Budget Travel's Blog

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

Archive: October 2011
oct 31

Is Boeing's New Dreamliner 787 Worth All the Hype?

Boeing has touted their new airplane as an industry “game changer,” but is it really all that it's cracked up to be?
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3 by Nicholas DeRenzo Airfares & Flying, Airlines, Technology
oct 31

At What Age Can Children Vacation Solo?

Another way of thinking about this question is, "Do you think other people's teenagers should be allowed to fly unsupervised?"
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0 by Sean O'Neill Family Travel
oct 29

The Legal Ramifications Of Drinking And Flying

Have you ever been on a plane next to someone who seems a little wobbly? The consequences for being intoxicated on a flight can be pretty severe.
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5 by Michelle Baran Airfares & Flying
oct 28

Are Ads Inside Planes and on Rental Cars Obnoxious?

Or can you deal with them if the tradeoff is cheaper prices?
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2 by Brad Tuttle Airfares & Flying, Airlines
oct 28

Left-Handed Travelers Face Hassles

Problems include toilet tissue holders in hotel bathrooms often only work for right-handed customers.
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0 by Sean O'Neill Questions and Opinions
oct 27

Holiday Travel: To Go Home Or Go Away

Do you look forward to reuniting with friends and family, despite the travel hassles? Or is it tempting to forgo the family feuds across the turkey and trimmings and just get away?
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4 by Michelle Baran Airport Check-in
oct 27

Poll: Would You Travel For a Cause?

People across the U.S. are watching Occupy Wall Street on television, but some are traveling to join the movement.
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0 by Budget Travel New York City
oct 27

New Site Advises on How Not to Be a "Tourist"

How Not To Be A Tourist (or HNTBAT.com) is a new resource that's written by locals for savvy travelers seeking expert advice for visiting major cities.
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14 by Sean O'Neill Helpful Websites
oct 26

Buy Your Holiday Plane Tickets Now to Avoid Fare Hikes

Each day you wait to book tickets for Thanksgiving and the December holidays can cost you an additional $5 on average.
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2 by Sean O'Neill Airfares & Flying, Online Travel Agencies
oct 25

8 Halloween Festivals Worth Traveling For

Once a year, we put on masks and devise creative ways to scare one another—and have a lot of fun doing so! As we gear up to celebrate Halloween this weekend, we tip our hats to eight places that are known for their spooktacular extravaganzas.
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13 by Budget Travel Festivals, Trip Ideas
oct 25

Disney's New Restaurant Policy Is Hard to Stomach

Walt Disney World guests will have to pay a fee if they make restaurant reservations and fail to show up.
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6 by Brad Tuttle Amusement and Theme Parks, Disney, Florida, Orlando, Airfares & Flying
oct 25

Earn Miles or Higher Interest on Your Vacation Fund

Here are tips on how to shop for a good interest rate for an online account (CD, checking, debit, or money market) for a vacation savings fund. You can even earn miles on your money!
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7 by Sean O'Neill Frequent Flier Miles
oct 24

Trip Coach: Share Your Upgrade Strategies

There are strategies you can use to improve your chances of snagging an upgrade.
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9 by Fran Golden Cruises, Real Deals, Airfares & Flying, Airlines, Hotels, Rental Cars
oct 24

Is Legoland Florida Worth the Cost?

With the new Legoland Florida costing $75 plus tax for adults and $65 plus tax for children, we ask if it's worth the money.
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7 by Sean O'Neill Amusement and Theme Parks, Disney, Trip Ideas, Family Travel
oct 21

The Best National Parks For Fall Colors

The National Park Foundation tells us when and where to go for colorful foliage displays.
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2 by Michelle Baran Leaf Peeping, National Parks
oct 21

Bragging Rights for 'America's Best Restroom'

When was the last time you returned from a vacation raving about a public bathroom?
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1 by Brad Tuttle Museums, Chicago, Questions and Opinions
oct 21

The Risks of Churning Mileage Credit Cards

Applying for lots of credit cards to earn airline mileage sign-up bonuses can hurt your credit score. That, in turn, can mean higher rates on loans from banks.
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3 by Sean O'Neill Foreign Currency and Exchange, Frequent Flier Miles
oct 20

The Amazing Wild Horses of North Carolina

On a tiny island on North Carolina's Crystal Coast, a herd of beautiful wild horses has survived for decades without any help from humans.
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1 by Budget Travel Beaches, Wildlife Appreciation
oct 20

The New Truth About Women Travelers?

