armchair travel germany

Mastering Armchair Travel: 10 Ways to Enjoy Travel from Home

Last Updated: April 1, 2021

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In a time when the farthest I travel is literally from my desk to my fridge, antsy has become my middle name. And as a travel blogger unable to travel, I suppose you can say I’ve kinda been fired. From a job where I’m the boss.

Despite this setback however, I have discovered the wonders of armchair travel, and wow – what a world.

You heard me – armchair travel, as in the art of vicarious travel from the comfort of your armchair, bed, bean bag, or hey, even the toilet (I’m not here to judge).

And I mean sure, armchair travel may not command the same glittery glamour as necking aperitivo in Milan or gliding through Switzerland by train , but it’s travel you can do in your underwear AND nobody will even call the cops. 

So, if you’re feeling weary from gazing blankly out the window or simply want to read something that will distract you from the bleary news ticker, here’s a guide to the wonderful world of armchair travel, with 10 (actually satisfying) ways to enjoy travel from home. 

Editor’s note : the following methods will feel more like real travel if you are also cradling an infant-sized margarita. My jokes may also seem funnier. Carry on.

Save this guide to armchair travel for later!

You’ll be very glad you did.

1. Binge travel blogs & videos

Let’s begin this post with a Christina signature move, shall we? Pure desperation.

Please, if you find yourself in need of some mindless entertainment while weathering this dystopian storm, try to support independent creatives as much as you can.

Reading blogs (if you’re here right now, wow you’re super ahead) and watching YouTube videos is an incredible free way to help keep your favourite creatives’ businesses afloat.

So yes, allow me to quickly hurl my YouTube channel at you real quick. Catch!

It’s a tough time for businesses and individuals all around the world, but freelancers and small business owners are especially feeling the pinch (particularly in the travel industry), SO if you crave something to fill your boredom gaps, please consider supporting the many bloggers, vloggers and creatives in your life.

We need you more than ever! And we’re free. SO FREE. * relentless sobbing *

2. Snoop around on virtual museums and apps

For my fellow museum lovers, there’s an easy way for you to get your fix while nestled in the arms of your own comfy bed.

Many of the most famous museums in the world actually have virtual tours that you can do, including the Louvre, the MET, the British Museum, and more. Click here for a huge list I put together.

To get your culture fix, I can highly recommend the Google Arts and Culture website and app . It’s filled with interesting articles about art, culture, and history intrigue.

PLUS it has the most incredible feature called “Art Selfie” where you snap a selfie and they compare it to their archives to find your fine art doppelgänger. See below for the fair maiden I supposedly resemble.

Download for iOS | Download for Android

3. Find the hidden gems of the world with Secret Door

So this is a really clunky website that screams early 2000s, but I am still mildly obsessed with it.

Long story short, Secret Door is a site where you open a virtual door and it randomly brings you to a hidden gem of the world via Google Street View. Imagine Chat Roulette (throwbackkk!) but for quirky places around the world. Much like a girls’ outing involving tequila, you never know where you’ll end up.

For example, one visit brought me to an eerie art museum in Spain, another brought me to a colourful Willy Wonka inspired candy shop, and my last visit dropped me off RIGHT on the train tracks of the Bernina Express !!

NOTE: I find that the site can be a little glitchy, so I usually have to reload it each time I want to re-open the door, otherwise it won’t work properly… but still, give it a try here ! It’s cool.

4. Explore a random place on Earth with MapCrunch

In a similar vein, there’s another website called MapCrunch that ALSO drops you off in a random Google Streetview location, except it doesn’t necessarily focus on unique/hidden gems… it literally drops you off anywhere.

You might be thinking “why would I want that, Christina? Why?”

WELL, besides getting to catch a glimpse of daily life somewhere completely random in the world, this site was actually the source of a viral internet game of the early 2010s… basically, if (on desktop) you navigate to the MapCrunch Options tab, you can check a box on the bottom the says “Stealth” which will drop you off in a random Streetview location without telling you where you are…

The objective of the game is to pretend you woke up in this random location and somehow navigate your way “home” by finding the closest airport. Tough right? Can you imagine? A great game to play with friends if you want to race. Might be more fun if you’re mildly drunk, but what in life isn’t?

5. Spy on worldwide webcams 

Okay, this fact might either be really cool or really creepy depending on your persuasion, but did you know the world is covered with cameras that stream everything live to webcams 24/7?

(Alright, I admit it does sound a little creepy when I put it that way)

Nonetheless, checking out these webcams is prime armchair travel material. Sites like EarthCam have live HD webcams from all over the world, so you can quickly check in on Times Square  or the balmy waves of the Maldives all while eating guacamole by the fistful in your other hand. In fact, I’m writing this article while watching sunset at the Eiffel Tower! (I will save my guac for later.)

NOTE: While not live, if you get tired of staring at webcam footage, you can also go for an HD view of the world by checking out Full Screen 360 where there is plenty of 360 degree eye candy from interesting places around the world, from beautiful Cinque Terre to even my beloved Munich!

6. Stream some wanderlusty movies or TV shows

In the world of streaming, Netflix is of course king, but if you want to expand your horizons (or take advantage of something free!), you can register for a free one month trial of Amazon Prime Video and binge their huge library of free content (or otherwise rummage through their very extensive paid offerings).

In terms of recommendations, I have a list of great travel movies to watch here.

Show-wise, here are some quick recommendations:

• Departures – One of my favourite all-time travel shows. It’s about 2 Canadian guys that hit the road and travel the world through personal connections/friendships, so you get a good mix of tourist sights and local secrets/know-how. It’s a little dated now (originally recorded in 2008), but guess what? These legends have put a lot of full episodes on YOUTUBE for FREE! Check them out here.
• An Idiot Abroad – A hilarious and mildly offensive show that’s great if you want something a little different than your standard travel programme. It’s a documentary series that follows Karl Pilkington, a guy with zero interest in travel and global cultures…. being forced to travel by his friends Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais. If you like Ricky Gervais humour, this is a must-watch. Watch it here.
• Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown – Like many travel enthusiasts, I adore everything from Anthony Bourdain, but there’s just something about Parts Unknown with its incredible visuals and storytelling that makes it my favourite. Watch it here.

7. Cook up global inspired dishes

If you often find yourself traveling for food, sending your tastebuds on their own lil voyage might be the most delicious form of armchair travel you can enjoy right now… all the better if you’re learning to make it yourself (because then your gluttony can be disguised as self-actualization.

Trust me, I’ve been doing it for years).

Where can you get free ideas and tutorials for recipes?

Honestly, YouTube is such a wealth of information these days that I can guarantee you’ll find a video teaching you to cook any foreign dish of your choosing!

If you’re feeling especially fancy though, you can also purchase online cooking classes! This is an amazing way to support local businesses who might be suffering otherwise due to the dip in tourism.

8. Enjoy a country-inspired night in

Combining points 6 and 7, for extra dorkiness points, consider hosting a country themed night-in. Simply pick a special film that’s focused on a destination and cook a meal (or order one in if you feel like it) related to that destination.

You can even have a watch party with friends on Skype (or do a group viewing on Netflix Party ) and all tackle the same recipe together before/after.

Some ideas for your country inspired soirée:

• Watch Parasite and make ramdon – not the most wanderlusty combo but this is the best movie I’ve seen in years so I have to recommend it
• Watch Amélie and have roast chicken + creme brûlée – you’ll see why if you watch the movie. Bonus if you buy some fresh raspberries to eat from your fingers
• Watch Eat Pray Love and Pizza Napolitana or Spaghetti all’Amatriciana – truthfully, the spaghetti will probably be easier to make from home…
• Watch Crazy Rich Asians and dumplings or Hokkien Fried Mee – in addition to wanderlust, a bonus side effect of this movie is it will make you feel incredibly poor and alone

9. Cozy up with a good travel book

At a time when we’re constantly bombarded with one distressing headline after the next, boyyy does it feel good to curl up with a nice book far away from the horror-show that is social media.

