TV Junkie Paradise: Trips Better than Binging your Favorite Show

Posted on by boscovstravel

The following post is written by Amanda from the Boscov’s Travel Marketing Department. 

What’s better than sitting by your TV and binge watching your favorite show? ACTUALLY visiting the locations! We are so consumed by digital media that I think we forget how beautiful our world actually is. Yes, you heard me… there are multiple locations that you can visit in real life which are way better than watching the TV show!

First up

Game of Thrones

 

 

Taste of Iceland – on this tour enjoy a visit to Thingvellir (Þingvellir) National Park, featured throughout Game of Thrones season 4. The massive rocky bluffs will inspire you as the entrance to the Eeyrie, as well as the fight between Brienne and The Hound.


Plus you’ll see the black sand beaches in Reynisfarja or Vik beach, filming location for Eastwatch by the Sea and apparently (spoiler) shores of the Targaryen homeland in season 8.

Outlander
Next up, Scotland. If you happen to visit, you’ll probably stumble across one of the landscapes featured in the show Outlander. We recommend an independent tour with expert help by Monograms – you will be able to head to multiple locations from the show. With a stay in Edinburgh, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you will be right by Wentworth Prison where Jamie is imprisoned.
If you want more, you could get a driver for a day because within an hour of the city, you can visit even more locations. While staying in Edinburgh, stroll through Edinburgh’s Royal Mile where you’ll find many Outlander locations. With Monograms Tours you will be able to travel to London for 3-nights and then Edinburgh, Scotland for 3-nights giving you the perfect amount of time to visit locations from Outlander as well as the best movies/book of all time, Harry Potter #Gamechanger!

Harry Potter

Last but DEFINITELY not least – Harry Potter. I always wished Harry Potter was real so I could live the magical life (instead of this muggle one). The next best thing to being part of the magical world is visiting the locations from it….am I right? Here’s another Monograms Tour featuring 2-nights in London (of course, you can extend this trip with any number of other destinations, or just spend additional free time in the city!). While in London visit the Duke Humfrey’s Library at Oxford University to see scenes where Harry looks for clues in The Sorcerer’s Stone. A must see is the infamous Platform 9 ¾ at the Kings Cross Station (yes, it does exist!). I would say a true Harry Potter fan would HAVE to visit King’s Cross Station if they want to feel like they were a part of the movie.  Also, right in the heart of London is The Leadenhall Market and check Diagon Alley off your bucket list. Again, this is a must for a Harry Potter guru!

Now I know all of these sound ACTUALLY amazing on their own, but what if I told you could do all three together! Yes, you heard me! CIE Tours offers tours to all these movie landmarks. Are they the exact places listed above? No… but with this tour , you will be able to check off visiting the spot the Hogwarts Expressed was filmed, or the Doune Castle that Outlander fans known as the Castle of Leoch of Colum. The castle has even played a role in Game of Thrones. This trip really is a true bucket list experience.

These are just some places you can visit that is way way better than binging your favorite TV show… visit us when you’re ready to start packing your trunk (we promise we’ll make it less painful than apparating there).

 

If you’re ready to start planning your next vacation, email [email protected] or call 800-755-8020.

Visit Boscov’s Travel located within select Boscov’s including Pennsylvania (Camp Hill, Colonial Park/Harrisburg, Easton, Lancaster, Lebanon, Neshaminy/Bensalem, Wyomissing, Reading, Pottstown, Pottsville, Scranton, Selinsgrove, Wilkes-Barre), New York (Binghamton), New Jersey (Atlantic City and Moorestown), Delaware (Wilmington), and Maryland (Salisbury). View our locations here. If you live a little further away, book over the phone by calling us at 800-755-8020. Learn more at boscovstravel.com

 

My Stay in Iceland: The Top 5 Places to Visit Within A Day’s Drive of Reykjavik

Posted on by boscovstravel

The following post is written by Kristin from the Boscov’s Travel Marketing Department. Kristin traveled to Iceland in September 2017. 

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Tourism in Iceland is booming; more tourists visited in the past decade than the previous 6-decades combined. Tourism in 2017 exceeded 25% growth over the previous year. Hearing about the beauty of the landscape and encouraged by a friend who had recently visited, I planned a short trip for September.

