5 Easy Ways to Secure Your Hotel Room
Inexpensive, portable safety devices to take with you when you travel
Courtesy by David Dean
Are you worried about the security of your hotel room when you travel? You never really know who else has a key to your room, or how good the locks and deadbolts actually are. Luckily, there are several easy, inexpensive ways to secure the room more effectively. Here are five of the best.
MORETwo Thirds Of Americans Worry About Work Whilst On Vacation
Courtesy Calum McCloskey, 10 Yetis Digital
New research has found the biggest worries that Americans have whilst on vacation, with the weather, accommodation, spending money and arguments all making the top five, with almost two thirds confessing to also worrying about work whilst away.
As well as determining the biggest worries that Americans have on vacation, with work featuring quite heavily for many, the biggest worries Americans have at the airport were also revealed, with fear of a flight being delayed or cancelled, luggage getting lost or damaged and missing the flight from being late topping the list.
MOREWanderTours
Beth Whitman here. I’m the founder of WanderTours and am your (mostly) fearless leader.
I escort groups on most of our trips – the exception being photography trips and yoga retreats where professionals are there to guide and teach you. After my first book was released, Wanderlust and Lipstick: The Essential Guide for Women Traveling Solo, women started asking me to bring them along on my travels. Wanting them to travel independently – as I had done for nearly 20 years up to that point – I was reluctant at first. But I recognized that not everyone has the energy, time or sometimes even the desire to plan their own travels. So I led my first tour to Bhutan in 2008.
MORE6 Destinations with Sunscreen Bans, and What You Need to Know
Courtesy Shannon McMahon, SmarterTravel
Think the plastic straws you gave up sipping from are bad for our oceans? It’s time to consider the same about the sunscreen you use. Non-biodegradable sunscreens that contain harsh chemicals like oxybenzone have been proven to be toxic to coral reefs and other sea life. But travelers haven’t been as quick to widely abandon them for a natural alternative — so now some destinations are enacting sunscreen bans themselves.
Here are some of the most popular destinations that have banned non-biodegradable sunscreens, and how you can switch to a responsible alternative.
MORESurvey: Only About One-Third of Americans Say They Sleep Better in Hotels
Majority Believe Mattress is Less Comfortable Than at Home
As millions of Americans head out on vacation this summer looking for rest and relaxation, it’s likely that two-thirds of them won’t sleep as well as they do at home.
MORESecrets the Cruise Lines Don’t Tell You
Courtesy Erika Silverstein, Cruise Critic
Cruise ship life can be a little mysterious. Your choices aren’t always spelled out in black and white. The more you cruise, the more you pick up on the unofficial secrets the cruise lines don’t tell you — which give you more options, let you save money and generally allow you to have a better time onboard.
MOREProtect Yourself Against Airport Checkpoint Theft
Airport theft is becoming a major problem for travelers, so make sure to get to your destination with all your items intact.
MORE7 Things You Should Always Wear on a Plane
Courtesy Caroline Costellos
Be the best-dressed (and most comfortable) person in the cabin with our guide to in-flight apparel.
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Question: Which two Beatles are left-handed?
Scroll down for the answer
How to Disinfect Your Airplane Seat
Virtual Reality Helps Japan’s Elderly Travel the World
CNN Travel
Traveling from the canals of Venice to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, a group of elderly people in Japan is seeing the world – without even leaving their seats. It’s all thanks to virtual reality, as well as a team at the University of Tokyo led by Kenta Toshima.
MOREHow to Renew a Passport in 24 Hours
Courtesy Shannon McMahon
By partnering with an existing service called RushMyPassport, FedEx is facilitating a nationwide solution for those who need very fast passport renewal.
MOREHalf of Americans Would Take a Job With No Paid Time Off for a Higher Salary
Meanwhile, One in Three Workers Would Give Up Some Pay for Unlimited Vacation
Half (49 percent) of working Americans would accept a job with no vacation time if they were paid more, according to the 11th annual Vacation Confidence Index* released by Allianz Global Assistance. Millennials (63 percent, compared to 47 percent of Gen X’ers and 32 percent of Baby Boomers) and men (57 percent, versus 41 percent of women) are the most likely to sacrifice paid time off for higher salaries.
MOREPickpocket-Proof Clothing: 10 Garments to Protect Your Stuff
Courtesy Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
Nothing sours a trip like having your belongings stolen by a pickpocket. But chances are, if you travel frequently — or just happen to be unlucky — a sticky-fingered stranger will one day secretly separate you from your stuff. Since traveling sans cash, credit cards, and other valuables isn’t an option for most of us, I’ve rounded up a passel of pickpocket-proof clothing and accessories that’ll make you less of a target for thieves.
MOREThe Best Navigation Tools to Keep You on Track on a Car Trip, Here or Abroad
Courtesy Catharine Hamm, L.A. Times
Beatle Beat Trivia Answers
Question: Name the Two Beatles who are left-handed.
Answer: Paul and Ringo who are alive and well, and left-handed.
Travel’s Unspoken Taboo – Pooping Your Pants!
Listen to excruciatingly funny tales from traglamorous selfies, sometimes s**** gets real! But no-one wants to talk about every traveler’s worst nightmare – until now.
- When you gotta go in a Nepalese temple! Do the Gods smile on this backpacker?
