PIG OUT!

The folks responsible for creating the menus at top establishments in New York, Boston, L.A., Chicago, and San Francisco take us on their ultimate insiders' tasting tours. read more

FROM OUR BLOG: THIS JUST IN

It's getting likely that car-rental chains will soon start charging a fee to any customer who makes a reservation but then doesn't show up. But if they do that, they had better have the exact car you reserved waiting for you in the lot when you show up. Don't you think? post a comment

CALLING ALL READERS

Budget Travel is giving away a six-night trip to Egypt (courtesy of Foreign Independent Tours) to the winner of our Ultimate Packing Smackdown, a search for the World's Best Packer. Tell us why you deserve the title—in photo, video, essay, or poem form—by e-mailing starpacker@budgettravel.com. The best strategies will be featured online and in the November issue of Budget Travel. enter now

EXIT INTERVIEW

Gloria Brown, looking to escape the winter cold of her native Colorado, spent two months exploring this country's two beautiful islands. read more