Budget Travel's Blog

The latest travel news, vacation tips & advice, travel apps, and more

Archive: July 2010
jul 30

Readers' best bridge photos

Your beautiful photos demonstrate that bridges are as much about form as function.
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17 by Kate Appleton Travel Photography
jul 30

A fancy-schmancy hotel exec reveals tips for getting great hotel service

The global brand leader of St. Regis Hotels, who stays at hotels 150 nights a year, tells how to get the most out of a stay at any hotel.
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1 by Brad Tuttle Hotels
jul 30

Video: How to Tackle San Francisco's Chinatown

Find the best markets and score authentic dim sum.
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5 by JD Rinne California, San Francisco, Travel Video
jul 30

Summer in Paris: Outdoor movie screenings

The Cinéma en Plein Air festival is turning 20 this summer and celebrating with films that are all about life at that crazy age.
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4 by Meg Zimbeck France, Paris
jul 30

Minibar madness: A snack would be nice, but a 300 percent markup?

Just how much extra do you pay for the convenience of drinks and snacks in a hotel minibar?
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5 by Brad Tuttle Hotels
jul 29

England: A new exhibit in Bath

The Fashion Museum recently opened an exhibit featuring Princess Diana's dresses.
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0 by JD Rinne Museums, United Kingdom, Bath
jul 29

Summer in Paris: The beach is back

A free summer festival turns a stretch of the Seine into a giant urban beach.
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6 by Meg Zimbeck France, Paris
jul 29

"Around the World for Free" and a super healthy road trip

A reality show star travels with no money in his pockets, and a pair of writers drive across the country.
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1 by Brad Tuttle New York City, Oregon, Portland
jul 29

Our Readers' Choice Award winners announced on The Today Show

We announced the winners with the help of Al Roker.
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1 by Budget Travel Questions and Opinions
jul 29

San Francisco: Order like a local at In-N-Out

Order off the secret menu to get an "animal-style" burger.
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11 by Justine Sharrock Food + Drink, California, San Francisco
jul 29

Last chance for summer!

Only 55 official days left. How will you make them count?
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1 by Budget Travel Questions and Opinions
jul 28

Ask Trip Coach: House swapping

The upside to a house swap is huge: free lodging in an apartment or home almost anywhere in the world. But that doesn't mean house swapping is for everybody.
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13 by Brad Tuttle Hotels
jul 27

New site Wanderfly will be wonderful at inspiring travelers

Few sites inspire people to travel to destinations they've never considered before. But new site Wanderfly.com points you to trips matching your budget, interests, and time constraints.
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1 by Sean O'Neill Trip Coach, Helpful Websites, Innovations
jul 27

Would you pay for the Whole Enchilada?

Frontier Airlines is selling special "Whole Enchilada" fares that are fully refundable, include complimentary checked baggage, and don't require any advance purchase.
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3 by Brad Tuttle Denver, Airfares & Flying
jul 26

Wandermom takes her kids to an Irish castle and a giant's causeway

A visit to the Giant's Causeway and Dunluce Castle in Northern Ireland.
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1 by Budget Travel Ireland, Family Travel
jul 23

Turkey: An expert decodes where, what, and how to eat

The writer of our new Turkey Menu Decoder dishes on Istanbul's restaurant scene, how to eat in a local's home, and whether to tip.
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7 by Kate Appleton Food + Drink, Turkey, Istanbul
jul 23

New York: Decision day for keeping sublets legal for vacationers

Will Mr. Paterson give a stay of execution to the current sublet laws that offer great bargains for vacationers?
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8 by Sean O'Neill New York City, Hotels, Questions and Opinions
jul 22

A peek behind the scenes at Budget Travel

What's it take to make an issue of Budget Travel? Here's a taste of the highs and lows this month:
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6 by Nina Willdorf Questions and Opinions
jul 22

Will United add more baggage fees?

United president John Tague was quoted saying annual revenue from baggage fees is worth up to $1 billion a year.
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7 by JD Rinne Airlines
jul 21

Airports You Love: Now tell us why

Weigh in on what makes America's top airports the best!
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14 by Valerie Rains Airfares & Flying, Airport Check-in, Questions and Opinions
jul 20

Man caught at airport with 18 monkeys under his shirt

Authorities say the man appeared nervous during questioning. Uh, no wonder!
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3 by Brad Tuttle Mexico and Central America, Mexico City, Peru, Airfares & Flying, Pet-Friendly
jul 20

Rumor Buster: Are two one-ways cheaper than one roundtrip?

We've heard that you can save on traveling to Las Vegas by booking two one-ways. But that doesn't seem to be true.
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17 by Budget Travel Real Deals, Airfares & Flying, Before the Trip, Online Travel Agencies
jul 20

America's Favorite Restaurants: What's your local fave?

What local restaurant would you add to the list?
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149 by Budget Travel Food + Drink, Questions and Opinions
jul 19

San Francisco: 5 places to eat for free

These bars and restaurants serve up free food during weekday happy hours.
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1 by Justine Sharrock Food + Drink, California, San Francisco
jul 19

Ask Trip Coach: Spa vacations

Ask The Trip Coach your questions about spa vacations!
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4 by Brad Tuttle Spas and Pampering, Trip Coach, Questions and Opinions
jul 16

Decoding the "London Pass"

The London Pass smart card offers 56 attractions from $280. Is it worth it?
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13 by Alex Robinson United Kingdom, London
jul 16

Hidden airline fees to become thing of the past?