So, treat yourself to some wanderlusty reads! Blogs are great, but there’s something unbeatably satisfying about holding a book.

Now, while I prepare myself for excommunication from the League of Extraordinary Bloggers for saying that, let me think of some recommendations… 

I’ll be very honest, I haven’t read a ton of travel memoirs, but one hilarious classic I can wholeheartedly recommend if you’re looking for a good laugh is What I was Doing While You Were Breeding. Otherwise, if you want something more conventionally travelly (but a tad cliché), I did also enjoy Eat Pray Love. Please let me know in the comments if you have any travel memoirs that you would highly recommend!

Otherwise, if you’re looking for some non-travel related reads, I’ve been really into memories from awesome female comedians lately, and both Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and Bossypants are great.

NOTE: If you don’t mind reading off a Kindle, you can click here for a free month of Kindle unlimited… all you can read!

10. Try actual virtual reality

Lastly, despite being a millennial who works on the Internet, I am shockingly out of touch with technology and how far it has come. Did you know for instance that virtual reality travel is a thing now?

Like, not just in testing phases, not just a clunky pixellated prototype, you can literally just buy an entry-level headset online that uses your phone?

… I only discovered this while researching armchair travel options for this article, and I have to say this one might just take the cake.

There are all sorts of apps that you can download on your phone (both free and paid) that allow you to enjoy really cool virtual reality travel experiences all around the world.

Better yet, there are full-blown YouTube videos now that can be watched in VR mode, which is how I spent my lockdown Spring in Europe taking a taxi ride through New York City, enjoying an overwater villa in the Maldives and even gliding through space , all of which I just did in my pyjamas in Munich.

If you’re interested in this, I got this set for really cheap and it works great!

Any more ideas for armchair travel?

I’m all ears! I hope you enjoyed this read… and safe travels (from the couch).

My Go-To Travel Favourites:

🧳 Eagle Creek: My favourite packing cubes

💳 Wise: For FREE travel friendly credit cards

🍯 Airalo: My go-to eSIM

🏨 Booking.com: For searching hotels

📷 Sony A7IV: My (amazing) camera

✈️ Google Flights : For finding flight deals

🌎 WorldNomads: For travel insurance

🎉 GetYourGuide: For booking activities

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• Destinations

Wild Junket

Armchair Travel: 45 Fun Ideas to “Travel” Without Leaving Home

Last Updated on June 9, 2020

Sometimes travel isn’t an option — whether that is due to illness, financial issues or personal circumstances. 

Right now, it’s a global pandemic that is sweeping across the world, putting a halt on travel.   Whether you are stuck at home in a lockdown or a self-imposed quarantine, there are some creative ways to feed your travel addiction . 

From joining online travel communities to taking virtual tours of UNESCO sites, here are my armchair travel recommendations to help you “travel” without leaving your home.

Table of Contents

How to Travel Without Leaving Home

Explore museums virtually on your laptop, take a digital hike around america’s national parks, take virtual tours of the world’s unesco sites, read travel books, read travel blogs, join an online travel community, take an online travel-related course, learn a new language, watch travel-related shows on netflix, watch travel vlogs on youtube, indulge in travel movies, start scratching your world map, make a travel scrapbook, get a travel coloring book, make jigsaw puzzles or models of your favorite places in the world, entertain your kids with travel games and books, create multicultural crafts and activities, cook exotic dishes from around the world, order food delivery.

Many of the world’s musuems have been forced to temporarily shut their doors. But that doesn’t mean that we’ve lost access to the countless treasures housed by these great museums.

Thanks to the extensive  Google Arts & Culture project, we can now access more than 2,500 art spaces from around the world online, and many offer virtual tours. This is the perfect armchair travel activity for museum buffs.

Remember that COVID-19 still poses a threat while you’re surfing the web at home. Hackers are creating thousands of fake pandemic sites to steal your personal information. Make sure to use a COVID-19 scam site checker  before going to any suspicious sites.

Here are some museums worth checking out virtually:

• Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam —   View over 164,511 pieces of artwork from the revered art museum in high-definition. The museum’s most famous art pieces include Vermeer’s  The milkmaid and Rembrandt’s  Self Portrait.
• The Tate, London —This respected museums houses the foremost collection of British art dating back to the the Tudor era and including a large holding of J.M.W. Turner’s work.
• Guggenheim Museum, New York — This contemporary art and architecture museum has over 200 works viewable through Google’s portal.
• The MET (Metropolitan Museum of Art), New York — One of America’s best museums has 26 virtual exhibits and over 200,000 documented works of art from nearly any era.
• Musée d’Orsay, Paris —Check out the virtual exhibitions and 278 pieces of art from 1848 to 1914, including include Van Gogh’s  Bedroom in Arles .

Google Earth has rolled out virtual tours of some of the most beautiful national parks in the United States. The map and satellite imagery masters at Google Earth have put together a series of guided virtual tours of 31 national parks around the country .

Now you can literally travel without leaving your home and take a digital hike on Google Earth. It may not be the same as lacing up your hiking boots and inhaling the crisp clean air of the wilderness, but they’re pretty neat nonetheless. Here are the national parks offering virtual tours:

• Acadia National Park
• Arches National Park
• Badlands National Park
• Big Bend National Park
• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
• Bruce Canyon National Park
• Canyonlands National Park
• Channel Islands National Park
• Cuyahoga Valley National Park
• Death Valley National Park
• Denali National Park
• Dry Tortugas National Park
• Everglades National Park
• Glacier National Park

Not just that, Google Earth has also recently launched  Heritage on the Edge , an online experience that uses 3D maps to showcase a handful of UNESCO World Heritage sites facing the looming threat of climate change.

The goal was to digitally preserve the legacy of the landmarks. For now, you can enjoy a zoomed-in view of the moai on Rapa Nui  (Easter Island), the ancient city of Chan Chan in Peru, and the coastal city of  Kilwa Kisiwani in Tanzania .

Not only will you be able to interact with 3-D models and 50 exhibits, but you’ll also have access to expert interviews and information on how to conserve these historical sites – an important lens, self-isolating or not. Check out this list of best virtual tours around the world .

The best travel books are often the ones that have the power to transform you as much as a journey does. My love for travel books was probably the reason why I became a  travel blogger and writer .

I have always been obsessed with travel books, especially biographies of adventurers who have embarked on extraordinary journeys.  Reading George Orwell’s Burmese Days when traveling in Myanmar made the trip all the more special. And reading Escape from Camp 14 before my trip to North Korea definitely piqued my interest in the hermit kingdom.

If you have a long list of books you’ve been wanting to read but never had the time for, this is the best time to hit that list. Check out my massive list of 50 best books on travel .

• Escape from Camp 14 (by Blaine Harden)— One man’s remarkable odyssey from North Korea to freedom in the West.
• Desert Flower (by Waris Dirie) — A true story of Waris’ escape across the dangerous Somali desert to London as an internationally renowned fashion model; and ultimately to New York City, where she became a human rights ambassador for the U.N.
• The Kite Runner (by Khaled Husseini) — A fictional book about the struggles of a young boy Amir amidst the backdrop of an unstable Afghanistan.
• Burmese Days: A Novel (by George Orwell) — A story of the waning days of British imperialism, by an Englishman living in a settlement in Burma.
• Into the Wild (by Jon Krakauer) — The remarkable story of a young man’s solo adventure in Alaska.
• Gratitude in Low Voices: A Memoir (by Dawit Gebremichael Habte)— A man’s true story of how he fled his homeland  of Eritrea during the war to find solace and success in America.
• It’s Our Turn to Eat (by Michela Wrong) — The story of a Kenyan whistle-blower

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TIP: I recommend getting a Kindle Paperwhite if you don’t have one. You can store a ridiculous amount of books on it and read it at night without ruining your eyesight. You can buy books individually or  sign up to Kindle unlimited (first month is a free trial).

