Trains. Yes, Trains.
Joe's Tactical Traveler
Delta disses narrowbody planes on international routes while United and American add them. Airport pretzels.
McGarvey: A Real McCoy
What could you possibly do with a 1970 motel that sits adjacent to a busy highway a couple miles from Tucson?
Orwoll: Tahitian Dreams
Papeete, unlovely capital of French Polynesia, holds numerous charms beneath its bland, industrial façade.
McGarvey: Amex Number
Can I justify the $895 annual fee for my American Express Platinum card and another $195 for my spouse?
Baker: Tech's Tobacco Road
Many of us grew up when smoking was cool--until it suddenly wasn’t. Big tech is learning the same lesson.
Orwoll: No Girls at the Bar
In the old days, many bars around the world had regulations that stipulated no dogs, no Irish and no women!
McGarvey: Untrustworthy
A decade ago, we learned TripAdvisor was sanitizing reviews. It still happens and TripAdvisor is still untrustworthy.
Baker: Reserve Reservations
I think that Chase Sapphire Reserve is worth its new, higher price. But I have some serious reservations.
Orwoll: Down the Shore
I like the Jersey Shore. The arcades, the shirt shops, the amusement piers and annoying lifeguards. Everything!
McGarvey: Hotel WiFi Bad
If you use hotel WiFi you are setting yourself up for downloaded malware and possibly theft of your credentials.
Orwoll: Ceuta Sucks
Since I am the only person you know who's been to Ceuta, I figured I'd be a good pal and tell you what it's like.
McGarvey: Set Jetting
Greece is reaping the rewards of the box office popularity of The Odyssey. But little of the film was shot there.
Firpo: Hidden Rome
Rome has been written about for eons, but there's always more to say. Hence Hidden Rome, my new endeavor.
Danto: Inside My Carry-On
"What's in this thing?" is what I often here when folks lift my carry-on bag. Here's the current answer.
Orwoll: Smoking Can Kill
After a train trip to the religious capital of Kandy in Sri Lanka, all I wanted was a pack of cigarettes, not get murdered.
McGarvey: Then and Now
Is today’s travel world as perilous for nervous Americans as the ancient Mediterranean was for Odysseus?
Firpo: Pompeii Today
Is Pompeii worth a long day trip from Rome? I asked my husband. After all, he just filmed a Pompeii documentary.
Danto: Failing a Loyalty Test
The argument for loyalty was that your hometown airline offered more flights and VIP treatment. Not anymore.
Orwoll: Cold Comfort
I've cured the common cold. All you need is expensive first class flights, a suite at the Ritz and nonstop martinis.
Joe's Tactical Traveler
Hawaii flying changes from Southwest and Hawaiian. Tokyo plans huge hotel tax increase. New Chase club at DFW.
Joe: Airlines, Take a Seat
United's new innovation: a tray table on a middle seat. Also seat issues at SIA, Lufthansa and more.
Baker: Risky Business
When Apple eliminated removeable batteries from phones and computers, who knew it might impact air safety?
McGarvey: Medicine Man
Call this a distinctly modern problem: how to fly and travel with medicine that requires refrigeration.
Orwoll: Kismet in Berlin
One moment in time--great singing by two Berlin restaurant guests--came and went and could not be replicated.
Firpo: Bellapocalypse Now
From Palermo to Positano, Dua Lipa's Italian honeymoon hotels celebrated Italy's most glamorous eras.
Joe's Steals & Deals
The hotel "summer sale" season offers some bargains that can be used until the end of the year.
Joe's Tactical Traveler
Delta cheapens premium class fares. Hyatt will reopen long-closed Braniff hotel. Flying Blue devalues.
Firpo: Everything Biennale
The Venice Biennale runs until late November. Here's everything you need to know about city and show.
Baker: The High Cost of AI
Artificial intelligence isn't perfect and its economic consequences could be far greater than we ever imagined.
McGee: Small Jets, Big Woes
American airports are overcrowded. So why do we allow the uber-rich and their private jets to clog them?
McGarvey: Faking Travel
Is every photo submitted by the hosts to Airbnb real? Are Web site photos of glorious hotel rooms real or fake?
