Welcome to BBC Travel

You know what the three best sounds in the world are? Anchor chains, plane motors and train whistles. So declares George Bailey, the wanderlust-struck protagonist of It’s a Wonderful Life, summing up what stirs the blood of every traveller who wants to explore, experience and have an adventure.

BBC Travel is a train whistle, a call to embark on trips to the fun, exotic, and relaxing destinations you always wanted to see or return to the destinations you already love. We offer insider advice from travel writers on the ground, an intimate understanding of local culture that will enhance any trip you take, and unexpected ideas to inspire you to book a flight, pack your bags and go!

Meet the editor
For a kid who couldn't wait to break free of his hometown and wanted to grow up to be Indiana Jones or James Bond – I was a latecomer to travel. My two-year-old daughter has racked up more miles than I had at age 20 when I took my first real trip – a cross-country train to live in Fairbanks, Alaska. I have been making up for lost time ever since, putting down and pulling up roots in Dublin, Cape Cod, San Francisco, Phoenix, Glasgow, Bangkok and New York, and spending a year travelling the world with my girlfriend (now wife-nothing vets a relationship like serious travel), through China, Mongolia, Morocco, Europe and India. My inner-Indy emerged among the ruins of Siem Reap and in the caves at Ajanta and Ellora, and my secret-007 romped across Jamaica and the Bahamas and skied the Alps.

After years as an editor and writer at The New York Times, Fodor's and Frommer's, travel has become my career path – the most scenic kind. And I am thrilled that it landed me at the helm of BBC Travel where we will take you to the best places in the world and offer up the smartest and most connected ways to explore them. 
 
BBC + Travel
We are launching BBC Travel with stories from a handpicked group of destinations and themes around the globe, and just as stamps fill up your passport pages, we will add more great cities and countries in the weeks and months to come.

BBC Travel might be a new section on BBC.com, but travel journalism is not new to the BBC. You may have enjoyed, as I have, Michael Palin's travel mini-series such as Around the World in 80 Days and Hemingway Adventure. But we also have the informative travel show fast:track, the dispatches of far-flung correspondents on the podcast/show From Our Own Correspondent, the radio travel magazine Excess Baggage, and Close-up, a BBC News series on fascinating aspects of life in countries and cities around the world. Even Chef Gordon Ramsay is undertaking a Great Escape through India, airing this month on BBC America. The BBC also offers country profiles with the latest-breaking news, and free foreign language instruction to have you ready for that first conversation when you step off the plane.
 
Once we have inspired you to head off, we encourage you to continue your travel planning with our content partner Lonely Planet, the travel guide publisher that makes authentic local culture and adventure accessible to all travellers. Their site, lonelyplanet.com, is packed with practical information and engaged reader discussions.

Do writers for BBC Travel receive travel industry assistance?
BBC Travel provides trusted, independent travel advice and information that is uncompromised by any assistance from travel providers such as tourist boards, airlines and hotels. If we ever determine that assistance is necessary for the purpose of gathering first-hand experience on the topic being written about, we will maintain our editorial integrity and independence by including information about all major travel providers and never promising positive coverage in return for information.

Does BBC Travel accept submissions?
While the majority of our travel journalism will be coming from BBC and Lonely Planet writers, we are always open to smart, timely, unique and culturally engaged story ideas. Photo-journalism is encouraged as well. If you have an idea, particularly for one of our destinations or themes, feel free to shoot me an email at travel@bbc.com.

How to contact and follow us
You can email us at travel@bbc.com, or send a direct message to our Twitter account, @BBC_Travel, or my Twitter, @davidgallan. Friend us on Facebook for updates and conversation with other BBC Travel fans and followers.
 
Cheers,
David Allan

Editorial Director of Travel for BBC.com