- Terror at 30,000 feet – explosive decompression of the worst kind!
- Go for launch, recreating how the Apollo astronauts wentin space.
Polanski’s J’Accuse (aka An Officer and a Spy) Showcased at Venice Film Festival
Courtesy Jonathan Romney, Film Comment
Not everyone is happy about Roman Polanski having a new film in competition in Venice — especially since the festival only has two women directors competing this year. Some commentators have considered it an act of some chutzpah for Polanski to make a film about a historic case of unjust accusation and punishment — J’Accuse (aka An Officer and a Spy), his account of the Dreyfus case which divided France in the 1890s. In reality, it would be seriously stretching a point to interpret Polanski’s new film as being in any direct way about his own experience, although his depiction of Dreyfus’s exile on Devil’s Island certainly rhymes with his concern with the pain of isolation, from The Tenant to The Pianist.
MORE10 New Women Only Travel Escapes to Take in 2019
Courtesy Shannon McMahon, SmarterTravel
Not sure you’re a group travel person? If you’re a woman seeking a new, authentic, and sustainable way to see your dream destination, women-only travel operators can take your trip to new heights. Group options like tours catering to those who identify as female can take you across the globe in a more inspiring and authentic way than the average tour does. And in the post-#MeToo era, the number of women-only travel possibilities has skyrocketed.
MOREOne In Five American Millennials Go On Vacation To Take Pictures For Social Media
- 11% of American millennials say the main reason for going on vacation is to get pictures for social media, with it being a top factor for as many as one in five
- Two thirds upload pictures to social media whilst on holiday
- The average millennial spends 40 minutes per day on vacation taking social media pictures
D.C. Sues Marriott Over Hidden Resort Fees ‘Pricing Deception’
Courtesy Ed Perkins
The first real action to prevent hotels from posting false low-ball prices on initial rate searches, also known as hidden “resort fees,” is finally underway. The Attorney General of the District of Columbia asked the D.C. Superior Court for injunctive relief against Marriott (the world’s largest hotel chain) for violations of the District’s consumer protections against deceptive advertising. And it could mean a lot for the future of hotel pricing.
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On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer
By John Keats
Much have I travell’d in the realms of gold,
And many goodly states and kingdoms seen;
Round many western islands have I been
Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold.
Oft of one wide expanse had I been told
That deep-brow’d Homer ruled as his demesne;
Yet did I never breathe its pure serene
Till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold:
Then felt I like some watcher of the skies
When a new planet swims into his ken;
Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes
He star’d at the Pacific — and all his men
Look’d at each other with a wild surmise —
Silent, upon a peak in Darien.
Send Deb your favorite travel poems
Random Acts of Canine Kindness
Cedric the Dog takes a well-deserved break after an ill fated attempt to shut down a white supremacist rally in Wyoming.
You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog. – Harry S. Truman
MORE Dog QuotationsTop Museums in Rome
Rome’s museums contain everything from ancient sculpture to modern art, so there is something for everyone to enjoy. In order to appreciate all of the various different kinds of art Rome’s museums have to offer, visitors will need more than one day – perhaps a day per museum of interest. Plan to take your time so you can fully absorb all the amazing world history these museums have on display.
MOREDiscovering St Helena: Explore Life On One of the Most Remote Islands in the World
1,200 miles from Africa and 1,800 miles from South America lays a fascinating remote volcanic island named St Helena. Almost entirely cut-off from the outside world, the island has often sparked interest by historian enthusiasts drawn to the island’s rich history, allowing them a glimpse into its role in fighting the slave trade, acting as a Boer prisoner of war site and the notorious home and prison of Napoleon, who was exiled to the island.
MORE7 Common Travel Crises and How to Conquer Them
Courtesy Denise Caiazzo, Travel Planners International
Travel advisors are well-equipped to handle just about anything travel-related. Give them a destination, a budget, and a few key interests, and they can whip up an entirely personalized itinerary that will make a client feel over-the-moon, as they make their travel dreams come true.
But what happens when an unforeseen travel nightmare occurs? We’re talking, “I can’t find my passport and I leave for my trip in a week!” or “Surprise, a bad storm hit, and all flights are canceled.”
MOREBehind the Bucket List: What Americans Really Want in Travel
Courtesy Tours.com
What do Americans want when it comes to Bucket List travel? A group from Provisional Living wanted to find out not only what’s on those lists, but why and how they got there. What they found was pretty revealing.
MOREAre Airlines Tracking Your Flight Searches (and Raising Prices)?
Courtesy Caroline Morse Teel
Ms. Caroline Morse Teel, Senior Editor of SmarterTravel, investigates whether or not searching for airfare makes the price go up. Also: perfume on a plane, tipping when gratuities are included, who can sit in an exit row, and more.
MOREHow to Complain Effectively at a Hotel
Courtesy Charlyn Keating
Demand satisfaction when you have a valid complaint
7 Travel Gadgets You Don’t Need & What to Buy Instead
Courtesy Nevin Spearman
There are all sorts of gadgets out there that promise to make traveling easier but often fall short. Some are cheaply made and fall apart after one trip. Others are just impractical, a realization that only comes after lugging them around the globe. Below are some of the not-so-great travel gadgets we’ve either purchased ourselves or have spotted in the wild, and the handy alternatives that you may find more useful.
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