All Four Corners Travel

08/28/2026

WORTH THE TRIP: RIDE THE RAILS THROUGH THE SWISS ALPS 🇨🇭

Imagine settling into your seat and watching scenery like this roll past your window.

Switzerland's Rhaetian Railway carries travelers through some of the most spectacular landscapes in the Alps — past glaciers, mountain lakes, forests and tiny villages tucked between towering peaks.

One of its most famous journeys is the Bernina route, which crosses the Alps from Switzerland into Italy. Along the way, trains climb to more than 7,000 feet without the use of a cogwheel system, navigating steep grades, dramatic curves and some remarkable feats of railway engineering.

Parts of the Rhaetian Railway through the Albula and Bernina landscapes are even recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, not just for the scenery but for the way the railway was engineered to work with the rugged mountain landscape.

And the best part?

You're not watching the Swiss Alps through a windshield. You can sit back, relax and simply watch one incredible view after another pass by your window.

🚆 Mountain railways
🏔️ Snowcapped Alpine peaks
🧊 Glaciers
🌲 Forests and mountain villages
🇨🇭 Switzerland from one of the best seats in the country

Would you make a Swiss rail journey part of your trip?

08/27/2026

DID YOU KNOW? 🦩

You might think of flamingos as pink — but wait until they spread their wings!

These are greater flamingos, and while their bodies can appear surprisingly pale, hidden beneath their folded wings are brilliant flashes of red, pink and black. When hundreds of them begin running across the water and taking flight together, the effect can be spectacular.

Greater flamingos are found across parts of Africa, southern Europe, the Middle East and South Asia, gathering in shallow lagoons, salt lakes and wetlands — sometimes in enormous flocks.

And that funny-looking run across the water isn't just for show. Flamingos need to build up speed before their large bodies can become airborne, using their long legs almost like an airplane uses a runway.

Once they're in the air, those long necks stretch straight ahead, their legs trail behind them, and the colors that were mostly hidden while they were standing suddenly become impossible to miss.

🦩 Travel has a way of showing you things that photographs just can't capture — and seeing a sight like this in person would certainly qualify.

08/26/2026

TRAVEL TIP TUESDAY ✈️

📸 Before you check your luggage, take a couple of pictures.

It takes less than a minute and could save you a headache if your bag doesn't arrive when you do.

First, photograph the outside of your suitcase. If the airline loses track of it, you'll have a current photo showing exactly what it looks like — including its color, size, brand and any distinctive markings.

Second, take a quick photo of the contents before you close it. If your luggage is lost or damaged and you need to file a claim, you'll have a record of what you packed.

One more tip: make sure your luggage tag has your current contact information, and consider putting a second copy of your contact information inside the suitcase in case the exterior tag disappears.

It takes about 30 seconds before leaving home — and you'll be very glad you did it if your suitcase decides to take a vacation of its own. 🧳

08/25/2026

WHERE IS THIS? 🌍

Stone rooftops, soaring minarets, mountains in the distance — and one very famous bridge.

This historic city grew along the banks of a beautiful river, and centuries of different cultures have left their mark on its architecture, traditions and character.

The old town is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, centered around the remarkable stone bridge you see in the photo. And here's something you might not expect: for generations, local daredevils have made a tradition of diving from the bridge into the river far below!

Today, visitors come to wander the old streets, explore the markets and cafés, and take in views like this one.

Think you know where we are? 🤔

Put your guess in the comments!

We'll post the answer on Friday. 👀

08/24/2026

DESTINATION OF THE WEEK: COLMAR, FRANCE 🇫🇷

What if you could step into a storybook?

Tucked into France's Alsace region near the borders of Germany and Switzerland, Colmar is filled with canals, flower-covered bridges and colorful half-timbered houses that look as though they've barely changed in centuries.

And if it looks a little familiar, there may be a reason. The colorful towns of Alsace, including Colmar, are often cited as visual inspiration for Belle's storybook village in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Walk through the old town and it's easy to see the resemblance.