Firpo: Farewell, Fausto
For almost forty years, Fausto Delle Chiaie curated an open-air art show that made Rome a much better place.
Danto: Low Fuel, High Fares
Airline prices skyrocketed when fuel costs rose. Now that jet fuel is coming down, the fares are staying high.
Baker: A Clean Slate
The Slate truck comes with minimal tech and it allows owners to customize or upgrade. Price? About $25,000.
Orwoll: Cruise Ship or Drug?
The thought process that goes into naming boats and pharmaceuticals must be the same: Silly word games.
Pucci: Third-Tier Italy
Smart travelers who want to avoid the trendy Italy tourist scene should look toward the country's "third tier" cities.
Firpo: Local Coffee Culture
The joys of the local coffee bar? No specialty drinks, just standing-room-only at a cheap and cheerful spot.
Joe's Steals & Deals
Cheap night trains in the Northeast Corridor. Emirates won't cut fares, but offers free hotel nights. Hotel promos.
Baker: Chasing Sanity
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is pricy, but offers extraordinary customer care. Except when it doesn't.
Joe's Tactical Traveler
JetBlue cuts. So does Amex. There's a second airport in Montreal again. TAP adds a kind of premium economy.
Baker: Ads and Paywalls
The intrusion of paywalls and ads is frustrating. There are valid reasons for both--and valid reasons to avoid them.
Orwoll: Soaked by a Monk
I thought I was going to see an ancient temple complex in Cambodia. Instead, I got soaked by a monk.
Baumbich: Rusty Passengers
As air travel got “less fun,” we delighted in tossing as much crap as we wanted--helter-skelter style--into our SUV.
Firpo: Treviso, Alt-Venice
Treviso offers scenic canals, markets, medieval architecture, museums and food without the crowds of Venice.
Danto: The Best Travel Tech
When travel technology is doing its job properly, travelers don't think about it at all.
Baker: All That Glitters...
The Trump Family promised a golden mobile phone made in America. It has arrived ... from China.
Pucci: Crowdless in Seattle
No one needs an excuse to scoot car-free on a ferry from Seattle across the Puget Sound for an island getaway.
Baker: Meta Getting Creepy
The technology Meta uses in its smart glasses is impressive. But everything about the product is creepy.
Raffio: All About Neos Air
Neos Air, the small Italian carrier, is cheap, quite comfortable and stylish. But it has some notable quirks.
Firpo: Beyond Biennale
The Venice Biennale is now open, but if you want to know this city, explore the art beyond the extravaganza.
Danto: Relax on the Road
Relax on a trip? Two people can use the same word and mean completely different things.
Baker: Value-Priced EVs
Tesla still dominates, but affordably priced EVs from traditional car makers are now flooding the U.S. market.
Orwoll: Tourist Trap
Too many places are overtouristed, but don't blame tourists. Locations need to offer sane solutions, not bad policies.
McGarvey: Travel Quandary
The question I'm frequently asked: How do I plan an international trip amid the global chaos?
Pucci: Southern Charm
In Southern Italy, making connections with local people is the main goal. Big tourist attractions? Not so much.
Baker: Watch War Winners
Apple won the battle for the volume of watches sold. But Swiss makers win by turning watches into glamour.
Pucci: Welcome to Europe
Heading to Europe soon? Expect some important changes, but Americans are still welcome. Honest!
Firpo: Sicily's Hidden Beauty
Few places in Europe are as beautiful as Militello Val di Catania. It feels like it was plucked straight out of a movie.
Joe's Steals & Deals
Small, fast deals from Qatar Air, Neos and Air Tahiti Nui. Flexible Southwest Airlines status match. And more.
Abatemarco: Thanks, But ...
Thank me for my service today, if you like. I accept your gratitude with grace. But I'd prefer, "Welcome home!"
Baker: Second-Bag Solution
Samsonite's Ecodiver foldable duffle, with its clever 4-in-1 design, is perfect as your second carry-on item.
Orwoll: Duke's Hometown
A heartfelt, memorabilia-rich museum in John Wayne's Iowa hometown lures fans from around the world.
McGarvey: Media Matters
What are the most and least credible and independent travel publications in the United States?
