Articles

Trends & Hacks

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Travel Troubleshooter: Help, I've Lost My Train Tickets

A passenger loses her Amtrak tickets. But instead of replacing them, the company wants to charge her for new ones. Can it do that? And what are her options for a refund?

Article / Hotels

Travel Troubleshooter: Charged for a Room I Canceled

When a blizzard bears in, our reader asks a manager at the Ramada to cancel her reservation. She's told yes, but she's charged anyway. Is she out of luck?

Article / Air Travel

Kids on a Plane! 5 Fixes for Unruly Junior Passengers

Kids on a plane: No four words incite more acrimonious debate among air travelers. Here are five ways we might approach the kids-on-a-planes problem

Article / Hotels

Save in NYC, Paris, London, Rome, and 5 More Top Spots

The skies are clearing, the temperature is rising, and it's still a buyer's market for travelers. Here are some of the best deals to the top destinations.

Article / Money and Fees

A Good Summer Travel Mystery: What About Travel?

Are you skipping the vacation or taking advantage of the deals? When it comes to travel, nobody agrees on what's going to happen this summer.

Article / Cruise

On the Horizon: Tiny Yachts to the Most Titanic of Megaships

Recent years have been fascinating for the cruise industry in a wobbly, financially uncertain, and grim way. Here's what's coming down the gangway for the rest of 2009 and 2010.

Article / Cruise

5 Cruises of a Lifetime: Favorite Trips and Ships Around the World

The best cruises are those that combine an amazing itinerary, a special ship, and great traveling companions. Though it's hard to narrow it down, here are my five favorite cruises of…

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Help! My Online Travel Agent is AWOL

Our reader's online agent promises to help her reuse a canceled ticket, but after hours on the phone and email, there's no action. Are her tickets gone?

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Post-Flu Planning: All-Inclusive Mexico from $389 for 3 Days with Airfare

Now that the U.S. State Department has lifted its travel restriction to Mexico the country is literally on sale. Many of the promotions are for June, so you've got to book quickly.

Article / Air Travel

Travel Troubleshooter: A Typo on My Airline Ticket

Our reader buys two tickets to Italy on Expedia. But when an agent misspells his wife's name, he must embark on an odyssey to ensure she'll be allowed to use her tickets. Will he be…

Article / Air Travel

New Rule: 3 Travel Policies That Should Be Revived

Many of the travel industry's customer-friendly policies were quietly dropped after 9/11 in an effort to raise revenues. It's time to bring back some of these rules.

Article / Cruise

An Elegy for Regal Empress

My favorite ship, the clunky old, 1953-built Regal Empress -- late of budget lines Imperial Majesty, Regal Cruises, and Commodore Cruise Line -- is about to arrive in Alang as well,…

Article / Hotels

Travel Troubleshooter: A Rate Reversal at the Residence Inn

When he calls the Residence Inn, Michael Tushan is offered a rate of $116 a night. Oops. Turns out the representative wasn't 'authorized' to negotiate -- and now the price is $149 a…

Article / Hotels

When in Rome, Live Like the Romans Do: Vacation Apartments in the Eternal City

More so than other major European cities, Rome has a glut of centrally located, affordable short-term rentals. Here are three great agencies to help you find yours.

Article / Hotels

When and How to Book Your Next Park Trip

This summer is shaping up to be the best in recent years for finding your spot in a national park: the sour economy and the wait-until-the-last-minute attitude of more and more…

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Half a Room or Twice the Price

Our reader uses Hotwire.com to get a room in London, but she only gets half -- literally -- of what she's promised. Can the hotel do that?

Article / Miscellaneous

Destination-Specific Tips for Travelers with Pets

Many travelers wouldn't dream of going on vacation without their pet. Here's a roundup of our coverage in destinations around the world.

Article / Packages

The Early Bird Catches the Euro: 3 Ways to Book Now for New Year's Eve in Europe

Travel packagers want you to start thinking about New Year's in Europe, and a number of them are running competitively priced deals for days that typically top winter travel prices.

Article / Hotels

Walking Down: 5 Tips for Avoiding the Latest Hotel Scam

It's understandable why a hotel walks guests 'down' when it's overbooked: it saves a few bucks by sending you to a lesser property. What should you do when it happens to you?

Article / Miscellaneous

Learn Travel Writing in New York's Hudson River Valley

Following up on the success of the Travel Writing Workshops he has presented in Key West since 1991, our own Bob Fisher is holding a similar seminar just two hours up the Hudson River…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Cancun Grapples with the Swine Flu Effect

What happens to a destination like Cancun when many visitors choose to stay away? Hotels slash costs or shut down, while intrepid travelers take advantage of lower costs and un-crowded…

Article / Hotels

Historic Bed and Breakfast Interludes Across the U.S.

Step back in time for a weekend or a mid-week interlude at a historic Bed and Breakfast property. Here are a few of our favorites located in some of the country's most historic…

Article / Cruise

The Able Traveler: European Cruises Now More Accessible

European itineraries have gained a new-found popularity in the past few years. And with this popularity comes improved access; including more shore excursions and the increased…

Article / Cruise

Cruising for a Brew-sing: Sailing from America's Beer Capital

Portland, Oregon is a city known for rain, fleece clothing, strong coffee, sustainability initiatives, a remarkably advanced restaurant scene, and, most of all, beer.

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Travel Troubleshooter: Where's My Travel Insurance Check?

It's been a year since our reader's illness-packed cruise, but the insurance claim she made through a company that offered traveler 'protection' is apparently lost at sea. Will she…