in context travel

• Top Destinations
• Mexico City, Mexico
• Tokyo, Japan
• Paris, France
• Rome, Italy
• London, United Kingdom
• All Destinations
• Upcoming Experiences
• Walking Tours
• Small-Group Tours
• Tours for Kids
• Museum Tours
• Food, Wine and Market Tours
• Newly Added Tours
• Audio Guides
• Pre-Trip Lectures
• Admin Dashboard
• My Favorites
• Client Orders
• Monthly Commissions
• My Advisor Profile
• Advisor Toolkit
• Guide Dashboard

Credit Balance

Transactions are based on current exchange rates and performed in USD. There maybe slight variations in the price estimates.

Explore with Local Experts Host-led experiences for those who love to dive deep into local life (4.76) See all 55,862 reviews

Freedom to explore your way, imagine a friendly personal travel expert whispering fascinating stories in your ear and as you wander through museums and historic sites. enjoy the freedom to explore at your own pace, ditching the crowds and tight schedules..

Just you, an expert, and your travel companions

Connect with other travelers

Explore the city at your own pace

Inspire future travels and learn before you go

Venture out a little farther

Perfect for young, curious travelers

What Our Guests Are Saying

Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ .

• Our Experts
• Working with Context
• View All Cities
• Sustainable Tourism
• Refer a Friend for $50
• Travel Updates
• Advisor Login
• Expert Portal

Subscribe to our Newsletter

• Privacy Statement & Security
• Cancellation Policy

Our website uses cookies to personalize your experience, perform analytics, and tailor ads. By clicking accept, you consent to our use of cookies. To view our data privacy policy, click here .

Our website uses cookies to personalize your experience, perform analytics, and tailor ads. By using our site, you consent to our use of cookies. To view our data privacy policy, click here .

Transformative experiences for travelers who love to learn

Discover the world through expert-led walking tours in over 60 cultural capitals and supplemental online learning for before and after your travel

Next week or next year, plan your learning journey with Context.

Where do you want to learn?

Online Learning

Walking tours, since 2003, context has run scholar-led walking tours around the globe. from the beginning, our biggest differentiator has been the quality of our experts — most of whom are phd or ma-level scholars. with context, you can walk the roman forum with an archaeologist who dug there, see the sistine chapel with a renaissance art historian, or sample aperitivos with a native venetian..

Our Experts are the Difference

Planning a visit to Rome?  Explore with our expert archaeologists, art historians, Ancient Roman historians, and more.

Borghese Gallery Walking Tour

Savoring Rome Food Tour

Bernini & Borromini, Battle in Baroque Tour

Vatican Highlights Tour: Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums with Skip-the-Line Tickets

Meet Cecilia

Art Historian, Rome

Cecilia is an art historian and a native Roman with a Master's degree in Medieval and Renaissance Art from the Sapienza University of Rome. Although her specialty is painting and decorative arts, she has a broad knowledge  and a personal passion for ancient history, which she shares on many antiquity-themed itineraries. Cecilia has worked actively as a lecturer, teacher, and curator of exhibitions. She had been a staff member of the didactive service of the Vatican Museums, the Galleria Doria Pamphili and the Galleria Colonna where she still frequently consults. Learn with Cecilia  online  or  in-person .

Rome with Context

Before you Go: Borghese Gallery in Context with Cecilia Martini

Vatican City: Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica in Context with Cecilia Martini

The Water of Rome: From Ancient Aqueducts to Baroque Fountains with Dr. Dimosthenis Kosmopoulos

Rome: Ostia Antica Archaeological Site in Context with Livia Galante

Starting your learning at home?  Get inspired for your future travel with our live-taught, expert-led online seminars, designed to get you in the know before you go.

Introduction to Florence: with Accademia and Michelangelo's David

Florence in a Day, with Context

Florence Night Tour

Uffizi Gallery Tour: Crash Course

Planning a visit to Florence?  Explore with our experts in history, architecture, art history, culture, and more.

Florence with Context

Churches of Florence: Orsanmichele with Dr. Alessandra Becucci

Florence: Uffizi Gallery in Context with Dr. Alessandra Becucci

The Real History of ‘Medici Masters of Florence’: The Pazzi Conspiracy with Cecilia Martini

Churches of Florence: The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore with Dr. Alessandra Becucci

Introduction to Venice: St. Mark's to Rialto Tour

Venice in a Day, with Context

Venice Aperitivo Tour

Murano Island Tour: The History of Glass Making in Venice

Planning a visit to Venice?  Explore with our experts in history, art history, ecology and more.

Venice with Context

Venice: Doge’s Palace in Context with Sara Grinzato

An Introduction to Venice with Matteo Gabbrielli

Lifestyles of the Venetian Rich and Famous: Palladian Villas with Sara Grinzato

Venetian Renaissance Painting at the Accademia Gallery with Dr. Susan Steer

See Venice in Context. Our  Five Days in Venice  itinerary is a curated selection of the best of our tours to ensure you get the most out of your time in the entrancing city.

Your Perfect Venice Itinerary

La Vita Napoletana Walking Tour

Ancient Naples: Above and Underground

Half Day Tour of Pompeii

Savoring Naples Food Tour

Planning a visit to Naples?  Explore with our experts in archaeology, history, art history, food, and culture.

Naples with Context

An Introduction to Naples, Italy with Fiorella Squillante

Pompeii and the Naples Archaeological Museum in Context with Fiorella Squillante

"Dimosthenis is not only knowledgeable but his communication skills are formidable. He is affable, very aware of his audience and engaging. It was like having a conversation and not a lecture... He takes your questions seriously and in doing all of this makes the Forum come alive. His professional, academic, archaeological experience from digs at the Forum enables him to give insights and fun and interesting facts and information. Highly recommend him."

- Jane, Traveled in Rome with Dimo in Sept. 2021

Don't take our word for it:

Florence and Tuscany: Walking in History with Professor Kate Bolton-Porciatti

See Florence and Tuscany unlike ever before on our  Context Journey with Professor Kate Bolton-Porciatti . Over the course of 6 fully planned days (including luxury accommodations, select meals, and local transportation) you'll experience a blend of art, history, while traversing the city and Tuscan hills — including stops at the Uffizi , Boboli Gardens, Florentine churches, Chianti Vineyards, Passignano and more!

