I’m a big fan of public transport. I love to see new places, but don’t enjoy driving. So I was delighted to find that the Canary Islands have an excellent public bus system. A whole fleet of guaguas (slang for cheap bus) criss-crosses the island. They’re clean, comfortable, and efficient, with well-marked stops. And those on the airport route have conveniently-designed luggage racks.

But the best thing about the guaguas is that I can pay by tapping my credit card right on the bus. No converting currency, trying to find a ticket machine, buying bus tokens, or worrying whether I have enough coins. Just swipe and go. Wish we had that in the US!