✨ Secret Cities & Quiet Streets: Your Autumn Wanderlist🪞🍂

TravelReport Weekly Issue 040

Author

Rabia Karimi
July 25, 2025

Hi besties!

You know that feeling when you sip your coffee on a crisp morning, and for a second, you just want to be somewhere else — somewhere with cobbled streets, hidden bookstores, and warm lights in café windows?

Same.

This week, we’re slowing down in secret cities — places with just enough buzz to keep you curious, but calm enough to let your shoulders drop. No crowds, no chaos, just soft discovery vibes.

Get your scarves ready, bestie, because we’re about to wander ✨

Travel Trivia 🧐
Question: 🧠 Travel Trivia Time!

Which North American city is known for having a street called “Rue du Petit-Champlain,” one of the oldest commercial streets on the continent? 🏘️✨

A) Montreal, Canada
B) Quebec City, Canada
C) Boston, USA
D) Charleston, USA

👀 Hint: It looks like Europe but you don’t need a passport if you’re American.

👉 Hit reply with your guess—no Googling! 😉
Find the answer below 🤭

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🛡️ Travel Safety Highlights 🔐

Ghent, Belgium

  • 🚲 Biking is the best way to explore, but watch for tram tracks.

  • 💳 Cards accepted everywhere.

  • ☔️ Bring an umbrella — fall showers are frequent.

Lviv, Ukraine

  • 🛫 Check current travel advisories.

  • 💰 Cash is helpful in small cafés; cards widely accepted.

  • 🧥 Layer up — autumn mornings and nights get chilly.

Quebec City, Canada

  • 🚶 Walkable, but wear comfy shoes for cobblestones.

  • 🍁 Best foliage is late September to mid-October.

  • ❄️ It can get chilly fast — bring a warm coat.

🌆 Travel Trend Watch: Secret Cities Are the New Capitals ✨

The quiet travel girlies are onto something:

  • 🕯️ Small city stays > big city chaos. More charm, fewer crowds.

  • 📚 Café culture + bookstores are becoming trip-worthy activities.

  • 🍂 Fall travel is the new flex. Cheaper flights, cozy weather, and seasonal treats.

  • 🗺️ Hidden gems are trending: Ghent > Brussels, Lviv > Kyiv, Quebec City > Montreal for those in the know.

🌟Spotlight Destinations:🌍

  1. 🪞 Ghent, Belgium 🇧🇪

    Vibe: Medieval charm + canals + indie cafés

    Ghent is Bruges’ cool sister — fewer tourists, more students, and a river that winds through stone streets like a scene from a fairytale. Imagine Gothic towers, indie bookstores, and warm waffles while church bells echo across the canals.

    Rent a bike to explore its hidden corners, then hop into Cafe Labath for the best coffee in town. Evenings are for canal strolls, peeking into tiny galleries, and cozying up with frites under fairy lights.

    ✨ Don’t miss: The Gravensteen Castle, a moody fortress in the middle of the city, especially at dusk.

  2. ☕️ Lviv, Ukraine 🇺🇦

    Vibe: Coffee culture + layered history + artsy energy

    Lviv is Europe’s hidden café capital. With Viennese architecture, bohemian corners, and the best coffee in Eastern Europe, it’s the perfect slow city for fall.

    Spend your mornings wandering cobblestone streets lined with jazz clubs and chocolate shops, visit hidden courtyards, and linger over cups of strong coffee in candle-lit cafés.

    ✨ Don’t miss: Lviv Coffee Mining Manufacture — where coffee is mined from underground and set alight before your eyes. 🔥

  3. 🌲 Quebec City, Canada 🇨🇦

    Vibe: French charm + autumn colors + river views

    If you want a slice of Europe in North America, Quebec City is your girl. Cobbled lanes, maple leaves crunching under boots, and stone buildings that feel centuries old.

    Wander the streets of Old Quebec, sip hot chocolate while watching leaves fall by the St. Lawrence River, and visit tiny bookstores before finding a warm bistro for a cozy dinner.

    ✨ Don’t miss: Rue du Petit-Champlain, one of North America’s oldest streets, lit with lanterns and full of local shops.

✈️ Points & Miles Tip of the Week 💳

How to Reach Secret Cities on Points:

  • 🛫 To Ghent: Fly into Brussels with United MileagePlus (often 30k miles one-way economy, 60k business), then train to Ghent.

  • ✈️ To Lviv: Fly to Warsaw using Aeroplan or Flying Blue, then connect to Lviv.

  • 🍁 To Quebec City: Use Air Canada Aeroplan for direct flights (starting at 12.5k miles economy from NYC, 25k biz).

✅ Pro Tip: Book shoulder season for best award availability and lower cash surcharges.

💡Points Tip of the Week: Try stacking your booking: book a flight with miles, pay taxes with your travel card, and book a boutique stay with points + perks. Win-win-win. Amex Platinum: Incredible perks, like lounge access and travel insurance.🚀 

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That’s it for now, bestie! 💌
May your week be full of warm drinks, crisp air, and the promise of slow streets waiting to be wandered.

Forward this to your travel buddy, or keep it as a reminder that cozy adventure is self-care.

Catch you next week,

Stay safe, travel smart, and enjoy every moment of your journey. Until next week, happy travels! 🌍✨
Rabia ✨
Editor, Travel Report Newsletter

Travel Trivia 🤩
Answer: ✅
B) Quebec City, Canada 🇨🇦
Rue du Petit-Champlain is a fairytale lane lined with stone buildings, lanterns, and local artisan shops — especially magical in autumn.

✨ Your turn bestie!
Which secret city would you love to explore this fall? Or tell me: What’s your favorite cozy travel memory?
Hit reply and share — I read every single message (and will probably be sipping coffee while I do 🫶).