Now that freelance illustrator and writer Steve Bonello has done his fair share of long-hauls, he prefers to keep his meanderings close by. He shares some of his best travel-related memories here.

How often do you travel?

Not a lot, actually. In the past, with duty travel included perhaps up to four times a year. Now it’s more like once or twice.

Your first time abroad?

UK in 1981. The days of the Britrail pass where, for some Lm40 (not insubstantial in those days) one could have the run of the trains for some 15 days. I visited London, York, Edinburgh, Perth, Isle of Skye and Oxford, and making quite a few other stops in between.

Best holiday ever and why?

Must be 1988. A group of four in a Volkswagen Beetle did Malta to North Cape and back in about 21 days. My longest time out of the country actually. Visited so many places on the way: Verona, Nuremburg, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki. Some awesome memories from that trip include the lovely coast of Norway; my first encounter with the work of Edvard Munch; writing our names in permanent ink on the granite base of the Nordkapp monument (wonder if that’s faded out by now). Best of all, perhaps, was camping in the wild in forests and by lakes and once, when it was too dark and rainy to see properly, in the middle of a school football pitch. Small kids on the way to school waving at us in the morning… priceless.

Which place would you never visit and why?

I have an aversion to Russia. I can’t really say why, except perhaps because I do get an inordinately large amount of website visits from Samara in Russia. Gives me the creeps, actually.

Best travel companion?

My wife is looking over my shoulder as I type this.

Stay in a central city centre place. Peripheral lodging may be cheaper, but the time (and possibly cost) to travel to the centre is not worth it

And what’s the worst your travel companion could do?

Moan. Moan. And moan some more.

What do you usually look for when you travel?

The best is a combination of 80 per cent cities and 20 per cent outdoors. I’m a junky when it comes to art museums and awesome buildings and churches. Local cuisine is always a must.

The perfect holiday would be…

Practically anywhere on the northern Mediterranean coast.

What’s the furthest you’ve been from home?

Probably Singapore and Brazil, both duty travel, unfortunately. But while in Singapore I took the bus to Johore Bahru and spent a couple of aimless hours there, just for the pleasure of setting foot in Malaysia.

Package tours or DIY?

Package? You’re kidding, right? On a couple of times I’ve travelled on a local charter (seat only, of course) and the departure lounge scenes I’ve witnessed on the return are nothing short of cringe making. I’m sure you don’t want me to go into details…

What the best travel advice you can give?

Research. Trip Advisor doesn’t lie. Also, I do a lot of research on Google Earth before I go somewhere. Sometimes I can visit a (mid-sized) city without using a map, actually. It’s a fixation thing with me.

And what’s the worst piece of advice you’ve been given?

Self-inflicted. Kidding myself that in Ireland, September equates with summer.

Flying – hate it/love it/neutral?

Neutral to hate. I’ve done more transatlantic flights than I care to remember. The best one was when I fell asleep as soon as the meal was served out of Vancouver and woke up in London. Nowadays, I try to keep my travel within a two-hour flying radius.

The one place you never get tired of visiting?

Italy. It’s got it all. I like everything Italian, except the football.

Describe one memory that stuck with you from a place.

Arriving in Venice before dawn, one February, taking the first water bus to Piazza San Marco shrouded in deep fog. The bells of San Marco breaking loudly and majestically through the fog at 7am. Otherworldly.

You met the coolest people at?

Unbelievably, I think Dallas. The city is so cold and totally devoid of character, but the people are so genuinely warm and friendly.

Your best budget tip to save money on holiday?

Sometimes I can visit a mid-sized city without using a map, actually. It’s a fixation thing with me

Stay in a central city centre place. Peripheral lodging may be cheaper, but the time (and possibly cost) to travel to the centre is not worth it.

If you actually had to live away from Malta, where would you pick?

Probably Italy.

What’s the one thing you would never do in a foreign country?

Hmm. I don’t know really.

Anything on your travel bucket list?

The Falklands, when the travel time is reduced to two hours and Barcelona when they finish the Sagrada Famiglia. Also, Madrid if they promise the Prado will not be on strike next time I go.

Travel is important to you because?

It’s a complete break from routine. That usually means no internet, no Facebook, no news and no TV – which I never watch anyway.

What has travel taught you?

The painful knowledge that this country is only a tiny speck in a big, sometimes wonderful world.

View Steve Bonello’s works on www.facebook.com/pages/Steve-Bonello-Art-Illustration/1008551449156240?fref=ts .