Introduction to Milan: From the Duomo to the Castle

Duomo Rooftop Tour: Milan From Above

Alta Moda: Fashion In Milan

Half Day Lake Como Excursion

Planning a visit to Naples?  Explore with our experts in history, art history, food, fashion, and culture.

Milan with Context

Milan, Italy: Top 10 Highlights for Curious Travelers with Laura Benitti

Milan and Food Traditions: A Culinary Love Story with Laura Benitti

Milan Museums: Masterpieces in Depth with Laura Benitti

The Marvels of Lake Como with Laura Benitti

Dreaming of spending the holidays in Rome? Learn about the must-do December activities in the Eternal City on our blog post:  Four Days in Rome: Holiday Itinerary .

Your Rome Holiday Itinerary

Mount Etna and Sicilian Wine Full-Day Tour

Savoring Sicily: Palermo Street Food Tour

Palermo (and Monreale) in a Day, with Context

Agrigento Half-Day Tour: Valley of the Temples

Planning a visit to Sicily?  Explore with our experts in history, archaeology, geography, food, and more.

Sicily with Context

Villa Romana del Casale: Luxury, Mosaics, and the Sicilian Countryside with Alice Bifarella

Savoring Sicily: 2,000 Years of History in 100 Dishes with Francine Segan

Explore Context Travel

View All Walking Tours

View All Online Learning

Explore the Colosseum in Rome

In-person and online

Learn Before you Go: Colosseum and the Roman Forum in Context Seminar

Roma Antica: Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill Tour with Skip-the-Line Tickets

Explore the History of Venice

Introduction to Venice: St. Mark's to Rialto Walking Tour

Learn Before you Go: St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge in Context Online Seminar

🎁 Our Biggest Sale Ever is Here: 15% off EVERYTHING with code  THANKFUL2021

Context Travel

• See all photos

Similar Experiences

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Context Travel - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• Top Destinations
• Mexico City, Mexico
• Tokyo, Japan
• Paris, France
• Rome, Italy
• London, United Kingdom
• All Destinations
• Upcoming Experiences
• Walking Tours
• Small-Group Tours
• Tours for Kids
• Museum Tours
• Food, Wine and Market Tours
• Newly Added Tours
• Audio Guides
• Pre-Trip Lectures
• Admin Dashboard
• My Favorites
• Client Orders
• Monthly Commissions
• My Advisor Profile
• Advisor Toolkit
• Guide Dashboard

Credit Balance

Transactions are based on current exchange rates and performed in USD. There maybe slight variations in the price estimates.

Our Difference

Context is a network of scholars and specialists whose aim is to invite travelers off the tourist track and into the real life of the people, history, and culture of the world's greatest cities.

While over 80% of our guides have MA or PhD-level degrees in their fields of expertise, we live by the rule that learning isn't a finite activity. We're inquisitive about the places and people around us. We're inspired by conversations ripe with new perspectives and oft-untold stories. We don't play loose with the facts. Ours is the intellectual seeker's approach to the world: both in life and in work, we thrill at the potent possibility of " yet ".

At day's end—we believe that travel is the ultimate form of education, one best served with a heaping side of meaningful interaction and memorable conversation.

Curiosity is Key ...

... and that's been true since the beginning. Context was founded in 2003 by Paul Bennett and Lani Bevacqua, a husband and wife who landed in Rome after over two years spent sailing across the Atlantic. 

Once in Rome, Paul and Lani fell in with an eclectic group of professors and specialists—architects, native Romans, researchers, writers, archaeologists—and formed Context as a means to connect those experts with travelers yearning for an in-depth understanding of the city.

Now, 15-plus years and over 150,000 tours later, we've grown from a single-city operation to a group of scholars, nerds, and curious travelers spanning over 60 cities across 6 continents. (Someone once called us "affable weirdos," which may be the nicest compliment we've gotten, ever). Just about the only thing that hasn't changed is our passion for ideas and sharing knowledge.

In Context 

We're immensely proud to have been a Certified B Corp since 2011, and we run our business with the understanding that travel should make us defenders of a place, not a means of its deterioration. We know that— done sustainably —travel can profoundly benefit both the visitor and the visited. 

In sum: we aim to live up to our name. To give something "Context" is to connect the dots between eras, geographies, and cultures. It's to weave us all together as part of a larger, shared narrative. 

So, for travelers finding themselves intrigued by how the Baroque rivalry of Bernini and Borromini shaped our modern conception of genius; amblers angling to get a grip on the Haussmannian evolution of Paris and its lasting legacy on the field of city planning; savorers keen to (literally) dig into the cultural underpinnings that make Singaporean street food just  so  sensational:  

Welcome. We're delighted to meet you. 

Like what you see?

We’re always looking for lifelong learners to join our team.

• Our Experts
• Working with Context
• View All Cities
• Sustainable Tourism
• Refer a Friend for $50
• Travel Updates
• Advisor Login
• Expert Portal

Subscribe to our Newsletter

• Privacy Statement & Security
• Cancellation Policy

Our website uses cookies to personalize your experience, perform analytics, and tailor ads. By clicking accept, you consent to our use of cookies. To view our data privacy policy, click here .

Our website uses cookies to personalize your experience, perform analytics, and tailor ads. By using our site, you consent to our use of cookies. To view our data privacy policy, click here .

Expert Led Private Tour of the National Mall in D.C. (3 Hours)

Washington, DC United States

• Culture, History & Arts
• Family Vacations
• Sightseeing

Stretching from the Potomac to the Capitol, encompassing 300 acres, and hosting myriad monuments, the Mall is a exceptional place from which to understand Washington and its central role in the American experience. During this three-hour tour of the Mall led by a historian or architectural historian we'll visit the major monuments and discuss the significance of what has been called America's front yard. Our walk begins in the shadow of the Capitol building, where we can appreciate the full sweep of the Mall ahead of us. Here we will delve into the story of DC's development, from the master plan of L'Enfant through the work of Daniel Burnham and others to create a city symbolic of America and the idealism of its government. With this path before us, we will use these plans to draw parallels between DC and the urban planning of other great world capitals, such as Rome and Paris. With this under our belt, we'll move forward down the National Mall and walk its length from the reflecting pool in front of the Capitol all the way to the Lincoln Monument. Along the way we'll pass some of the major "moments" along the Mall, places where the landscape serves as a symbolic reminder of the U.S., history, and national identity. Although our exact itinerary depends on the interests of the group and the expertise of our guide, stops may include the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Castle, the Tidal Basin and Jefferson Monument, the Washington Monument, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Our conversation will inevitably shift as we progress, from thinking about the landscape itself to thinking about what it contains, and focusing on the memorials and monuments that have served as backdrops for countless events and become symbolic of American struggles and idealism. This will lay the groundwork for an interesting conversation about memorialization at large. Our walk will end at the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial, where we'll address current issues surrounding the future of the National Mall.