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The pandemic has affected many small businesses, travel companies and websites. I am one of them — my blog’s readership and income have dropped by over 80%. It’s heartbreaking to see all that I have worked hard to build in the past 12 years be reduced to nothing.

Of course I’m not the only one. So many travel bloggers are worried about possibly losing their livelihood. I ask for your support — just read travel blogs and websites whenever you can. There’s no need to make any purchase; just reading and scrolling can help us out at times like this! 

Here are some of my best travel stories:

• World’s Most Remote Islands
• ​ Spirits and Spells: Voodoo Culture in Benin ​
• ​ 12 Interesting Facts About Madagascar ​
• ​ A Photo Essay of Tajikistan ​
• ​ Iraqi Kurdistan — The Other Iraq ​
• ​ Travel in the Caucasus: Where East Meets West
• ​ Asmara, Eritrea: An Art Deco City in Africa

Other travel blogs and websites with brilliant narratives and inspirational stories:

• Roads and Kingdoms
• Uncornered Market
• Atlas & Boots
• The Candy Trail
• Candace Rose Rardon

Looking to connect with like-minded travelers virtually? There are plenty of online travel communities catering to specific types of travelers, from solo female travelers to extreme travelers who like to veer off the beaten trail.

• Extreme Travel — A Facebook group I set up to connect with curious travelers seeking out the extraordinary in unusual places like North Korea, Iran and Sudan.
• Every Passport Stamp — A Facebook community of travelers planning to travel to every country in the world. They have strict rules and requirements, so please join only if you share the same goals as everyone.
• Travel Community — This massive Facebook group caters to all travelers from different parts of the world. Currently, there are quite a few positive discussions in light of the pandemic.
• Wanderful — This is a leading network for female travelers. The brand is currently giving away 500 free one-year memberships (typically $69/year).
• Girls Love Travel — A Facebook group for female travelers covering all kinds of travels and destinations.

If you have always been interested in travel photography or sketching, this is the best time to sign up for a travel-related online course. There are tons of virtual workshops and courses on Skillshare and Udemy .

Here are some interesting travel-related courses worth checking out:

• Travel sketching — Take an adventure into your imagination with illustrator and children’s book author Mike Lowery.
• Oil painting — A fun and informative course that will teach you basics of mark making, glazing and oil painting.
• Travel street photography — Learn popular street photography techniques, as well as composition, lighting, and photo editing for visual storytelling.
• Drone photography — Up your skills from beginner to professional drone photography with this step-by-step vide guide.
• Travel writing class — Learn to write travel tales readers (and editors) will love and sell your freelance writing to newspapers and magazines.
• Travel poster illustration : Design your favorite city and place in Procreate5. 

I have always had a special interest in languages — they are the best way to connect with locals and cultures when traveling. My first experience learning a foreign language was in college, when I took French and Spanish classes. Eventually I took intensive Spanish courses in Madrid. I also took Arabic classes after that, and recently finished my 6-month Dutch course here in Amsterdam.

Technology has made it really easy to learn a language online these days. Here are some apps and online courses I recommend:

• Duolingo — A language app that helps beginners to build up vocabulary. It is free to use and has many languages available.
• Mindsnacks — Another app that offers free language-learning games to help you learn vocabulary, grammar, practice your listening.
• BBC Languages — Free online language lessons, with crosswords, videos and quizzes accompanied by audio. Courses covering 40 languages, including Urdu, Icelandic and Slovak.
• Verbling — Interactive language lessons with a native teacher over video chat. You can choose the teacher you prefer, schedule the lesson and pay her hour.
• Lingoda — Similar to Verbling, Lingoda also offers video lessons with native teachers. But it offers monthly plans and a free 7-day trial.

Many of us are turning to Netflix to entertain us and feed our wanderlust. Forget depressing series like Outbreak, check out the following travel-themed shows that will sure to uplift you in hard times like these.

You can even use the new Google Chrome extension  Netflix Party  to watch these shows with your friends online. Just click the extension button to create a “party” and share a link to the event with whoever you want to watch the program with. The extension also allows all party members to group chat about the show in real-time.

• Dark Tourist — Definitely top on my Netflix’s favorites list, this show covers lesser-known areas and unfamiliar cultures. Check out the episodes on Pablo Escobar’s hitmen, vampires in New Orleans, and Japan’s suicide forests.
• Larry Charles’ Dangerous World Of Comedy — Another of my favorite shows (cos I love travel and comedy), this travel show follows film director, Larry Charles, around the world seeking out how comedy is done in war zones, in slums, and beyond.
• Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner — One of the many foodie travel shows on Netflix, this is what I’ve been binge-watching lately. Chef David Chang brings big-name celebrities around the world and dives in local food scenes, from Phnom Penh with Kate McKinnon to Marrakech with Chrissy Teigen.
• Conan Without Borders — One of my favorite talk show hosts, Conan O’Brien, gives a non-traditional and humorous take in this travel series. He lightens up the mood before delving into serious topics, like the humanitarian crisis in Haiti or the war in Israel.
• Our Planet — This nature series is Netflix’s very own  Planet Earth, narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

Don’t have a Netflix account? Youtube actually has some high quality videos from vloggers and videographers who are out there doing some great stuff. Here are some of my favorite Youtube channels:

• Drew Binsky — This unique vlogger brings viewers to unique places and he always has an interesting story to tell. Some of his videos are insightful and educational, such as these ones on Equatorial Guinea and Congo.
• Karl Watson — Karl produces quality travel documentaries that are professional and definitely inspirational. His videos tend to cater to younger millennial looking for some adventure.
• Migrationology — Foodie travelers have to check out his awesome food-focused videos. He’ll bring you on street food tours in Pakistan, feast on home-cooked food in Iran, and try top-notch Wagyu beef in Japan.
• WildJunket — Shameless self promotion here: I’m not a Youtuber or vlogger, but I do have some short travel videos on my Youtube channel. Watch me jump off a canyon in New Zealand , drive around Iceland on a campervan , and l earn about voodoo in Benin .
• Eva Zu Beck — This girl has interesting vlogs from the world’s least visited places, including Syria, Pakistan and Yemen. She shows us some of the world’s most beautiful hikes, remote islands and delicious food along the way.

And for movie lovers out there, you are spoiled for choice when it comes to movies about traveling . I have been inspired to go to certain destinations thanks to these travel movies, and I hope they will inspire you too. Check out my giant list of 60 best travel movies of all time !

• Secret Life of Walter Mitty — Embark on an adventure with magazine writer Ben Stiller (as Walter Mitty) as he goes in search of a photojournalist from the streets of Manhattan to Greenland and the Himalayas.
• The White Maasai — Based on a non-fiction memoir, this German movie sparked my interest in Africa almost 12 years ago. It tells the story of Corinne’s trip from her home country of Switzerland to Kenya , where she met and fell in love with a  Maasai  warrior and builds a home with him in the savanna. 
• The Motorcycle Dairies — This movie traces back to where it all began for Ernesto “Che” Guevara (Gael García Bernal), whose road trip across Latin America with his pal Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna) opened Che’s eyes to political injustice.
• Slumdog Millionaire — One of my all-time favorite movies, this Oscar winner tells the story of an Indian Muslim from the Dharavi slum in India. He is a contestant on “Who Wants to Be a  Millionaire ?”, and is one question away from the grand prize. 
• Wild — This movie follows the journey of Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl Strayed, as she treks 1,100 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail after the devastating loss of her mother.
• Tracks — Another non-fiction movie based on the adventure of Robyn Davidson, who traverses across the r ugged landscape of Australia with only four camels and a beloved dog for company.
• The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel — A story about a group of aging Brits who follow advertisements and arrive in India, with the promise of a second act.

