Articles

Trends & Hacks

Article / Air Travel

Off-the-Shoulder Season: Mexican Stays from $37 a Night

Now is the time of year when much of the Caribbean transitions from the high heat of the summer's off-season to shoulder season in the fall -- and there is no shortage of promotions.

Article / Air Travel

4 Smart Secrets for Coping with Airline Cutbacks

Is your flight about to be canceled? Surviving the season of airline cancellations is possible with these four helpful strategies.

Article / Cruise

Expert Advice: The Well-Dressed Gambling Cruiser

Our cruise experts log onto their e-mail, pick a topic, and yap until they're blue in the face. Today's topics: on-board casinos, gambling, Frank Sinatra, and what constitutes…

Article / Cruise

Top 10 Tips for Going Green on the High Seas

We often hear what the cruise lines are or aren't doing to offer a greener, more conservation-oriented cruise experience. But how are you making a difference? Here are 10 ways you can.

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: A Surprise Fee for My Hotel Room

Our reader's hotel comes with an unexpected surprise: a $50 charge for a 'short stay.' When she protests, her hotel and online travel agency tell her she must pay. Is there a way out…

Article / Money and Fees

7 Ways to Experience China on the Cheap

With that favorable exchange rate and the boom in American-style budget hotels and restaurants, it's now possible to vacation in China in a dignified and highly affordable manner.

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Gas Prices Stay High, But Codes Bring Amtrak Prices Down

Trains may be filling up, but Amtrak is still offering plenty of discounts in the form of their perennial discount codes. We've got some new arrivals and some old favorites for this…

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Celebrate Bavaria with These Sudsy Oktoberfest Specials

We've rounded up a frothy brew of travel offers that get you to Germany and other points in Europe in time to celebrate Oktoberfest.

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

The Dirt on DEET

Since the arrival of West Nile virus, pediatricians have changed their advice about the use of the most effective insect repellents, which contain the active ingredient DEET. Here's…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

What to Pack in Your Traveling Medical Kit

You can buy first-aid kits that contain most or all of the items you need, but they tend to be very expensive compared to just going to the pharmacy and buying the items individually.…

Article / Hotels

Trouble or Nothing: A Quick Guide for a Girlfriends' Getaway to Vegas

If you're headed to Sin City with your favorite band of broads, here's a down-and-dirty list of musts for a quick jaunt.

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Travel Troubleshooter: Did Mickey Take my SUV for a Spin?

Something is wrong with Lynn Seehafer's SUV, which she valet parked at a Disney World hotel. She thinks it's been taken for a joyride. But has it? And to what extent is Disney…

Article / Hotels

How Hotels Help Themselves to Your Money

If you think your hotel is done with you when you check out, think again. It might just be getting started. Charges can be quietly added to your hotel bill after you've left. And…

Article / Hotels

Disney's Neighborhood: M-I-C Where Savvy Families Stay

Check out how these six Kissimmee hotels really pour on the family-friendly extras, and at a price that's incredibly affordable.

Article / Air Travel

Four Outrageous New Airline Fees -- And How to Avoid Them

The airlines don't want you to read this. They'd rather you fork over one of the new surcharges they've dreamed up during the last few weeks. They don't want you to know there's…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Travel Health & Safety: Gear for Slowing Thieves

Watching your valuables all the time can make traveling something less than pleasant. The best bet is to have an as-close-to-foolproof method of protecting your valuables.

Article / Miscellaneous

Travel Writing 101: Getting into Print (and Online)

Before the Internet, there were three kinds of print: newspaper, magazines, and the book. But today it's essential to publish on the web in one form or another.

Article / Money and Fees

Pauline Frommer's Spend Less, See More Tips for Renting a Car

8 things you need to know to get a better car with fewer hassles on your next vacation.

Article / Miscellaneous

7 Essential Skills for Surviving Summer Travel

Taking a deep breath just doesn't work anymore. Not this summer. So I asked a few experts to tell me how they'd cope with this summer's travelin' blues.

Article / Miscellaneous

Travel Troubleshooter: Double-Booked at the Days Inn

Our reader booked rooms in two different cities through the Days Inn website. Then again, maybe he didn't: The final reservation is for two nights in the same place. Is he the victim…

Article / Cruise

Do-it-Yourself Family Shore Excursions Along the Mediterranean

Skip a cruise ship's organized shore excursions and go off your own: It's a great way to leave the sheltered vibe of a ship and pretend you're independent travelers not bound by a…

Article / Money and Fees

Frequent Criers: Are Elite Fliers Ruining Air Travel?

The last thing I want to do is start a class war at 36,000 feet, but enough is enough. Passengers who think they deserve preferential treatment are ruining it for the rest of us.

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Hassled Over My 'No Hassle' Miles

Our reader buys tickets with her Capital One miles. But when her airline goes out of business, her credit card company refuses to return the awards. Is she stuck with a worthless…

Article / Packing & Luggage

Inside Secrets of Hotel Renovators

Lots of people want to stay in a new hotel, but nobody wants to get stuck in one that's renovating. Unfortunately, the two go hand in hand. Here's how you can make the most of it.

Article / Money and Fees

Solo Suckers: 4 Ways the Travel Industry Shafts Singles

Flying solo? Prepare to pay up. The travel industry makes life uncomfortable for solo travelers in countless ways that, if they aren't discriminatory, are at the very least awkward.