Recommended Ages

Activity level, virtuoso benefits.

For orders of over $2000, clients receive a credit for a Context Conversation where they can connect with our expert guides in a live and interactive seminar before or after their travel. Check out our site to see what seminars are happening now. https://www.contextlearning.com/

Context Cancellation Policy

For standard tours (private and small group), cancellations made at least 15 days prior to the tour date are eligible for a 100% refund. Cancellations made between 14 days and 48 hours before the tour date are eligible for a 50% refund. All sales are final within 48 hours of the tour date.

For custom tours , cancellations made at least 15 days prior to the tour date are eligible for a 50% refund. All sales are final within 14 days of the tour date.

Ticket or reservation fees will be deducted from the refund. See the full cancellation policy below for tours in Israel and Jordan, as the above terms do not apply.

For complete Context policy information please visit our site here.

The trademarks VIRTUOSO, the Globe Swirl Logo and SPECIALISTS IN THE ART OF TRAVEL are registered trademarks of Virtuoso, Ltd. Virtuoso, Ltd. has a U.S. copyright registration for the Globe Swirl Logo, ©2000. All rights reserved. Virtuoso CST#2069091-50. California CST# 2069091; TA# 808 - Registered Iowa Travel Agency; Washington UBI # 601 554 183. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California.

Forgot Your Password?

Your account has been temporarily locked due to too many failed login attempts.

Please wait 15 minutes and try again or reset your password .

You'll receive:

• Access to the world’s best travel advisors, offering expert advice and worry-free planning.
• Special rates and connections with nearly 2,000 travel partners worldwide.
• VIP amenities, upgrades, and experiences you can’t get on your own.

• Top Destinations
• Mexico City, Mexico
• Tokyo, Japan
• Paris, France
• Rome, Italy
• London, United Kingdom
• All Destinations
• Upcoming Experiences
• Walking Tours
• Small-Group Tours
• Tours for Kids
• Museum Tours
• Food, Wine and Market Tours
• Newly Added Tours
• Audio Guides
• Pre-Trip Lectures
• Admin Dashboard
• My Favorites
• Client Orders
• Monthly Commissions
• My Advisor Profile
• Advisor Toolkit
• Guide Dashboard

Credit Balance

Transactions are based on current exchange rates and performed in USD. There maybe slight variations in the price estimates.

Cities to Experience

Explore over 60 destinations across the globe with world-renowned experts in art, history, architecture, and cuisine. dig deeper as you connect with people and places through our walking tours, audio guides, and pre-trip lectures..

Spain & Portugal

United Kingdom & Ireland

Germany & Northern Europe

Central Europe

Croatia, Greece & Turkey

South America

United States

Southeast Asia

Middle East

• Our Experts
• Working with Context
• View All Cities
• Sustainable Tourism
• Refer a Friend for $50
• Travel Updates
• Advisor Login
• Expert Portal

Subscribe to our Newsletter

• Privacy Statement & Security
• Cancellation Policy

Our website uses cookies to personalize your experience, perform analytics, and tailor ads. By clicking accept, you consent to our use of cookies. To view our data privacy policy, click here .

Our website uses cookies to personalize your experience, perform analytics, and tailor ads. By using our site, you consent to our use of cookies. To view our data privacy policy, click here .

Thirdeyemom

Traveling the world and doing good, context travel: small guided tours for the intellectually curious traveler.

At the end of May, I attended my third TBEX conference (Travel Blog Exchange)  and was introduced to Paul Bennett and his wife Lani, the founders of Context Travel . Context Travel is a network of Ph-D level scholars and experts living in cultural capitals around the world who take tourists on small or private guided tours of their cities. Paul and Lani founded the company in 2003 after two years of sailing across the Atlantic with their young children. They were so inspired by the experiences while traveling that they wanted to create something authentic and unique. A kind of travel company that would enable travelers to get a rare behind the scenes view of what a place is like while also promoting sustainable travel. There are no tour buses or tour guides; instead you are swept away on a walking “seminar” with a local expert.

The Context vision is to create an atmosphere—a context, if you will—for curious travelers to engage with local experts; to give them access to places and cultures that might otherwise remain out of sight to the casual visitor; to invite them off the tourist track and into the real life of the people, history, and culture that makes these cultural capitals amazing.

Paul and Italo on a drive through Venice’s canals.

Fast forward 13 years, and Context Travel now operates in over 35 cities around the world, inspiring travelers to see a city through local, knowledgeable eyes. Context Travel is recommended by such acclaimed sources as the New York Times , Travel and Leisure , and National Geographic (to name a few)  as well as a growing number of highly satisfied customers. I was so inspired by Paul and Lani’s story that I asked to do an interview to learn more. Here is what Paul had to say.

Where did you and Lani meet?   Lani and I met at Macalester College in Existentialism class. Seriously.

What did you study in college?   We both majored in English.

Did you both travel internationally before starting Context Travel?   A little. We both did post-college trips through Europe and some basic Caribbean and Mexico travel. I worked as a journalist for several years, and that took us to places like Rome and Ecuador. Just before we started Context we sailed a 38-foot boat from New York to Italy via Central America, on a voyage that took nearly 2 years and included stops in places like the Azores (highly recommended).

Where was your first trip?  My first international trip was as a teenager. I went on a school trip to China in 1987. It blew my mind.

What inspired you to start Context Travel?  When we arrived in Italy after sailing for two years we realized that the single most important ingredient to our travels was being able to connect with some local expert who some kind of specialized knowledge of the place and could get us access beyond what we could glean from a guidebook. For example, in the Azores I had an assignment for Islands magazine to interview a master scrimshaw artist. This guy was amazing and taught us so much about the heritage of whaling in the islands—much more powerful than what we got from Lonely Planet. And so this became the impetus for Context: To connect curious travelers with local experts when they arrive in destination.