Spirit CEO Ben Baldanza told Congress that bringing luggage on vacation was "not essential to travel." Hence, the need for fees. Congress wants to tax those fees.
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190 by Andrea Minarcek Airlines, Luggage, Questions and Opinions
jul 15

Reader report: Booking New Zealand hotels with Wotif and NeedItNow

Readers Iolaire and Susan McFadden recently booked a last-minute trip to New Zealand and found affordable, stylish hotels at the last minute. Here's how.
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1 by Budget Travel New Zealand, Before the Trip, Helpful Websites, Hotels
jul 15

National parks tips from the 'Dark Ranger'

Including advice on why some loop trails should be hiked counter-clockwise, and why, even though it seems more exhausting, if you've got a choice you really should hike uphill on the steepest sections of trails.
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4 by Brad Tuttle National Parks
jul 15

A road trip is a great way to tell a person's story, as The Cranky Flier proves

Brett Snyder, author of The Cranky Flier, has written a lively book about a cross-country road trip he took when he was laid off from his main job. The book could inspire others to tell their own stories.
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1 by Sean O'Neill Adventure, Literary Travel, Road Trips, Scenic Drives, Solo
jul 14

Readers' best California photos

Your best photos of this geographically diverse state.
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5 by JD Rinne California, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Travel Photography
jul 14

Video: Test your travel knowledge

It's travel trivia time. (Sample question: "What's your best guess for Yellowstone National Park attendance in June?")
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0 by Budget Travel Travel Video
jul 14

London: Seeing stars

Introducing guided tours of the celeb hangouts, past and present.
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0 by Alex Robinson Pop Culture and Travel, United Kingdom, London
jul 14

Food photography done for fun

An interview with "my Budget Travel" photographer Joe Routon.
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4 by Sean O'Neill Food + Drink, Travel Photography
jul 13

Mark your calendar: Museum Day means free admission

On Sept. 25, get in free at hundreds of U.S. cultural institutions.
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1 by Danielle Lipp Art + Culture, Art + Culture, Museums, National Parks, Family Travel
jul 09

TrustYou may be the best travel site you've never heard of

The free new site allows you to zoom in on user-reviews of hotels that are relevant to you, such as "family friendly B&B in Philadelphia with a great breakfast."
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19 by Sean O'Neill Helpful Websites, Hotels, Innovations, Technology
jul 08

San Francisco: 5 best July values

Our top picks for this month.
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3 by Justine Sharrock California, San Francisco
jul 08

Taxing controversy: Should hotels or booking engines be paying more in taxes?

And if either is forced to pay more, how and when might the added costs trickle down to travelers?
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3 by Brad Tuttle Hotels, Online Travel Agencies
jul 07

Paris: 5 best July values

Discover the best sales, most gorgeous gardens, and tastiest street food in Paris this month.
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5 by Meg Zimbeck France, Paris
jul 07

San Francisco: Free concerts in the parks

Grab a picnic blanket and lie back in the grass to enjoy a wide selection of tunes.
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0 by Justine Sharrock Music and Dancing, California, San Francisco
jul 07

5 ways to beat the crowds at Yosemite

Yosemite is one of our country's most popular national parks, and 90 percent of visitors see little beyond Yosemite Valley, which, while spectacular, represents just 5 percent of the park.
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1 by Brad Tuttle National Parks
jul 07

New York City: Photo safaris

Learn to record memories of your Manhattan trip in your own pictures.
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2 by Budget Travel Walking Tours, New York City, Travel Photography
jul 06

London: 5 best July values

July highlights include carnivals, boat races, park life, flower shows, and dance fests.
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0 by Alex Robinson United Kingdom, London
jul 06

What's your favorite small town in America? Nominate yours now!

Voting has already begun for our 2011 Coolest Small Towns in America contest!
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10 by Andrea Minarcek Questions and Opinions
jul 02

New York City: 5 best July values

Baseball and fireworks by the beach, Broadway and opera in the park, and fine dining for less.
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6 by Kate Appleton New York City
jul 02

25 travel-inspiring photos

We dug through our files to find photos so spectacular that they're bound to get you planning a new adventure.
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4 by Budget Travel Travel Photography
jul 02

Photo of the day: A Brussels griffon in Nice

The cutest vendor in a French antiques shop that we have ever seen.
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0 by Budget Travel France, Nice
jul 02

San Francisco: 5 activities in Golden Gate Park

The 1,017-acre park has a lot to offer. Here are five lesser-known options.
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4 by Justine Sharrock Urban Parks, California, San Francisco
jul 01

America's backyard grub: Tastiest food for the Fourth

Here are my personal picks for the best all-American eats worth traveling for.
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1 by Nicholas DeRenzo Food + Drink
jul 01

Fourth of July Weekend: Where the deals are

America's best bargain for hotels this holiday weekend is San Antonio. The worst? Washington, D.C., where all of the lobbyists are.
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0 by Sean O'Neill Before the Trip, Hotels
jul 01

Four apps to travel with

Worth your time and money, tools for creating personalized itineraries, safe texting, and listening to music on the go.
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5 by Budget Travel Apps, Cell Phones and PDAs, Innovations
jul 01

Things we love: "un-tours"

These general orientation tours led in small groups are not cheap, but they deliver your money's worth, from $15 per half-day outing.
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1 by Budget Travel Adventure, Art + Culture
jul 01

N'awlins: Should you drop that seafood po'boy?

New Orleans' most famous sandwich is the po'boy, whose most common ingredients (oysters, shrimp) are endangered by the Gulf oil spill.
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8 by Budget Travel Food + Drink, New Orleans