Bernstein: Streaming Story
Is "the little peeing man" of Brussels on your shortlist? His diminutive statue is near Grand Place, the town square.
Firpo: Biennale ≠ Coachella
The Venice Biennale, the "Olympics of the art world," is not Coachella. Except when it is. Don't miss it.
Joe's Steals & Deals
Icelandair premium on sale. Three Accor hotel sales. Marriott bonus for luxury rooms and suites. And more.
Baker: My Travel Anxiety
I thought I'd experienced everything on the road. Then Lufthansa's strikes made my South Africa trip dicey.
Abatemarco: Leveling Up
Level Airlines is rarely on the level. It omits some expected perks, but offers lie-flat beds in premium economy.
Firpo: Modernist Vienna
Hidden behind Vienna's centuries-old Baroque veneer is Wiener Moderne, a stunning modernist movement.
Danto: The Last Dial Tone
I reluctantly closed my old landline. I had to give the agent my mobile phone number to do it.
Joe's Steals & Deals
Wells Fargo new Autograph Journey perks. The 150,000-point bonus for Sapphire Reserve. And more.
Baker: Great AI Reckoning
The hype around AI shows how badly disconnected the U.S. tech industry has become from the rest of us.
Joe: The Stench of Spirit
Spirit Airlines cultivated an image of nasty, passenger-hating service and it could never shake it.
Danto: Gangster Airlines
Once we flew on corporate airlines to gangster-run Las Vegas. Now we fly on gangster airlines to corporate Vegas.
Orwoll: Go Chowderheads!
Death-inducing travel events abound everywhere. Just not in America. The Chowderheads want to know why.
Firpo: Siteseeing in Sneakers
The Eternal City has more than 2,500 years of reasons to lace up and go for a run. I've used them all.
Berger: I'm in Cooperstown
I've done something that even baseball great Pete Rose can't: I've gone to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
Joe's Steals & Deals
Big bonuses for transatlantic flying--in coach. SLH offers 10% bonus on $500 gift cards. A crummy Hilton sale.
Danto: My Road Soundtrack
I've never been comfortable renting things. That includes the concept of "subscribing" to my road music.
Orwoll: Biometric Travel
I rarely trust my brain to make good decisions, but the thought-wave travel test I took was actually pretty accurate.
McGarvey: Get Vaccinated
I almost died from Covid in 2020. I'm now a fan of vaccinations before travel. You should be, too.
Orwoll: Better Souvenirs
I've experimented with various travel keepsakes so that you don't have to. I offer these suggestions.
Meena: A Speakeasy at Sea
Many cruisers on MSC World America know about a speakeasy’s existence. Few know how to get in.
Danto: Nightmare Merger
United boss Scott Kirby has floated a merger with American Airlines. It's his fever dream and our nightmare.
Firpo: Islands in My Stream
Some timely thoughts on charming Italian islands, cute beach towns and knowing where to go when sun calls.
McGarvey: Call Me a Skeptic
Take the State Department's advice on international travel with a very large grain of salty skepticism.
Orwoll: Drinks and Dukes
A boxing bar in Midtown Manhattan is a Damon Runyon story come to life. It recalls a more raffish New York.
Meena: Living Large at Sea
I am surprised at how easily I can feel overwhelmed by the population and sheer size of the largest cruise ships.
Pucci: Malta in the Middle
"Where Arabia Meets Europe" is how some describe Malta, a cornucopia of languages, culture and beaches.
Danto: Pickpocket Pricing
There are two ways an airline can raise prices. One way is blunt and honest. The other is the way airlines do it.
Orwoll: Vacation Time
In Door County, Wisconsin, the goats roam the roofs, the cheese squeaks and the cherries get you drunk.
Baker: EVs Really Are Better
Yes, skeptics, EVs do reduce energy consumption because they are more efficient than combustion engines.
Joe: Service, Bad and Good
One quirk--my PreCheck credentials expired--shows how service, good or bad, works on the roads.
Joe: Oily Fare Realities
Fares skyrocket as oil prices stay high. These and many other oily realities are warping our lives on the road.
Joe's Steals & Deals
Wine, weather and classic restored rail cars in the Finger Lakes. India cheap in business class via the Middle East.
