10 TRAVEL QUESTIONS WITH JAMES SHILLINGLAW

 

 

To call James a veteran travel journalist, which he most definitely is but which also sounds like some poor, mythical character cursed to forever sail the seas and skies, is to understate just how much he travels. As founder and Editor in Chief of Insider Travel Report, a digital newsletter that reaches over 125,000 U.S. based travel advisors and travel professionals, he’s often out somewhere fabulous. 

 

The average person travels outside the country once or twice a year, James does it every week, sometimes more than once.

 

Before ITR, James’ career had him running several trade publications — Travel Agent magazine, Travel Market Report, an online newsletter, and Travalliancemedia, which produced two monthly magazines and TravelPulse.com. And he’s twice been awarded Travel Journalist of the Year, by the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), in 2003 and 2014.

 

So, you know, he’s a good guy to ask a few questions.

 

 

 

 

Precisely how many different countries have you been to?

 

I don’t count countries, I count countries I haven’t been to. I’d say conservatively I’ve been to 80 countries, to some multiple times.

 

 

Where are the three favorite places you’d go back to on your own time?

 

Well, Switzerland, because I’ve lived there and feel very much at home there. Second is the UK — Scotland and England — because again I’ve been there a lot and feel very much at home there. And then I’d say, New Zealand.

 

Can I do a fourth? Portugal. 

 

 

Who are the nicest people you’ve come across in your travels, and the most hospitable?

 

Again, New Zealanders, Australians, very hospitable. Very friendly. Oh, and Canadians! 

 

 

Which country has the best food?

 

You gotta go with Italy. My father used to say he could eat Italian food every day. 

 

And French food, which I also like, but not every day.

 

After that I get into Asian foods. In NY, I eat Chinese food a lot. It’s not the same in China, except for a few high end places. New York City has the best Chinese food I think, if you look for it.

 

 

What’s your favorite restaurant in the world?

 

Oh my God, this is a tough one, because are you going for comfort food or other? My favorite restaurant in the world would be — honestly — Sushi Mike in Dobbs Ferry, near where I live. It has Grade A sushi, and is the best sushi restaurant in Westchester, New York and nobody knows about it except people in Westchester.

 

 

 

 

What three destinations are overrated? 

 

I always accept what destinations are, and what they have to offer, so I’d have to say — again, a tough one — Dubai, which I do like, but I think people are all into it now and I think it’s almost overdone. To some extent, sometimes France is overrated. It’s so high on the charts — I think it’s amazing, but it’s not everything at all times. I’ll get in trouble for saying that. 

 

After that, Greece, mainland. The islands are great but the mainland, Athens, places like that, I don’t really think [are as great].

 

 

What’s the worst hotel you’ve ever stayed in? What’s the best?

 

There was a hotel, in Catania, Sicily, it was the only one my father ever walked out of. It was dirty, filthy, pretty awful. That was as a kid. We were traveling on the cheap back then.

 

 

 

 

The best is a hard one because I stay in so many hotels.

 

I’m going to say something interesting, and more recent for me — I stayed in a place called 100 Princes Street, in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was a boutique hotel, and I was just so comfortable and it was such a nice place. They don’t have a real restaurant [except for breakfast] but they will bring you food, whatever you want. It’s only about a year old. I spent a couple of hours with the general manager drinking a single malt and looking at Edinburgh Castle.

 

 

Airlines have become the Ninth Ring of Hell. Why?

 

I think the scheduling system for airlines has become so obtuse and so convoluted, and everything depends on something else, and they always try to make the flight go, and sometimes they shouldn’t. And inconsistency in service. I like Delta, and Jet Blue, but boy there’s a lot of inconsistency, and even worse with United and American. 

 

Some of my best experiences have been in foreign airlines. I like Virgin, I think they do a good job, and Emirates is super. Oh, and business class, Qatar. 

 

Yeah, it’s overscheduling. I know the revenue is important but they’re trying to put everyone in every seat. 

 

 

What’s the most fun way to travel — train, boat, car, camel? I deliberately left out plane.

 

I gotta tell you, I’m a train buff. I love trains, I still have some trains I need to go on, some aspirational trains. I want to go on the Dolce Vita, which is the new Italian train by Orient Express. I’ve done all the Swiss Mountain trains. I’ve done the high speed trains in Italy and in France. I just think it’s one of the most romantic and wonderful ways to travel.

 

I’ve been on tons of cruises, I love cruises, but there’s something about trains. I’ve done the Glacier Express in Switzerland, which is a misnomer because it goes so slow.

 

 

Where haven’t you been but want to go?

 

That’s an easy one! A lot of South America, Colombia, Brazil which I have not done, Peru. I want to do more of Japan. 

 

Korea — I’d like to see that. And then Southeast Asia — Vietnam and Cambodia. I’ve done Myanmar. 

 

I would also love to do more of India, and more of China.