Features

“Dogs have owners; cats have employees.” So goes the conventional wisdom. So, when we decided to take our “boss”, Lizzi, on a three-month road trip of the U.S. East Coast, people told us we were crazy. They weren’t wrong. Frankly, we had no clue how to travel with a cat in a car long distance.

It was 4:48 a.m. 4:49 … I awoke to a pattern of lights gliding across my bedroom ceiling. A pale, yellow apparition in the shape of my window that twisted in upon itself before vanishing. Seconds later, another. Then … a third. For a moment, I was captivated. In the quiet morning hours, it felt

I overnight in up to 20 different hotel rooms each month. So I’ve become something of an expert in “hotel stay-ology”. (That’s a real degree. University of Phoenix confirmed it.) According to a prominent study that I just made up for this post, we know travelers (want to) spend up to two-thirds of their vacations

With razor-thin profit margins, hotels are getting downright sneaky with their tactics to fill rooms. In an effort to avoid being sued, I won’t call them outright “scams” or “bait and switch” tactics. No, these fall into more of a gray area. Enough plausible deniability on the hotel’s part (“What? We told you there was

Sure, it can be fun to travel with your partner or a group of friends. I personally prefer having my husband there to share the experience and enjoyment of traveling together. But I firmly believe that everybody should travel solo — sometimes. There’s a lot you can get out of a solo trip that just

Featuring autumnal flavors and warming spirits, these top-shelf cocktail bars should be next on your list. When those summertime margaritas and rum punches turn to cherry-tinted Manhattans or bourbon-forward Old Fashioneds, you know autumn has fallen. From tailgating to Thanksgiving to Halloween, these complex, robust, cold-weather cocktail flavors combine the crispness of the season with

Escape the cold of winter (or embrace it) with these affordable seasonal getaways. For many travelers winter is prime vacation time. Those extra days off for the holidays mean that you can sneak in a week-long escape. Whether you’re looking for a warm-weather escapade (we’ve got our eye on you, Florida) or a chill Chicago

The Budget Traveler’s guide to the mountains and valleys of the Centennial State. As a native-born Virginian, I’ve traveled up and down the East Coast, putting in time in the Midwest and the Southwest, and on the West Coast as well. But even though it’s been high on my list for quite awhile, I’d never

Check your expiration date – right now! – and follow these steps to make sure your next flight gets off the ground. When’s the last time you checked the expiration date on your passport? If it’s expired, you’ll have to get it renewed before you can take your next international trip. You might even have

From stunning foliage in the mountains to cool temperatures in the desert, we’ve rounded up the finest park getaways for fall. If you associate fall travel with perfect weather, elbow room, and a dose of vibrant foliage, you’re thinking like a Budget Traveler. So, what makes a national park ideal for autumn? Our criteria includes

With jaw-dropping natural beauty, reasonable entry fees, and convenient locations, these state parks belong on your must-see US parks list. There’s no denying the allure of this country’s majestic national parks. But there’s plenty of natural beauty to go around, and many state parks offer outdoor experiences that shouldn’t be overlooked. State parks tend to

From Disney World’s sheer size to its sustainability efforts and some of its best-kept secrets, here are 10 fun facts about the Happiest Place on Earth. Walt Disney sure had some grand plans when it came to building the Walt Disney Resort in Orlando, Florida. He not only wanted it to be a fun theme

View from the Beartooth Highway in Montana © Zimu Liu | Dreamstime.com Skip the traffic-jammed roads of America’s best-known scenic drives and go straight to these secret road trips. The United States is renowned for its plethora of jaw-droppingly beautiful stretches of highway. In fact, for many travelers, the very word “America” conjures images not

Now in its 11th year, The New York City Wine & Food Festival starts on October 10. Here’s what we’re hungry for. Food, music, wine, cocktails and celebrities – all plunked in the city that never sleeps. If that sounds too good to be true, you’re in luck. Beginning October 10, the city will host

Pras Boonwong | Dreamstime.com You hear the warning every time you fly: Please set all devices to airplane mode. But what happens if you don’t? It’s not that long ago that airlines stopped telling passengers to keep their mobile phones, tablets, e-readers and other devices turned off throughout the flight. Remember the time in 2011

You don’t have to travel far to experience one of Germany’s most famous festivals. These are our favorite stateside Oktoberfests. Each year, Oktoberfest welcomes millions of visitors to Munich for partaking in this beloved folk festival. Yet if you have to stay stateside, but you still want to raise your stein and say “Prost,” consider

Every year, smartphones get – well, smarter and smarter. Here, the most exciting new models for 2019, including a variety of price ranges and cool features that can make travel easier and more enriching. From digital maps to translations to photography to reservations, smartphones have radically changed the way we travel. But when it comes