This is the perfect time to reflect on past travels, and think about how far we’ve come.  Get a scratch map and spend time scratching off the places you have been! It’ll bring back some beautiful memories and get you excited about future travels.

I have a scratch map myself and it’s great fun to come home from a trip and scratch off a new country each time. My friends got me this scratch off world map when we moved to Amsterdam and it’s the best travel gift I’ve ever gotten. I hang it on a cork board with push pins, where I also pin souvenirs or memoirs (like bus tickets) from each trip. It’s such a great way to keep travel memories alive!

Another awesome thing to do to bring back beautiful memories is to make a travel scrapbook. The scrapbook could be based off one epic trip you’ve done. Perhaps an awesome adventure in Southeast Asia , or a Silk Road overland trip . It could also be a collection of all your travels from the past.

Since Kaleya was born, I’ve been wanting to make a special travel album packed with photos, postcards, brochures and stubs I collected during our trips together. It would be an awesome thing to look back on with Kaleya when she grows up. Perhaps now is the time to start making one!

I have my eye on this vintage style scrapbook album ,  but technically you can use any notebook to create an album of travel memories.

Coloring is scientifically proven to have countless health benefits for adults. It can help relax the fear center of your brain, the amygdala, and help you stay calm and mindful.

I enjoy coloring with my daughter when I get the chance. It not only soothes me, but also brings back wonderful memories from places I’m coloring.

Here are some excellent travel coloring books designed for adults:

• Lonely Planet Ultimate Travel Coloring Book
• ColorIt — Around the World in 50 Pages
• Travel Between the Lines — Inspirational Coloring for Globetrotters and Daydreamers
• Crayola City Escapes — Color Your Favorite World Cities

Growing up, I did lots of jigsaw puzzles with my family during our free time. It was how we spent quality time together.

You can easily find jigsaw puzzles of all kinds for both adults and kids, whether that’s 3D puzzles of iconic landmarks or traditional puzzles of landscapes. I love making 3D puzzles with my daughter!

• 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle of world’s greatest attractions
• CubicFun 3D puzzle of Notre Dame de Paris
• LEGO built-it-yourself kit of New York city skyline
• ROKR 3D wooden craft puzzle of an airship

Now that school is closed in many parts of the world, parents who are stuck at home with kids will need as many resources as they can. To keep your kid engaged, here are some travel-related ideas to pique their interest in the world.

• The books from Lonely Planet Kids are educational, interactive and fun. Kaleya has a few of this Let’s Explore series of sticker activity books  and she absolutely loves them.
• Inspire your kids with this book, Explorers: Amazing Tales of the World’s Greatest Adventurers , written by yours truly!
• Teach your kids geography with the Beginner’s World Atlas  from National Geographic, suitable for kids ages 5–8. 
• An  interactive world map  is a fun and engaging way to teach kids about the world. It has over 1000 facts about countries, capitals, oceans, and languages, that your kids can learn through interactive quizzes!
• Join online read-alouds and activities organised by your kids’ favorite authors — here’s a full list .

Another fun thing to do with kids that can pique their interest in travel is creating art and craft or products from other cultures. My daughter loves making Japanese origami and it always brings back fond memories from Japan for both of us.

Adults can also enjoy making multicultural crafts together — it’s a great way to learn about a culture and engage with it without actually traveling. Here are some other ideas:

• Make Mexico’s Day of the Dead masks
• Make Japanese origami
• Make a Native American rain stick
• Make a Japanese karp kite
• Learn Aboriginal dot painting from Australia

Food is one of the best ways to engage and connect with a culture and destination.  Some of my favorite dishes I’ve tried around the world, include the Moroccan chicken tajine (slow cooked stew), Hungarian beef goulash, and the traditional Japanese ramen. I’m not a great cook, but I enjoy making Mexican tacos, Vietnamese pho, and Indian prata from time to time.

But you don’t have to travel to tickle your tastebuds — sometimes you learn even more about a cuisine by making it in your own kitchen. Here are some great websites that provide excellent recipes from around the world:

• All Recipes
• BBC Good Food
• Serious Eats

Can’t cook or don’t enjoy cooking? I recommend looking at your local takeaways and trying something brand new. If you live in a multicultural city like I do, there are lots of international cuisine to choose from: from Nepalese to Mongolian, Ethiopian to Peruvian.

Support your local restaurants and give them some business to help you make it through the pandemic! This is seriously armchair travel at its best.

What other things are you doing at home to get that “travel” experience? Share your armchair travel ideas with me in the comments field below!

Disclaimer: Some of the links above are affiliate links. That means I get a small commission when you purchase anything through my links. AT NO EXTRA COST to you. Thank you for your support!

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Nellie Huang

Nellie Huang is the founder of WildJunket. Originally from Singapore, Nellie has traveled to over 150 countries across 7 continents. She is a book author and Lonely Planet guidebook writer. As an adventure travel blogger, she has a special interest in unusual destinations and deep experiences. Follow her travels on her Facebook and Instagram .

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The Comments

Marc Latham

Comprehensive fun list, but I have one more… I virtually travelled via the internet and wrote fiction books creating a storyline (vegetarian werewolf protagonist looking for its origins years before Missing Link did similar with a bigfoot) using real celebrities and places along the way, with Simpsons inspiration. I think it helps you find new places, learn more about places, and remember them; for me it was nostalgia too, as I virtually travelled places I’d passed through, but didn’t know much about at the time.

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Wanderlust Movement | A South Africa Travel Blog

Armchair Travel: How to Master Travelling the World From Home

April 6, 2020 by Lauren Melnick

Last Updated on January 24, 2023 by Lauren Melnick

Is cabin fever rife in your household? Are you close to finding a spider, and letting it bite you so you can start climbing up walls??

As a travel blogger who cannot travel, it’s been tough. I’ve been feeling stumped about what content I should be creating and then there’s the repeating thought: “ Does anyone even care anymore!? Should I throw in the towel in and become a food blogger?? ”

Despite all my mental spirals, I’ve found a wee bit of light at the end of the tunnel – armchair travel and I’m kinda obsessed!

As an introvert and a Taurus (shout out to all my fellow bulls who are eating themselves out of house and home ♉), I love discovering new destinations from the comfort of my bed.

Sure, armchair travel doesn’t compare to chasing waterfalls in Bali , but you don’t need to stress about getting to the airport on time, and there are ZERO crowds at the top attractions.

If you want to re-ignite your wanderlust, here’s a guide to armchair travel and nine ways to enjoy travel from home!

Table of Contents

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

The metropolitan museum of art, the vatican museums, kenai fjords national park, alaska, bryce canyon national park, utah, hawai’i volcanoes national park, hawaii, carlsbad caverns national park, new mexico, dry tortugas national park, florida, best travel tv shows, best travel movies, cook your favourite food from around the world, read wanderlust-inducing books, binge your favourite travel blogs & vlogs, start planning your next trip, reminisce about your favourite trip ever, how to master armchair travel.

The iconic Vatican Museums in Rome, Italy!