We stayed in Reykjavik, the capital city, during our stay from Sunday through Wednesday. Only a short 30-minute drive from the airport, the city is home to a majority of the population and provides easy access to amazing natural landscapes. Equipped with Google Maps and a rental car, we spent each day venturing out to central and southern Iceland seeing the best the country has to offer. Here are my favorite sites we experienced all within a day’s drive of the capital city.

Experience the best of Iceland all within a day’s drive of Reykjavik: 

5. Geysir & Gullfoss Waterfalls

Drive time from Reykjavik: 1 hour 45 minutes (part of the Golden Circle route)
The active Geysirs are just an 8-minute drive from the double-tiered Gullfoss Waterfall which are the largest volume falls in Europe.

4. Vik Beach (Reyinsfjara)

Drive time from Reykjavik: 2 hours 15 minutes or half an hour from Skogafoss waterfalls
Black sand from lava makes this beach one of the most unique in the world. The allure of the site is enhanced by the basalt cliff made of symmetrical columns formed by lava. This is not a swimmable beach (if you go, watch for the ‘sneaker waves’) but is perfect for a scenic walk.

3. The Blue Lagoon

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Drive time from Reykjavik: 45-minutes (20 minutes from the airport)

An obligatory stop if you’re in Iceland, this Instagram-worthy photo op is worth the price of admission. Most of the country is powered by geothermal energy, and this lagoon is made from water powered by the local plant. The temperature is about 100 degrees Farenheit and is said to have relieving effects on the joints, while the rich silica water leaves your skin feeling nourished for the next few days.
After about an hour and a half you’ll come to the realization that you’re basically in a hot tub with 200 strangers and be on your way.

2. Skogafoss Waterfalls

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Drive time from Reykjavik: 2 hours or a half hour drive from Vik Beach
The drive to this attraction near the southern coast is a beautiful one. Stop on the side of the road to pet the horses, spot the free roaming sheep or take a panoramic of the picturesque landscape.
Drive around a mountain and you’ll be greeted with the beautiful waterfall. A quick hike up the stairs gives you an unparalleled view of the fall’s crest, countryside and sea. Make an afternoon of it climbing for even more impressive views.

1. Thingvellir National Park (Þingvellir)

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Drive time from Reykjavik: 1 hour (part of the Golden Circle route)
This place has it all. Waterfalls, a lake, mountains, marsh lands, diving, rainbows – this is a must-see for anyone traveling to Iceland. Game of Thrones fans will recognize the landscape as the entrance to the Eyrie and the tundra where Brienne defeated the Hound.

Know before you go: 
– Water in many parts of the country have a strong sulfur smell. If you stay in the capital, be prepared to notice it while you shower, in your water and more. Though they say it’s safe to drink, we opted for bottled water – the locals will tell you it’s the same thing, but judge for yourself.

IMG_5881-Layers are your best friend. The temperature ranged in the mid-40’s at night to the low-50’s during the day. We experienced three of four days of intermittent showers. The temperature felt as though it ranged from the 30’s – 60’s. Quickly convert Celcius to Farenheit: multiply by 2 and add 30.

– Things are expensive. Most goods need to be imported leading to a high cost for eating out, souvenirs, fuel for driving and more. For example, a bowl of soup cost $20 at a local restaurant. There are grocery stores where you can purchase provisions for day trips – locals recommended Bonus and Kronan (look for the big yellow signs for both).

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Iceland is a truly breathtaking country and a bucket list destination for any adventurer. It is the ideal layover stop when traveling to/from Europe and Icelandair’s incredible stopover deal allows you up to 7-nights to experience the best of Iceland without an additional ticket charge.  If you’re ready to start planning your Icelandic getaway or make it a layover on your journey to Europe, email [email protected], call 800-755-8020 or direct message us.

Visit Boscov’s Travel located within select Boscov’s including Pennsylvania (Camp Hill, Colonial Park/Harrisburg, Easton, Lancaster, Lebanon, Neshaminy/Bensalem, Wyomissing, Reading, Pottstown, Pottsville, Scranton, Selinsgrove, Wilkes-Barre), New York (Binghamton), New Jersey (Atlantic City and Moorestown), Delaware (Wilmington), and Maryland (Salisbury). View our locations here. If you live a little further away, book over the phone by calling us at 800-755-8020. Learn more at boscovstravel.com.