The New Truth About Women Travelers?

Whether your local airport is a modest domestic terminal or one of the nation's largest international hubs, we all have things we love and hate about our regional transportation facility — developments and setbacks, eateries new and old, efficiencies and inefficiencies. As I travel around the country, I am constantly struck by a fierce contrast of disappointment and pleasant surprise. I guess I, probably like many travelers, have long since given up on U.S. airports, which seem to have fallen so far behind some of their international counterparts that it appeared we had reached the point of no return. And yet, little by little, there looks to be signs of improvement both on a smaller scale — a revamped terminal here, an impressive new dining venue there — as well as on a larger scale with some airports undergoing major overhauls or being completely rebuilt, as is the case with the O’Hare Modernization Program. Anyone who has done the Delta shuffle, involving two terminals, a shuttle bus and several lines at John F. Kennedy International Airport as the terminal submits to a massive renovation project knows a thing or two about the two steps forward, one step back we are all experiencing on the airport improvement front. As a woman constantly on the run, I am often relieved to see an XpressSpa in my departure terminal for a quick massage or that mani-pedi I never got around to in between trips. The first XpressSpa opened in Terminal One at JFK in January 2004. There are now 33 locations in 13 airports across the U.S., and three locations at the Amsterdam Airport Schipol in the Netherlands. I have also been impressed with the upgrades to the JetBlue terminal at JFK (Deep Blue Sushi comes to mind) and the Delta terminal at LaGuardia (um, there's also a Five Guys in LaGuardia's Central Terminal), which both now have some notable dining establishments and convenient and cute wireless seating areas. And who knew that there is a great wine bar with great nibbles, Surdyk's Flights, hiding at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport? What about you? What do you love/hate most about your local airport? Any great hidden gems? Shops or dining venues you care to share? Let us in on your airport secrets. More from Budget Travel: Airport Hotels With Unexpected Perks We want to know your airport secrets! 5 airport innovations worth praising

The weekend of October 15-16 marks the ninth annual Open House New York Weekend, when regular Joes and Janes can get guided tours of some of New York City’s most famous buildings and monuments, as well as special reservations-only access to city spots normally off-limits to visitors. There’s a $5 fee for these top-secret spots, but all other tours are free. So what’s on the list? Anything you can imagine. Spread across all five boroughs, locations include the catacombs of Brooklyn’s famed Green-Wood Cemetery, the closed-to-the-public third phase of Manhattan’s High Line Park, Louis Armstrong’s home in Queens, the azalea gardens at the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx, and even a Tibetan art museum in Staten Island. How can you get involved? Check out the full list here. For those sites requiring reservations, act fast, as spots tend to sell out quickly. As of press time, there are still dozens of destinations with openings. And many museums and historical sites will be offering first-come, first-served tours—no reservations required. If you could get behind-the-scenes access to any space in New York City, where would you go? MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: New York's Best-Kept Secrets 50 Reasons You Love New York City Great Classic Buildings