Marvel at Artistic Masterpieces with Virtual Museums

Are museum visits high on your itinerary for new destinations? You can get your fix without needing to put on pants. Some of the world’s most famous museums have virtual tours that are 100% free!

Here are some of the best virtual museums to check out:

Pretend your summer plans to Paris never got cancelled with a virtual tour through The Louvre . As one of the largest art museums in the world , you can spend hours exploring the rare artifacts like the Mona Lisa and exhibits such as the Egyptian Antiquities and Galerie d’Apollon.

The best part?

You don’t need to muscle your way past crowds and stand on your tiptoes to see the incredible works of art.

The Louvre Museum at night *swoon*

The best part about being a virtual traveller? No crowds!

Visit one of the top museums in the world while you treat yo’ self to a face mask and mani-pedi. The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. has a  360-degree online tour .

It includes all of the popular exhibits like the Hall of Mammals , Hall of Human Origins, The Sant Ocean Hall, The Last American Dinosaurs and Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution.

While I possess as much style as Anna Wintour’s left pinky, I still fantasise about attending The Met Gala. Since fashion’s event of the year has been postponed and I won’t get to see celebrities bizarre outfits for another year, The Met’s virtual tours are the next best thing.

The museum is home to over two million works of fine art with collections from Vincent van Gogh and my favourite artist of all time, Jackson Pollock .

If you only have time for one museum on this list ( lol kidding, what else would you be doing ), virtually make your way to The Vatican Museums in Rome, Italy .

Flex your armchair travel muscles and tour the museum grounds . See famous exhibits like the Sistine Chapel without thousands of other people and guards telling you to shush.

Read More: How To Visit The Vatican (A Massive Travel Guide)

Imagine waking up to this level of artistry every single day.

You won’t believe how many people I had to squeeze past to get this shot!

The majestic Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska!

Explore a U.S. National Park From Your Couch

For all the avid hikers out there who are wearing their boots around the house for nostalgia, experience some of the United States best national parks without the expensive plane ticket or applying for a visa.

Google Arts & Culture lets you explore five national parks that show off the country’s diverse climates and environments and takes you on a virtual great outdoors adventure!

Explore the glaciers, fjords and icebergs of Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska . The virtual tour isn’t a passive scroll past incredible landscapes. It invites you to take part in one-of-a-kind adventures. Climb down icy crevasses , go kayaking past massive icebergs and watch a glacier melt.

As someone who loves astrophotography, I’m missing my 2 AM missions to capture the milky way. Luckily, I can virtually scratch that itch with an online tour of Bryce Canyon National Park . Starting at Sunset Point, you can gaze through a telescope up at the night’s sky and learn about the different constellations.

Utah’s landscapes always get me so excited about climbing mountains!

I mean, look at these magnificent rocks. They are screaming for me to climb them!

I don’t know about you, but I’ve dreamed of exploring Hawaii ever since that one Baywatch season. With the island’s most popular national park accessible online , I’m one step closer to experiencing that slice of paradise. As a virtual traveller, you can discover the Nahuku Lava Tube , take in stunning coastal vistas and fly over an active volcano .

Love exploring what’s underneath the Earth’s service? Sign up for a virtual tour through the Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico. It’s home to over 100 caves with incredible rock formations and thousands of bats. If life is getting dull as a human, you can opt to experience the park’s life as a bat simulation .

Dry Tortugas National Park is a remote part of the United States. If you wanted to visit the park in real life, you would need to book a private seaplane or boat to get there. With the virtual tour , you get to save some dollars ( anyone else shook at the Rand to U.S. dollar exchange rate!? ) and dive a shipwreck , swim past the third largest coral reef in the world and see a Civil War-era fort.

Singapore: The filming location for the wildly successful Crazy Rich Asians

Stream The Best Travel Movies & Series

Like many people around the world, I’ve been making a dent in my Netflix watch list. So much so that I convinced my boyfriend to get a VPN and sign us up for Hulu.

If you’re running out of things to watch and want to fuel your wanderlust, here’s a list of the best armchair travel movies and TV series to watch:

An Idiot Abroad:  One of my favourite travel shows of all time. It’s a hilarious show that follows the misadventures of Karl Pilkinton, a guy who hates travel and has zero interest in learning about global cultures. He is forced to travel the world by his friends Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.

Parts Unknown: Parts Unknown is a delicious adventure around the world with Anthony Bourdain. Join the late chef and TV personality as he gallivants around the world with Barack Obama (season eight, episode two), dines in Libya while investigating the country’s conflict through food (season one, episode four) and travels to the Congo which Bourdain calls “ the most relentlessly fucked-over nation in the world ” (season one, episode seven).

Street Food: As a budget traveller at heart, I always find myself eating plates of street food when I travel. Street Food takes you around the globe to experience the best curbside meals from Thailand ‘s iconic Phad Thai to Singapore ‘s Michelin-rated Hawker Centres.

Planet Earth I & II: Binge-watch Sir David Attenborough’s groundbreaking natural history show. Travel around the globe and learn about the day-to-day life of Tibetan foxes, track down the endangered Ethiopian ibex, and swim with the largest animal in the world – the blue whale.

Gaycation: Gaycation is a TV show hosted by Ellen Page and film director Ian Daniel. It explores what it’s like to be LGBTQ+ around the world. The show explores the gay bars of Tokyo and New York City and travels to destinations like Ukraine and Jamaica where LGBTQ+ locals face discrimination and threats on a daily basis.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty will have you jumping up and down on your sofa by the time the credits roll-up. It’s the perfect travel movie for those who want to escape the daily humdrum of life and finally chase down the adventure of their dreams. Warning: Iceland and Greenland will suddenly be at the top of your bucket list.

Mamma Mia: ? Here we go again. My, my how can I resist you? ?With the gorgeous backdrop of the Greek Islands, sparkling blue waters and a soundtrack with all the best Abba songs, you’ll dance and sing away the lockdown blues.

The Lizzie Macquire Movie: Are you longing for a sojourn through the streets of Rome ? Stream the iconic Lizzie Macquire Movie and watch Hilary Duff attempt an Italian accent as she explores the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and FINALLY kisses Gordo.

Up: As a Disney addict, I had to include one animated movie on this list. Up is a heart-wrenching film that takes you on an adventure across South America. You’ll need a box of tissues to make it through the movie, but you’ll have a strong desire to make your travel fantasies a reality before it’s too late.

Crazy Rich Asians: Did you know that after Crazy Rich Asians premiered, searches for Singapore travel spiked by 20% ? If you’re looking for a film to inspire your wanderlust, Crazy Rich Asians have the stats to back it up. The movie is ideal for those looking for fun rom-com with delicious food, breathtaking cinematography and an inside look into the lives of Singapore’s elite.

Read More:  Singapore 4 Day Itinerary: The Ultimate Guide for First-Time Travellers

I don’t know about you, but I am CRAVING some Napoli pizza!

After watching Anthony Bourdain’s Part’s Unknow n and Street Food , let your virtual travels take your tastebuds on a gastronomic adventure.

I know most of us are spending more time than usual in the kitchen. So you might as well use your gluttony (and boredom) to fuel your wanderlust.

Choose a dish from your favourite country, convince your friends to join in on the fiesta and plan a delicious dinner party (via Zoom, of course).

Take your mind on an Eat, Pray, Love journey to Bali.

Escape from the distressing headlines by curling up with a good book and using armchair travel to transport yourself to your dream destination.

But reading isn’t only a distraction.

Neuroscientists tracking the brain activity of patients have found that the act of reading words like “cinnamon” cause the part of the brain that controls smell to light up.

That means reading about Bangkok , Paris, or Botswana can trigger your senses transport you to take you to the bustling Thai capital, the banks of the Seine river or the flood plains of the Okavango Delta.

