Gotcha! This Year's Best Travel-Themed April Fools' Jokes (With Videos!)

German cuisine may not garner the recognition that French and Italian do, but a visit to Berlin will show you why this city is a magnet for up-to-date epicureans. You can feast on hearty Teutonic classics like and Schnitzel and Schweinshaxe (roasted pork knuckle), but Berlin really shines when it comes to casual, eclectic eats. The current food scene goes way beyond bratwurst yet doesn't eschew traditional flavors. Get ready for a mouth-watering adventure that's heavy on flavor and light on the wallet. 1. DÖNER KEBAB/ DÖNER KEBAP  Best place to try it: All in One, Rosenthaler Str. 43 The doner kebab is a robust sandwich that rarely costs more than a few euros and is served at stands all over the city. Invented by a Turkish immigrant, it's thin slices of flavorful meat carved from a rotating spit, garnished with fresh veggies and your choice of sauce, all piled into warm bread. All in One in Mitte serves a delectable one. The fresh lettuce, cabbage and tomatoes add a salubrious crunch. 2. CURRYWURST  Best place to try it: Curry 61, Oranienburger Str. 6 Invented in Berlin after World War II, currywurst is the local's fast food of choice. It's sliced bratwurst served in tomato sauce that has been liberally laced with curry for a sweet-spicy kick. Berliners are so passionate about this fortifying snack, there's even a museum dedicated to it. You'll find currywurst stands all over town, but venerable Curry 61 won't disappoint.  3. CHOCOLATE  Best place to try it: Fassbender & Rausch, Charlotten Str. 60 If you've got a sweet tooth, a stop at the self-proclaimed biggest chocolate store in the world, Fassbender & Rausch, is a must. The tempting goodies include truffles, pralines, and single origin chocolate bars. The atmosphere is as whimsical as Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, with eye-catching renditions of local architectural icons like the Brandenburg Gate and the Berlin Reichstag carved entirely out of chocolate. Make sure to head upstairs to watch the chocolatier spin edible magic. 4. DOUGHNUTS  When JFK made his famous speech and proclaimed Ich bin ein Berliner, he was apparently making a grammatical mistake and claiming to be a doughnut, not a resident of Berlin. Berliners are jam-injected rounds of ethereal fried yeast dough dusted with granulated sugar. Mind-bogglingly good, you'll need some serious willpower to eat just one. Sold at every bakery in town. 5. CHICKEN AT DA HENNE  Best place to try it: Da Henne, Leuschnerdamm 25 This Kreuzberg stalwart has been serving the same minimalist menu since 1908. Crispy chicken is the star here and though the menu does include a few other choices, the bird is the word. This is fried chicken so good, you'll want to lick not only your fingers but the plate. A side of tangy coleslaw or German potato salad and a frosty beer are the perfect accompaniments. 6. BREAKFAST  Best place to try it: Factory Girl, August Str. 29 Unlike most of the Continent, where breakfast is not much more than bread, butter, and jam, Berlin's residents start the day with a fortifying breakfast. The town's trendiest congregate at Factory Girl, where a stylish morning meal is served all day. Nearly everyone orders vitamin-rich Magnolia, a soy-based pudding that somehow tastes like muesli infused with marshmallows. 7. VIETNAMESE FOOD  Best place to try it: Monsieur Vuong, AlteSchönhauser Str. 46 Berlin is home to a sizeable Vietnamese community, good news for hungry visitors on a budget. There are many excellent eateries specializing in this delicate cuisine, but inexpensive Monsieur Vuong tops the list. Fresh, tasty, authentic food is the reason this place is always packed, so be prepared to queue. Sink your teeth into the spring rolls, pho, and glass noodles; it's worth the wait. 8. TURKISH DELIGHTS  Best place to try it: Leylak, Kottbusser Str. 25 Turks form the largest ethnic minority in Germany and their influence in the edible arena runs deep. Step into barebones eatery Leylak and you may think you've taken a wrong turn and landed in Istanbul. An assortment of sweet and savory pastries wrapped in handmade dough or flaky filo are sliced from a gigantic sheet pan or served in individual portions. Order the fresh mint tea to complement this authentic taste of the Ottoman Empire. 9. BEER Best place to try it: Weihenstephaner, Hackescher Markt No trip to Germany is complete without sampling the local brew. Weihenstephaner is an atmospheric brewery located in a historic building in a scenic market square. They offer an extensive range, from mellow wheat beers to the strong and malty. 10. TAKE A FOOD TOUR  Booking a guided food tour is an excellent way to sample a variety of eats in a limited time frame. Even if you're not a foodie, you will learn about the culture, history and sights of Berlin as you stroll the city and nibble away. Berlin Food Tour is owned and operated by a bilingual local who is both passionate and knowledgeable when it comes to what's cooking. They offer a score of diverse itineraries and low prices. This article was written by Allison Tibaldi, a native New Yorker who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto, and Los Angeles. She is fluent in Italian and Spanish and laughably adequate in French. When she's not traveling, she's scouring NYC for delectable eats. As a freelance travel writer, she focuses on family, culinary, and car-free travel. She's also a senior travel writer at offMetro.com.