When did you start Context Travel and in what country?  We started in Rome in 2003.

What has been the most challenging part of starting and running the business   Geez. Everything. Bootstrapping a business requires wearing a lot of hats. We’ve had to become effective recruiters, storytellers, financial managers, digital marketers… and so on. Getting technology right has been our biggest struggle.

What has been the biggest reward?  The quality of what we do. There’s a common arc among Context experiences. It goes like this. A traveler finds us, perhaps through a post like this. They come to our website and compare us to other companies and usually pick a Context tour because it seems like the best quality. Maybe they like the credentials of our docents, who mostly have Ph.D.s. Or, maybe they like the small group size (6 max). Whatever. But, they show up at the tour thinking that it will be a good tour. Three hours later they are amazed. We’ve completely changed their thinking about art, history, or heritage, and given them a much deeper travel experience than they expected. They’re transformed. Hearing this story day in and day out is the biggest reward.

What makes your tours different from others on the market today?   Small groups, expert docents, and a commitment to creating immersive experiences.

Context New York MOMA Seminar, led by art historian Ara Merjian

Give me a few examples of what visitors will experience on one of your tours?  In Paris one of my favorite tours is  Immigration and the Changing Face of Paris , which is led by a local sociologist and explores the history and present situation of Arabs and North Africans in France. We visit some neighborhoods that most tourists never see, and talk about the headlines. But, because the guide is actually a specialist in this area with a degree in sociology, you get a much deeper, more nuanced approach than what you read in the media.

I also love our  Birth of the Cocktail  walk in New York, which looks at the history of American cocktail making from Prohibition through the speakeasy revival movement of the early 2000s. The drinks are good, but the narrative is even better.

In Asia, I’m crazy for our  Anime and Manga  walk in Tokyo. It’s just super cool.

Of course, we also do the  Louvre ,  the Vatican , and the  Tower of London ; and those are pretty mind-blowing, especially in a small group with a highly knowledgeable, Ph.D.-level docent.

Where are your tours offered?   Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, Tuscany, Naples, Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, London, Dublin, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Vienne, Budapest, Athens, Istanbul, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Kyoto, Melbourne, Sydney, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Cartagena, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Montreal and Vancouver.

Tell me about the guides. How do you find them and what kinds of backgrounds/expertise do they have?   In academic subjects we look for people with a Ph.D. in the topic and some experience teaching. In non academic topics we look for experience in the field—practicing architect, chef, e.g. During the interview process we test their ability to craft a narrative and tell a story. We also look at their emotional intelligence and whether they will be the consummate host. We have a bunch of training designed around this.

How long do tours run and how much do they cost?  3 hours is our sweet spot, and the average price is $90 pp for a group walk or about $350 flat fee for a private walk.

What have past participants said about your tours?

“Our tour was fabulous. Our docent knew the history and food of Barcelona and her knowledge was unbelievable. ”

“ Amazing, simply amazing. 10 out of 10!”

“Be careful. Once you’ve taken a Context tour you’ll be spoiled. Not only will you never want to use any other tour company, but you’ll be very hesitant to visit any city where Context doesn’t offer their services. It’s that good.”

Where do you hope to see Context Travel in the next ten years?   I see us operating in 100 cities and known as THE tour company for the culturally curious.

Finally, tell me more about your sustainability practice and why it is important.  This is really baked into our DNA. We run a nonprofit that supports local initiative like a scholarship program for apprentice artisans in Florence and a youth center in Cartagena. Our docents are trained to talk about sustainable travel practices like flashes in museums and how to invest your travel dollars wisely with local businesses.

About Paul and Lani, founders of Context Travel

Lani Bevacqua, Paul Bennett and one of their children, Jade.

Paul spent the first part of his career as an award-winning writer for National Geographic and National Geographic Adventure. He holds an MA from St. John’s “Great Books” program and has written four books for Princeton Architectural Press about architecture and landscape. He founded Context with life/business partner, Lani Bevacqua, in 2003 after having spent 18 months sailing a 38-foot boat from New York to Rome.

Paul oversees strategy, finance, and bad jokes. When he is not helping run Context, Paul lectures on travel and sustainability, and works on the Context Foundation for Sustainable Travel.

Lani co-founded Context with life/business partner, Paul Bennett, after having sailed to Rome from New York on a small boat. That experience deeply informs everything she does at Context.

In a previous life Lani was a graphic designer and art director in New York City. She worked in-house for Artforum, Dance Theater Workshop, and Gartner Group. Her agency clients included Gillette, Compaq, Computer Associates, IBM, and PeoplePC. She won awards for her digital advertising and web animation. Along with being the creative director and designer for the Context websites and publications, she is home-schooling three small children and is the impetus behind Context’s much-lauded Family Program.

About Context Travel’s sustainable tourism and social responsibility commitment

Context adheres to the precepts of sustainable travel. We invest in programs that mitigate the effect of tourism.  Learn about the Context Foundation for Sustainable Travel.  Context is also a certified B Corporation. B Corporations are a new kind of company which uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. Learn more about  B Corporations .

To learn more about Context Travel and their tours, visit their website here.

I would love it if you shared!

30 comments.

very interesting. would love to pitch in as no Indian city on the List.

Feel free to contact them via their website!

will do, tks.

This sounds awesome, something I’d love to get involved in

Yes it is fantastic!

You know, I’ve thought of doing some posts like this, but just don’t seem to get around to it. This is a nice diversion, and interesting concept for travel. I might look them up! Or get a job!

Thanks! I like to mix it up a bit on the blog and also provide information that readers will find useful especially since many travel.

Sounds like a great way to travel.

They have the tours in DC and I am going to do one next time I visit. The tours sound amazing! I love to learn and I’m sure the DC tour would teach me things I don’t know .

Interesting concept. My parents used to travel with Elder Hostel which sounds like a similar idea and tgey too loved it. The problem I have with organised activities is the stickng to a schedule which I sm not very good at doing, especially when travellng.

That sounds cool too! The great thing is these are short so it isn’t too much of a commitment.

