smithsonian journeys great european journey

Travel with Carol

Like to travel?

So does Professor Carol. On behalf of Smithsonian Journeys, she currently leads arts tours to Europe and Russia and speaks on ships. 

Not ready to sail away or climb the Matterhorn? You can stay at home while Carol sends you greetings from around the world with resources for your studies of geography and history.

Take a Smithsonian Journey featuring Carol.  View the upcoming Smithsonian Journeys .

• Smithsonian: Great European Journey on June 28, 2024 3:30 pm
• Smithsonian Journeys: Pearls of Croatia on September 5, 2024

Arts tours can be a great way to raise funds for an organization or to reward loyal patrons. Carol has led her own whirlwind tours through Russia and acted as tour guide for others in Germany, Austria, and the United States. 

If you would like for Carol to lead your arts tour, contact her concerning dates and venues.

Carol’s tours are not for sissies! You should like your days jam-packed with concerts, museums, palaces, architecture, night life, and rubbing elbows with the locals. Bring your walking shoes.

Carol’s Recent Travel Essays

Isadora in Opatija

Sailing into Light

Lessons in Vienna

Waking Up in Zagreb

Paragliders of Interlaken

See all travel essays .

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Smithsonian Journeys

11 Trips match your criteria (1 - 11 shown)

A Journey from Bangkok to Bali

Bali, Georgetown

• Traveling through sumptuous, ever-changing landscapes that showcase ancient histories and diverse cultures.
• Also see the Malay, Chinese, and Indian influences in the old trading port of Georgetown.
• Also discover an ancient temple, the Sacred Monkey Forest, and the artistic enclave of Ubud

Cultural, Education / Learning, Train & Rail Journeys, Religious

Railroading the Rockies

Gunnison National Park

• Garden of the Gods: Observe the breathtaking views of 300-foot-high sandstone rock formations against the backdrop of snowcapped Pikes Peak. Enjoy a trail walk and the newly renovated nature center and museum.
• Georgetown Loop: Depart from Denver on a spectacular stretch of three-foot narrow gauge railroad that brings you deep into scenic Clear Creek Valley.
• Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway: Ride this train for an unforgettable journey through the mountains to historic Durango.
• Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad: Visit the village of Chama, New Mexico, and ride this historic train, which served the silver mines of the San Juans.
• Royal Gorge Route Railway: Follow the winding, tumbling Arkansas River and view the granite cliffs of Colorado’s Royal Gorge.

50 plus, Cultural, Train & Rail Journeys

Adventure in Iceland

Blue Lagoon, Glacial River Canyon National Park, Hraunfossar Falls, Lake Myvatn, Reykjavík, Thingvellir National park

• Explore the natural beauty and geological wonders of this amazing island.
• Massive glaciers, powerful waterfalls, volcanoes, spouting hot springs.
• Visit Thingvellir National Park, where the world’s oldest parliament was established.

Birding, Cultural, High Adventure, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife

Great European Journey

Amsterdam, Heidelberg, Heidelberg Castle, Lucerne, Strasbourg, Zermatt

• Holland: Take a private cruise along Amsterdam’s legendary canals, a World Heritage site.
• Germany and the Rhine River: Visit the World Heritage site of Cologne’s Old Town, cruise through the scenic Rhine River Valley, enjoy a private wine tasting, and explore Heidelberg.
• France: Arrive in Alsace, a region whose ownership has moved between Germany and France for generations, and discover Strasbourg's Old City, a World Heritage site.
• The Swiss Alps and Legendary Railways: Explore the World Heritage site of Berne, travel through the Bernese Oberland to the snowcapped mountain peaks of the Alps, and stop in Interlaken to admire the Jungfrau. Dramatically set beneath the iconic Matterhorn, enjoy Lucerne and Zermatt aboard three legendary railways.

