At Long Last, The One-Seat Amsterdam-to-London Train Trip Is Here
Posted on 02/03/2020, 7:00 PM
This news may enrich your next European vacation.The Channel Tunnel connected England with Europe 26 years ago, but it took this long to get a high-speed train from central Amsterdam direct to central London.And what timing! England just broke up with Europe this week. The delay wasn't Brexit-related. There were lots of factors, some about train speeds previously being slowed in the countryside an...
This Twitter Account Tracks the Door Codes to London's Toilets
Posted on 01/22/2020, 7:00 PM
Every traveler knows the misery of not being able to find a loo. When you're spending hours away from your hotel exploring an unfamiliar town, pit stops can be few and far between. In kinder times, free places to pee were bog standard. They included restrooms built into subway platforms and down staircases on busy streets. But most of those public WCs were padlocked decades ago out of fears over d...
End of an Era: The Oldest Harrah's Casino Is Closing
Posted on 01/21/2020, 5:45 PM
Harrah's Reno has occupied its downtown spot in that Nevada city since 1937, when founder William F. Harrah opened his first bingo parlor. The place eventually expanded into a hotel and casino and spawned several offshoots, all of which are now part of Caesars Entertainment. But luck has run out for that first Harrah's. Caesars and VICI Properties have announced that they're selling the venerable...
Coming from Viking: Great Lakes Cruises and Polar Expeditions with Submarines
Posted on 01/17/2020, 4:00 PM
With sights set on both the farthest and the closest destinations on earth, cruise company Viking has announced a new fleet of two expedition ships. It will join the companies roving both the Arctic Circle and Antarctica and, most interestingly, pioneer new itineraries in the Great Lakes. Two newly built sister ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, will carry a maximum of 378 guest...
U.S. National Parks Are Free on MLK, Jr. Day
Posted on 01/17/2020, 4:00 AM
Savings alert! On Monday, January 20, 2020, all American national parks will be free to enter.It's part of the National Park Service's regular schedule of free days, which are designed to encourage people to get out and explore their natural wonders.On that day, parks that normally charge an entrance fee (like Yosemite, pictured, which normally takes in $35 per car) will simply wave you through wit...
Rome Bans Souvenir Stands Next to Iconic Sites
Posted on 01/14/2020, 1:15 PM
Tourists in the market for a Pope Francis bobblehead may have a tougher time finding that souvenir on the streets of Rome this year. The city has banned stalls selling mugs, magnets, figurines, and other trinkets next to several iconic sites, including the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and the Piazza Navona. The new regulation, which went into effect January 1, gives the boot to 17 souvenir ...
Carnival Cruise Line Bans "Offensive" Clothing Aboard Ships
Posted on 01/09/2020, 5:00 PM
Passengers on cruises used to wear tuxedos and evening gowns. Now one cruise company has determined that standards have slipped so far that it had to issue an explicit ban on "offensive" clothing. Carnival Cruise Line recently made that revision to its onboard dress code. "All guests are expected to ensure their clothing and accessories are respectful to fellow guests," reads a new addition to the...
Love Chocolate? Check Out Slovenia’s New Chocolate-Obsessed Lodge
Posted on 01/08/2020, 5:45 PM
A new retreat in Slovenia will put to the test any chocolate lovers who refuse to believe there can be too much of a good thing. Located near vineyards and the red-roofed city of Maribor in the country's northeast, Chocolate Village by the River kicks vacations into choco-overdrive with chocolate breakfasts, chocolate-making workshops, melted-chocolate massages, and even toiletries made from chocol...
Staying in Amsterdam Will Cost You Extra This Year
Posted on 01/03/2020, 1:30 PM
An increase in Amsterdam's tourist tax went into effect on January 1. Going forward, visitors who stay in hotels in the Dutch capital will be charged a fee of €3 (US $3.35) per person per night. That's on top of the current 7% tourist tax—one of the highest rates in Europe—already added to hotel bills. Those overnighting at campsites will have to pay an additional €1 (US $1.12) per person per ni...
Washington, D.C., Gets a Hotel "Celebrating" Women
Posted on 01/01/2020, 7:00 PM
August of 2020 will mark the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution's 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. A new hotel in Washington, D.C., might be the perfect place to stay if you're planning to celebrate that centennial. When it opens in D.C.'s trendy Logan Circle neighborhood this spring, Hotel Zena will be the "first hospitality establishment solely ded...
