The International Summer Program at Cambridge University is Apparently the Largest of the Learning Vacations, But Requires Early Applications
Posted on 08/14/2016, 2:30 PM
It's obviously too late to sign up for a summer vacation stay at one of the great English-language universities that open their classrooms and residence halls each July and August to adults of all ages. But because these stays are so popular, and are often sold out by early spring, it's important to examine them now and to submit your application long in advance for the courses that most intri...
Significant New Travel Developments in London and Orlando Will Have an Impact on Your Own Forthcoming Vacation There
Posted on 08/14/2016, 2:30 PM
What's new in London? Probably the most important development is the completion of a ten-story tower atop the Tate Modern museum. Not only has the exhibition space there been greatly increased, but the top-floor observation space allows a thrilling high-altitude view of London, which is absolutely free of charge to all. Until now, the only way to obtain a similar view of the city...
Of the Many Popular Tourist Destinations, Only a Tiny Handful Deserve to be Regarded as So Possibly Unsafe as to Warrant Your Avoiding Them
Posted on 08/14/2016, 2:15 PM
One of the oddities in financial matters is that a large number of successful Wall Street types make their money by betting on those stocks whose prospects are bad. After all, the stock market can go down as well as up, and by successfully "shorting" the disappointing stocks, you can frequently do as well as those people who always look for the stocks that go up in value. A similar pheno...
A Group of British Travel Agents Is Leading a Worldwide Effort to Prevent the Heedless Disposal of Sharp Pieces of Plastic Upon the Ocean Floor
Posted on 07/30/2016, 10:45 AM
(Photo credit: kevinkrejci/Flickr) It doesn't often happen that members of the travel industry associate themselves, massively, with an idealistic cause having little to do with travel. But that's exactly what the Association of British Travel Agents is presently doing, by publicizing and promoting its "Big Holiday Beach Clean" in advertisements and commercials. The subject of the campa...
Hoteliers and Tour Operators Now Candidly Admit to a Drop-Off in Travel to Europe, Which—Paradoxically—Creates Opportunities for Americans Determined to Vacation There
Posted on 07/29/2016, 1:00 PM
Nice, France (photo credit: Mbighin/Dreamstime.com) They have finally admitted it. After weeks of denying that recent terrorist attacks have reduced tourism both to, and within, Europe, a number of prominent figures in travel have candidly described the undeniable declines in bookings for accommodations and flights all throughout the continent. In some countries, like Turkey, th...
Haul My Stuff, Underwrite Your Vacation: A New App May Save Brawny Travelers Money
Posted on 07/26/2016, 6:30 PM
There are many ways would-be vacationers try to make their trips more affordable. Some start special bank accounts for holiday savings, others scour the internet for hotel discounts, still others rent spare rooms in local homes and plan picnics instead of restaurant meals. And then there’s the gang that will haul stuff from your home to their vacation spot (or somewhere right near it) to def...
In Ways Large and Small, International Travel Has Become Easier/Harder in Recent Weeks
Posted on 07/20/2016, 7:15 PM
Here are several of the often-contradictory developments in recent travel news: In Paris A dramatic decline in tourism to Paris, currently down by more than 11%, means that the City of Light has become even more appealing than ever to the American traveler; hotels in Paris are reported as willing, on many dates, to bargain for a reduction in room rates. What's more, the...
A Distinguished Magazine for Travel Agents Has Again Raised the Possibility of Renting a Cruise Ship Cabin on a Year-Round Basis
Posted on 07/20/2016, 7:00 PM
In recent weeks, a seven-day cruise of the Caribbean, leaving from Miami (and returning to Miami), has been selling for about $600 per person. That's for an inside cabin on a big ship, including all meals and snacks, soft drinks, and considerable entertainment facilities (like a gym, swimming pool, evening shows, daytime lectures, and the like). The resulting cost comes...
From Apartment Rentals to Viewing the Olympics, the World of Travel is Full of Difficult Choices
Posted on 07/10/2016, 3:15 PM
Travel decisions: whether to seek an apartment in place of a hotel, or to visit the Rio Olympics instead of elsewhere, require serious study by an avid traveler. The disputed legality of short-term apartment rentals By the time you read this blog, it is probable that the Governor of New York State will have signed legislation sounding the death knell of Airbnb.com i...
Britain's Decision to Leave the European Union May Mean Short-Term Advantages for the American Tourist, But Long-Term Disadvantages
Posted on 07/08/2016, 2:00 PM
It is far too early to assess the impact that Brexit (the decision by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union) will have on the economy of the world. Various commentators have expressed differing views, though the general estimate seems gloomy. But from the selfish perspective of an American tourist planning a visit to Britain, the results of that fateful develop...
