Articles

Trends & Hacks

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Travel Troubleshooter: My Valet Got a Parking Ticket. Now What?

Our reader's rental car gets a ticket when she leaves it with the hotel valet. She wants the ticket refunded, but the hotel is stringing her along. Is she stuck?

Article / Packing & Luggage

How to Navigate Airport Security Without Losing Your Liquids -- Or Your Mind

With airlines charging for checked baggage, more travelers are carrying luggage on board. To learn how to speed up the line, we turned to a TSA expert for advice.

Article / Cruise

A Big Ship Veteran Tries Something Smaller and Fancier

The Mariner is a perfect mid-size ship with huge staterooms and all-inclusive fares, so the higher per person rates for a Regent cruise can make it more than worthwhile on the right…

Article / Cruise

The Most Romantic Cruises: A Valentine's Primer

Only a handful of cruises is categorically, subjectively, and unquestionably romantic, and these five choices are the best of the best, veritable floating love machines, and Harlequin…

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Is My Cruise Refund Really Sunk?

When our reader cancels the credit card he used with Princess Cruises, he complicates his refund. After hours on the phone and promises of a check, he's no closer to getting his money.…

Article / Money and Fees

Keeping Valuables Safe on the Road

You don't want to mar your vacation by losing money, or even worse, your credit cards and passport, when you're out having a good time. Here are five ways to avoid trouble.

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Travel Writing 101: Know Your Market

If you want people to read your words, for the satisfaction it brings or for the money you might earn as a travel writer, you should know your market and know it well.

Article / Money and Fees

"Green" Travel is Dead -- and That's a Good Thing

No one is saying that being environmentally responsible is irrelevant when you travel. On the contrary, it's that being green is so important that it shouldn't become another marketing…

Article / Air Travel

How to Go Around the World on One URL

The global frequent flyer program Oneworld has created an online booking tool that allows you to plan and book around-the-world trips and multi-city itineraries with relatively few…

Article / Cruise

Extreme Excursions: The Evolution of the Cruise Line Shore Tour

Hats off to the cruise lines for offering more intriguing stuff than ever, leaving the boring bus tour shtick in the dust with bike tours through nature preserves, kayaking in scenic…

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: A Few Points Short of a Ticket

Our reader is wary of the fine print on the 'free' ticket offer by American Express and extracts promises from the company. When they fail to honor them, our reader is left ticketless.…

Article / Hotels

Global Ski Report: Discounts, Lessons, and New Builds

Canadian mountains offer savings on classes and lift tickets, Squaw Valley shares avalanche survival techniques, and the French Alps gets a U.S.-style resort.

Article / Hotels

Rockies Report: Recession Results in Savings for Skiers

Aspen's cheaper than ever this season with airline deals, discount tickets, and special offers from hotels, while the rest of the Rockies respond to tight budgets with savings of their…

Article / Packages

Celebrating Australia's Colonial Birthday -- with an Indigenous Twist

January 26 is Australia Day, and even though the date commemorates white settlement, it's Australia's indigenous culture that offers the country's most attractive tourism opportunities.

Article / Cruise

Advice to a New Cruise Dad from a World-Champ Cruise Mom

When you have kids, can you really keep traveling, or is it all diapers, binkies, and Boppies from here on out?

Article / Cruise

Top 5 Favorite Cruise Moments

Cruises are about more than having lots of restaurants, entertainment, and recreation under one seagoing roof. They draw us in for other, more touchy-feely reasons, too. Here's what…

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Charged for Movies I Never Watched

What can you do if a hotel is charging you for something you didn't use? Like movies that were never ordered or watched. Can our reader beat the charges?

Article / Cruise

Get Online, then Onboard: 6 Essential Sites for Planning a Family Cruise

Planning a cruise can be more confusing than doing your own taxes. We've tracked down six essential sites to help you research and plan a family cruise. As for your taxes -- sorry,…

Article / Hotels

4 Fabulous and Frosty National Parks For Winter Fun

Snowshoe treks, downhill escapes, and winter hikes make these four parks premier destinations for outdoor enthusiasts during the snowy season.

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Caught in the Opt-Out Trap

Our reader buys a ticket through Frontier Airlines' website, and gets stuck with an extra $10.95 for travel insurance. How did it manage to do that? By pulling an internet no-no and…

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Code Blue: Amtrak Cracks Down On Discounts

We're certainly hopeful that the most rail-friendly administration in decades can do something to juice up the passenger train industry, even though the nation is in the middle of a…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Travel Health & Safety: Seeking Medical Help in a Foreign Language

If you become ill abroad, you don't want language barriers to keep you from getting the right kind of medical assistance as quickly as possible. Here are five things to do before you…

Article / Packages

Smart Deal: From Russia and the Czech Republic with Love -- Spring Trips from $915

Fans of architecture, Slavic languages, and, of course, beer should jump at this deal from European Destinations that includes airfare and three nights in both Prague and St.…

Article / Hotels

4 Ways to Save Big on Your Next Trip to Cancun

Cancun can bruise the budget, but it's possible to soften the blow: Booking a package deal that bundles together the costs of airfare and hotel can reduce hotel tabs to manageable…

Article / Cruise

Getting to Know Malaysia by Ship

A short cruise from Singapore is a great way to get a taste of Malaysia without exerting too much effort, and you can do it with a 3-night cruise to Penang and Port Kelang.