Horror stories from airport security abroad

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

It's often the most convenient and, let's face it, cheapest way to travel. But after another fatal bus crash this week, riders getting ready to make an intercity trip this summer or hop on a bus to a nearby attraction, might be wondering just how safe buses really are. "The bus industry continues to move approximately 750 million passengers on an annual basis. And we continue to be one of the safest forms of transportation. But the problem is there are a few companies that are not operating according to the rules and regulations and those are the companies that need to be put out of business," said Pete Pantuso, president of the American Bus Association. if (WIDGETBOX) WIDGETBOX.renderWidget('b494eb79-b590-45e5-b001-89c4f57436d3');Get the Poll Creator Pro widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox! Not seeing a widget? (More info)One such company is Charlotte, N.C.-based Sky Express, the operator of a bus that killed four people and injured 50 others when it crashed on Tuesday on the I-95 North in Virginia. The crash occurred just four days after the DOT announced that it had conducted more than 3,000 surprise passenger bus inspections in May—and ultimately issued out-of-service citations to 127 drivers and 315 vehicles—as part of a new initiative to improve bus safety that came in the wake of several deadly bus crashes across the country, including a widely reported crash in which 15 people were killed in the Bronx in March. Immediately following the Sky Express crash last, the DOT's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued the company with an unsatisfactory safety rating and placed it out of service for violating multiple federal safety regulations. Under the out-of-service order, Sky Express is prohibited from operating interstate transportation services. While the DOT is indeed cracking down in an effort to curb the problem of unsafe bus companies that often operate under the radar, Pantuso said he felt the federal government can, and should, do more. Sky Express has "a long-standing history of operating outside the margins of safety," said Pantuso. "Their public record goes back to 2006 with just continued violations over that period of time." The DOT "should have flagged a company like that that was out of sync in so many areas and should have put them out of business earlier," added Pantuso. Pantuso noted that companies like Sky Express often find numerous ways to skirt state and federal regulations governing bus safety. For instance, he said, some bus companies will state they are headquartered in a state where regulations or more lax, even though they are primarily operating in another state. So, what can consumers do to make sure the bus company they're using is safe? The FMCSA has an online Safety Measurement System in which travelers can search carriers to pull up their safety record. ABA also has a search option on its homepage, whereby users can search for ABA member bus companies in their area. Do you find buses to be a safe mode of transportation? Let us know by voting in our poll or by commenting below. More from Budget Travel: Is it time for major bus companies to send drivers to charm school? Happy Birthday, Boltbus! Is the era of cheap airfare ending?

In his new book The Tao of Travel (which we recently touted), Paul Theroux has a list of places with names that sound better in one's imagination than in real life. Some of Theroux's examples and his descriptions: Timbuktu: "dust, hideous hotels, unreliable transport, freeloaders, pestering people, garbage heaps everywhere, poisonous food." Marseille: "just a short walk from the pretty harbour are sullen neighborhoods of public housing, tenements, refugees and bewildered immigrants, with no one saying, 'Bienvenue'." Mandalay: "an enormous grid of dusty streets occupied by dispirited and oppressed Burmese, and policed by a military tyranny." Personally, I found Bethlehem, Pa., and Mystic, Conn., to be disappointing, given the associations in my mind with those evocative names. What about with you? Where are the places that turned out to be better in your imagination than in real life? MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL 8 Common Air Travel Snafus (And How to Beat Them) New Budget Airline Vision Delivers Cheap Fares Quiz: Can You Spot the Travel Rip-off?

As summer nears, vacationers are getting ready to pull out their wheeled luggage and begin the arduous task of packing. There are all the critical checklist items—Passport, check. Wallet, check. Bathing suit, check. Do you really need anything else? Well, unfortunately, yes. Here are some easy-to-overlook items and we invite you to add to the list with your suggestions of things to bring on a trip that travelers typically leave behind. Electronics/technology - Batteries, power cords and international power adaptors: Make sure you have everything you need to power your cameras, tablet devices, smartphones and whatever gadgets and gizmos you plan on bringing along - Storage/memory is always an issue, so either be prepared to download photos to a laptop or bring enough storage Toiletries/medication Don't forget the Transportation Security Authority's 3-1-1 rule for carry-on luggage! All liquids and gels must be in 3.4-ounce containers or smaller, placed in one clear, zip-lock bag and placed separately in its own container when heading through security. - Prescription medication: It might prove very difficult to get your prescription filled once you've left home - Vaccinations: Are there any required vaccines or preventative medication you need in the destination you're heading to? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has good advice on this front - Additional medications: Unfortunately, sickness happens on vacation, so be prepared for common ailments such as upset stomach, colds and the flu - Travel tissue packs: They serve a million purposes, from napkins, to toilet paper, to makeshift band-aids (and make sure to bring some of those as well) - Wet wipes - Smaller items such as cotton swabs and floss are easy to forget - Sunscreen (and aloe for overexposure, ouch!) - Specialty grooming products, such as hair brushes, electric shavers, curling/straightening irons, etc. Clothing There's nothing harder than packing for a different climate than the one you live in. Try to transport yourself there, to the beach, the rainforest, the mountains, wherever it is you're heading and think of all the things you'll need, all the climates you'll be encountering. - Hats: Will you be in the sun? Will it be cold or windy? - Inclement weather: If it might rain, rain jackets or umbrellas will be needed - Gear: Think about specialty activities you might partake in that require special clothing or footwear (and different types of footwear require different types of socks) - Accessories: The devil is in the details, details such as hair accessories (headbands, hair bands), jewelry, watches, scarves (great for protecting against the sun and the cold), belts, etc. Sleeping aids - Neck pillows, eye masks, ear plugs Random items to consider - Travel speakers or an auxiliary cord for the car for those who want to play music on their trip - A smaller backpack/fanny pack for day use, or a beach bag - An additional, folded up luggage bag for purchases - Some detergent for spills and stains or an emergency bathroom sink laundry load For the kids - You've got yourself packed, now think of whether you need any special items for the kids, ranging from baby food and formula, to games and activities that will keep them occupied. Lastly, if traveling by air, make sure to check with your carrier about luggage size and weight limitations. You don't want to get stuck paying extra or worse, being that person off to the side at the check-in counter, luggage thrown up, desperately ditching the family-sized shampoo and conditioner bottles. Always better to pack smart and light. More from Budget Travel: The Ultimate Packing Guide Be a Packing Genius: Step-by-Step Photos Solve Packing Conundrums With These 9 Household Items