Answered by Fran Flight Finder Fran is an Italian globetrotter with a passion for remote destinations and snacking. Currently based in Brussels, she can tell you where to find the yummiest fries around.

My first (immediate) answer to this question was: by car, clearly! My head was already picturing you driving around the Swiss valleys, until I realised that renting a car in Croatia and dropping it off in Switzerland could be extremely pricey. The cheapest options I could find with a quick search came from booking.com to the tune of around £1,000 in total for the four days. Ouch!

I’ve put together a few itinerary ideas to help you work out whether it’s worth shelling out, or if public transport or a connecting flight are the right options for you.

The scenic option — by car

Stopping off at the Plitvice Lakes National Park will make the whole drive (and rental expenses!) worth it from day one. Picture lush greenery, cascading waterfalls, and wooden walkways weaving through crystal-clear turquoise waters — yes, it's like stepping into a fairy tale.

Since you’ll have only four days for the drive, I’d set a very early alarm on leaving day, or sleep close to the park the night before! That’ll allow you to spend the maximum amount of time inside the park before you hit the road again. You’ll need at least 5 hours to truly enjoy the experience.

When you have had enough of waterfalls and endless tourists on the tiny walkways, you can start your drive up north. I’d recommend spending a night in Trieste (the town looks especially beautiful when it’s all lit up after dark!) and making the best of the Miramare Castle before you hit the highway towards the Italy-Switzerland border. Or, if you’d rather avoid the city, you can drive around Collio and Carso and stop at one of the endless wineries to pick up some natural wine as a tasty souvenir!

Strange-tourism fans should definitely stop at the town of Palmanova, a fortress city founded in 1593 with a very specific star-shape only found in select cities around the world.

To reach Switzerland, I’d recommend avoiding the Lake region (Como, Lugano, etc) — every Italian knows that means getting stuck in traffic for hours in July. Instead, pick the highway towards Trento and Bolzano, and spend your last night somewhere around the eerie Rèsia Lake. Keep your eyes peeled for the famous church tower rising above the lake!

For a fancier option, drive west towards Verona, and then north to pass through the alpine resorts of Aprica and St Moritz. I’d recommend spending the night at the Ospizio Bernina if you manage to book one of their four exclusive (but still affordable!) rooms. Take a stroll by the White Lake to start your last morning, before heading towards Zurich.

The quirky option — by ferry + train

If you feel like spicing up your trip, you could opt to hop on a ferry (I’d recommend travelling smart and picking an overnight one!) from Split to Ancona, on the Italian Adriatic Coast. Depending on your travel dates, a simple deck space (BYO sleeping bag) costs around €65, a reserved seat around €70, while a bed in a cabin will set you back around €125.

After a proper Italian breakfast in Ancona, you can train your way up the Adriatic Coast — that’s gonna be very crowded in July, though! — or you can just hop on an Intercity train and visit cities like Bologna, Milan, Como, and Lugano, all the way up to Zurich.

If you’re up for some scenic views, you could even buy a one-way ticket for the Bernina Express: the panoramic train connecting Tirano (a town just a 1.5 hrs train ride from Milan) and Chur in Switzerland. The JFC team fell so in love with this ride while travelling across Europe last summer!

We soon worked out that buying each train ticket individually would get pricey. Consider purchasing either an Interrail/Eurail pass, which includes a 20% discount on ferries between Croatia and Italy, or a TrenItalia Pass for trips within Italy.

The easy option — by plane

None of the routes above sound exciting enough? You can always maximize your time in Split with a few days of island hopping, and then fly on to Zurich. Edelweiss Air, SWISS, and Croatia Airlines all fly between Split and Zurich every day, and the 1.5hr non-stop flight between the two cities currently sits at around €100-€150 one way.

Let us know which one you go for, because there really is no wrong option here. Happy travels!

Where To Travel During IVF

Answered by Kristi Flight Finder Kristi is on a break from her beloved Rockies while she travels the world as a digital nomad. And when she isn't travelling, she's dreaming up her next destination!

First of all, congrats! As a travelling Mom myself (and intimately familiar with IVF), I know the high-flying tightrope balance of wanting to travel the world while still making choices that keep your family safe.

According to the World Population Review, the following are countries (excluding most of Europe, as per your request) with no Zika-spreading mosquitos:

• Canada
• Chile
• Iceland
• New Zealand
• Japan
• South Korea
• Falkland Islands
• Greenland

You’ll notice that some countries on that list have a slight edge once you factor in accessible healthcare, foods to avoid, the types of activities, etc. Of course, your same health advice applies abroad as it does at home—skip a dip in the Blue Lagoon and avoid Japan’s fresh sushi (sad… but hopefully still worth it?)

