Botanical Gardens

The impressive grounds of the 36-acre Botanical Gardens were begun in 1898, when the Gardens were opened for the promotion of agriculture. Permanent collections here include the Hibiscus Garden, a sub-tropical fruit garden and a palm garden.

Bermuda Aquarium & Zoo

Located in picturesque Flatts Inlet, the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo inspires an appreciation and care of island environments. See more than 100 species of indigenous Bermuda fish in ocean and reef environments, including the spectacular 145,000-gallon North Rock exhibit. Visit the new Natural History Museum, which is an interactive haven for visitors of all ages. See animals from the Caribbean, Australia, Asia, Madagascar, and Galapagos in the zoo.

Royal Navy Dockyard

Built by slave and convict labor, the Dockyard became a strategic outpost for the Royal Navy. In 1869, the world's largest floating dry dock was installed here. Thanks to an imaginative redevelopment program, many of the historic old naval buildings have been converted into restaurants with character, shops with Victorian elegance, and arts and crafts workshops. The "flagships" are undoubtedly the Clocktower Centre, and the Bermuda Maritime Museum, set in the body of the fort, and Commissioner's House. Dolphin Quest is located in The Keep of the Bermuda Maritime Museum.

Gibb's Hill Lighthouse

Gibb's Hill Lighthouse, towering nearly 362 feet above sea level, was erected in 1846 after a rash of shipwrecks along Bermuda's coastline. It is one of a few lighthouses in the world made of cast iron. Climb the eight flights of stairs to the top and you will certainly be rewarded with a panoramic view.

Front Street

Picturesque Front Street contains a treasure trove of shops and boutiques. Bermuda's merchants offer an array of merchandise from designer clothes, fine china, perfumes, jewelry, and European linens to locally produced art, crafts, and ceramics. And remember Bermuda has no sales tax.

Pink Sand Beaches

Bermuda is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The blushing pink sand is a result of shell particles, calcium carbonate, and bits of crushed coral mixed with sand. Here is a list of some of the beaches that are open to the public: Astwood Cove, Chaplin Bay, Church Bay, Clearwater Beach, Elbow Beach, Horseshoe Bay, Jobson's Cove, John Smith's Bay, Shelly Bay, Stonehole Bay, Tobacco Bay, Warwick Long Bay.

Golf in Bermuda

Bermuda contains more golf courses per square mile then any other country in the world. Warm ocean breezes and moderate temperatures make golf in Bermuda a year round pleasure.

Forts

Bermuda's first forts were constructed in 1612 and the building of fortifications continued until the 1940's. By the end of the Second World War approximately seventy sites had been fortified on the island and over one hundred forts have been constructed at these sites. Forts are the oldest stone buildings in Bermuda, and they represent every stage of the island's development - from a small isolated outpost of the British Empire in the 1600's to what became the Gibralter of the West in the 1880's and beyond.

On Site: Rail Europe Trip— Day Three, Lugano

The Swiss Pass may well be one of the cooler inventions to come along for tourism since the GDS. When a client has one of these passes, they can ride almost any public transportation in all of Switzerland for free, or at a greatly reduced rate. They can also get free or discounted access to museums and attractions all over the country. Please tell me—why we don’t have this in New York? Ride the subway for free and get into MoMA as a bonus! Seriously, it’s a great deal, and helps visitors explore more of the country and what it has to offer. Book it for your clients at www.raileurope.com, and tell them to hold onto it while they travel. They’ll need to show it often.

See more of Switzerland's cities in the video below.

With Swiss passes firmly in hand, our little group departed Milan at the crack of dawn to head across the border to Switzerland. Just a few miles from the border is Lugano, a town on a lake of the same name, surrounded by the Alps and some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in all of Switzerland. (The Italian town of Como is just a few miles away. We looked for George Clooney, but didn’t see him. Alas.)

The train ride—not even a high-speed one—was all of an hour, and crossing the border was effortless. We arrived at the station and went to our hotel to drop off our bags. The Hotel du Lac is technically in the town of Paradiso, and the gorgeous area lives up to its name. The lake is a brilliant turquoise blue, and a low mist made the mountains seem unapproachable and mysterious. (The hotel is right on the lake, and guests can swim in its waters or in the pool.) Our guide, Eliana Richina (e.franchini@bluewin.ch) got us first on a boat across the lake (lovely views of the villages along the shores) and then on a cogwheel train up Monte Generoso. Both trips were free with the Swiss Pass—the former took maybe 40 minutes, and the latter about an hour to reach the top of the mountain.