50 plus, Cultural, Education / Learning, Train & Rail Journeys

A Canadian Rockies Adventure

Banff National Park, Jasper, Jasper National Park, Lake Louise, Vancouver, Whyte Museum

• Vancouver: Enjoy a full day in this cosmopolitan city and explore many of its treasures.
• The Rocky Mountaineer: View coastal forests, roaring river canyons, and snowcapped mountain ranges from the comfort of the train’s observation car and lounge.
• Jasper National Park (est. 1907): Explore the park for a full day and take a cruise on Maligne Lake, one of the largest glacier-fed lakes in the world. Travel along the Icefields Parkway, where wildlife such as grizzly bear, moose, elk, and mountain goat are easily spotted.
• Banff National Park

High Adventure, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife

Cannes Film Festival

• Explore the world of film through screenings and special sessions with your Study Leader.
• Hotel is located in the center of Cannes.
• Starlets posing on sparkling beaches for eager paparazzi, veteran directors enjoying an espresso in a seaside café.

Education / Learning, Festivals & Special Events

Compare with Smithsonian Journeys

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Treasures of South Africa

Botswana's Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Chobe National Park, Johannesburg, Kruger National Park, Victoria Falls

• The wonders of Southern Africa exceed the imagination.
• Poised between soaring mountains and expansive views of the sea.
• Travel through the breathtaking South African countryside aboard the Rovos Rail, one of the world’s most luxurious trains.

Cultural, Education / Learning, High Adventure, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife, Safari, Train & Rail Journeys

Northern India’s Royal Rajasthan

Delhi, Rajasthan, Taj Mahal

• Breathtaking Sites: Stand in awe as the afternoon sun bathes the ethereal beauty of Agra’s Taj Mahal, plus visit spectacular Agra Fort. Discover silent Fatehpur Sikri, a perfectly preserved Mughal city dating from the 16th century.
• Princely Capitals: Admire regal cities built by maharajas. In the “pink city” of Jaipur, visit the Amber Fort, City Palace Museum, and Jantar Mantar, an 18th-century royal observatory. In the “blue city” of Jodhpur, explore Mehrangarh Fort, home to royal palaces with priceless decorative arts. And in magical Udaipur, the “city of lakes,” discover the vast riches of the City Palace and enjoy its panoramic views over the scenic lake setting.
• Wildlife: Accompanied by expert naturalists, visit two renowned wildlife refuges. In Ranthambore National Park, take game drives in search of monkey, wild boar, jackals, and the elusive Bengal tiger, and in Keoladeo Ghana National Park discover some of the 400 species of exotic birds at home in this World Heritage-listed bird sanctuary.
• The Royal Rajasthan on Wheels: To better experience these imperial capitals and remote but fascinating places, travel for five nights in comfort aboard our luxury train, designed to re-create the splendor of the royal maharajas.

Cultural, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife

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Smithsonian journeys reviews & ratings.

Splendors of Australia and New Zealand

The trip was awful due to flight cancellations and failure of the contractor to adequately compensate for missed activities and days.

My wife and I were on the Smithsonian Journeys Splendors of Australia and New Zealand between April 13 and May 2, 2018. Smithsonian is rated by this site as Luxury t...

Cuba - Smithsonian does it right

Get to Cuba before it changes because it has to.

Cuba has been open to limited group travel for four years and is being opened to individual travel (still with restrictions) now. With thousands of Americans descend...

See all Smithsonian Journeys reviews

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Smithsonian Journeys’ Travel Adventures vs. Signature Tours

My husband, George, and I went on a 16-day Smithsonian Journeys tour, “Treasures of Angkor Wat and Vietnam,” March 19-April 3, 2007.

The cost was $1,899 each, excluding airfare. Air travel from Thailand to Cambodia; Cambodia to Vietnam; within Vietnam, and from Vietnam to Hong Kong was billed separately and totaled $850 per person. Entry and departure taxes were not included and were collected during the tour. We arranged our own international air.

We booked through Smithsonian Journeys. We had never heard of Collette Vacations, but, as it turned out, they did all of the predeparture arrangements. We were not impressed.

The material we received seemed to be computer-generated and not looked at by a human being. We kept getting requests for information we had already given them. When I called, I was told everything was okay and it was all in the computer correctly, but the requests kept coming. We told ourselves, ‘It’s a Smithsonian tour; the actual tour will be great.’ Wrong!

We’ve traveled with Smithsonian at least four times previously (Trans-Siberian Railway, Bering Sea, Baltic Sea and Peru), and all the trips were marvelous, first-class experiences. We didn’t know it, and neither did anyone else on this tour whom we talked to except for the Smithsonian representative who explained it to me, but it turns out that the company has two types of tours, and this was the other type. It was very disappointing.

