Articles

Health, Insurance, Security

Article / Cruise

5 Things Cruise Passengers Must Remember to Do—or Else Get Soaked for Thousands of Dollars

Put your smartphone in airplane mode.As TheStreet warns: "It’s not uncommon to hear horror stories of first-time cruisers who neglected to put their phones in airplane mode, only to…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Amid Measles Outbreak, Is a Vaccine Booster a Good Idea for Travelers?

An alarming outbreak of measles in West Texas and New Mexico continues to spread, and public health officials say the rise in cases could continue for several more months. As of this…

Article / Packing & Luggage

A Simple, Low-Cost Way to Get Lost Luggage (or Anything Else) Back—No AirTag Required

When it comes to preventing the loss of items on the road, most travelers know of just one tool: Apple's AirTag. The chubby, coin-sized device has become so ubiquitous that a number of…

Article / LGBTQ

"They’re Shrinking Our World": Trans Travel Freedoms Are Under Threat. Can Anything Be Done?

What’s it like to be a transgender American right now? “We’re scared, quite frankly,” Dr. Devon Ojeda, senior national organizer with Advocates for Trans Equality, tells…

Article / Hotels

Leaving Airbnb: How to Find a Safe, High-Quality Vacation Rental on Your Own

Even giants can fall if they grow too big. The problems with Airbnb are legion, and not getting much better.Many travelers want to find a new method for finding vacation rentals.…

Article / National Parks

Which National Park Facilities Are Closed Because of Trump's Actions? How to Find Out

As you prepare to pay your federal income tax again this year, take special note of how much less you're getting from your government for your money now.The National Park Service (NPS)…

Article / Air Travel

U.S. Aviation Safety is Under Fire

About the author: William J. McGee is the Senior Fellow for Aviation & Travel at American Economic Liberties Project. An FAA-licensed aircraft dispatcher, he spent seven years in…

Article / Packing & Luggage

When Stuff Gets Left Behind at the TSA, the U.S. Government Sells It on This Site

Every travel blog and morning TV show seems to have unpacked every last detail about Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro, Alabama. The store where your luggage might wind up for sale if…

Article / Entry Requirements & Customs

Could This TikTok User Really Get Fined $500 for Bringing a Banana Into the U.S.?

The banana is indisputably the funniest fruit, owing to its shape, color, and connections to pratfalls and monkeys (the funniest primate). But a banana-related misadventure recounted…

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Travel Scam Warning! This "Unpaid" Tolls Con Targets Road Trippers

Have you gotten any urgent text messages on your phone lately letting you know that you owe money for unpaid highway tolls? Well, there's good news and there's bad news. The good: You…

Article / Hotels

Florence Bans Key Lockboxes in Its Effort to Drive Out Vacation Rentals

As vacation rental properties continue to hollow out traditional neighborhoods, European cities have found themselves in a battle for their futures.One European destination determined…

Article / Entry Requirements & Customs

What Documents Do I Need for REAL ID?

Update: Since publication of this post, REAL ID requirements went into place.The oft-postponed REAL ID deadline is almost here—only 17 years or so behind schedule. Passed by Congress…

Article / LGBTQ

The State Department's LGBTQ+ Travel Info Is Inadequate. Here's Where to Turn Instead.

The United States government has made several moves in recent weeks affecting LGBTQ+ citizens, with trans folks thrown into an especially precarious situation. On the same day he took…

Article / Road Trips

Road Trips in Europe: 12 Pitfalls for U.S. Drivers to Be Prepared For

Prepare to enjoy life in the slow lane.Europe isn’t, generally speaking, the place to channel your inner speed demon, despite the myths about German motorways having no speed limits.…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Monkey Attacks on the Rise at Tourism Hotspots—How to Stay Safe

Something has changed the natural behavior of the monkeys living around the Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia. The APSARA National Authority, which manages the famed archaeological…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

What to Do When Your Tour Company Goes Out of Business

Travel vendors go bankrupt—it happens. But there are things travelers can do to protect themselves from that possibility.

Article / Cruise

How to Avoid Seasickness on a Cruise

Some fortunate souls seem to have no trouble with motion sickness. These must be the folks who think riding a Tilt-A-Whirl is fun rather than a reliable substitute for ipecac. For the…

Article / Air Travel

The Big Lie of Aviation DEI

The White House claims diversity threatened airline safety. Here’s proof it hasn't.

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

12 Ways to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft When You Travel, According to Experts

When we travel, we are more exposed to stolen data than at many other times in our lives. We asked international anti-fraud professors for their best tips for making it harder for…

Article / Passportable

TSA Bins Are Absolutely Disgusting, Says This TSA Agent

Here's another reason to hope that the social media trend of posting photos of artfully arranged airport security trays remains back in 2024 where it belongs. Turns out that using…

Article / Slideshows

How to Avoid Getting Norovirus on a Cruise Ship

First of all, the good news: Norovirus is rarely deadly. It's more like a rotten toilet-based hangover marked by a few days of nausea and, for some people, vomiting. Its biggest risk,…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Dangerous Travel Destinations—and Where Risks Are Lower

The riskiest places to travel in 2025—and the safest, according to government advisories and security researchers

Article / Passportable

How to Get Rid of Airplane Ear? You Could Try This "Hot Cup" Trick from TikTok

Clogged ears on a flight can be annoying at best and acutely painful at worst. A viral TikTok clip claims to have the solution. Airplane ear, as the condition is known (or ear…

Article / Air Travel

What a Federal Government Shutdown Means for Air Travel, National Parks, and Passports

When congressional dysfunction leads to a federal government shutdown, here's what that means for airports, national parks, and passports. 

Article / Air Travel

Will Trump Undo the New DOT Rules Protecting Traveler Rights?

Passenger protections in the United States may seem vulnerable with the change in administrations. But there’s some good news.