Picture this: You. Your dream city. And a hotel with plush carpeting, a seasoned concierge who knows all the city's best spots, and high style you never thought you could swing without one of those fancy black credit cards. Nice, huh? You're going to love this news: Hotels.com just released its Hotel Price Index data for this past year, and there are some very pleasant surprises for Budget Travelers: Hotel rates across the U.S. have gone up, but the opposite happened in several desirable cities abroad. In fact, rates so low that you can afford a chic stay at a 4-star or even 5-star hotel (ahem, Warsaw) for what you would have paid for a lower-star-rated property in years past. Take a quick glance at your travel bucket list and cross-reference it with the cities below, then pick your palace. (Rates are all based on current Hotels.com pricing.) Because sightseeing is that much sweeter when you know you'll have your own personal marble soaking tub to unwind in at the end of the day. Warsaw, Poland Average daily 5-star hotel rate: $107 Change from 2013: Down 13% Why not stay at the... Hotel Bristol. If what you picture when you think of a "luxury hotel" is traditional glam that pays homage to neo-Renaissance and Art Deco styles, rich upholstery in the lobby, towering drapes on the windows, and polished marble as far as the eye can see, book here now. Each room—even the junior suites—has a gray marble bathroom with a separate bathtub and shower, and the hotel has an indoor heated pool with cool-hued tiling in "cobalt blue," "forest green," and "cream." Now let's talk location: The historic, 1908-built hotel is right next to the Presidential Palace and within walking distance of Old Town, the Royal Castle, and the National Theater and Opera House (from $108, hotelbristolwarsaw.pl). Marrakech, Morocco Average daily 4-star hotel rate: $99 Change from 2013: Down 11% Why not stay at the... Riad Flam. You'll think you've died and come back in another life as a Moroccan king when you get a load of this hotel's common areas, decked out with tasseled burgundy cushions, opulent mirrors, and ornate hookahs. Each of the boutique property's eight rooms—all with intricate carved-wood detailling, some with four-poster beds—represents a different soul-nurturing stone, from the Ambre room (used historically for its medicinal properties) to the luxe Ruby room (thought to heighten energy and sensuality). After a long day of bargain-hunting at the souks, drift into the hotel's lush, peaceful courtyard, with lounge chairs for sunbathing, and up into an elevated wood terrace for a soak in a jacuzzi tub with massage jets and a view of the city around you. When you rise the next morning, breakfast is included—pancakes, dates, and fresh juices are a few of the options (from $77, riadflam.com). Jakarta, Indonesia Average daily 4-star hotel rate: $113 Change from 2013: Down 11% Why not stay at the... DoubleTree by Hilton Jakarta-Diponegoro. With retro-style rooms so curvy and modern you'll think you're sleeping in a space pod, plus deep soaking tubs in the bathrooms and resort-like perks including a lagoon-style pool with a streamlined soda parlor–themed cocktail bar that serves milkshakes and booze, this is no ordinary business hotel. Geared toward families, the property has child-friendly amenities, like a kids' pool and indoor kids' club packed with toys (and babysitting services if you need them). With or without the rugrats, a complimentary weekend shuttle will take you to Grand Indonesia Shopping Town, where you can buy batik tapestries and taste local dishes like crispy duck for cheap. While we're on the subject of food: DoubleTree doles out warm chocolate-chip cookies to all its guests upon arrival (from $77, doubletree3.hilton.com). Mumbai (Bombay), India Average daily 4-star hotel rate: $114 Change from 2013: Down 10% Why not stay at the... Vivanta by Taj President. As hot spots go, this business-friendly but design-forward Taj location is quite the scene, especially the Wink bar, known for its social mixing and mingling, infused syrups that incorporate flavors like vanilla and anise, and signature vodka-and-lychee Winktini. Located in South Mumbai, near the Colaba Causeway shopping street (try haggling for a stylish pair of kolhapuri chappals, or leather slippers) and the National Gallery of Modern Art, the hotel has a sizable outdoor pool with beach umbrellas and sleek, modern decor that gives nods to ancient India. Travelers praise it for its attentive service, especially considering its 292-room size (from $124, vivantabytaj.com). Bangkok, Thailand Average daily 4-star hotel rate: $100 Change from 2013: Down 9% Why not stay at the... Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn. Three words: rooftop infinity pool. You might never leave the water after taking in the streamlined 14th-floor space's sweeping panoramas of Bangkok and the Chao Phraya River. Another draw for view hounds: Every single room looks out onto either the river or the city, so you'll be hyperaware that you're not in Kansas anymore. The hotel's Glass House restaurant's massive buffet is legendary: Around 26 bucks buys you a lunchtime spread of foods including sushi; lobster; classic Thai, Japanese, and Chinese dishes; meat entrées cooked to order; fresh fruit; and pastries and desserts so picture-perfect they look like movie props (from $106, eastinhotelsresidences.com). Istanbul, Turkey Average daily 4-star hotel rate: $131 Change from 2013: Down 7% Why not stay at the... Levni Hotel & Spa. So well located it's almost ridiculous—everything from the Hagia Sophia to the Grand Bazaar to the Istanbul Modern Art Museum is within walking distance—the Levni also has surprisingly affordable spa treatments: A traditional kese (exfoliation glove) scrub, including a hammam steam treatment and soap massage, starts at about $42. If you're a spa traditionalist, 60-minute massages (including the deep-compression, sleep-promoting jet lag massage) are about $85. Plus: The longer you stay, the more perks you rack up if you book through the hotel's website. A three-night stay earns you a free airport transfer; six nights or more nets a complimentary transfer, welcome dinner, and 30-minute spa treatment (from $95, levnihotel.com).