During my course of IVF, I was on a special anti-inflammation diet to increase my odds. Although it made dining out tricky sometimes, Canada has tons of specialty restaurants… and drop-dead delicious steak. I craved steak in my pregnancies, so this was a real draw for me. I’d always recommend a trip to Banff and the Canadian Rockies, where you can hike, eat, camp (consider renting an RV to pamper your back if you’re further along in your pregnancy) and be surrounded by gorgeous wilderness.

Another highlight on that Zika-less destination I can highly recommend is Iceland, because, like Canada, it also has a high adventure payoff for low energy output. You can drive to the foot of spectacular waterfalls, dangle your feet in wild hot springs, eat the world’s most delicious tomatoes straight off the vine… And maybe—with a little luck—you can even drive out to watch the northern lights dance over massive icebergs.

In the summer, you can frolic with puffins, and in the winter, you’ll be dazzled inside a crystal ice cave(tip: purchase ice cleats in advance because a slip here wouldn’t be ideal).

If I were in your position again, I’d also be seriously considering Japan, mostly for the obvious reasons. The 30,000 blooming cherry trees on Mount Yoshino, seeing Tokyo all lit up in neon, testing out the seemingly never-ending supply of ramen shops—it all sounds pretty great. But Japan also offers a slower, more peaceful pace for when you’re totally zapped. Taking part in a traditional tea ceremony and visiting the surreal art islands are as typically Japan as a hike up Mt. Fuji.

Ultimately, no matter which of these three you pick, you can make your trip as adventurous as you want it to be, and with good healthcare close by. New Zealand is also a great choice for that balance of landscapes, adventure and healthcare, but that journey from the UK is a slog even when your hormones aren’t all over the place!

There are plenty of IVF/pregnancy-friendly options across the board, like hiking, scenic driving, Sakura-viewing and bibimbap-scarfing, it just comes down to your personal preferences. Good luck, and let us know where you end up!

Out and About in the Emerald Isle

Answered by "Team Ireland" Henry & Kash

H: Okay, I’ve got a few real favourites to share that I think are a good reflection of this side of Ireland! I’d suggest flying into Dublin and getting the train or bus to west. Use Galway as a starting point and work your way down to Clare, then onto Kerry before finishing up in Cork.

The first place to start in Galway is O' Connors “famous” Pub in Salthill. That’s a proper Irish bar! They don’t even serve food, just pints.

K: Oh, but if you are hungry, Hooked serves the best seafood in Galway. It’s sooo good, but be sure to ring ahead and make a reservation!

If you’re into hiking, you’ll probably find yourself following sections of the Wild Atlantic Way. In fact, it’s a great guide for planning what to see down the West Coast in general.

H: Just don’t miss out on a day trip to the Aran Islands from Galway before you set off. It’s pretty straightforward even without a car. Just catch a bus from Galway City to the ferry that’ll take you over to Inis Mór, the largest island.

K: Absolutely! But I would avoid the Aran Islands if you’re going off season, to be honest. Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, too, actually. I went once in April and I couldn't even see them because it was so misty. It can be a bit hit-and-miss!

H: The Cliffs are great if the weather’s good, though. And once you’re there, there’s so much to see— the Burren has an amazing landscape, full of caves, rock formations and fossils. Aillwee Cave is definitely worth a visit.

K: If you do decide to continue on to Kerry, forget the super popular Ring of Kerry and do Slea Head (which Henry probably wants to keep under wraps). It’s packed with traditional villages and ancient monuments. Or even continue on to Cork via the Ring of Beara— those are probably the remotest landscapes ever, and it’s so much less touristy than the Ring of Kerry!

H: Haha! One bit of the Ring of Kerry I would actually recommend is the lakes and mountains at Killarney National Park! But then skip onwards. Once you’re in Cork, it’s gotta be Blarney Castle. But it’s up to you if you want to risk kissing the stone!

K: Honestly, there are so many more places to see, too. The Irish Road Trip is a brill blog with way more info than we could ever write! You can browse by county and there’s pages and pages of things to see and do, quaint towns, nature stuff, you name it. It's a gold mine. Alternatively, you can click "Itineraries" at the top of the page and choose by the amount of time you have in the country.

I know we’ve already suggested a few, but you might be better zoning in on just one or two counties instead of cramming it all into one week. Every single person I know that has been to Ireland on a visit has always said they underestimated how long it took them to get places because of the quality of roads!

H: Just be sure to let us know where and when you’re going! We’ll come and join you for a Guinness :-)

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across the web this week.

• It’s a battle of neon vs. nature, as the Japanese town of Kawaguchiko blocks off a popular Mt Fuji vantage point.
• As the Canary Islands struggle to get to grips with overtourism and a lack of resources, Tenerife has begun targeting high-spending US tourists in a move to boost income.
• Step aside, Peru, there’s a new rainbow mountain in town!
• And finally, instead of planning a future trip, let’s end by travelling back in time to 1950s Paris…