We had thought when we booked the tour that it was quite inexpensive, but, as we had never been to that area before, we thought perhaps hotels and meals were not as expensive as in other places. Actually, it was inexpensive because very little was included; everything was extra.

We had to drink bottled water, of course, and this was provided on the bus and in the hotel rooms, but drinks at lunch or dinner were not included in the tour price and we couldn’t bring our own. Bottled water, beer or soda pop each cost $2 at every meal. It was a continual irritant.

On occasion, the waiter would ask if we wanted coffee after dinner. If we accepted, sometimes it was included and sometimes we were charged; there was no way to predict. On two occasions wine was served and included.

It was the same for tipping. We’ve never been on a tour before where we had to tip the hotel maid or the bus driver’s helper. We’d much rather pay more for the tour and not be nickle-and-dimed to death.

On Smithsonian’s “Signature Tours,” most but not all tips are included. On our recent Trans-Siberian Railway Signature Tour, we tipped only the sleeping car and lounge car attendants. We did not tip tour leaders, local guides, local drivers, drivers’ assistants, hotel maids (during stays at the beginning and end of the trip) or anyone else. On that particular tour, not only bottled water but also wine and beer were provided without charge, not to mention a bottle of vodka. We had similar experiences on our other Smithsonian tours.

On our Cambodia/Vietnam tour there was no study leader, no Western English-as-a-first language guide. We had a series of local guides, one in each city, who were generally knowledgeable and personable but not always geared to the way Americans think.

I have not compared the promise of what was offered to what we actually got, but I do remember that the tour description promised a local archaeologist at Angkor Wat, and if that was what our guide actually was, I certainly missed the citing of his credentials.

Apparently, the way you tell what kind of Smithsonian tour you are getting is that if it’s called Signature, it’s a good one; if it’s “with Collette Vacations,” it’s best avoided, in our opinion. It’s surprising to us that Smithsonian permits its name to be used with the second level of tour.

ANNE CUSICK

Kodiak, Alaska

ITN sent a copy of the above letter to Smithsonian Journeys and Collette Vacations (162 Middle St., Pawtucket, RI 02860) and received the following reply.

Collette Vacations has sent us a copy of the letter requesting comment on Mr. and Mrs. Cusick’s letter concerning their tour with Smithsonian Journeys Travel Adventures. Since Mr. and Mrs. Cusick compared this tour with others (not sourced by Collette) that they have taken with Smithsonian, I feel it is appropriate for me to comment.

I have attached a copy of our letter to the Cusicks. As we explained, Smithsonian Journeys offers two product lines, each with its own inclusions and amenities that are articulated in separate catalogs.

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Adventures is intentionally priced lower than Smithsonian Journeys Signature Tours, to provide value-priced learning vacation options for Smithsonian members. This product line is operated in partnership with Collette Vacations, a fact which is made apparent in our marketing materials.

Among the items not included on Travel Adventures are gratuities. Also, instead of a study leader (which we include on all our Signature Tours), we schedule guest speakers on Travel Adventures.

While we were very sorry to disappoint loyal travelers like the Cusicks, I do believe our travel options are fairly presented and operated according to plan. Of course, we are always alert to ways to improve both our marketing and the tours themselves. Feedback from Mr. and Mrs. Cusick and all other Smithsonian passengers is vital to our ongoing efforts to provide our travelers with optimum experiences.

AMY KOTKIN , Director, Smithsonian Journeys, Box 23182, Washington, D.C. 20077-0843

Smithsonian’s letter to the Cusicks included the following: “Your guest speaker in Angkor Wat was a local archaeologist as advertised. We choose these speakers very carefully to insure that the educational level of the tour is what one should expect from a Smithsonian Journey, whether Signature Tour or Travel Adventure. We do feel that the Smithsonian Journeys Travel Adventures line of tours offers great value for the money.”

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June 6, 2024

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How the 1901 Discovery expedition's polar explorers stayed healthy during their Antarctic journey

by Edward Armston-Sheret, The Conversation

Antarctica is the most inhospitable continent on earth. It's dry, cold, and completely dark for months of the year. Edwardian explorers were some of the first to brave the Antarctic winter, developing new knowledge still drawn upon by scientists today.