Mister Meatball: Gluten Test
Not that there’s anything wrong with pasta produced sans gluten. I’m simply not a man who requires its use.
Danto: JetBlue's Blues
JetBlue was supposed to be a better airline. Then it aped the other guys. Now it's desperate to sell or merge.
McGarvey: Mileage Mystery
Miles never seem to be worth as much as the "expert" bloggers claim. But you need to find your sweet spot.
Baker: Great Bag Gets Better
WaterField Designs has updated the Air Porter Carry-On, an underseat bag that was already ingenious.
Firpo: Reasonable Rooms
Pricey luxury hotels are multiplying in Rome, but here is where to sleep well without selling a kidney.
Bernstein: It's Tulip Time
What's on your bucket list? If you love color and flowers, add Keukenhof, the best garden in Europe.
Danto: Airline Seat Wars
The airline seat is the product. It is the source of our discomfort, resentment, tiny victories and occasional rage.
McGarvey: On Our Own
If the current Middle East crisis has taught us anything, it's that we're on our own for safety and evacuations.
Orwoll: Wedding Bell Blues
Making a guest spend $12,000 for four days in Tuscany to attend a wedding is cruel and unusual punishment.
Joe: Nobody Asked Me, But ...
It's hard to think of other things on the road while the Iran war warps airfares and global route networks.
Joe: War and Travel Q&As
How do fares and oil prices match? Is it safe to overfly the Middle East? How will Gulf cities rebound? And more.
McGarvey: Travel Woes
America’s popularity abroad has been plummeting--and that has Americans worried about traveling overseas.
Orwoll: Surviving Africa
My wife didn't want me to go on an 1,100-mile Africa drive because she said I'd do something stupid and die.
Firpo: Art and Espresso
The Roscioli Empire in Rome is more than just pizza and pastries. It's an art adventure, too.
Danto: Endure, Not Enjoy
Travel has a way of revealing what an industry really thinks of its customers. We must endure, not enjoy.
McGarvey: Testing Claude
I decided to put Anthropic's Claude to the test with this challenge: What is an ideal September week in Dublin?
Joe's Tactical Traveler
Delta's Atlanta meltdown. TSA wait times spiral. Another MH370 search turns up nothing. And more.
Meatball: Pasta and Lentils
The term comfort food gets tossed around plenty. This fast pasta and lentils dish fits any definition.
Danto: Up, Up and Away
Reminder: Airplanes go up and down, but airfares only seem to rise. The new oil shock will be no exception.
McGarvey: Privatize TSA
Now is the time to privatize the TSA before Kristi Noem and her minions inflict more misery on travelers.
Vukelich: Dunedin Golf Gem
A buried treasure unearthed beneath Dunedin Golf Club may bring visitors to the picturesque Gulf Coast town.
Danto: AI's Travel Bubble
AI is a bubble and when bubbles burst, airlines and hotels take a big hit--then travel gets worse.
Baker: A Case for One Case
Combining your phone and wallet in one case has led to a new accessory category filled with clever ideas.
Firpo: All Roads to Rome
Driving Rome's "Queen of Roads" reveals beach towns, buried arenas and new archaeological discoveries.
Joe: Travel's House of Cards
United now wants you to bend a knee to Chase to be loyal to the airline. Who cares? Banks matter more anyway.
Danto: Loyal Opposition
New changes to United MileagePlus finally explain the rules out loud: Use our credit card or get less.
McGarvey: Travel Shortfall
Fewer international tourists now come to America and fewer immigrant hotel employees are available.
Berger: New Coke Moment
Southwest Airlines was once beloved for cheap, easy flying. Now? Not so much. It faces a New Coke moment.
Baker: A Decent Travel Firm
If you travel often enough, you learn to lower your expectations. But Briggs & Riley is a solitary exception.
Meatball: White Lamb Ragu
You can make a lovely white lamb ragu in just a few hours and then toss it over the pasta of your choice.
Orwoll: A Horse, of Course
New York's new mayor wants to ban "inhumane" horse carriages in Central Park. Here are some alternatives.
Danto: Unfriendly Skies
United Airlines is no longer home to the friendly skies. And it's not all that great on the ground anymore, either.
