Look! Up in the sky. It's a bird! It's plane. No it's joy Jetson. Unless you've been sleeping under a rock for the past ten to 15 years, you'll know that China has leap-frogged pretty much everyone over pretty much everything. For example, over the past 8–10 years…

Spend Wisely
This time, it's the Americas. There's no getting around, getting around, in the words of Julian Cope. Still, no matter how enjoined to rail and other transport modes you are, cars are still it. It's not a bad thing at all as long as we errant humans stop, look and listen to the environment. (Personally,…
Ah, travel - The eternal yin and yang of being human. When it comes to air travel, most everyday humans usually will opt for the lower-cost options: most of us don't have much choice: that's the way it goes. But, sometimes we can squeeze our coins such that a delightful surprise awaits us. …
As they say "you snooze, you lose." Who wants that? With the rush and push of todays travel, you really want to stay on the ball and not miss the real deals. If you cringe at the thought of shouting down a phone to "an agent" only to find that your…
As Europe's rail giants scrapped their sleeper cars, one tiny country went all‑in. Austria's ÖBB has built the continent's largest night train network, carrying millions across borders while everyone else hit the brakes. Here's how Austria quietly conquered the night. So why is this important? Night trains evoke a sense of romantic isolation,…
No problem, you might think. But, think again. There's way more to it. Choosing the "best" seat on a plane is no longer a guessing game; in 2026, it is a calculation based on your body type, your sleep habits, and the specific aircraft model. With airlines increasingly "densifying" cabins (adding more…
Vietnam is currently in the middle of a massive, multi-decade transformation of its rail network. For a long time, the system was a charming but aging relic of the French colonial era; now, it’s being repositioned as the backbone of the country's economic future and a premier "slow travel" destination. As of April 2026,…
Get on the Ball. Do you ever wake up in the morning, roll over and ask yourself "why am I here?" No, it's not the existential question that we're posing here. Rather it's a literal calling, or a desire, or an urge that makes you snap to to To "get on the…
You might have seen recent posts, articles and videos about potential dangers with certain kinds of batteries on airliners. New regulations for carrying batteries, particularly lithium-ion, focus on preventing fire risks by mandating that most batteries and power banks be carried in carry-on luggage only. Key rules include strict prohibitions on damaged/recalled batteries, a requirement for…
Are you one of those savvy travelers who can manage your travel expenses without almost thinking about it? It's natural to lucky you. The rest of us may not have those kinds of brain waves. While travelers usually focus on exchange rates and museum fees, Minimum Wages across Europe are actually a…
12 Items You Should Stop Bringing to the Airport in 2026. "I’m a Flight Attendant, and These Are the 12 Items You Should Stop Bringing to the Airport in 2026. Here are 12 things I always see smart travelers pack." Read more here, courtesy of Travel & Leisure. Click here (with some…
For almost as many years that we've been operating Matouring, we've relied on our affiliate partners, OMIO. With their depth and breadth of travel solutions, it's no wonder that so many other travel companies have partnered with them, or rely on their services, as well. If you know about OMIO, they mostly make…
As ever, better safe than sorry. Travel insurance for us seniors is always a good idea.
Year by year, cities and countries get smarter by realizing that rail is the future, not the past. Some wake up sooner than others and taste the benefits. Others take a bit more time to arrive at the table. Europe and Asia, of course, have been on that train for decades. …
We've been running this website for quite a while: since 2018, as a matter of fact. Others come and go, but we try to keep our mantra now as it was when we first started. Matouring stands for mature touring, and we mean it. We're not "influencers or web celebrities: we're…
Despite endless warnings and worldwide condemnation, we humans still persist in taking the easy way out when it comes to travel, and of course, the easy way out is the lazy way out. Flying can be one of the biggest culprits, despite heroic efforts by jet manufacturers like Airbus. Going flight-free is…
Big is the thing in this day and age. Loud. Brash. In your face. Influencers. If you're old and in the way like your editor is, that can get a bit tiring. You might feel the same way. So, out of the blue (this pun will come later) we have…
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There’s no getting around getting around. BlaBlaCar makes it happen.
“The best way to behave is to misbehave.” That's what Mae West thought, anyway. But there comes a time when your time is up and someone steps in front of you. Here's an example. Bali, beautiful, relaxing Bali has had it up to their necks with troublemakers, party animals, influencers and social…