Congratulations to Grand Marais, MN, the winner of Budget Travel's 10th annual America's Coolest Small Town contest! The beautiful town on the north shore of Lake Superior amassed a whopping 30 percent of the vote in our contest, surpassing strong second-place finisher Chincoteague, VA, and 13 other semifinalists to attain the title of "Coolest" of 2015. We're psyched that this year's contest had a total of more than 100,000 votes, with loyal Budget Travel readers and fans of our nominated towns coming to the site each day since the contest opened on January 21 to click or tap for their favorite town. Since 2006, Budget Travel has celebrated the culture, history, natural beauty, and old fashioned charm of America's small towns like no other publication, with enthusiastic support from hundreds of thousands of readers around the world. Each fall, we open up the contest by soliciting online nominations for cool American towns with a population under 10,000 from our readers. Budget Travel defines "cool" as an energetic vibe that often combines community spirit with a vibrant arts scene, great food, natural beauty, and unique history.  Grand Marais (population 1,351) fits the bill. It's the gateway to the Boundary Water Canoeing Area, one of the world's perfect paddling destinations, with miles of waterways to navigate. It's a perfect vacation town for a romantic getaway or an outdoors adventure, with a little something for everyone, including cozy B&Bs, a vibrant arts community, an annual Fisherman's Picnic, Lake Superior National Forest, and restaurants whose names I personally love and feel say a lot about the town's upbeat spirit: Angry Trout Café, Crooked Spoon, and Sven and Ole's pizza! Here, the top 10 towns in Budget Travel's America's Coolest Small Town 2015 contest. We'll celebrate them all in an upcoming feature and in the July/August issue of our bi-monthly tablet edition. See final contest standings here! Grand Marais, MN (Population: 1,351)Chincoteague, VA (Population: 2,941)Hillsborough, NC (Population: 6,087)Allegan, MI (Population: 4,998)Washington, NC Population: 9,744)Delhi, NY (Population: 3,087)Fort Myers Beach, FLHuron, OH (Population: 7,149)Snohomish, WA (Population: 9,098)Old Orchard Beach, ME (Population: 8,624)

Budget Travel's America's Coolest Small Town 2015 contest ends next week, and it's looking like the competition will remain lively and close right up until voting closes at 11:59 p.m. on February 25! Right now, Grand Marais, MN, is in the lead, with about 24 percent of the tens of thousands of online votes cast by Budget Travel readers. The beautiful, outdoorsy town has a loyal following of not only locals but also vacationers and adventurers the world over who've paddled the area's lakes and rivers and can't wait to tell everybody about this awesome burgh. We're impressed by Grand Marais's ability to mobilize its fans to get out the vote. That's a sure sign of hometown spirit, which is cool in our book. But a close second right now is Cincoteague, VA, the gorgeous island town on the Atlantic coast known for its beautiful beaches, wild ponies, and awesome views of rocket launches from a nearby space center. And let's not forget the two North Carolina towns that made our list of 15 semifinalists: artsy Hillsborough and historic Washington are right up there in third and fourth places, respectively. With more than a week to go, the voting is guaranteed to get even more exciting as these towns vie for the title of coolest. When voting closes at 11:59 p.m. on February 25, one town will be named America's Coolest Small Town 2015, and the top 10 towns will be celebrated in a feature story in an upcoming issue of Budget Travel and right here at BudgetTravel.com. Have you voted? Don't miss out on the fun! And come back each day to check the standings and cast another vote!