Meatball: Easy Veal Marsala
I have tasted many more not-so-great versions of veal marsala in my life than great ones. But here's a great easy one.
Joe's Steals & Deals
Rising cost of business class romance. Cheap transpacific premium economy. DoorDash/Chase promo. And more.
Danto: The Long, Long Road
My lifetime United miles now sit at 1.5 million. It is the moment you realize that persistence has overtaken doubt.
McGarvey: Travel Semantics
Cynics claim frequent travelers "game" loyalty programs. I say we are simply being shrewd consumers.
Orwoll: It's Just Bananas
Three Peruvian bananas made me a better international traveler. Well, a more fearful traveler...
Baker: Gone to the Dark Side
Technology firms that once marketed themselves as engines of freedom are becoming something else entirely.
Danto: Hunger Homework
Bistro on Board, United's term for the fresh items it sells in coach, will soon be available only through pre-order.
Baker: The China Syndrome
Sony’s decision to put its TV business under majority control of China’s TCL is a sign of how far China has come.
Pucci: Find Me at the Airport
You need help while traveling through Sea-Tac Airport? Just ask Team Green. I'm on it and so is my husband.
Firpo: Praise the Concierge
Here is what I noticed after hundreds of hotel stays: My best luck happens when there is a real concierge.
Joe's Steals & Deals
Big Icelandair deals on premium class. Accor and Fairmont cut 30% off North America hotels. Amtrak pass sale.
Danto: The Vegas Hustle
Long a symbol of entertainment, Las Vegas now wrestles with a different reputation: one of escalating greed.
McGarvey: Dueling Loyalty
A new Senate bill seeks to require U.S. citizens who hold citizenships in other countries to renounce them.
Orwoll: California Dreaming
California once embraced a bedrock American right: to barbecue and drink beer on the beach at sunset.
Baker: The Net's Great Gift
The Internet’s great gift? Not instant information or streaming video. It’s more practical: online reviews.
Baker: Reviewing Reviews
Online reviews are great--but they are also compromised by manipulation, deception and automation.
Baker: Apple Sells Out Siri
Apple has done the unthinkable: cut a deal with Google to use Gemini as the AI engine behind a revamped Siri.
Joe's Steals & Deals
Hard-to-find business class bargains. Melia's global 30% off room sale. Chase overhauls Southwest cards' bonuses.
Danto: Airlines, Old-Style
Airlines congratulate themselves for modernization, but customer-facing reality hasn't been modernized.
Baker: Verizon Points Scam
There’s a Verizon scam aimed directly at those of us who think we're guarding our points and miles.
Joe's Tactical Traveler
Airline water tanks are worse than we thought. American launches free WiFi. Alaska Air bulks up. Avelo cuts.
Joe: Snow and Stotinki
Italians aren't big on winter, so there are Olympics bargains. Bulgaria joins the euro. EES moves slowly. And more.
Orwoll: Berlin's Finest
Germany’s capital city boasts some of the most beautiful, 19th-century public urinals in Europe.
Firpo: Rome Underground
Rome just unveiled two new Metro stops that transform underground stations into museum experiences.
Baker: Worst Tech of 2025
“Worst” is a matter of opinion, but many 2025 products stood out for failing to meet their massive hype.
Orwoll: Guano Madness
Come with me back to the days when the world and America were bat-shit crazy. Literally.
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Joe: Travel Goes Awry in July
A crazy travel year gets madder in July. There's war, beavers, high gas prices, insane flight delays and so much more.
Joe: February Frenzy
February is usually slow on the road. But this February there have been air space closures, shutdowns, strikes and more!
Joe: January Snow Daze
Snow, ice and incredibly sloppy airline management made January an especially difficult month on the road.
Berger: Too Busy for Fear
When the air raid sirens began to blare in Jerusalem, Jill Metlin was too busy to be scared. She had travelers to protect.
Orwoll: The Road Home
I got out of Israel via Egypt and flew to Istanbul, then promptly fell asleep and missed a flight home.
Orwoll: Out of Jerusalem
When the bombs went off on Saturday, I took a long car ride from Jerusalem to Sharm El-Sheikh to fly home.
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