Here are some of the best armchair travel books to add to your must-read list:

• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas | Hunter S. Thompson
• The Alchemist | Paolo Coelho
• Eat, Pray, Love | Elizabeth Gilbert
• Seven Years in Tibet | Heinrich Harrer
• Shantaram | Gregory David Roberts
• The Beach | Alex Garland
• The Nomad: Diaries of Isabelle Eberhardt | Isabelle Eberhardt
• Kafka on the Shore | Haruki Murakami
• Lands of Lost Borders: A Journey on the Silk Road | Kate Harris
• Travels with Myself and Another | Martha Gellhorn
• Alone in Antarctica: The First Woman to Ski Solo Across the Southern Ice | Felicity Aston

Cruising down the Okavango Delta in Botswana!

Want to support your favourite creators while travelling online? Binge their content!

It’s a tough time for many businesses around the world, but freelancers and small business owners ( like myself who are in the travel industry ) are particularly feeling the pinch.

If you want to help us out, spend a few minutes a day reading a blog post (it costs you nothing and helps us make some ad revenue), watching YouTube videos or supporting us by engaging with our content on Instagram .

While I’m incredibly grateful for you reading this blog post right now, if you want to continue showing me some virtual love (and dabble in some armchair travelling), meander your way through these blog posts:

• The Ultimate South Africa Bucket List: 40+ Amazing Places to Visit
• How to Travel Bali on a Budget as a Frugal South African
• 10 Loved-Up Locations to Visit in South Africa
• The Perfect Self-Drive Botswana Itinerary for an Epic Safari Trip
• What It’s Like Staying on Mumbo Island in Malawi
• The Best of the Panorama Route South Africa: 2-Day Itinerary

Your next trip doesn’t have to be an international getaway. You can plan a trip closer to home.

For a lot of us, not having an end in sight is making staying inside so much harder.

So why not use the time to plan your first trip when things start to go back to normal?

Hop onto Pinterest and create a board for your dream destination. Scroll through Instagram , stalk some hashtags and create a new saved folder (you might find some new favourite accounts).

Once you’ve decided on a destination and you have a bucket list coming together, head on over to Booking.com and start researching your dream hotel!

Remember, this too shall pass ( yes, I know that’s corny, but it’s also a Lord of the Rings quote ). It’s okay to use this time to take your mind off the state of the world and get excited about your next adventure.

Chase those waterfalls from the safety of your house.

If none of these tips help you reclaim your wanderlust, take a walk down memory lane.

Look through your travel photos from your favourite trips. Host a Google Hangouts with all your friends that went on that adventure (and don’t forget all the people you met along the way!).

Have a chat about your drunken escapades on Siem Reap’s pub street or that epic Full Moon Party in Thailand. Maybe you hiked to the top of Kilimanjaro, or you spent your gap year backpacking across Europe .

You could also use this time to edit (or re-edit if you’ve recently invested in some presets) your photos and relive those memories by posting some throwbacks on Instagram.

Do you have any more armchair travel ideas? Hit ya gurl up in the comments and let’s get our wanderlust on from the comfort of our couch!

Psst…Want some inspiration for your next trip? Check out some of my most popular posts!

• 20+ Most Instagrammable Places in Cape Town
• The Best of Bangkok: The Perfect 3-day Bangkok Itinerary
• Singapore 4 Day Itinerary: The Ultimate Guide for First-Time Travellers
• 10 Day Vietnam Itinerary: The Ultimate Vietnam Backpacking Route

? If you like it, then you should put a pin on it! ?

About Lauren Melnick

Lauren Melnick is the founder of Wanderlust Movement, Wander to Here and is a South Africa travel blogger. She's been travelling the world as a full-time freelance writer since 2016 and has visited over 40 countries.

When she isn't typing up a storm, you can find her conquering overnight hikes around the Western Cape, rock climbing, and hosting sold out group travel trips around South Africa, Namibia and Morocco.

Reader Interactions

August 26, 2020 at 5:53 am

True. At this point of restricted travel we are but lest with the virtual visits to all places. Waiting for the day when we could travel again, in person. Till then, I am off to the Smithsonian Museum.

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Mary Riley Styles Public Library

Late opening.

The library will open at 1 pm, Friday, June 7, so that employees can attend an all-staff meeting.

Armchair Travel: Germany

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Let’s visit Germany! Munich, the romantic Rhine, the Black Forest, and resilient Berlin will be our destinations.

Armchair Travel

Join us in the Falls Church Senior Center on the third Tuesday afternoon of each month at 1:00 pm to watch a travel video from destinations around the world! This program is hosted jointly by the Falls Church Senior Center and the Mary Riley Styles Public Library. 

Get the latest updates about what's happening at the library!

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• Inspiring Germany
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Travelling in Germany with reduced mobility

Visitors with reduced mobility will find a whole range of options at their disposal in Germany. From accessible accommodation to outstanding leisure options, all sorts of places offer step-free access and plenty of space and convenience.

Accessible for visitors with reduced mobility

Germany offers a wealth of cultural and natural experiences, even within a small area. Whether you’re into visiting museums, going shopping, hiking or cycling, you’ve come to the right place. You’ll soon notice that everything is set up for your needs in many places.

Lots of places try to ensure universal access. However, it’s often the case that historic buildings were not constructed with accessibility in mind, and cannot easily be converted due to heritage protection constraints. That’s why you’ll find that wheelchair users, for instance, often won’t be able to use the main entrance to a building; instead, there will be a side entrance without steps and doorway wide enough to pass through. There are all sorts of initiatives and options for visitors with reduced mobility, and not only in cities, but also in outdoor locations like national parks, nature parks and biosphere reserves. You are advised to find out about the set-up in advance.

Accessible accommodation options are constantly increasing in number. Care beds are provided as standard in care hotels or can be arranged on request. More and more accommodation providers are offering accessible sleeping options so that groups of people with reduced mobility can enjoy suitable accommodation.

Neustadt :Couple in a wheelchair in front of a kiosk ©DZT (Jens Wegener)

Holiday suggestions for visitors with reduced mobility

Visitors with reduced mobility can enjoy unique and outstanding experiences all over Germany.

Enjoy the sweeping forest views and landscape from one of the treetop paths, which are step-free and have a maximum 6 % gradient. You can also explore nature with ease on wooden plank pathways or in all-terrain vehicles.

Sail across lakes and rivers in a stepless tour boat or houseboat. Or head out in a beach wheelchair to enjoy the relaxing sound of the waves from an accessible beach chair.

In the cities, top-class cultural institutions and architectural highlights are just waiting to be explored. Enjoy the unique vibe when tradition and modernity meet.

You could also combined your trip with a visit to a trade fair. Large trade fairs focusing on rehabilitation/assistive technology often take place in Germany, such as REHACARE in Düsseldorf or REHAB in Karlsruhe.

Our partners in the cities and regions will also be happy to provide you with specific options for your perfect holiday. Read more at Accessible travel destinations.

Certified “Tourism for All” options for people with reduced mobility and wheelchair users

“Tourism for All”, the information system for accessible tourism options in Germany, also gathers extensive information on every participating tourism option offering accessibility to visitors with reduced mobility and wheelchair users.

When searching, you can set specific filters for features in the Tourism for All database in order to find establishments that meet your needs exactly. You can also search for offerings in a specific federal state or city/region.

Browse through what’s on offer here: “Tourism for All”

Besides displaying all of the information about the facilities using filter options, “Tourism for All” pinpoints services that meet specific criteria for people with reduced mobility and wheelchair users, with four different labels:

activities for seniors

Armchair travel for seniors.

