Iceland is one of the most captivating countries I’ve ever visited, and its vibrant capital, Reykjavik - home to over half the nation’s population - punches far above its weight. Looking back, it feels almost embarrassing that I originally planned to spend just a few hours in Reykjavik. By sheer luck, my daughter and I finished our epic Laugavegur hike a few days early, which gave us two full days in the city instead. And I didn’t regret a single minute. In this article, I’ll share nine things that surprised and fascinated me about this beautiful, underrated, very European city.

In the heart of Ontario, the ION light rail transit system has become much more than a transportation project. It’s a key component of sustainable urban growth. One of the core reasons behind building ION was to contain the region’s suburban sprawl and protect the surrounding farmland - some of the most fertile in Canada. Instead of expanding outward with low-density single-family homes, Kitchener-Waterloo has seen a dramatic rise in vertical development, with high-rise condominiums and apartment buildings reshaping its otherwise dull skyline. The LRT also triggered a major revitalization effort to modernize century-old utilities beneath the streets and laid the groundwork for a more connected, compact, and resilient urban future.

Although my mini-adventure to Northern Ontario went completely off the rails, from the moment I arrived at the wrong airport in Toronto to the message I received from Via Rail informing me that my train from White River to Sudbury, the main reason I went there in the first place, was cancelled for reasons they didn’t explain, I discovered something greater - the genuine northern kindness and hospitality from the many people I met on the trip. And then there was the landscape: raw, untouched, and breathtakingly beautiful. For anyone feeling overwhelmed by the heaviness of daily life or simply those who have lost faith in humanity, I recommend going far away from the big cities to explore the true north.

Thinking of skipping the traffic and heading to Cape Cod by train? The CapeFLYER is your best-kept secret for a stress-free summer escape. This seasonal rail service runs from Boston’s South Station to Hyannis, and offers a comfortable, affordable, scenic, and surprisingly social alternative to the infamous Cape Cod car crawl.

Tokyo’s subway system is the largest and busiest in the world - and for good reason: around 40 million people live in the city and rely on trains daily. However, the system is notorious for its rush-hour overcrowding, with white-gloved “pushers” cramming passengers into already packed cars, sometimes helping reach two to three times the recommended capacity. It’s no surprise that many locals refer to their daily commute as “commuter hell,” but is the Tokyo subway really that bad? The only way to find out is to scroll down.