Vancouver's Stanley Park Now Closes Early Due to Coyote Attacks
Posted on 09/01/2021, 11:00 AM
Well, fellow humans, we had a good run. From murder hornets to wild weather, nature is taking back the wheel. Vancouver's giant Stanley Park, one of the world's most splendid urban green spaces, has announced a new 7pm nightly closing time to keep people away from the park's true master: the coyote. The extreme measure was necessitated by a huge spike in attacks by the wild animals. Since last De...
Amtrak's Latest Flash Sale Cuts Fares in Half
Posted on 09/01/2021, 7:00 AM
A new month, a new Amtrak sale. Not that we're complaining, but the national rail service has been throwing so many sales in 2021 you feel a bit silly when you don't get a discount. Then again, most travelers aren't snagging the best fares because the sales have been of the "flash" variety—blink and you'll miss 'em. In the latest case, you have until September 8 to buy tickets for train journeys...
Italy Adds New Travel Restrictions for Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Americans
Posted on 08/31/2021, 5:00 PM
Yesterday the European Union removed the United States from the safe travel list, recommending that the bloc's 27 member states impose new restrictions on American travelers due to the high rates of coronavirus infection in the U.S. Now Italy has done just that, adding a testing requirement for vaccinated visitors and a quarantine period for unvaccinated ones. According to the Italian Ministry ...
World’s Longest Treetop Walkway Shows Off Uplifting Views of Swiss Alps
Posted on 08/28/2021, 6:00 AM
Traipsing through Alpine scenery has been a national pastime in Switzerland for ages. But a new walkway in the eastern Grisons region (or Graubünden in German) gives amblers a unique perspective on the landscape—from up to 28m (92 ft.) high in the treetops. Opened in July at the Flims Laax Falera resort, which is primarily known as a hub for winter sports, the Senda dil Dragun ("way of the dragon...
Great Smoky Mountains Adds Parking Fee to Access Beloved Waterfall
Posted on 08/27/2021, 6:00 AM
There's no entrance fee at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In fact, when Tennessee and North Carolina turned over the land to the federal government in the 1930s, one of the conditions was that "no toll or license fee shall ever be imposed" to access the main road. That helps explain why Great Smoky Mountains is the most-visited national park in the United States. But starting September 7, vi...
G Adventures Restricts Many Tours to the Vaccinated, Helps Guides Get Jabs
Posted on 08/26/2021, 1:00 PM
Responding to what it calls a high demand for escorted tours that are restricted to vaccinated travelers and guides, the influential small-group tour company G Adventures, which runs tours worldwide, has announced two new types of offerings: Vaccinated Tours and Travel-Ready departures. Almost out of the gate, around 60% of the company's trips will be classified as one or the other. As the initia...
WATCH: Italian Guy Gets Tattoo of His Vaccine Pass—and It Works
Posted on 08/25/2021, 1:00 PM
Most of us would like to forget about the Covid-19 pandemic as soon as possible. But a guy in Italy has opted for a permanent souvenir. According to Newsweek, 22-year-old economics student Andrea Colonnetta from Reggio Calabria in southern Italy got a tattoo on his arm of the QR code from his "digital green pass" confirming that he's fully vaccinated. Since August 6, Italy has required everybod...
Hawaii Governor to Tourists: Stay Away from Us Right Now
Posted on 08/24/2021, 9:00 AM
In a news conference Monday, Hawaii Gov. David Ige delivered a nearly unprecedented message for an American governor: Do not visit us. "I encourage everyone to restrict and curtail travel to Hawaii," Ige said. "It's not a good time to travel to the islands." Hawaii has seen a recent boom in Covid-19 cases—nearly 9,400 in two weeks, many on the principal tourist island of Oahu—and hospitals canno...
Italy's Venice Plans to Charge An Entry Fee and Cap Visitors
Posted on 08/23/2021, 1:00 PM
Of the world's premier travel destinations, Venice may be the one most transformed by this pandemic. The Italian cabinet banned cruise ships in July, sparking headlines worldwide. Because of that move, fewer cruise passengers will clog the streets that funnel into St. Mark's Square (pictured above) and others choke points around the city. Now it looks like the numbers of those who arrive by land wi...
National Museum Day Is Back This September: Free Entry for One Glorious Day
Posted on 08/19/2021, 2:00 PM
What's better than spending a relaxing Saturday afternoon at a museum? Spending a relaxing Saturday afternoon at a museum—and not spending a dime on the experience. Thanks to the Smithsonian, a collection of museums that's always free, some 482 museums, historic sights, and other cultural hubs across all 50 U.S. states will grant free entry on Saturday, September 18. These include attractions fo...
