Nine-tenths of the world now have travel restrictions as result of the COVID-19. Millions of us are stuck indoors.

But that shouldn’t stop you from taking a trip.

The use of virtual services, from shopping to school work, has soared since the coronavirus hit. So has virtual travel which can give you a break from watching the same television show for the third time, or 10-year-old sporting events. Virtual visits to other locations is not only interesting, but can help motivate you to keep up with your language learning.

Virtual touring can take you almost anywhere in the world. Some may be places you’ve dreamed to see. For others, virtual travelling can be a way to check out a location they plan to visit. Some have a charge, many are free.

Here in Canada, for example, you can traverse the entire country:

• Montreal with its Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Old Town Montreal, and Point-à-Callièro, one of the city’ oldest sections, site of the oldest existing building in Montreal, and the first settlement for thousands of immigrants. Montreal also has La Basilique  Notre-Dame, one of the most ornate gothic facades in the world.
• Toronto has much to offer visual viewers besides such world-class landmarks as the CN Tower, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Hockey Hall of Fame. Since your feet won’t be sore from walking, you can visit the Bata Shoe Museum, with more than 1,000 shoes spanning centuries.
• Vancouver, with its acres of beautiful parks and waterfront is a popular place to visit. Gastown, the oldest section of Vancouver, is a great place for viewing with its shops, popular restaurants, Victorian houses, people having fun at bars, and even a steam-powered clock.

If you’re tired of seeing big cities, you can take a look at the prairie with it many working farms, from dairy to livestock.

Want to go abroad?  No problem.

Virtual visits are available of most countries. In Italy, for example, you can tour much of the country in one day, starting in Venice, west to Florence, Sienna, on to Rome and then Sicily. You can also visit Tuscany on the way.

A unique place you may want to visit, particularly if you have children, is just to the south, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where you can see the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.

Guides at ToursByLocals are creating virtual tours, so even if you had to cancel a trip, you can still explore Barcelona, Budapest, Dubrovnik and many more places from your own home.