The Top Travel Destinations with Kevin Flanagan

Kevin and his school pal Spencer visited the catalan capital when both were 16 years old schoolboys with only one thing on their minds. And what did they get? Listen to this tragic tale of young love (or lust) gone unanswered!Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Join Kevin as he takes you on a fascinating tour of this Catalan city. He'll show you where to eat, drink, sightsee, shop and stay all in a day! (links to each below)Eat: Disfrutar – Villarroel 163, 08036 Barcelona. Avg €200–250 pp

Sitges may be the LGBTQ capital of the world, but it also has some of the best cultural events that you could wish for. In this episode, Kevin takes you by the hand and gives you a taste of a normal cultural night in Sitges that will live long in the memory.Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

It is known worldwide as a gay capital par excellence, but as Kevin found out, it is that and more. “Really, one of the most diverse and friendly cities I have ever visited. Join Kevin as he takes you on a tour of this Catalan gem.Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinations

Join Kevin as he is blown away by what he describes as “the most beautiful and mystical space I have ever walked in outside nature!” Yes, we are visiting Antoni Gaudí's  (1852–1926) visionary Basílica de la Sagrada Família in Barcelona. “Don't die before you walk into this building, as it will give you a taste of heaven!” Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

The city that has it all, and what better way to see it than from the top of a bus! Join Kevin as he takes a trip around the magnificent city that is the capital of the fiercely independent region of Spain.Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

What is it about the friendliness of the Irish that makes every traveller feel welcome? When Kevin first arrived from London many years ago, he had a hard time understanding the Irish—until one night in a pub in Sandymount changed everything.Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Kevin takes you on a tour of one of his favourite cities and shares a full day's itinerary—including somewhere to visit, a popular tourist tour, a restaurant to eat in, a place to shop, and finally, a bar for a celebratory drink!Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

We've all seen the TV shows about renovating an old house or villa abroad. But what is it really like? Kevin quizzes his friend Bimbi, who has not only moved part-time to Italy but also taken on the challenge of restoring an architectural gem in the heart of town. What are the benefits, the challenges, and the rewards?Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

We all dream of buying a holiday home and spending part of the year somewhere with sunshine and great food. Well, Kevin's friend Spencer Power has done just that, and he shares his tips with Kevin on how to select, buy, and settle down in a different part of the world.Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

While in Iceland, Kevin is bowled over to meet one of the most controversial and tragic figures in modern pop culture. Not only the wife of John Lennon, but the person single-handedly charged with ending The BeatlesDo visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Kevin goes to the top of the world for an experience like no other and including fire, ice, music chess and a bit of fermented shark. Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

According to the latest data, the Titanic Museum in Belfast is near the top of the “Most boring places to visit” list. Kevin goes on a visit to find the truth behind a museum that has broken all recordsDo visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Kevin looks at the latest research, which lists the world's most boring attractions as voted for by the public. Find out who is on the list and why!Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

There are things you never want to see again on your travels and things you never want to forget. A visit to The Killing Fields, followed by a visit to the temple of Angkor Wat, provides such a confusing but unforgettable travel experience.Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital, surprised me more than any other city. From a raw and violent history to unexpected charm, here's why Cambodia's capital still haunts and delights me.Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Kevin and his grandson Kuba, sit down to discuss what makes the perfect travel companion, as they journey around Lake Garda.Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

In this on-location podcast recorded live in the Alpino restaurant in Malcesine, Lake Garda. Kevin interviews Malcom Stocks, who works for Topflight, one of Ireland's leading tour operators. Malcolm spends the summer working in the paradise that is Lake Garda and the winter in the snow-covered Alps, organising and participating in skiing. Kevin sits down for lunch with Malcom and asks him: Is this the best job in the world?Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Limone is a picture-perfect town on the shores of Lake Garda, and it hosts a really special hotel. Kevin shares stories of his trips there with Kuba and MayaVisit Topflight.ie Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