Armchair Travel eBooks have everything you need to travel the world from the comfort of your chair. Armchair Travel packs include fun facts, quizzes, tourist highlights, postcards, snapshots, language and more!

Download an eBook, print off and hand out to clients to travel the world form their room, celebrate cultural events or host an around the word trip!

Greece Armchair Travel

Soak up the sun and visit the Greece and its picturesque islands. 

Italy Armchair Travel

Travel from Venice to Rome and everywhere in between. 

France Armchair Travel

England armchair travel.

Bask in the culture and history that France has to offer.

From the hustle and bustle of London to the relaxing English countryside.

Spain Armchair Travel

Turkey armchair travel.

Sand, sangria and everything Spanish.

Famous for hot air ballooning, there is so much to see in Turkey.

Ireland Armchair Travel

Historical buildings and world famous breweries. 

Japan Armchair Travel

Fast paced cities to serene countryside. 

Austria Armchair Travel

Germany armchair travel.

Visit the Alps and everything in between. 

Beer, food, and a rich culture. 

Croatia Armchair Travel

Travel this coastal European country. 

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The Alternative to Huge Cruises? 3 Masts, 28 Sails and Wind Power.

We checked out the 136-passenger Sea Cloud Spirit on a Mediterranean cruise. In this era of gargantuan ships, its elegant clipper design, wooden decks and relatively small size stands out.

By Ceylan Yeğinsu

From the bridge of the three-masted windjammer, the Sea Cloud Spirit , the captain called out the words we’d all been waiting for.

“Let’s set the sails!” he cried, after turning off the engines, while maneuvering to maintain an optimum angle for his 18 deckhands to climb into the shrouds and unfurl the ship’s 44,132 square feet of sails by hand.

Like acrobats, the crew scurried up the masts to the upper topgallant sails that rose nearly 200 feet above us. The ship’s captain, Vukota Stojanovic, later insisted that none of it was for show. “Whenever there is an opportunity to sail, we sail,” he said.

For the next hour, the crew hauled the ropes until the 28 sails were billowing in the wind, propelling the 452-foot-long ship — the world’s largest passenger sailing vessel on which the sails are raised by hand — toward its first port of call, Portofino, Italy.

At a time when cruise lines are packing their ever-more-gargantuan ships with water parks and basketball courts, the 136-passenger Sea Cloud Spirit, with its old-fashioned clipper design and wooden decks, stands out. It is the newest ship from the Hamburg-based Sea Cloud Cruises , and while it is the company’s biggest, Sea Cloud said it wanted to leave space for passengers to connect to the surrounding elements.

“Wherever you are on the ship, it feels like you are sitting on the water,” said Amelia Dominick, 71, a retired real estate agent from Cologne, Germany, who was on her third cruise onboard the Sea Cloud Spirit.

I had arrived for a four-night “taster sailing” from Nice, France, to the Ligurian region of Italy, designed to entice passengers to sign up for a longer cruise. Here’s what I found.

The ship and cabins

The Spirit has many comforts and luxuries, including a fitness center, library, hair salon and a spa with a Finnish sauna that overlooks the sea. The deck layouts are spacious, with nooks carved out for privacy and relaxation.

Sixty-nine spacious cabins have windows that open onto the sea. My room, a junior suite on the third deck, had two large arched windows, mahogany tables, a balcony and a comfortable couch and armchair. The marble bathroom was lavish, with a gold-plated sink and large jetted bathtub.

The elegant interior design is inspired by the original Sea Cloud, built in 1931 for Marjorie Merriweather Post, the American heiress of the General Foods Corporation, with glossy wooden panels and gold trimmings. The Sea Cloud was the largest private sailing yacht in the world before Post handed it over to the U.S. Navy for use as a weather-reporting vessel during World War II. The four-mast, 64-passenger ship has since been restored to its former glory and will sail across the Aegean and Adriatic this summer.

The experience felt authentic — even before the sails were set — with a detailed safety drill. On most cruises, the drill entails a safety video and signing in at an assembly point. But here, passengers put on their life jackets and walked through emergency scenarios that included rationing food supplies and fishing from the lifeboat.

Each day, the sails were set, even during heavy rain and wind speeds over 30 knots. Guests wanting to participate in the rigging are usually invited to do so, but the weather conditions made it too risky for this sailing.

“It was amazing to watch the work go into putting the sails up and down and to experience the wind power pulling the ship so fast without the engines,” said Malte Rahnenfuehrer, a 50-year-old psychologist from Zurich, who was traveling with his partner and two children.

The captain

It is rare for cruise passengers to see the ship’s captain after the initial welcome drinks or gala dinner. But Capt. Vukota Stojanovic was omnipresent throughout the cruise, from setting sails to lifeguarding to mingling with guests.

Originally from Montenegro, Captain Stojanovic piloted container ships for years. When he was asked to consider helming the original Sea Cloud nearly 10 years ago, he hesitated because he had no experience sailing. Even after he learned the ropes — and there are 340 ropes (known as running rigging) on the vessel — he was unsure. “I grew to love the sailings, the boats, the crew the lifestyle, but I still felt I belonged on container ships,” he said. “It would be a big adjustment, especially because I would have to shave every day,” he joked.

Eventually, he accepted the opportunity and worked tirelessly to learn how to sail and operate the ship. Today, he keeps an “open bridge” policy, allowing passengers to visit the control room, even when he is wrestling with the wind.

“The crew and the passengers are all part of the experience, and I like to meet people and receive their feedback,” Captain Stojanovic said.

Environment

Sea Cloud Cruises aspires to take a “gentle” approach, using wind power to drive its ships wherever possible, even if that means changing course for optimal weather conditions. When sailing is not possible, the Spirit has two diesel-electric engines that run on low-sulfur marine diesel fuel. The company is also working with ports that have shore power capabilities to plug into the local electric power.

Onboard, there is an emphasis on reusable bottles and paper straws, and crew members separate solid waste to be compacted and removed when in port.

Excursions and Activities

We made stops in Portofino, San Remo, Italy, and St.-Tropez, France, anchoring offshore and getting to land by tender — a contrast to the big cruise ships with their loud horns and thick plumes of exhaust spewing from their funnels.

For passengers wanting to take a dip (there is no pool), the crew marked an area in the water with floats and an inflatable slide. The water was frigid, but many passengers took the plunge from the swimming deck. Guests could also take “Zodiac Safaris” around the ship to get views of the vessel from the water.

Excursions ranged from food and wine tours to e-biking and beach trips. In Portofino, passengers were free to explore the sights independently, including the Castello Brown Fortress and the lighthouse on Punta del Capo rock. There was ample time to eat meals on shore as the ship did not depart until 11 p.m. Over the summer, the Sea Cloud Spirit will sail to Spain, Portugal, France and the Azores, among other destinations. On Nov. 11, she will depart for St. Maarten in the Caribbean for the winter.

Wherever the vessel goes, said Mirell Reyes, president of Sea Cloud Cruise for North America, the company tries to “stay away from the crowds and ports where big cruise ships spit out 6,000 passengers.”

Summer prices, which include food and beverages, range from $3,995 for a four-night sailing in a superior cabin to $9,420 for a veranda suite. Seven-night sailings cost between $6,995 and $16,495.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Ceylan Yeginsu is a travel reporter for The Times who frequently writes about the cruise industry and Europe, where she is based. More about Ceylan Yeğinsu

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Take a look inside Franklin D. Roosevelt's 21,000-square-foot mansion where he entertained royals and world leaders

• President Franklin D. Roosevelt maintained a lifelong connection with Springwood, his family home.
• He was raised at the property in Hyde Park, New York, and hosted dignitaries there as president.
• Measuring about 21,000 square feet, Springwood has 49 rooms and eight bathrooms.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's estate in Hyde Park, New York, is the only place in the US where a president was born, maintained a connection throughout his life, and is buried, according to the National Park Service .

