Articles

Zac Thompson

Article / Women

This Weekend, a Bunch of Cities Are Hosting Free Guided Walks Encouraging Discovery and Connection

Every year during the first weekend of May, volunteers in cities across the world lead free "walking conversations" that encourage people to share stories about their neighborhoods,…

Article / Air Travel

Another Major U.S. Airline Is Restricting This Common Device on Flights

Due to safety concerns, American Airlines has tightened its rules for traveling with portable chargers that run on lithium batteries. Effective Friday, May 1, each passenger is limited…

Article / Road Trips

Which of the World's Great Road Trips Has the Best Weather Conditions for Driving?

Visibility is tops "in the hierarchy of perfect driving conditions," asserts British meteorologist Jim N.R. Dale in a new report that ranks road trips by weather. That sounds like bad…

Article / Money and Fees

9 Free Things to Do in Boston: Museums, Monuments, Gardens, and Tours

Boston is an expensive destination for travelers—just looking at the hotel rates can bust your budget.But there are some noteworthy attractions that don’t cost a thing, and many of…

Article / Arts and Culture

New App for Music Tourism Charts Course to Concerts, Clubs, and Music Landmarks

"Gig-tripping"—the practice of planning an entire vacation around a concert or festival in a destination where you don't live—continues to grow in popularity, according to the trackers…

Article / Air Travel

Everybody's Least Favorite U.S. Airline Named Best U.S. Airline in New Ranking

One U.S. carrier sometimes seems less like an airline than a punchline. If you're making a joke about crummy service, outrageous fees, or uncomfortable seats in the skies, it's highly…

Article / Packing & Luggage

Checked Luggage Fees Have Gone Up Again. Here's What You'll Pay, Airline by Airline

The war in Iran has sent jet fuel prices soaring, and you can bet the airlines will pass along as big a share of those costs as possible to the consumer. That means higher airfares…

Article / Arts and Culture

Fans Will Soon Get to Go Inside David Bowie's Childhood Home

You'd be forgiven for assuming David Bowie came from outer space, interwar Berlin, some gritty-glam dystopia, or even a creepy labyrinth filled with singing goblin puppets. But it…

Article / Air Travel

Southwest Airlines Further Restricts Portable Chargers on Flights

Southwest Airlines is establishing one of the strictest policies on lithium portable chargers in the U.S.According to an internal message that was posted for employees this week and…

Article / Family & Kids

Did You Know This Airline Shows You Ahead of Time if You'll Be Seated Near an Infant?

In keeping with the mysterious cycle by which old news stories resurface on social media, an airline feature introduced a while back has gained some renewed interest online…

Article / Beach & Water Sports

Hurricane Season Forecast for 2026: How Bad Will Storms Be This Year?

Last year's Atlantic hurricane season was relatively normal from a historical perspective, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). There were, however,…

Article / Air Travel

Warning: American Airlines Customers Are Accidentally Booking Bus Rides Instead of Flights

Like a college freshman trying to bluff through a philosophy midterm, American Airlines seems to have gotten tripped up in a category error.The carrier has classified some bus rides as…

Article / National Parks

What's the Cheapest National Park Trip to Take This Year?

The cost of plane tickets is on the rise, thanks to spiking oil prices caused by the war in Iran. Throw in other economic woes such as stubbornly high inflation, and you've got several…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Study Finds the Germiest Thing You Travel With—and It's Seven Times Dirtier Than Your Shoes

The dirtiest travel item was recently determined by a set of microbial tests conducted by experts—and it wasn't even close. Worse, the germiest object is something you definitely must…

Article / Air Travel

Some Airports Have Suspended Wait Time Reporting Online Due to Shutdown Chaos

Remember how we advised you last week to consult the website of the airport you're flying out of in order to find reliable estimates for security wait times? The Transportation…

Article / Theme Park

Coming Soon: The First-Ever Minecraft Theme Park Land

One of the best-selling video games of all time is getting its first-ever theme park land. Minecraft World (eat your heart out, Tetris) will debut at the U.K.'s Chessington World of…

Article / Air Travel

The Oscars of Airports Were Handed Out, and the U.S. Did About as Well as You'd Expect

Those of you reading this on your phones while stuck in a seemingly endless TSA line will probably not be surprised to learn that the U.S. didn't do so hot on the latest ranking of the…

Article / Air Travel

The Best Way to Check TSA Wait Times in Advance (It's Not the TSA App)

As the partial government shutdown continues to drag on, many U.S. airports have reported extended wait times for passengers at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints. TSA…

Article / Entry Requirements & Customs

Why You Should Expect Long Airport Lines When You Get to Europe This Summer

Have you been horrified by recent images of extremely long lines at U.S. airports as a result of the ongoing partial government shutdown? We regret to inform you that similar scenes…

Article / Money and Fees

One of Europe's Most Famous Churches Plans to Charge for Entry. Critics Say That's a Sin

Is it wrong—or at least morally murky—to impose entrance fees for accessing certain spaces?That's a question being debated in Germany following a recent announcement that Cologne…

Article / Beach & Water Sports

"Record-High Levels" of Sargassum Could Pile Up on Beaches in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Florida This Spring

It looks like 2026 could be a record-setting year for stinky seaweed on beaches.Enormous blobs of sargassum, the large brown algae that floats on the surface of the ocean and can wash…

Article / Air Travel

You Could Get Banned from This Major Airline for Not Wearing Headphones

A major U.S. airline is going further than ever toward muting passengers who engage in the irritating, bordering-on-sociopathic practice of watching videos or listening to music at…

Article / News

Loving v. Virginia Courthouse Among Six Historic Sites Added to U.S. Civil Rights Trail

The courthouse where the Lovings of Loving v. Virginia fame were arrested, tried, and briefly jailed in 1959 has been added to the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. The law that Richard and…

Article / Air Travel

This Airport Says "It's Time to Ban Pajamas" on Passengers

"We've seen enough. We've had enough. It's time to ban pajamas at Tampa International Airport," a tongue-in-cheek social media post from the Florida facility decreed this…

Article / Air Travel

If Your Flight Is Delayed, When Should You Go to the Airport?

You get a notification that your early-morning flight has been pushed back. Can you sleep in?