It has everything: the all-year-round weather, breathtaking views, and so much more. Kevin visits this iconic resort to report.Thanks to Topflight.ie Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Kevin goes back to Floral Street in the heart of  London's Covent Garden to revisit a place that lives long in his memory. A place that changed his life and his destiny. And he asks the question: What is your favourite street? Is there one that has special significance in your life? Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Kevin explores the reasons some cities are truly great, and he lists his favourite. What is your favourite city?Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

“Growing up, I was amazed at the way poor Vietnamese peasants, often armed only with an AK-47, could kick the mighty American army out of their country. And it was only after having visited the tunnels used by the North Vietnamese army in Saigon that I understood.” Join Kevin as he goes underground and discovers the true sacrifice that was needed to defeat the overwhelming power of the USA army.”Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Saigon is the Asian city that has the most in common with the USA and Europe. A vibe that Kevin describes as “Truly of the swinging sixties. Saigon became one of the main inspirations for music and films of the late 1960s and early 1970s. I would live there in a heartbeat.”Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

What is it about Champagne that makes it so memorable? Kevin visits the famous Champagne region and looks at its illustrious history. He also asks the BIG question: is Champagne worth the money and the hype?Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Kevin leaves Laurent-Perrier with a priceless gift, but at Charles de Gaulle Airport, something terrible happens! Listen to find out Kevin's tale of woe and bliss on a three day visit to one of the world's great Champagne houses.Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

“You know something is wrong when just about every person you meet is on his or her mobile phone!” says Kevin, as he visits one of the most popular new spa brands in the world, the QC Terme Dolomiti, in Val di Fassa, in the shadows of the mountains of Trentino. “I was amazed how instead of savouring the moment, the majority of visitors just recorded it.” Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

“I love mountains from the Dolomites to the Alps to the Himalayan giants like Everest,” says Kevin, “and every winter I go and enjoy the snow and the icy conditions.” But what about the summer months when the snow has melted and the slopes are covered in grass meadows and alpine flowers? Join Kevin as he dives into the summer wonderland that mountain ranges provide for the enthusiastic explorer.Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Glasnevin Cemetery has become one of Ireland's most visited tourist attractions, and Kevin asks the question: what have the dead to offer? The answer may surprise you!Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Next to Glasnevin Cemetery lies one of Dublin's natural wonders, with plants and trees from the four corners of the world. “And the best thing about it,” says Kevin, “Is that it is entirely free! I'm just amazed more people don't visit this paradise on earth.” Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Known around the world as the first must-see place to explore when visiting Ireland's capital, Kevin looks at the dark side of the bright lights of Temple Bar. And he asks the question: Is it really worth a visit, or are you just getting ripped off?Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Often voted the No. 1 site for visitors to see, the Guinness Storehouse has been variously described as a Willy Wonka Factory for alcohol and a brilliant marketing tool for a global brand. Kevin Flanagan shares his views on Dublin's most visited tourist attraction and offers an alternative! Listen to the end to discover another fabulous visitor experience.Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Kevin chats to his old friend and restaurateur Eileen Dunne Crescenzi about where and what to eat when visiting Rome. “Eileen knows more about Italian food than anyone I know,” says Kevin, “Not only has she opened one of Dublin's busiest and best-known restaurants, Dunne & Crescenzi, she has lived and worked in Rome for many years.” Follow Eileen's advice and you will enjoy the unique wonder of Rome's rich culinary tradition.Find out more about Eileen & Stefano's Dublin restaurants: dunneandcrescenzi.com Eileen's Roman Restaurant recommendations:Da Lu - Trastevere areaPiatto Romano - Testaccio area Osteria degli Amici - Testaccio areaDishes:Cacio e PepeLa CarbonaraAmatricianaCarciofo alla Romana e il Carciofo alla GiudiaCoda alla VaccinaraTrippa alla Romana Baccalà alla RomanaConcia di zucchine Fiore di ZucchiniDo visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

With the death of a pope and the election of another, Kevin revisits a city that has dominated the world news. And he gives his own unique guide to one of the most fascinating places in the world, explaining in the process why it is always in the news. Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Due to extraordinary circumstances, Kevin was taken on a tour of places in the Vatican not usually seen by tourists. In this episode, he reveals his insights and shares his secret tips on how to get the most out of a visit to the world's smallest city-state!Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