These are great, thanks for sharing! Just booked a spot on a Marquez tour in Cartagena, Colombia for my upcoming trip 🙂

Wonderful! I would love to hear back on how it went! If you remember can you let me know? I’m hoping to do one in DC or NYC next time I’m there. Cartagena sounds fabulous!

• Pingback: Context Travel: Small Guided Tours for the Intellectually Curious Traveler

Thank you for sharing more about this organization — I’m definitely going to look them up!

You’re welcome! If you do a tour with them, let me know. I would love to hear how it goes. 🙂

• Pingback: If you’re ever driving through Blytheville, AR and need a hotel… | Write on the World

Fantastic idea! it makes such a huge difference to see a place through the eyes of someone who is not just selling you the standard tourist-y facts & figures

Yes I imagine the tours are amazing. I am hoping to do one soon when I travel.

I love the idea of a more intimate tour, especially from a locals perspective! Next time I visit a new city I’ll have to look these guys up. Sounds like something special

Yes me too. It is a wonderful concept and a much different perspective to regular tours. 🙂

Great article! I’ve been all over the world and it makes so much sense to try and “live like a local” when in foreign places. Have you been to Napa Valley, California? Check out and follow our wine country blog: http://www.topochinesvino.com .

Thank you and will do!

I love the idea of going on an in-depth tour of a single subject in a city to help gain new perspective and understanding of it. I’ve been on a few tours, one in Europe, which was great but very need-to-know basic. Then, in South Africa, we had locals who took us through some spots and it made a difference in hearing their stories and perspectives to add more context. I’ll have to try to check one out next time I travel to one of their cities.

Thanks so much for the comment! Yes local guides and tours are always the best. I always learn so much more about a place.

I absolutely love Context Travel. I have been in touch with Paul and would love to work with them some day. I have pitched so many of their tours to my Indian clients, but unfortunately do find them very steep as they do not see the value. I shall not quit though. I have recently pitched their Tokyo & Kyoto walks. Fingers crossed!

• Pingback: Context Travel: Small guided tours for the intellectually curious traveler — Thirdeyemom – Avocado Sundays

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Discover more from Thirdeyemom

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

My Review: Florence Food Tour with Context Travel

D uring my trip to Florence in 2007, the food did not leave much of an impression on me. I remember having great breakfasts in the morning, ones that consisted of good espresso and something like a croissant. And I recall a sumptuous bowl of Tuscan stew, but beyond that nothing that stuck out.

That was 100% my fault. So sorry, Florence. I was wrong. Florence IS for foodies!

Like we did in Kyoto , Mr. Misadventures and I requested a custom Context Travel tour, Florence for Foodies. And as usual, the Context Travel team and Adrienne, our guide, delivered an exceptional, food-focused experience.

At the end of our tour, what I came to understand was that the most important aspect of Tuscan food is simplicity. Everything is fresh, no need to label anything organic, all food is organic here! People shop for one day or two and visit small shops focused on a single product or category of products.

We met Adrienne in the Piazza della Repubblica right after we had enjoyed a delicious espresso and I drooled at the sweets display.

We began our food pilgrimage at Procacci , a beautiful truffle shop belonging to the Antinori wine family. We sampled (and then ordered more!) of their house specialty, Panini tartufati, a small sandwich with a special truffle cream. Just inhaling the air in this shop is pure heaven and the locals arrive in the late afternoon for a glass of prosecco and Panini tartufate as an apertivo.

We walked around with Adrienne pointing out a bit of history about some of the buildings (mostly owned by wine families in the area) and little unique elements such as the original “drive-thru” windows. The noblemen would drive up to the window for a glass of wine and then hit the road.

We stopped at a local bakery to sample a few Tuscan specialties, both sweet and savory. Most bread, except some focaccia, doesn’t have salt. The salt comes from the pecorino, prosciutto, and salami and is not needed in the bread.

The reason? Centuries before, the Pope charged a steep tax on salt, so the merchants evoked “Me ne frego” (“I don’t give a damn!”) and they did without. And they still do today.

Snacking on sweets called for a coffee to chase the sugar, we visited Café Giacosa, the café where Negroni cocktails were invented. A few years back the café was purchased by Roberto Cavalli, he tried to rename the café, but the Florentines protested as it had such a history and the name was reverted. We tried a lovely budino made with something like a patisserie cream mixed with rice.

What I loved about this spot (and all the places we went to were full of locals). At Giacosa, there were businessmen standing around eating their bowls of pasta, going back for seconds and quickly drinking down their espressos before heading back to work.

During our five days in Florence, we visited Café Giacosa quite a few times!

Mr. Misadventures and I use/eat a lot of olive oil, so Adrienne took us to the store where she buys hers, La Bottega dell’Olio, or as I like to call it, heaven! Different types of olive oil are used with different dishes, whether it is to dip into, put on top of pasta, or marinade, it is not one size fits all. We tasted several olive oils from regions all over Italy as well as balsamic vinegar, I never wanted to leave.

Last stop was a grocery store. More like the traiteurs I am familiar with in France. But it’s a store you can sit down and eat in as well.

Which we did. Of course, we did!

With pecorino, parmesan, prosciutto and salami toscano. Oh and wine.

The Grana Market is family-run run and the store that Adrienne goes to for its parmesan, after sampling some with balsamic vinegar drizzled on top, I understood why.

Just when I thought I could not eat anymore, we were done.

In reality, we spent three-plus hours on a fantastic food journey through the street of Florence with an exceptional guide, something I have come to expect from Context Travel .

Travel Tours

More context travel tours.

These are my reviews of the Context Travel Tours I have been on and LOVED!

• Context Travel Orsay Museum Tour
• The Bobo Palate: Context Travel Paris Food Tour
• Baguette to Bistro: Context Travel Paris Food Tour
• Giverny for the Day – Context Travel Tour
• Gastronomic London: Context Travel London Tour
• Florence for Foodies (custom tour)
• Context Travel Temple Tour Kyoto
• Learning about Japanese Gardening and Landscaping in Kyoto
• Kyoto’s Nishiki Market (custom tour)

This is not a regular tour, but I recommend that Context consider adding it! It is a great way to meet locals and see how they eat daily, really Florence is a wonderful town for Foodies! If food is not your main focus and you want a history-forward itinerary, look no further than this perfectly put-together 3 days in Florence itinerary that captures all the museum highlights.