A recent survey of travel agents tells us that shopping and sightseeing are the most popular travel activities among female travelers. See the rest of their results here.
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14 by Valerie Rains Safety and Security, Girlfriend Getaways, Women's Travel
oct 19

Southeast Asia Battles With Surging Floodwaters

Some of the worst flooding in decades has gripped Thailand and Cambodia, and raised concerns about travel to the region.
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1 by Michelle Baran Asia, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Emergencies
oct 19

Baby Lisa: Why Parents Traveling Alone Face Trouble

The news an intruder may have abducted a 10-month old baby in Kansas spotlights the trouble law-abiding parents have when traveling alone with their own children.
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3 by Sean O'Neill Kansas City, Emergencies, Safety and Security, Family Travel
oct 19

The 3 Best Camera-phones by Network

When your primary camera is out of the picture, these three smartphones make solid backups.
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2 by Budget Travel Photography, Technology
oct 18

"Voluncruising" Options to Consider When Booking Your Next Vacation

Cruising for a Cause? Here's why you should consider "voluncruising" when booking your next trip.
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0 by Budget Travel Cruises, Volunteer Travel
oct 18

How to Avoid Flights That May Get Canceled

The FAA tells the airlines to cut back flights in bad weather. But they don't tell the airlines which flights to cancel. Here are tips for outsmarting the airlines.
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1 by Sean O'Neill Airfares & Flying, Airlines
oct 18

Why You Should Consider a Shoulder-Season Cruise

Twice a year cruise lines move their fleets—from Alaska to the Caribbean, say—to ensure that it's always sunny on deck. Called "repositioning cruises," these unusual itineraries afford the opportunity for unique trips at affordable rates.
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0 by Budget Travel Cruises
oct 17

Chicago to Tokyo in Two Hours?

Billed as "space tourism", new aircraft will fly "sub-orbital" routes thaf could connect any two points on Earth within two hours. Test flights start in 2014.
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3 by Sean O'Neill
oct 17

Want to Travel the World? Go to This Seminar

A nationwide event on Tuesday, October 18, will teach you how to plan your own "around-the-world" dream trip.
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1 by Kaeli Conforti Literary Travel, Dream Trips, Trip Ideas
oct 14

What Do You Love/Hate Most About Your Local Airport?

Whether your local airport is a modest domestic terminal or a large international hub, tell us about its efficiencies and inefficiencies, and the hidden gem shops and eateries we should know about.
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2 by Michelle Baran Airport Check-in
oct 14

Should Hotels That Charge for Wi-Fi Be Boycotted?

It makes less sense than ever for guests to be charged hefty fees for Wi-Fi access in their hotels.
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9 by Brad Tuttle Airfares & Flying, Cell Phones and PDAs, Hotels
oct 14

Vote for "New 7 Wonders of Nature"

Mark your calendar. You have until 11-11-11 to vote for the "New 7 Wonders of Nature."
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0 by Fran Golden Adventure, Nature Appreciation
oct 14

AirBnB Offers Free Pro Photography of Your Home

Airbnb will send one of its 1,000 contracted professional photographers to take "crisp, well-lit and composed photographs" of any host's property for listing.
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3 by Sean O'Neill Vacation Rentals
oct 13

When Will Egypt Be Back On the Tourist Map?

Ongoing political violence and demonstrations in Egypt are making it hard for the country's tourism industry to rebound — and yet tourists are trickling back.
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0 by Michelle Baran Egypt
oct 13

No Online Booking Fee? Turns Out That's Only Sometimes True

Sites like Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity promise "no fee" booking…but have you read the fine print?
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0 by Laura Michonski Airfares & Flying, Airlines
oct 13

Talking Travel on Facebook Can Cause Trouble

Oversharing is when you divulge too much vacation information that may put your house at risk for burglary.
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7 by Sean O'Neill Questions and Opinions, Safety and Security, Technology
oct 12

Can a Chain Hotel Pull Off Boutique-Style Amenities?

Four big-name brands are looking to the little guys for inspiration.
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17 by Andrea Minarcek Hotels, Travel and Fitness
oct 12

Video: Police Catch Man Pointing Laser at Aircraft

The lights can temporarily blind pilots. So it's fun to watch this jerk pointing a laser get caught.
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5 by Sean O'Neill Airlines, Safety and Security
oct 11

Is This the RV of the Future?

The design of a new camper van is "flipping amazing." Right now, it's the best car money can't buy.
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1 by Sean O'Neill Camping, Rv'ing, Rental Cars
oct 11

Get Behind-the-Scenes Access to New York City’s Off-Limits Architectural Gems

Ever wonder what it would be like to have the keys to New York City? Well now you don’t have to be some foreign dignitary or military hero to get that all-access pass!
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0 by Nicholas DeRenzo Seclusion/Isolated Spots, New York City
oct 10

Poll: Are Tours Passé?