From there, we hiked a few yards to the peak for some spectacular views. Tell your clients to bring solid walking shoes that they don’t mind getting a bit dirty—the goats that graze on the side of the mountain are awfully cute, but they make the path very messy. Afterwards, we had a late lunch of local cuisine (ricotta-and-spinach ravioli, cheese-covered vegetables) at the peak’s restaurant, and relaxed for the ride back down the mountain.

Eliana took us on a walking tour of the town, where we could see the Cathedral and one of the major churches. The first dates back to the year 818 (it’s been restored and renovated a few times since), and the second—St. Mary of the Angels Church—has some original frescoes by Bernardino Luini, a student of Leonardo da Vinci’s. (The artwork in the church was covered for years, and is in a remarkable state of preservation. Some drawings on the walls look like sculpture and statuary—a perfect trompe-l'œil. Send your art-aficionado clients to check the church out.

See more of how to get around in Switzerland in the video below.

We then wandered through the old part of the city (built onto a hillside—tell your clients to bring good walking shoes!), passing little boutique stores and luxury retailers. (The former Palace of Justice, a building from 1425, now houses a Cartier store.) Suggest your shopaholic clients spend a few hours just wandering the town and going from store to store—if they get tired, there are plenty of gelaterias for them to recharge their batteries.

We were going to have an alfresco dinner at The Spaghetti Store, but the amazingly rude staff drove us out of there and over to Pizzeria Mary’s, a very nice restaurant with a patio that catches cooling breezes off the lake. Try the spinach gnocchi…or the tagliatelle Bolognese…or any of their different risottos. Really, it was all delicious, and light enough to be enjoyed outdoors on a warm night. (They also had a very tasty white Merlot, something I’d never tried before. It went beautifully with the pastas.)

On Site: Classy Business Aboard Lufthansa

I am afraid to fly. There, I said it. Good thing I picked a profession that would keep me constantly on the ground. Whoops. If you are an aerophob like myself, allow me to let you in on a little secret. Two words: Business Class.

I just arrived in Dusseldorf, Germany for a press trip and, man, after a seven-hour flight in Lufthansa’s business class, I could see anyone becoming an airplane junky. Even me.

After two glasses of Coppola Shiraz and a plate of charcuterie in the Business Class Lounge at Newark Liberty International Airport, the knots in my stomach seemed to loosen just a smidge. A seamless boarding followed by a very chilled glass of bubbly was enough to almost bring a smile to my panic-stricken face.  Even as we sat on the runway for an hour and a half due to air traffic (oh the joys of flying, right?) the flight attendants were sure to come by with cold glasses of sparkling water and orange juice.

Now for the kicker. As the dinner hour rolled around someone came by and asked if she may set my table. She was kind enough not to laugh at my perplexed look and instead proceeded to place a white linen tablecloth over my tray table. As for menu options I opted for the Tanqueray cured salmon served with orange, pumpernickel and mustard-dill dressing to start. For a main course I tucked into some of the most tender beef short ribs I’ve had in a while. Seriously, this is airplane food? Flight attendants rolled beverage carts by what seemed like every few minutes to top off my glass of red wine.

Feeling sleepy from a full belly (and maybe from that Tylenol PM I popped) I was delighted to find that my chair reclined to an almost 180-degree angle. Pillows propped up just right and TV tilted so that glare would be minimal, I hunkered down to watch “Date Night,” – that Steve Carell and Tina Fey movie with a star-studded cast (think Mark Wahlberg, James Franco, Ray Liotta, Mila Kunis...). Turns out I probably didn’t need to take that Tylenol PM – that movie was a snore all on its own. Note: There are dozens of movie and television options to choose from. I also watched an episode of Entourage and 30 Rock - to which I owe my sanity after suffering through Date Night.

When I awoke breakfast had long been over but I found a nice to-go bag by my seat with a sandwich, yogurt and some fresh fruit. Well rested, satiated and safe I was ready to take on Dusseldorf. Aerophobia cured…or at least until I’m back flying coach.

Stay tuned for more tales from Dusseldorf as Travel Agent is here through Sunday.