How about you? Have you been to Florence? What was your favorite food item? If you haven't, what do you think you would like to try? Comment and share!

Like it? PIN it!

• Look for fares using sites like  Skyscanner or Expedia.com . 
• For France (Paris) coming from the West Coast , I typically fly Air France or United. From the East Coast , I typically fly Air France or Delta.
• If you travel frequently, consider investing in a  Priority Pass  for airport lounge access. Not only will you have a spot to relax before your flight and charge your devices, but you can eat and drink for free (without paying crazy airport prices!)
• I use  Expedia.com , Booking.com , and  Hotels.com  to find lodging. Always check the reviews on TripAdvisor before booking!
• If you want to stay in a rental, look at  VRBO  and  Plum Guide .
• For rental car agencies, try  Rentalcars.com . When traveling in Europe, I use  AutoEurope  to make reservations. They find the best rates and allow you to compare different car rental agencies. I typically book with Sixt .
• For transportation from the CDG airport to anywhere within Paris, consider pre-booking with Get Transfer . It is one way to be stress-free and you can request an English-speaking driver.
• I book tours with companies like Viator and GetYourGuide . Both have a wide variety of activities for every travel style. Other companies to look at include Tours by Locals and Withlocals.
• If you’re visiting a city with multiple attractions, be sure to check out a discount pass, such as CityPASS or Go City .
• Context Travel is another option and they offer more educational-based activities.
• If you are looking to buy tickets to attractions, check out Tiquet .
• One of my favorite things to do is to get photos taken of me while on vacation. Flytographer is a great option with photographers all over the world.
• It’s important to have some type of travel insurance to cover any unforeseen accidents, illnesses, threats, or cancellations. I always travel with insurance and would recommend SafetyWing ,  SquareMouth or Travelex Insurance are good options.
• Should you have any trouble with flight delays to the extent you feel you deserve compensation, I encourage you to check out and use AirHelp . I used them and for 1 claim I got compensated (transparency: a 2nd claim did not, but I was still glad I tried!).
• Check out Le Shop for my digital travel planners and Paris planner !

The post My Review: Florence Food Tour with Context Travel appeared first on Misadventures with Andi .

'Expensive in every way': What travelers should expect this summer

Summer travel in 2024 will be "expensive in every way," said Katharine Nohr. And she should know.

She's planning a two-week adventure to Europe in June, which starts with a marathon flight from Honolulu to Zurich, where she'll speak at a conference. Then she's hopscotching across Europe – to Vienna, then on to the Olympics. Nohr made plans to be in Nantes, France, to watch a soccer game, in Lille for basketball, and in Paris for gymnastics, boxing and swimming.

Check out   Elliott Confidential , the newsletter the travel industry doesn't want you to read. Each issue is filled with breaking news, deep insights, and exclusive strategies for becoming a better traveler. But don't tell anyone!

All told, it'll set her back five figures despite her best efforts, which include flying economy class and staying in the lowest-priced hotels. 

"The trip is pricey, even with my efforts to economize," said Nohr, an attorney from Honolulu. "But it's a once-in-my-life adventure." 

Flying cars are coming! Here's how they could change the way you travel.

'Flying feels different': Here's how air travel has changed recently

Summer travelers are pursuing exciting, expensive vacations

Nohr is part of a wave of travelers who are making big plans for this summer. The itineraries are exciting – and expensive. 

Pretty much every barometer of travel intent is up for the summer travel season. Inflation and unemployment are low, and consumer sentiment and curiosity are high, fueling an unprecedented interest in travel. 

"Bookings are rising," said Susan Sherren, who runs Couture Trips , a travel agency. "Unfortunately, hotel, tour and air prices are not falling. So if you plan on hitting the road this summer, make sure you are willing to splash some cash."

Travel companies say they're overwhelmed with summer reservations.

"The travel economy is booming," said Joe Ialacci, owner of Yacht Hampton Boating Club , a company that rents yachts in Sag Harbor, New York. He's seeing a 40% increase in rentals this summer compared with last year as Americans shift some of their vacation dollars to domestic destinations.

Prices aren't the only thing trending higher. People's expectations for their summer vacation are also higher than at any time since the pandemic, said Sangeeta Sadarangani, CEO of Crossing , a multinational travel agency headquartered in London. 

"They're embracing the unknown," she said.

And one of the great unknowns is travel prices. How much higher will they be?

What will prices be like this summer?

It depends on where you're going. There's good news if you're traveling within the U.S.: Flights and hotels are a little less expensive than last summer . But they're rising elsewhere. Here's the breakdown:

• Airfares are mixed. Domestic round-trip airfares for summer will peak at $315 a ticket, according to the travel platform Hopper . Flights to Europe are cheaper, too. They've fallen 10% from last year to $882. But flights to South America are up 2% and flights to Canada have risen 7%. You'll pay an average of $708 to fly south of the border and $419 to head north.
• U.S. hotel rates are down. Domestically, they're about the same as last year at an average of $206 a night.
• Car rental prices are rising. Average domestic car rental rates are up only 3% this summer to $42 a day on a four-day rental, according to Hopper. 

But you can avoid the high prices with a little strategic planning, experts say.

What to avoid this summer

American travelers are becoming more predictable in their summer vacation choices, said John Lovell, president of Travel Leaders Group . Immediately after the pandemic, they embarked on "revenge" vacations to far-flung locations. Now they're returning to more conventional vacations.

"We continue to see U.S. travelers heading back to the more traditional locations across Europe this year, like London, Rome, Athens and Munich," he said.

There are places that will be exceptionally busy – and exceptionally pricey – this summer.

• Paris during the Olympics. The Olympic Games are in Paris this summer. Rooms are more than double the normal rates , which is typical of the Olympics. Paris is already crowded with tourists during the summer, so you can probably imagine what it will be like with the Olympics. Zut, alors!
• Taylor Swift is touring Europe this summer. Prices will be higher and the crowds will be denser. "If you aren't planning to attend one of her concerts, I recommend planning around those European cities when she's there," said Betsy Ball, co-founder of Euro Travel Coach . (Want to know if your schedules overlap? Here's Taylor Swift's concert schedule .)
• Other big summer events. Even if you steer clear of Taylor and the Olympics, you're still not out of the woods. There's the UEFA Euro 2024 football tournament in Germany in June. There's the Tour de France in July, which begins in Florence and finishes in Nice. France is also hosting the Paralympic Games in August and September in Paris, Nice, Marseille and Bordeaux.

