Coming soon: Groupon for travel

It happened on a trip to the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town. It was a clear day—the first in a foggy, rainy week—and the type of weather that precipitated a trip up the mountain. Photography weather, and I was ready, snapping photos, capturing the fog covered mountainside, immortalizing my morning hike when the most menacing of messages appeared on my digital camera display screen: MEMORY CARD ERROR. And next to those three dreadful words, a large, compassionless symbol that seemed to blot out the sun: 0. Zero photos? 0 the display screen read, in all capital letters and Denda New font. (I googled it, because when something this horrible happens, it's important to know the type of font designed to deliver bad news.) I couldn't take any more photos. The card was frozen, dead. Maybe, I thought grasping at what little optimism I held onto, the card will work in my computer. But hours later in the café of my hotel, my laptop screen lighting my face in a dim glow, my card still read zero. Gone were the photos of my eco-stay in a Nqileni village, my visit to East London, the chicken peacefully nesting in my "hotel" bathroom. But were the photos lost forever? Turns out…no. After some research, a few frantic phone calls, and a Facebook status message eliciting advice from friends, I discovered there are some ways to recover your lost photos. Here are your options: 1. Stop What You're Doing Stop clicking, stop turning your camera on and off, stop everything. Clicking randomly could damage your lost photos further. Simply turn off your camera, and remove the card. You can begin file recovery at your computer by inserting your card into a card reader, or connecting your camera to the computer. Whatever you do, do NOT format your card. Doing so, will permanently delete any photos stored on the card. In the future, avoid turning off your camera or viewing photos while a picture is being written to the disk, and do not eject the memory card while the camera is still on. 2. Download Software There are many free and for-pay programs to help you recover your photos. Most services offer you a preview (or a free trial of the software) of resurrected photos so that you can choose to continue with recovery, or scrap it. Simply download the software, and follow the instructions to begin recovery. Note that for-pay services (typically $29-$49) are more likely to bring about desirable results than the free options. Options: Zero Assumption Recover, Recuva, Flobo Recovery, Pantera Soft, Photo Rescue 3. Take It to a Professional If you're not confident in your computer skills, or worry you could further damage your photos, consider having a professional help. Most photography or camera repair shops offer services to recover your lost digital memory, and save the photos to CDs. Prices vary (for example, I found three different prices in my neighborhood - $39.99, $59.99, and $129 per memory card); however, you only pay if there are photos that can be recovered. This was the option I ultimately chose. Fortunately, for me, I was able to recover all but a few of the photos using digital software at my local photo shop. Now, my only dilemma is what to do with the photos. — Madeline Grimes MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL 25 Most Photographed Places on Earth Take Your Best Shot Digital Photo Editing

We spend a lot of time criticizing the TSA in our own country, but what about airport security outside of the U.S.? if (WIDGETBOX) WIDGETBOX.renderWidget('fa4a632d-5708-48a7-82d5-2abc3aa802d2');Get the Poll Creator Pro widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox! Not seeing a widget? (More info)We depend on other nations to keep us safe, but sometimes their airport officers can be maddeningly strict—or frighteningly lax. On the one hand, I don't want to criticize TOO much—we depend just as much on airport security abroad as at home to keep us safe. On the other hand, it's worth calling out when things go too far (or not far enough). This question came up in our office recently in response to an event at Heathrow Airport in which a woman was forced to get rid of the breast milk she was carrying before she was allowed through the security checkpoint. According to her blog, the Heathrow Airport specifies that you may carry baby milk if you "carry only what you need for the flight." When I checked the Heathrow Airport website, I found this statement: If you are travelling with an infant, these items can exceed 100ml and do not have to fit into the resealable bag. However, the amount must be sufficient for your trip only and you may be asked to open the containers and taste the contents. Since this woman was not traveling with an infant, whether or not the officers were in the right becomes a little more murky. Still, was it worth it to hassle a mother trying to transport food back to her child? It seems like determining whether or not the contents of the packages were breast milk should have been fairly simple. I've certainly had my share of frustration with airport security. I'll never forget the time I was denied boarding to a flight because I showed up—literally—thirty seconds too late. My traveling companion was just ahead of me and I saw him enter the plane just as I was turned away. I was furious, but no amount of complaining would convince the gatekeeper to change her mind. Then again, I've also been in airports where I was waived through security without so much as a second glance. It was fast and easy, but it didn't make feel particularly safe as I boarded that plane. All of this has me wondering—what's the most outrageous experience you've had with airport security OUTSIDE of the U.S.? SEE MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: Should TSA Pat-Downs Be Outlawed? 7 Surprising Items That Trigger Airport Security Confessions of an Airline Agent