The classic tour is in the midst of a bit of an identity crisis.
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7 by Michelle Baran
oct 10

Japan May Give Away 10,000 Flights to Foreigners

Next April, Japan may give 10,000 foreigners free round-trip plane tickets, to encourage tourism.
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0 by Sean O'Neill Japan, Airfares & Flying
oct 10

3 New Boutique Hotels Where a Niche Theme Dictates Design

This year, as we put together our annual story on the best new boutique hotels in the world—all with rooms for $150 or less a night—we noticed that a few share one thing in common. They take the idea of a niche theme and run with it. Here are three of our favorites.
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3 by Andrea Minarcek Art + Culture, Mountains, Music and Dancing, Hotels
oct 10

Gowalla's New Focus as a Travel Guide

Like Foursquare, Gowalla is a location-based tool that broadcasts your whereabouts. Unlike Foursquare, the tool has just become a handy guide (or "social atlas") for travelers visiting unfamiliar cities.
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1 by Sean O'Neill Apps, Guidebooks, Innovations
oct 07

Bing Makes Navigating Airports a Breeze

With its new, free Airport Maps tool, Microsoft lets users scour online layouts of 42 airports in the United States, including the locations of snack stops, ATMs, and restrooms.
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2 by Budget Travel Airfares & Flying, Airport Check-in, Technology
oct 07

The 787 Dreamliner Debuts This Month

The first high-tech Boeing 787 Dreamliner will have its first passenger flight later this month. Starting next year, it promises to bring American travelers more comfort in the skies.
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0 by Sean O'Neill Airlines
oct 06

Google is Mapping the Amazon

...what destination should they cover next?
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2 by Jess Holl South America, Helpful Websites
oct 06

Fares to Europe May Spike in 2012 Due to International Showdown

Starting in the New Year, American travelers flying to a European airport may have to pay roughly €6 to €12 (or about $8 to $16) per transatlantic plane ticket in extra charges.
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3 by Sean O'Neill Europe, Airfares & Flying, Airlines
oct 06

What's the Most Surprising Thing You've Seen at a Chain Hotel?

All too often, the surprises we encounter when traveling are of the disappointing variety. On a quick trip to Austin last weekend, my dirt-cheap room at a Super 8 was a veritable cornucopia of surprises—all pleasant!
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5 by Valerie Rains Hotels
oct 05

A Few Appetizing Food Museums

Have you ever checked out a museum that specializes in cuisine? Here are three worth a look.
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2 by Sean O'Neill Food + Drink, Museums, Japan, Belgium, Germany, Berlin, Wisconsin, Food + Drink
oct 05

Two Sweet Spots for Travel Bargains in the Near Future

Timing is everything. When trying to score the best deals, when you travel is just as important as where you're traveling.
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0 by Brad Tuttle Skiing, Real Deals, Airfares & Flying
oct 05

Establishing a Greater New York-Seoul Connection

New Yorkers are being encouraged to visit Seoul, and Seoul's city dwellers to come to New York as part of a new joint marketing agreement that includes a limited time airfare deal.
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1 by Michelle Baran South Korea, Seoul, New York City
oct 05

A Cool Small Town Comes Together After Flooding

In 2009, we declared Owego, N.Y., one of America's Coolest Small Towns. Now, after a devastating flood, residents of the village are showing just how cool they really are—even under the worst kind of pressure.
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1 by Rachel Mosely Coolest Small Towns, Emergencies
oct 04

The 10 Best Wine Regions You've Never Heard Of

Under-the-radar tasting spots to add to your to-go list.
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2 by Andrea Minarcek Wine, Trip Ideas
oct 04

Rollercoasters Get 'Super-Sized' for Overweight Theme Park Guests

Are some theme park guests too big to ride rollercoasters safely?
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2 by Brad Tuttle Amusement and Theme Parks
oct 04

How to Get in Better Shape While Backpacking Around the World

One 27-year old proves you can put on ten pounds of muscle while being on the road for three months without access to gym equipment.
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5 by Sean O'Neill Health and Hygiene, Travel and Fitness
oct 03

National Cruise Vacation Week Brings Fare Deals

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0 by Fran Golden
oct 03

Hotel Alarm Clocks: A Waste of Time?

Rely on the typical hotel alarm clock, and you may not be woken up on time.
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16 by Sean O'Neill Apps, Cell Phones and PDAs, Hotels, Travel Gear