Widely regarded as one of the most influential US presidents , Roosevelt was elected in 1932 and led the country through the Great Depression and World War II. Known for expansive government programs such as the New Deal , he died in office while serving an unprecedented fourth term in 1945.

Roosevelt's 21,000-square-foot family home, an Italianate-style villa known as Springwood, is open to the public as part of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park. Everything inside is original to the home.

Take a look inside the historic site.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's home, known as Springwood, is in Hyde Park, New York.

The Vanderbilt family's 45,000-square-foot Gilded Age mansion is also in Hyde Park, which is about 95 miles from New York City.

It's located on the grounds of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

The National Park Service operates both the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum and the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, while the National Archives manages the library's collections.

The National Park Service offers 40-minute guided tours of Springwood from May through October. Tickets cost $15 each and are sold in person on a first-come, first-serve basis.

As I began my walk to Springwood, I passed bronze statues of Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt.

The statues were modeled after a 1933 photograph of the Roosevelts at their Hyde Park home.

A park ranger told me to follow the sign for the stables to reach Roosevelt's home.

Further along the path, I began to see signs for Springwood, which is located next to the stables.

The stables still featured the names of the Roosevelt family's horses.

Roosevelt was an avid equestrian and continued riding even after his legs became paralyzed due to polio.

The tour started outside Springwood as a park ranger spoke about the history of the home and the Roosevelt family.

Roosevelt's father, James Roosevelt, was a Harvard-educated lawyer who earned his fortune as a businessman for various railroad and coal companies. He purchased the original farmhouse on the property in 1867 and named it "Springwood."

In 1915, Roosevelt and Eleanor added two stone wings and most of the third floor to make more room for their six children.

The guide also pointed out a front portico that resembled the South Portico of the White House.

"Perhaps a little political foreshadowing?" he said.

The Entrance Hall was decorated with prints from Roosevelt's naval collection and editorial cartoons from the 18th century.

Roosevelt served as assistant secretary of the Navy under President Woodrow Wilson. His fondness for Navy ships was evident in the decor throughout Springwood.

The Entrance Hall also featured Roosevelt's boyhood bird collection and a bronze statue of him at age 29.

As a child, Roosevelt collected birds and had them stuffed in order to study them up close.

The bronze statue depicts Roosevelt in 1911 when he was serving his first term in the New York State Senate.

In the Dining Room, Roosevelt sat at the head of the table in the seat pulled out on the left.

The small round table in the back of the room was the kids' table.

After dinner, guests would move to the Dresden Room, which functioned as a sitting room.

The room is named for the Dresden chandelier and sconces that Roosevelt's father brought back from Dresden, Germany.

A foldable ramp made the stairs leading into the Library accessible for Roosevelt's wheelchair.

At 39 years old, Roosevelt was diagnosed with polio and became paralyzed from the waist down. He didn't want people to know that he used a wheelchair, so the ramp could be folded up and hidden away when guests were present.

When Roosevelt took business meetings at Springwood, his aides positioned him in an armchair and put a stack of papers in his lap to give him a plausible reason not to stand when his guests arrived.

In the Library, Roosevelt met with world leaders and dignitaries.

Roosevelt's famous guests included King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), Prince Frederik and Princess Ingrid of Denmark, Prince Olav and Princess Martha of Norway, and Winston Churchill.

The room also featured a portrait of Roosevelt painted by Ellen Emmet Rand.

Roosevelt sat for the portrait after he was elected to his first term as president in 1932.

The tour continued upstairs with the Pink Room, which functioned as a guest room.

King George VI and Winston Churchill slept in this room during their visits to Hyde Park.

Another guest room was used by his political advisors.

Louis Howe and Harry Hopkins, two of Roosevelt's close political advisors, stayed in this room.

The Chintz Room was also used as a guest room for important visitors.

Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Russian pianist Madam Knavage, and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, stayed in the Chintz Room during their time at Springwood.

Roosevelt was born in the Blue Room on January 30, 1882.

His father, James Roosevelt, wrote in his diary on the night of Roosevelt's birth that he was a "splendid, large baby boy" who weighed 10 pounds. Everything in the Blue Room is original, including the mattress Roosevelt was born on.

James and his wife, Sara Roosevelt, slept in the Blue Room. After James' death, Sara moved into another room down the hall when the home was renovated in 1915, bringing her furniture with her. The Blue Room was then redecorated and repurposed as a guest room.

Sara requested that the original furniture be moved back into the Blue Room after her death to restore it to the way it looked when Roosevelt was born.

Growing up, Roosevelt slept in this bedroom until he married Eleanor in 1905.

When the Roosevelts had children of their own, the oldest son living at home slept here.

The hallway leading to the primary bedrooms included a unique piece of decor: a mirror mounted on a 45-degree angle.

The Secret Service used the mirror to monitor activity down the hall and around the front of the house.

Roosevelt's mother, Sara Roosevelt, slept in a bedroom at the end of the hall.

Roosevelt's father, James, died in 1900, while Sara lived for another 41 years. She moved from the Blue Room into this room after the home's 1915 renovation.

Eleanor moved into a smaller bedroom connected to Roosevelt's room after he became sick with polio.

The space was originally intended to be a morning room.

After Roosevelt's death in 1945, Eleanor moved to Val-Kill, a cottage she built with friends Nancy Cook and Marion Dickerman. Located around 2.5 miles from Springwood, the property is now known as the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site.

Roosevelt's bedroom windows featured views of the Hudson River.

Roosevelt would often spend early mornings in his room reading the paper or meeting with one of his secretaries.

Beside his bed, a designated phone provided a direct, secure line to the White House.

Having direct communication with Washington was state-of-the-art technology at the time, and proved crucial as his health began to fail towards the end of his life.

Our tour guide ended his presentation with a surprising detail: the clothes hanging in Roosevelt's bedroom closet.

"The clothes that are in that room on display, FDR handpicked for you to see," our guide said. "He knew you were coming."

Eleanor turned Springwood over to the National Park Service in 1945, shortly after Roosevelt's death, and spoke at its dedication as a national historic site in 1946.

"I think Franklin realized that the historic library, the house, and the peaceful resting place behind the high hedge with flowers blooming around it would perhaps mean something to the people of the United States," she said at the event, author Olin Dows wrote in his 1949 book, "Franklin Roosevelt at Hyde Park," according to the National Park Service. "They would understand the rest and peace and strength which he had gained here and perhaps learn to come, and go away with some sense of healing and courage themselves."

As I exited Springwood through the south lawn, I was greeted by stunning views of the Hudson Valley.

Roosevelt planted many of the trees on the property as part of his forestry experiments and conservation efforts.

Visitors could also pay their respects at the Roosevelts' burial site in Springwood's rose garden.

Roosevelt wrote that he wanted to be buried where the sundial stood in the rose garden on his Hyde Park estate, according to the National Park Service .

Roosevelt's legacy lives on in his presidential library and museum, the construction of which he oversaw himself.

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum was dedicated in 1941.

He was the first US president to establish a library to house papers and artifacts from his political career, a model that every president since has followed.

When I visited my first presidential library , the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, I bought a passport to fill with stamps from all 15 presidential libraries nationwide. I was delighted to find a desk with stamps to add to my booklet just outside the gift shop.

Springwood remains a meaningful historical site memorializing one of America's most prominent presidents.

Nearly 10,000 people visited Springwood on the first day it was open to the public in 1946, and they haven't stopped visiting since.

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