Setting sights on Europe

How does a guy holed up in an attic office in south Minneapolis create a thorough and compelling European travel-planning website? By traveling a lot. It doesn't hurt that his name and face greet visitors to the site, since both are vaguely European. The name: Durant Imboden. The look: healthy white beard and beret. Just days before he departed on a Nordic cruise, we lured Imboden away from his computer to a corner coffee shop. Naturally, we drank cappuccino and chatted about the Continent. Conversation also turned to www.europeforvisitors. com, the site he produces with his wife, Cheryl.

Q What's your primary advice for traveling to Europe?

A Go to one place and stay there. And don't visit the sights; just go walking. Americans expect to do too much. They go to Italy for a week and want to hit Rome, Venice and Florence. It's the equivalent of visiting Boston, New York and Washington, D.C., in six days. Would you do that? No.

Q But you can understand the impulse.

A We don't live in the era of the Grand Tour, when people would travel by ship and it took weeks just to get there. Now, we can get there in a matter of hours. There will always be another trip.

Q We hope. Other tips?

A Consider renting an apartment. Nowadays you can find apartments all over the place, and they're cheaper than a hotel. You can shop in the neighborhood and eat in when you're tired, go out when you want. What's better than playing house in Paris?

Q Is there a best time of year to go?

A Maybe November and December. But because of discount airlines in Europe, the days of off-season are almost gone. Amsterdam on weekends seems full of British drunks. It is quaint to think how we once talked about high season or shoulder season.

Q How did you come to produce a website on Europe?

A Mainly, I like Europe. In the late 1990s, when the Web was just opening up to the nonacademic world, I created "Baby Boomers Venice." Then I wrote "Venice for Visitors" and Cheryl had the Switzerland and Austria site at About.com. We launched www.europeforvisitors.com in 2001.

Q What do you like about working on the Web?

A We have more than 5,000 pages of content. We have stories on destinations. But we can also link people to local resources like hotels and timetables for transportation. We have photo galleries and cruise reviews. We provide practical information on the Paris Metro; people agonize about this stuff. Also, when rates or schedules change, I can update the site with the click of a button. It's cool to be able to do that. I have loads of information on the big cities, but I also write about places most guidebooks never cover.

Q What's your favorite hidden spot in Europe?

A I just got back from Munster, Germany. It's a town of 100,000 people, very popular at Christmas with the Dutch. It's a university city full of bicycles. It's prosperous, has great museums. It even has a Picasso museum. There are other places like Porquerolles, a little island not far from Marseille [France]. It is a low-key place with a botanical research station. Or La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. It's satisfying to cover places the big books don't.

Kerri Westenberg • 612-673-4282

TIPS FROM THE SITE

At Imboden's site, www. europeforvisitors.com, readers can learn why Venice has a lion as its mascot, how to explore Switzerland on inline skates and where to grab a bite in Cornwall, England. The site packs in articles, photos and links for destinations throughout Western Europe. But a guy who travels so often has plenty of traveling tips. We mined the site for some insights.

PACK WHAT YOU NEED

"Happiness lies somewhere between a travel tote and a steamer trunk," he writes. A few of his practical tips: Don't pack one colored plastic item next to another; the dye from one could transfer to the other. Avoid backpacks with external frames. They are too big to fit in many overhead racks.

TELL-ALL TAGS

"Luggage tags aren't the most exciting of travel accessories." They are, however, quite important. Imboden uses a homemade tag with his name on one side and his contact information on the other. The tag also mentions that a copy of his itinerary is in the top outside pocket of his suitcase. That way, if bags are delayed, they can be forwarded to his next address.

ONLINE WITH LOCALS

Don't tote a laptop to Europe unless you really need one. Instead, visit cybercafes. Among the advantages: ease, fast connection speed and cultural experience. "Instead of being isolated in your room [typing away], you'll be in a cafe frequented by locals."

SPEAKING OF SAFETY

"Know the word 'police' in the local language and you'll be able to yell for help if you need it." But rest assured, you probably won't. Crime statistics show that most tourists have less to fear in Europe than they do at home.

LAST-MINUTE ROOMS

"Avoid the tourist-office booking desk during high season or on weekends." Its hotel choices are limited, and you could wind up in a dump or an inconvenient location.