”I wanted to visit Taiwan before the potential Chinese invasion happened,” says Kevin, “I wanted to see, taste and feel what peace was like before it changed.”Kevin visits the beleaguered country that lives under the shadow of war.  Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

”I have visited some of the most chilling places on earth: The Killing Fields of Cambodia, the site of the nuclear attack on Hiroshima and Auschwitz,” says Kevin, “but the Ossuary in Verdun where the bones of 160,000 soldiers of all nationalities bear a very heavy message for humankind that cannot be avoided.”Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

”You can actually pack a hell of a lot into a one-day city break,” says Kevin Flanagan, travel writer and podcaster, after returning from a short stay in the UK's capital. “As you know I am a big believer in travel as a way to keep your brain young as you get older, so there really is no excuse not to travel and enjoy cities around Europe and beyond even for just one day!”Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Kevin was invited recently to visit a friend in London. “It was one of my oldest friends Spencer and his wife Bimbi asked me to come on a surprise visit.” After humming and hahhing, Kevin decided to clear his diary and go. “I will never forget the look of sheer surprise and delight on Spencer's face when I saw him. He was over the moon I had made the effort and it was worth the trip for that alone.” Kevin's mantra is never turn down an invite especially when it comes to travel!  Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Kevin finds simple delights as he strolls through the centre of London with a friend on a balmy spring dayDo visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Kevin goes back to visit a past that still resonates with lessons as he visits the iconic Winston Churchill War Rooms. The fascinating visit prompts the question: “If we don't learn from the past are we destined to repeat it?” The answer is sobering . . . Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Kevin gives you a tour of his favourite Dublin parks where you can see Spring blossom in front of your very eyes!Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

One day recently Kevin was told that his favourite coffee provider was changing their blend. Initially, this was bad news but life surprised him with a whole new coffee experience.“Every morning I go to Nancy Bluebells on Sean MacDermot Street for my espresso and pop into Our Lady of Lourdes Church next door. The combination of coffee and incense is the ultimate wake-up!” Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

During his long trips abroad during the winter of 2025 Kevin Flanagan examines the benefits of talking to just about anyone!Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Reflecting on his extensive winter tours around Europe and Asia, Kevin examines why it is important to travel Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Kevin goes on an adventure in search of the near Rifugio Fuciade - a Michelin-starred restaurant lost in the snowy Dolomite mountains. And so begins an adventure both mouthwatering and amazing . . .  Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Kevin enjoys his first-ever visit to the Dolomites, long considered a leading contender for the “most stunning mountain range in the World” title. Does he award the title himself? Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Though it's only January and very early in the season, Kevin visits the legendary Imperial Gardens in search of cherry blossoms. Will he find this most famous symbol of Japanese culture?Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Kevin visits the city of Tokyo, replete with history and strangeness he has found in no other destination. A truly special place that you will get a real sense of in this podcastDo visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Following his trip to Hiroshima Kevin ponders the question: what do we get out of travelling to destinations that witness some of the most awful acts of human depravity? Would we not be better off sipping pina coladas on a beach instead?Kevin gives his answer to this thought-provoking question. Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev

Kevin visits the city whose name became indelibly etched into the human mind, following the dropping of the first atomic weapon in 1945. And in Hiroshima, Kevin finds a tale of two cities. One is a vibrant bustling place with lots of money and many things to do and see. The second is one of the most sombre places he has ever visited - a UNESCO World Heritage Peace Park where you can stand beside the A-Bomb Dome - a building built right under where the bomb detonated. Its skeleton remains an alarming reminder of what humankind is capable of. Listen to Kevin's description, “it is one of the most extraordinary visits I ever made. A true tale of survival as this modern-day Phoenix rises out of the nuclear ashes.”  Do visit our website at www.TheTopTravelDestinations.comYou can also follow The Top Travel Destinations on social media for updates: Instagram: @thetoptraveldestinationsX: @becreativkev