly as possible.

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