Air travel smells worse than ever. Here's how to fix it.

Pay less to fly: New strategies for finding cheap airfares now

When is the best time to book a 2024 summer vacation?

Because this is going to be a busy season, the sooner you book, the better. Hopper recommends buying your plane tickets two to three months before your departure for domestic flights, and for international – well, it's probably too late to get that rock-bottom fare. If you're reading this in April, you can still find something for late August or early September, according to its airfare experts.

As always, you can save money by booking a flight for midweek instead of on the weekend – and, of course, by keeping far, far away from the big travel holidays like Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day. 

Also, if you're going overseas, remember the holiday calendar is different there. For example, half of Europe shuts down in August for summer vacation. It's worth a look-up, otherwise, you could face some real disappointments.

Strategies for traveling better during the summer

One tactic that consistently works is splitting your getaway into two sections. Take that required summer vacation with your family somewhere less expensive during the high season. Then, wait until shoulder season for the big trip. 

That's what Ross Copas, a retired electrician from Tweed, Canada, is doing during the summer of 2024. It's a road trip across the northern U.S. by motorcycle – New York to Washington state, and then back east through Canada. 

Then he's heading to Amsterdam in September for a 23-day European river cruise. He said the late-summer getaway will be costly, but he doubts fares will fall anytime soon. "So price be damned," he said.

Actually, that's pretty smart. I took the same cruise on Viking River Cruises many years ago, and it was worth every penny.

With hotel rates rising in some places this summer, this is the right time to consider alternatives. Monica Fish, a writer from Glen Rock, New Jersey, is headed to Ireland to catch one of Taylor Swift's performances. She said hotel rooms in Dublin are overpriced, if they're even available. But Fish found an affordable vacation rental. 

"We just had to book it farther in advance than we normally would," she said. 

Go ahead, follow the crowds this summer

I think it's fine to follow the crowds this summer. I'll be doing it. I'm planning to rent an apartment for a month in Switzerland with Blueground, a long-term apartment rental company. Then I'm crashing on a friend's sofa in Spain, then heading to Sweden to see other friends and visiting my brother in Finland. Yes, travel writers know people everywhere . 

But don't follow the crowds off a cliff. There are places even I won't go. I might take the four-hour train trip from Zurich to Paris in June to check out my favorite patisseries, but I wouldn't go anywhere near the City of Lights during the Summer Games in July unless I made a reservation a long time ago.

And Taylor Swift? Puh-leeze. I'm more of a jazz guy.

Christopher Elliott  is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded  Elliott Advocacy , a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes  Elliott Confidential , a travel newsletter, and the  Elliott Report , a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can  reach him here  or email him at  [email protected] .

Solo travel: the 'ultimate indulgence in 2024'

Why more of us are choosing to go on holiday on our own

• Newsletter sign up Newsletter

The number of holidaymakers choosing to go it alone is rising, whether in escorted groups, or independently. And it is an active choice, not forced by an inability to find a travelling companion. 

"Rather than a function of necessity or compromise, holidaying alone has become the ultimate indulgence in 2024: a rare chance in this ultra-demanding world to put one's own needs and priorities first," said the London Evening Standard .

"Regardless of life stage or relationship status", many more people are taking solo trips, "not because they have to – but because they want to", said the newspaper. 

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

And one factor fuelling the independent travel trend may be an after-effect of the pandemic's enforced isolation, which "emboldened" people with a 'now or never' attitude", rendering them "more confident than ever about spending time in solitude".

And that solitude can have benefits for our wellbeing. Research by Netta Weinstein, a professor of psychology and clinical language sciences at the University of Reading, has shown that there is a big difference between imposed solitude and chosen solitude, reported The Guardian .

"Having space gives us time to connect with ourselves, and connecting with ourselves benefits our wellbeing," said Weinstein. A key factor appears to be the sense of autonomy we get from being alone. "What we found was that, on any given day when people felt autonomous and competent in solitude, they feel better on that day," she added.

According to an Abta report, 16% of travellers went on holiday by themselves in the year to August 2023, compared to 11% during the previous year, said Travel Weekly . In the 35-44 age group, the proportion of solo travellers more than doubled to 13% in 2023 from just 6% in 2022.

The main attraction of a solo trip is being able to do what you want, when you want. Being on your own is a "chance to really savour the world around you – at your own pace", said Annabelle Thorpe in The Observer . There are "no compromises to be made, no itineraries discussed; get up when you want, eat what you fancy, do nothing or everything, talk to the friendly person next to you at breakfast, or pop in your headphones and ignore them completely". 

And this freedom can bring a change in behaviour. "When I'm travelling alone, I become the best version of myself," said Thorpe: "the most decisive, the most charming, the most curious. I see more, go further, strike up conversations with people I'll never meet again, yet always remember."

And it's not just for single people. For those in a relationship, differing work patterns and destination preferences also play a part. "Like many women who travel alone, I have a partner, but his life is a lot less flexible than mine and he doesn't always want the kinds of breaks I do," said Joanna Moorhead in The Guardian.

Research by online travel agent Opodo.com in 2023 revealed that 41% of us prefer to travel alone, reported The Telegraph . "It puts us in control of decision-making", giving us the option "to linger for hours in a museum without our partners or children having a meltdown, or to undertake a lung-busting hike to the top of a mountain to be made small by nature when our close ones prefer the indoors". 

And apart from the sightseeing, solo travel "gives us tranquil time for personal reflection and growth".

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox

A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com

Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages

By The Week Staff Published 16 April 24

The Week Recommends April is National Poetry Month

By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published 16 April 24

the explainer The gap in care is especially glaring compared to how men are treated

By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published 16 April 24

The Week Recommends The trend for combining classics from two food cultures can result in dishes that are doubly delicious

By The Week UK Published 15 April 24

The Week Recommends The southwestern region pretty much has it all, from beachfront, to port metropolis, to verdant mountainside

By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published 15 April 24

The Week Recommends From 'subversive' textiles to exquisite Flemish drawings, there's something for every art lover

By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published 11 April 24

The Week Recommends A new show from the creator of "Peaky Blinders," Colin Farrell as a neo-noir detective, and more

By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published 11 April 24

The Week Recommends Foot hammocks and facial sprays add comfort to long flights

By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published 10 April 24

the week recommends A poetry collection curated by the U.S. Poet Laureate, another adult novel from Julia Alvarez and more

By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published 9 April 24

the week recommends An 'unsalvageable' disaster that 'squanders the talents of all involved'

By The Week UK Published 8 April 24

• Contact Future's experts
• Terms and Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy
• Advertise With Us

The Week is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site . © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

A free one-day virtual conference for the whole C++ community.