How about a walk around a city led by a local who knows all the hidden wonders, free of charge? That's the premise behind Global Greeter Network, which believes the best way to get to know a city is to get to know a local. It's active in more than twenty cities across the globe and is now continuing its freebie visits in Moscow, one of Global Greeter's newest iterations. From Argentina to Australia and Houston to Marseilles, greeters show visitors the "other" side to their city, filled with hidden alleyways and lesser-known landmarks. They aren't professional tour guides, rather enthusiastic volunteers who love their city and apply, interview, and then go through orientation if selected to become a greeter. The first Greeter site was New York's Big Apple Greeter in 1992, which sought to rid travelers of the pre-set NYC itinerary and script, and instead supply them with informal visits of New York through the eyes of actual New Yorkers. Meaning, skip the Empire State Building, ditch the Statue of Liberty, and head to Chinatown, Brooklyn Heights, Greenwich Village, or Harlem. Big Apple Greeter then joined forces with the Chicago, Houston, Fairbanks, and Toronto sites to create the Global Greeter Network in 2005. And now, Moscow Greeter leaves out the Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral and takes visitors to markets, hidden courtyards, and even hospitals and schools. All visitors need to do is fill out a request form at least two weeks prior to the desired tour date and stay in Moscow for at least two days. Visitors list the places they want to visit, as well as their preferred language, and are put into groups with no more than six people. The local greeters—who are usually foreign language students or retired teachers or professors—then take visitors on a walking tour lasting two to four hours, depending on what the visitors want to see and do. The tour can only be used once per stay while in Moscow. All Global Greeter sites are free of charge, while some are non-profits and greatly appreciate donations (like Big Apple Greeter) and others are a part the regional tourism office (like Chicago). To see if there is one near you, click here, or Google "Global Greeter" and your city. Does a free-of-charge walking visit with a local interest you? Tell us below. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Tours led by the homeless One guy, one bicycle, one cross country tour Strike a (yoga) pose in Times Square

Budget Travel has always tried to celebrate the companies that make travelers' lives easier, more enjoyable, and just plain better. Travel isn't exactly easy these days, and when a company dares to pull off a wonderful innovation, it deserves a hand. On May 27th, the Novotel Auckland Airport opened in New Zealand with some qualities we wish airport hotels around the world would emulate. Rates start at $149, which isn't cheap, but sometimes it takes a higher-end brand to have the guts to try new things. Here's are the five perks that most caught our attention: Bathrooms are built to make the whole room feel larger. Every bathroom has a clear partition, but it becomes opaque at the touch of a button. You can read comfortably in bed. Each headboard is contoured in a way for you to rest your back against it while sitting up in bed. In a nice touch, it's printed with images of the toi toi grasses native to New Zealand. Rooms are quiet, but their windows are still large. Even though the hotel is only 160 feet away from the airport, its guests will hear no airplane noise "even from an Airbus A380 taking off," promises the company. But while some hotels achieve soundproofing by either having tiny windows, this Novotel kept its windows large—but double glazed. Check-in is being speeded up. Soon, guests will be able to skip the front desk and go straight to their assigned room using a code sent to their phone to unlock the door. Its design reflects the local style. Rather than use a cookie-cutter look that could be located anywhere, the stylish lobby has "a living wall" of native plants and the restaurant has artwork by the country's Maori people. This Novotel also has all the advantages you would otherwise expect of an airport hotel: Its connected to the terminal, its restaurant is open all day, and its lobby has electronic monitors posting arrival and departures information. Do you have any thoughts on airport hotels to share? Feel free to post a comment. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL 5 airport innovations worth praising Coming soon: Turn your smartphone into a hotel room key 5 ways to keep your cords tidy and organized in your bag