The Discovery expedition (1901–4) played a key role in the history of polar exploration. It was led by the Royal Navy commander Robert Falcon Scott , a pioneering polar explorer who died in 1912 after attempting to reach the south pole. The expedition's third lieutenant was Ernest Shackleton , who led three further journeys to the continent.

Both men would become household names, and it was the Discovery expedition that launched their careers. Together, they set a record in December 1902, coming closer to the south pole than anyone had before.

The journey also shaped how both men thought about health, particularly how to prevent and treat scurvy. My research examined how the expedition's officers, medics and organizers sought to keep the explorers healthy in Antarctica, particularly during the polar winter. Because of this work, nobody on the expedition died from poor health (though two men were killed in accidents).

Food was a matter of life or death for polar explorers. Problems with tinned foods are widely believed to have contributed to the demise of the Franklin expedition , which went missing in the Arctic in the late 1840s.

Concerns about food were also driven by the idea that badly preserved meat caused scurvy (though we now know it's caused by a shortage of dietary vitamin C).

Like health experts today, Edwardian explorers were concerned about both the variety of food and its quality. "Give the men good healthy food and I guarantee you will have no diseases," Norwegian Arctic explorer Fridtjof Nansen advised the Discovery expedition's medic before departure.

The expedition's organizers tested food samples to analyze their nutritional content. All tinned foods were also inspected before the expedition to check for signs of decay. Despite these precautions, the explorers found that much of their tinned food was rotten by the time they reached Antarctica. This was due to the poor quality of the canned foods they'd been supplied.

To prevent the men eating contaminated food, the expedition's medics checked every tin before consumption. But, because their tinned food didn't contain much vitamin C, the expedition still suffered an attack of scurvy. This attack only ended once they began eating more fresh seal meat.

Scott and Shackleton now saw fresh food as the best way to prevent and treat scurvy, though neither understood why . We now know that it's because lightly cooked meats contain vitamin C.

The explorers came to view processed foods as more dangerous than fresh foods. Such discussions seem remarkably like recent debates about the health risks of ultra-processed foods. The explorers put emphasis on always having access to fresh meat.

The explorers also worried about the quality of air on the ship.

Scientists now understand air pollution has negative health effects . But in the Edwardian era, poor air quality was understood differently.

Bad air was viewed a threat because of older medical theories that argued poor health was caused by "miasmas" —rotting gases produced by decomposing matter. Cold, drafts and damp were also considered dangerous .

Specially-built ventilation systems were installed in the ship. The system employed two stoves to ventilate the explorers' living quarters with warm air. But once in Antarctica, the system proved unreliable and used lots of fuel. Their ship was also less airtight than expected, meaning it was ventilated without needing to use the specially built systems.

But not everyone agreed on the importance of ventilation. Scott commented that "the question of fresh air and ventilation was one that afforded us a constant field of argument." Even the expeditions' two medics had different views.

One thought it was more important to keep living quarters ventilated by opening the windows every morning. The other argued it was better to keep warm, even if the air wasn't as fresh.

They never resolved this disagreement, but did reach a compromise about how often windows should be opened.

There was more agreement between the explorers was on the importance of exercise. Even in the 1900s, exercise was seen as an important way to stay healthy , able to counter the perceived negative effects of modern, urban living.

In the Antarctic summer, the explorers spent most of their time sledging. This was backbreaking work, pushing the explorers to their physical limits.

But in winter, the explorers would be on or near their ship. To stay healthy they went on daily walks. As the expedition's second in command commented , "There is no doubt that one felt better after a sharp walk over the ice." Such strolls were psychologically important, providing brief opportunities for privacy and reflection. Scott noted : "Throughout most of the winter most of the officers have preferred to take their daily walk alone."

The explorers also played team sports, such as football and hockey and went tobogganing. The expedition's junior medic claimed that the "air and exercise" were the key to sleeping well and maintaining an appetite during the polar winter.

On an Antarctic expedition, staying physically and mentally healthy was a question of survival, so it's no wonder explorers spent so much time thinking about such details.

Many of the health measures employed on Scott and Shackleton's first expedition are similar to those used today. Food, air quality and exercise are still understood as important to good health. But compared to these Edwardian polar explorers, we now have a much better understanding of why.

Provided by The Conversation

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