Articles

Zac Thompson

Article / Money and Fees

8 of the Cheapest Places to Travel in Europe Right Now

With the U.S. dollar dropping in value and another economic downturn looking more and more likely, budget-conscious American travelers might want to be especially choosy right now…

Article / Air Travel

Another Airline Is Finally Launching Free In-Flight Wi-Fi

After dragging their feet for years, major U.S. airlines suddenly seem to be in a rush to give passengers free Wi-Fi. This week American Airlines announced that free high-speed Wi-Fi…

Article / Arts and Culture

A New Frank Lloyd Wright House for Rent? Yes, Actually. Plus Others Where You Can Spend the Night

Death tends to have a negative impact on an artist's productivity. There are certain deceased creatives, however, whose output doesn't stop entirely. Look at Antoni Gaudí. Or Tupac…

Article / Air Travel

British Airways Customer Service Chatbot Doesn't Know What London and Heathrow Are, Apparently

Science fiction led us to believe robots would be flummoxed by trying to process logical paradoxes, such as the sentence "This statement is a lie" or perhaps the idea of "jumbo…

Article / Air Travel

Are We Supposed to Be Tipping Flight Attendants Now?

Given that we now live in a world where you might be asked by a payment screen how much you'd like to tip at a self-checkout kiosk, it should probably come as no surprise that the…

Article / Beach & Water Sports

Hurricane Season 2025: What Forecasters Say Is in Store for Florida and the Caribbean

Looks like we're in for another "above average" Atlantic hurricane season, according to weather experts. Researchers at Colorado State University's Tropical Cyclones, Radar,…

Article / National Parks

This Summer Is Your Last Chance to Visit Oregon's Crater Lake Until 2029

After this summer, anybody who wants to take to the waters of Oregon's Crater Lake, whether as a swimmer or on a bout tour, is in for a long wait. Cleetwood Cove Trail, the only legal…

Article / Air Travel

Don't Lose Your Phone on a Flight! They Might Turn the Plane Around

Misplace your phone during a flight and the pilot might turn the plane around. That's what happened on a recent Air France flight from Paris to the Caribbean. When a passenger and crew…

Article / Arts and Culture

Superman’s Cleveland: Filming Locations and Other Key Sites in His Creators’ Hometown

You've probably heard that Superman of Metropolis is originally from the planet Krypton by way of Smallville. But in point of fact, the Man of Steel—like Drew Carey, the gas mask, and…

Article / Arts and Culture

Timely Topic of Human Migration the Focus of New Attraction in Fitting Spot

The issue of people crossing borders—whether as documented or undocumented immigrants, asylum seekers, refugees, deported migrants, or expats—has become one of the world's most…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Amid Measles Outbreak, Is a Vaccine Booster a Good Idea for Travelers?

An alarming outbreak of measles in West Texas and New Mexico continues to spread, and public health officials say the rise in cases could continue for several more months. As of this…

Article / LGBTQ

"They’re Shrinking Our World": Trans Travel Freedoms Are Under Threat. Can Anything Be Done?

What’s it like to be a transgender American right now? “We’re scared, quite frankly,” Dr. Devon Ojeda, senior national organizer with Advocates for Trans Equality, tells…

Article / Money and Fees

The Cheapest Countries to Travel to–and the Most Expensive

Amid growing fears of an economic recession, you might be looking for ways to tighten your travel budget. One fairly obvious way to do that: Pick a destination where your costs on the…

Article / Entry Requirements & Customs

When Does ETIAS Start in Europe? New Entry Requirement and Fee Delayed Again

New entry requirements for traveling to Europe have been postponed again.The European Union eventually plans to roll out two related—but different—systems that will affect…

Article / Beach & Water Sports

On This Beach, Nudity Is Mandatory

Beaches that allow nude sunbathing are often described as "clothing-optional," but clothing is not an option on the nude beaches of Rostock, Germany (the city's Warnemünde Strand is…

Article / Air Travel

Southwest Is Changing Its Bag Policy. You Won't Like It.

Southwest Airlines is doing away with the one policy that made the carrier stand out from the competition. Starting May 28, the airline will no longer allow every passenger two free…

Article / Arts and Culture

Where Was ‘Severance’ Filmed? You Can Visit the Lumon Building in Real Life

The modernist building that stands in for the Kafkaesque workplace on the Apple TV+ series Severance is a real-life mixed-use development encompassing offices, retail spaces, and…

Article / Food and Drink

New Haven Pizza Places You Have to Try in America's "Pizza Capital"

During a recent pizza pilgrimage to New Haven, Connecticut, several residents confidently informed me that this Ivy League college town at the mouth of Long Island Sound had been…

Article / Entry Requirements & Customs

Could This TikTok User Really Get Fined $500 for Bringing a Banana Into the U.S.?

The banana is indisputably the funniest fruit, owing to its shape, color, and connections to pratfalls and monkeys (the funniest primate). But a banana-related misadventure recounted…

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Travel Scam Warning! This "Unpaid" Tolls Con Targets Road Trippers

Have you gotten any urgent text messages on your phone lately letting you know that you owe money for unpaid highway tolls? Well, there's good news and there's bad news. The good: You…

Article / Air Travel

Cheap Flights from USA to Europe This Spring, Starting at $389 Round-Trip

Americans hoping to book an affordable spring getaway in Europe still have airfare options, thanks to Aer Lingus. Ireland's flagship carrier has rolled out a fresh batch of discounted…

Article / Slideshows

Where to Shop in Paris: The City's Most Beautiful Boutiques and Cafes

As impressive as the museums and monuments of Paris are, the smaller establishments—bakeries, bookstores, boutiques, bars, and brasseries—are just as likely to put you under the city's…

Article / Entry Requirements & Customs

What Documents Do I Need for REAL ID?

Update: Since publication of this post, REAL ID requirements went into place.The oft-postponed REAL ID deadline is almost here—only 17 years or so behind schedule. Passed by Congress…

Article / LGBTQ

The State Department's LGBTQ+ Travel Info Is Inadequate. Here's Where to Turn Instead.

The United States government has made several moves in recent weeks affecting LGBTQ+ citizens, with trans folks thrown into an especially precarious situation. On the same day he took…

Article / Honeymoons

Ready to Take Your Love to New Heights? Join the Mile High Club in a Hot Air Balloon

Oftentimes when you travel with that special someone, love is in the air—and it can be quite literally in the air if you opt for a "Mile High Flight" package from a company called…