TodayTix: A Promising New Source for Scoring Deep Discounts on Broadway Show Tickets
Posted on 09/26/2013, 3:30 PM
Broadway is huge business, and a major tourism industry. Last season, which ended in May, raked in a staggering $1.14 billion in grosses for New York City's theatres. In the same way that Avatar managed to become the highest-grossing movie of all time because its tickets came with a bloated 3-D surcharge, Broadway is able to hit massive numbers like those because its tickets cost big bucks. I...
Cutting Travel Costs by Using "Shared" Accommodations, Car Rentals, and Meals, Has Suddenly Become a Major Goal of Many
Posted on 09/26/2013, 10:30 AM
"Sharing" has become the latest big trend in travel. In the destination cities, residents "share" an asset they already own, with travelers passing through, and thus augment their incomes. So they "share" their apartments, their cars, and even their home-cooked meals. Everyone (other than hotels, car rental firms and restaurants) benefits. The owner of such assets earns money, and the traveler...
Guess What New Tropical Location is Being Touted for Tourism? El Salvador? Yes, El Salvador.
Posted on 09/25/2013, 7:15 PM
When I recently heard that travel writer David Paul Appell was planning a journalistic trip to El Salvador (he's co-editor of the well-regarded Tripatini.com), I was startled, to put it mildly; El Salvador is not often regarded as suitable for tourism. But David has a high reputation for uncovering new destinations, and his talents and experience are awesome. So, holding my breath, I inv...
Schussing Savings: No It’s NOT too Early To Book Your Winter Ski Trip
Posted on 09/24/2013, 2:00 PM
No white stuff: less green stuff—that’s the crude equation that rules the ski industry. It was a point driven home in the winter of 2011-2012, when snowfalls that were 50% lower than normal. That led to the least profitable North American ski season in 30 years. Last year’s schussing was better, and the industry saw an 11% increase in the number of people buying lift tickets. But even with that...
Schussing Savings: No It’s NOT too Early To Book Your Winter Ski Trip
Posted on 09/24/2013, 2:00 PM
No white stuff: less green stuff—that’s the crude equation that rules the ski industry. It was a point driven home in the winter of 2011-2012, when snowfalls that were 50% lower than normal. That led to the least profitable North American ski season in 30 years. Last year’s schussing was better, and the industry saw an 11% increase in the number of people buying lift tickets. But even with that...
Rooms for $100 in New York City During 'Hotel Week NYC', coming January 3 to 12
Posted on 09/20/2013, 11:00 AM
Once again, many New York City hotels have banded together and chosen a low-season week during which to knock rates down to approachable levels. The next "Hotel Week NYC" as they call it (probably a riff on the Restaurant Weeks that are so popular at cities around the country) will fall January 3 to 12—fortunately, a week during airfare should also be at a low ebb. Thirty hotels are participa...
Here's One for the Books: A New Reason, Never Before Announced, for Making a Trip to New Zealand
Posted on 09/19/2013, 11:15 PM
The following--so help me--is an actual e-mail received last week from a reader of this website: "Hello, I am currently in New Zealand on a 3 month stay. Your website is one of the most famous for travelers all around the world. I often look at it for good advice. I am sending this to suggest you add something to your travel guides: during my stay in Auckland, I stopped for an ic...
Why Just Take a Vacation When You Can Work Your Way Around the World....And Travel Indefinitely
Posted on 09/19/2013, 10:15 PM
Travel doesn’t have to be pricey. Thanks to the internet, an entire class of working travelers has emerged, men and women who trade “sweat equity” for free room and board on the road. For short and long periods, they’re heading to destinations around the globe and spending part of the day farming, or answering phones at a hostel, or teaching English, or engaging in some other form of work, in o...
U.S. Government Is Pushing TSA PreCheck to New Passport Recipients, But Global Entry Would Be Smarter
Posted on 09/17/2013, 12:30 PM
Get a new passport these days, and it will arrive with a new bookmark urging you to sign up for TSA PreCheck. Volunteer some personal information about yourself beforehand, it says, and once you pass a background check, you may qualify to zip through airport security without removing your shoes, your 3-1-1 bag of items, your coat, or your laptop. The other side of the paper suggests another pro...
Decoding Three Common Travel Tips on Dining, Timing and Packing
Posted on 09/15/2013, 10:45 AM
When it comes to tips on how to travel better and more affordably, there are some old-chestnuts that always apply. But though they sound obvious, many actually require insider knowledge to use effectively. I’m here to supply that, so here goes. Tip 1: Travel in the off-season to save money: Yes, that’s correct, but when exactly is the “off-season”? Truth is off-season varies greatly from dest...
