Articles

Trends & Hacks

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 / 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 / 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 / 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

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 / 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 / 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 / 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 / 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.

Article / Cruise

Booze Cruise: The Best Ports for Top Brewpubs

Traveling is all about getting a taste of things: local culture, local history and customs, local food ... and local beer. How to taste the top pints from Hawaii to Prague.

Article / Cruise

11 Ways to Have a Great Meal on Your Next Cruise

Cruise ship food these days is more than pizza, prime rib, and baked Alaska. In the spirit of more is more, alternative restaurants serving specialized cuisine are standard fare…

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Oh No! My Tickets Fell Through the Cracks

Our reader books two airline tickets using frequent flier miles. But when she checks her reservation, she finds nothing. Can the airline retrieve it in time for her trip?

Article / Money and Fees

Top 10 Reasons Staycations Are a Lousy Idea

We know gas price are high. We know that food prices are high. But vacationing at home is an oxymoron and does a real disservice to the benefits you receive by getting the heck out of…

Article / Packing & Luggage

Maid on a Mission: 6 Secrets for Avoiding Housekeeping Headaches

The rush to clean rooms and communication gaps are creating dissatisfied hotel guests and exhausted hotel employees. You don't have to be angry.

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Incidentally, Where's My $10

Because of a missed connection, our reader has to spring for socks and toiletries. After a promise to cover the cost, Frontier balks at a refund. What's going on?

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

6 Ways to Keep a Natural Disaster from Ruining Your Vacation

When a natural disaster strikes travel companies like to play the God card, unless everyone is looking. Here's how to navigate the dangerous and uncertain waters of a natural disaster.

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

9 Ideas for Travelers with Dietary Restrictions

Traveling with food allergies, intolerances, or other dietary restrictions, can be difficult if you don't plan ahead. Here are some simple ideas to make your next trip better.