How Copilot is being used by the Time Travel Debugging team for repetitive C++ coding

Sinem Akinci

April 3rd, 2024 2 4

Background  

Ken Sykes and Juan Carlos Arevalo Baeza (JCAB) are both Principal Software Engineers who work on Time Travel Debugging at Microsoft. They are part of the team that maintains and develops the Windows Debugger (WinDbg) and related technologies. Their codebase is developed with C++ and CMake and they primarily use VS Code for day-to-day development of their code.  

They have been integrating GitHub Copilot and GitHub Copilot Chat into their C++ development in VS Code and have found many useful workflows for the AI pair programming tool.  

Download GitHub Copilot

To access GitHub Copilot and Copilot Chat, you will need an active subscription to GitHub Copilot. If you’re just getting started, please check out  the VS Code documentation .

This blog post series has been written in partnership with Ken and JCAB to highlight their workflows with Copilot and Copilot Chat respectively and inspire other C++ developers on potential use cases to integrate with their code.  

How we use Copilot for C++

Copilot provides AI-generated autocomplete-style suggestions as we code. Copilot has greatly helped our team with reaching new levels of productivity when interacting with our large codebases.   

For example, it has been good at following our coding styles for repetitive tasks. We highly recommend Copilot to save you some time with repetitive typing.  

This has been widely applicable to many areas of our C++ workflows, from writing test code to implementing classes. Two specific examples that have been greatly impactful in that we will expand upon below are adding additional methods to a class and generating classes after migrating library dependencies.  

You can follow along with the examples in this sample repo : KenSykes/ExampleLibraryConversion: Demonstration of Copilot code completion (github.com) . Please note that Copilot suggestions are probabilistic, not deterministic, and you may not see the exact same suggestions as you follow along.  

Adding additional methods to a class

Reference code : Branch: main, file: ExampleLibraryConversion.cpp  

One of our favorite ways to use Copilot is to have it follow existing coding patterns to save typing. For example, we have a class that interacts with dbghelp.dll through function pointers (GetProcAddress-based delay loading). Recently we needed to add some additional dbghelp methods to this class, such as SymInitializeW . All we need to do is go to the places that define existing structs, press enter and start to type, and Copilot will dynamically update to fill in the rest. Then, we can edit down the results to get to the desired outcome.  

After adding this new class member, we can scroll up to the constructor and notice that Copilot is able to offer a valid initialization suggestion for us.

Then, add the prototype for the wrapper and Copilot can offer a reasonable implementation.

A more complex example of Copilot helping with initializations can be viewed below for now a new Load Module object.

Generating code when migrating libraries

Reference code: Branch: convert_to_nlohmann, file:ExampleLibraryConversion.cpp

We have found Copilot helpful with managing libraries in our repository and refactoring code. Specifically, we previously used the rapidJSON library, managed through a vcpkg.json file, to serialize our structs into JSON.

An example of such a struct of information can be viewed here:

The original rapidJSON code was hand-written and took hours to do (including time to become familiar with the library). While producing this blog, we found that Copilot could generate much of the code correctly once some rapidJSON boilerplate code is provided. See how easily Copilot can generate the JSON object using pre-determined o and s objects for rapidJSON:

We recently had a desire to update this library dependency from rapidJSON to nlohmann-json, since the nlohmann-json library is better-maintained.  To start updating the code, all we needed to do was update our vcpkg.json dependencies to have a nlohmann-json entry and include this new dependency in our cpp file per official library documentation.

From there, Copilot was able to produce 80% of the code for this process with the proper formatting for nlohmann-json, letting the team focus on reviewing the generated code rather than implementing the fixes in applicable areas.

Generating code based on input data

Reference code: Branch: convert_to_nlohmann, File: ExampleParser.cpp

Copilot can also save you time writing parsing code. Given some sample input data pasted in a comment, Copilot can generate C++ structures and parsing code for you. To demonstrate this, we started with the nlohmann JSON parser, added a conversion for std::string , and then pasted some sample JSON from openweathermap.org in a comment.

Now, watch Copilot go to work. Move cursor below the comment and hit Enter. You will start to get suggestions for code. Keep pressing Tab and Enter as Copilot writes out all the structures to represent the data and the nlohmann to_json() / from_json() methods, culminating in a ParseWeatherData() method that can fully parse the sample text.

The full Copilot-generated code can be found here .

If you look closely that the Weather field of WeatherData is a single element but the JSON is an array, so a std::vector<> would have been a better choice. Things like this are easy to fix up on your own, or perhaps add more representative JSON samples to the comment to give Copilot more context.

A big thanks to Ken and JCAB from the Time Travel Debugging Team for collaborating with us on this blog post!

Copilot can provide you with AI-powered assistance at many points in your C++ development, such as migrating libraries and initializing new methods. Download Copilot and try out utilizing it in your areas of repetitive coding! Please note that responses are generated by AI, so we recommend reviewing any responses provided and iterating when necessary.

Our team is working hard on improving C++ integrations, so please let us know any improvements you’d like to see to your C++ workflows. Additionally, let us know what other types of content you’d like to see regarding use cases or additional information about Copilot.

We welcome all types of feedback on your experience with the product. The comments below are open, or you can find us via email at  [email protected]  or via Twitter at  @VisualC .

Sinem Akinci Program Manager II, Visual C++ Team

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Log in to join the discussion or edit/delete existing comments.

How one can enable header file visibility in Copilot? Or let Copilot to see entire workspace files to be aware of the whole context…

We recommend opening any relevant header files or workspace files to improve quality of Copilot completions results. Copilot will take these opened files into context to improve relevant completions results.

Insert/edit link

Enter the destination URL

Or link to existing content