One of Colmar's most photographed neighborhoods is La Petite Venise — Little Venice, where traditional Alsatian houses line the waterways and small bridges cross the canals.

But there's much more beyond the old town. Colmar sits amid the vineyards of Alsace and is an ideal starting point for exploring the Alsace Wine Route, which winds for more than 100 miles through vineyards, medieval villages and wine country famous for Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris.

And don't forget to look up! White storks are an emblem of Alsace, and after conservation efforts helped restore their population, these distinctive birds can once again be spotted throughout the region — often nesting high above the streets on rooftops and chimneys.

🏘️ Storybook architecture
🍇 Vineyards and the Alsace Wine Route
🍷 Famous Alsatian wines
🪺 White storks overhead
🇫🇷 A completely different side of France

Paris may get most of the attention, but places like Colmar are a reminder that some of France's most memorable experiences can be found well beyond the capital.

Would you put Colmar on your France itinerary?

08/21/2026

ROOM WITH A VIEW 🇬🇷

Imagine waking up here on a warm summer morning.

You open the doors and step onto the balcony, where the bougainvillea is spilling overhead and the turquoise water of the Ionian Sea is almost impossibly calm below you. Across the little bay, pastel-colored houses line the waterfront, and somewhere nearby, breakfast is being set out at a café.

No traffic to fight. No schedule you need to keep. Maybe you'll wander down for a swim, find a table by the water for lunch, or simply sit right here with a cup of coffee and watch the boats come and go.

This is Assos, a tiny seaside village on the Greek island of Kefalonia.

Not a bad place to spend a Friday, is it?

Follow All Four Corners Travel for more rooms with views worth dreaming about.

08/20/2026

DID YOU KNOW? 🚝

There’s a train in China that runs straight through a residential building.

This isn’t an abandoned building that had a railway added later. People actually live here.

Liziba Station in Chongqing is built directly into a 19-story residential building, with trains entering the building at the sixth floor and emerging from the other side.

It sounds like living there would be incredibly noisy, but the transit system uses specialized equipment to reduce noise and vibration.

Why build a train station through an apartment building in the first place?

Chongqing is an enormous, densely populated city built on steep, mountainous terrain. When the rail line and building were being planned, engineers had very little room to work with. Their solution was unusual: integrate the two.

Today, Liziba Station has become a tourist attraction in its own right, with visitors stopping to watch trains seemingly disappear into an apartment building.

Just another ordinary commute in Chongqing. 🇨🇳

08/18/2026

WHERE IS THIS? 🌎

Take a look at the photo and see if you can figure it out as the clues get progressively easier.

Here are your clues:

1. This city sits on the shore of the second-largest lake in its country.

2. The European-looking architecture isn't a coincidence. German immigrants began settling in the area in the 1850s, and their influence can still be seen in the city's architecture, culture and food.

3. The church you see in the photo was inspired by a church in Germany's Black Forest.

4. That perfectly shaped, snow-capped mountain across the lake isn't actually a mountain. It's a volcano.

5. We're in the Southern Hemisphere.

6. We're in South America.

Think you know where it is?

Let us know if you got it and which clue gave it away!

Make your guess before you look — the answer is in the comments! 👇

08/18/2026

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08/18/2026

TRAVEL TIP TUESDAY ✈️

Booking a round-trip flight? Don't assume a round-trip ticket is your only option.

Before you book, compare the price with two separate one-way tickets. Sometimes you can save money by flying one airline to your destination and another airline home. Even when the price is similar, mixing airlines may give you much better departure times or fewer connections.

And if you're visiting several cities, don't automatically fly home from the same airport where you arrived.

For example, instead of flying Chicago → Rome, traveling through Italy, then spending time and money getting all the way back to Rome, check a multi-city itinerary:

Chicago → Rome
Venice → Chicago

This is sometimes called an "open-jaw" itinerary, and it can save you an entire day of backtracking.

The cheapest itinerary isn't always the one with the cheapest airfare. Your time, extra hotel nights and transportation back to your original airport cost money too.