Articles

Article / Air Travel

It's Holiday Travel Time! You Heard It Here First!

Which holiday travel tips are cliches that should be ignored, and which are bona fide, you-must-do-this advice? If you've been reading these stories as long as I have, you must be…

Article / Air Travel

Don't Fly High: 7 Reasons to Lose the Booze

When I proposed an alcohol ban on flights more than a decade ago the response from readers was a resounding 'no.' But a lot has changed since then. Here are a few reasons for keeping…

Article / Air Travel

Don't Let Holiday Shopping Frequent Flyer Miles Slip Through Your Fingers

Travelers forgo millions of frequent flyer miles each holiday season because they forget to buy from their favorite online merchants via links at the airlines' shopping mall websites.…

Article / Cruise

Cruise Tipping: How Gratuitous Do You Feel?

Tipping used to be simple, now it's not. Here's an up-to-date primer on tipping policies and rates at the principal mainstream, luxury, and small-ship lines operating in and around the…

Article / Local Experiences

Greenland's Northern Lights and Outdoor Adventures

Greenland isn't just ice, whales, and seals -- though they are the main reasons for coming here. You come here to enjoy the Northern Lights, outdoor adventure and sports, and access to…

Article / Beach & Water Sports

Cruising 101: A Beginner's Guide to Onboard Entertainment

You may be stuck on a ship in the middle of nowhere, but that doesn't mean that your cruise line won't want to make you feel like you're in New York, Paris, or -- more likely -- Vegas.…

Article / Hotels

Whoever Wins in the Online Hotel Booking Tax War, Guests Still Pay the Bill

Online travel companies pay hotel taxes based on the low rates they negotiate with hotels. Cities disagree, and want all the taxes they collect. Who's really going to pay?

Article / Local Experiences

Danish Treats: Having Fun and Getting Happy in Copenhagen

From new museums and theaters to a revitalized waterfront to just plain good attitudes, the Danish capital is great at showing off why it's one of Europe's best cities.

Article / Hotels

Travel Troubleshooter: 'Keystroke Error' Turns $289 Rate Into $28

Our reader finds a $28 a rate at an Orlando Westin. Turns out the hotel made a mistake, and that the real price is $289 a night. Should the resort honor the original price?

Article / Air Travel

Traveling Smart and Healthy With Children This Holiday Season

Airline surcharges, swine flu, and the trials of traveling with children will keep some people home for the holidays. Here are nine ways to keep you healthy, richer, and more relaxed…

Article / Miscellaneous

How Free Wi-Fi Can Help Cure the Holiday Travel Delay Blues

Down time is getting a little less dreary this holiday season as airports, airlines and hotels are all lowering their rates on Wi-Fi. Here's a rundown of the latest free Wi-Fi…

Article / Arts and Culture

A Touch of Glass: 7 Slightly Secret Covered Passageways in Paris

No matter how often you visit Paris, there's always some hidden gem to discover. In the early 1800s, glass-covered passages were built to protect shoppers from the rain. Explore these…

Article / Arts and Culture

On the Trail of "The Lost Symbol" in Washington, D.C.

You won't have the fate of the world in your hands like fictional symbologist Robert Langdon, but that doesn't mean you can't build an exciting real-versus-make-believe tour of…

Article / Family & Kids

8 New York City Attractions Made Just for Kids

While children will enjoy most New York City's attractions, there are a handful of museums, zoos, and aquariums especially geared to the tastes of the Sponge Bob set.

Article / Honeymoons

Getting Engaged in Vegas: Making a Proposal You (Hopefully) Can't Refuse

There's no right or wrong way to pop the question, but here are some spots where the scenery may help sway your beloved in the 'yes' direction.

Article / Cruise

Get Smarter at Sea: Top Ships for Onboard Learning

Sure, cruises are all about taking it easy, ditching the diet and being pampered. But a cushy setting doesn't have to equal a mindless one. A cruise offers the perfect learning…

Article / Cruise

Sailing Under the Radar, Pt. 5: British Columbia & the Pacific Northwest

This week we focus on an area that many cruisers think of simply as the gateway to Alaska, but which is really so much more: beautiful British Columbia and its American neighbor, the…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Travel Insurance: What You Need to Know Before You Buy

Here's the good news: travel insurance covers more than it used to. The bad news is, travel insurance is more complicated than ever. Here are the ins and outs of insurance.

Article / Food and Drink

7 Places to Eat: Single-Minded Cooking in the Twin Cities

Facing off across a loopy stretch of the Mississippi, Minneapolis and St. Paul carry on like rivals. But they're united on one score: the white-hot synergy of the region's culinary…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

The Health-Care Gap That Traps Travelers

The debate about health-care reform seems to be ignoring a significant group of Americans: international travelers. Especially since most of them travel without adequate coverage.

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

7 Ways to Find Excellent Customer Service on the Road

How do you get top-notch treatment every time -- even from companies that don't have well-known reputations for customer service?

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Travel Troubleshooter: Help! My Car Rental Company is Taking Me to Court

Our reader is charged to repair a rental car tire -- a tire she says she never damaged. When her charge card sides with her, Hertz threatens to sue. What should she do?

Article / Local Experiences

The Fall of the Berlin Wall -- 20 Years Later

With the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall upon us, I considered myself lucky to be seeing the sites connected to this event just a few days ago.

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

5 Tips to Avoiding a Customer Service Nightmare

As the industry wraps up one of the most difficult years since the invention of the wheel, it's taken a visible toll on the people who work in travel. Here's how to play nice.

Article / Air Travel

Home for the Holidays? Our Annual Calendar of the Best Days to Fly

The total gutting of the American economy encouraged lower airfares for those who could still afford to fly home for the holidays. But as those much-spoken-about 'green shoots' come up…