Escorted touring — that age-old form of travel by which you hop onto a bus for a mostly inclusive sightseeing vacation — is in the midst of a bit of an identity crisis. And that's partly because it's not quite clear whether you, the traveler, still want to travel on the same type of tour your parents and grandparents traveled on. Consequently, travel companies are torn between pushing the classic benefits and appeal of an escorted tour — the ease, efficiency and educational aspects — or creating and marketing a whole new generation of touring, one which caters to travelers' increasing desire to globe-trot on their own with a small group of friends, family or other like-minded individuals. if (WIDGETBOX) WIDGETBOX.renderWidget('28bb6bbb-80f7-4b5e-b469-762700a91058');Get the Poll Creator Pro widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox! Not seeing a widget? (More info)Consequently, two iconic tour brands, Globus and Trafalgar, have just launched their marketing campaigns for 2012 with two completely different takes on touring. "The tour can have a complete rebirth," said Jennifer Halboth, director of marketing at Globus. "People understand what a tour is. So we're calling it a tour because that's what it is … And it's pretty damn good the way it is." The campaign revolves around the concept of the "world’s great misconceptions," explained Halboth, ticking off notions such as that Napolean was short (Halboth points out that at five feet and seven inches, he wasn't actually that short for his time). It uses that to segue into misconceptions about touring, including that tours aren't for baby boomers, they're for older passengers, and that tour goers spend the majority of their time on a motorcoach ("less than 20 percent of your time on tour is on a coach," said Halboth). Combating other misconceptions, Globus points out that 80 percent of its travelers are boomers or younger, based on a survey of past passengers. And the brand's most popular multi-country tour, European Tapestry, has an average passenger age of 44. Trafalgar is taking a slightly different approach to the evolving perception of touring. An escorted tour, said Trafalgar President Paul Wiseman, "does not represent the enhanced experiences that we're representing … we're transforming the product." As part of that transformation, some of the new features of Trafalgar's 2012 tours include a "Be My Guest" culinary experience, in which a local family hosts tour guests for a meal. Additionally, Trafalgar is doubling the size of its At Leisure program, which launched two years ago as trips with more free time built-in for travelers to go off and explore on their own. Wiseman said that Trafalgar is actively removing the term "escorted tour" from all the brochure and marketing materials and replacing it with terms like "vacation" and "experiences." What about you? What are your perceptions of an escorted tour? Have you been on one? Would you take one? Why or why not? Let us know by voting in our poll or commenting below. More from Budget Travel: Has your trip ever been saved by a stranger? 10 Coolest Small Towns in America 2011 Fresh-Air Fun in Europe: 3 New Outdoor Sights

You almost never see articles about fitness and diet for travelers because of two reasons, one of which turns out to be bogus: The first reason is that people don't want to exercise or watch their diet while on vacation because vacation is supposed to be a carefree time. Fair enough. The other reason why you never see articles about travel and health is that many people think you can't travel and stay healthy. Travel involves eating out constantly, having limited access to decent gyms or parks, and other unhealthy aspects. But ">budget-consicous traveler Steve Kamb proved last winter that this belief isn't true, according to a talk he gave this summer at Google headquarters, to inspire the company's employees to get healthier. Few people will change their attitudes toward their vacations by listening to the story of a twenty-something backpacker. But Kamb's story is worth telling just to let the record show that, yes, you can actually get more fit while still having a fun budget trip. Here's the gist of Kamb's "epic adventure": Having never been outside of North America before, Kamb decided to take a three-month, round-the-world trip last November. He managed to improve his strength and diet at the same time, while sticking to a tight travel budget and not visiting any gyms. He claims he put on ten pounds of muscle, not fat, during the three months, and has before-and-after photos and videos on his personal website to prove it. Three key lessons: He made specific goals and shared them with friends. Being specific with fitness and diet goals (such as "not gain a single pound") made the goals more real. Being accountable to other people not going on the vacation with him helped him harness the power of shame to keep him on track with his plans. He skipped the gym equipment. He instead performed "body-weight" exercises, such as push-ups and planks, and calisthenics, such as lunges and squats. When those exercises became easy for him, he "leveled up" to more advanced exercises, such as by using objects in his hotel room as makeshift weights (lifting them like dumbbells). He also put together a hotel room workout that didn't require any fancy equipment and took only 20 minutes, from warm-up to cool-down. He packed appropriate workout clothing. You might prefer nylon clothes you can wash in your hotel sink because they dry faster than cotton. Bring gallon-size Ziplock bags to seal smelly clothes in and keep them separate from your other items. To hear Kamb talk about his adventure, check out his Google Talk (but skip ahead to the 39-minute mark to get to the part about the trip). Have you ever tried to keep off the pounds while still enjoying your vacation? Share your stories in the comments! SEE MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: Which Travel Rewards Program Has the Most Valuable Points? Southwest Waters Down Its Rapid Rewards Program Expedia Reveals Rewards Program Details