Yesterday while loading my upcoming trips into my calendar I realized a scary, scary trend: all of them involve red-eye flights. Living in California is brilliant most of the time, but it stinks for globetrotting. Sure, I probably could have avoided the red-eye to Atlanta, but the red-eyes to Paris and Thailand could not be helped. In fact, when I go to Paris, I will lose almost an entire day. Oh la la!

In short, I'm panicking. Growing up on the East Coast, I got spoiled by being so close to the rest of the world. The longest flight I've ever taken was a measly six hours, and even that was no walk in the park (skies?) thanks to my hyperactive tendencies and tiny bladder.

I've started researching red-eye flight survival guides, but so far none of them contains an "aha!" tip that seems like it will make all the difference. And some of the advice is just plain impractical. It might be nice to sleep leaning against the window, but there's no way I'm asking the person next to me to move every time I need to use the restroom or stretch my legs for fifteen hours straight.

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Posted in Air Travel, Guides & Planning, International Travel
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Every traveler has a moment like this one. I'd been hanging around Paris for a few weeks and decided to explore the Sacré-Cœur Basilica. After climbing every single step to the top and wandering through the cathedral itself, I was ready to park myself in a café for a while. As I plunked back down the stairs, worn out and bedraggled, a familiar song caught my ears.

"Country roads…take me home…to the place…I belong…West Virginia."

I wandered over to two young Frenchman playing acoustic guitars and joined in signing a wacky tribute to the late, great John Denver. It was a silly moment, to be sure, but one in which the world felt both stranger than ever before--and yet shared.

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Posted in Adventure Travel, Guides & Planning, International Travel
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Walking around Rio proved hazardous for me earlier this year, but only because I was looking everywhere except where I was going. Early on, my artist friends made sure I didn’t miss the explosion of art crawling up buildings and curving around walls, and I had my eyes—and my camera lens—on Rio’s world-class street art for the rest of the week.

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Posted in Europe, International Travel, Offbeat, South America
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Last night, when the pizza was delivered, I made my boyfriend run out and pay for it. Correction, I paid for it---hey, I'm an equal opportunity kind of girl---but he signed the credit card slip. The reason? Tipping makes me nervous. Or rather, knowing how much to tip makes me nervous. And it's even worse when the delivery guy is standing right there. Math in a bar? Taxing, but doable. Pressure math in the lobby of your building? Much scarier.

Of course, tipping is fraught with even more uncertainty when you're in a foreign country. How much to give? Is it included? Can you add it to the credit card bill or should you leave it on the table?

If you've been wondering how much extra moolah you're going to want to cough up on vacation, here are a few guidelines.

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Posted in International Travel, Trip Tips
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Cupid’s arrow still hasn’t found me. (I think he needs to invest in GPS.) But, it’s managed to find Lisa Tabb. She’s been married 10 times.

Co-Authors of Beyond Vegas: 25 Exotic Wedding and Elopement Destinations Around the World, Lisa and her husband, Sam Silverstein, eloped in 10 of the world’s dreamiest destinations.

“We chose places that embodied romance,” Lisa said. “But also [places] where people could duplicate our experience and had short residency requirements.”

Lisa and Sam wanted each of their weddings to be special – and official – so they obtained marriage licenses and scheduled officiants each time, “repeating our vows again and again and again,” she said.

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, I pried into Lisa’s love life to find out about their most memorable experience and if there are future plans for more wedding bells.

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Posted in Guides & Planning, International Travel, Offbeat, Q & A
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From how Beijing plans to eradicate rain to when athletes will arrive in China, I’ve been obsessed with reading the latest Olympics news (and emailing it to all my friends—sorry, guys) for the past year. I thought that as someone who had both recently visited Beijing and attended previous Summer Olympics, I might be uniquely obsessed with the 2008 Games.

It turns out that plenty of Americans are not only interested, but set to attend: Travelocity’s Beijing air bookings are 70% ahead of where they were last year, and Beijing hotel bookings are on pace to be 200% ahead. With only 178 days before the opening ceremony at the “bird’s nest” stadium, there isn’t enough flight and hotel availability to accommodate everyone at the current paces, so you’d best book now—or get creative.

Here are some tips to get you there, along with ideas to let you cheer on your team while experiencing Beijing at its best.

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Posted in Asia, China, Festivals & Events, Guides & Planning, International Travel
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Yesterday marked the official beginning of Chinese New Year. To many people, this late winter holiday means vibrant street festivities complete with fireworks, colorful dragon floats, and tasty Chinese goodies galore. To others, the term “Chinese New Year” barely rings a bell. But given the growing influence of Chinese culture, more people are learning about the holiday and making plans to participate in celebrations across the country and the world.

Let’s start with the basics. Chinese New Year takes place on the first day of the first lunar month of the Chinese calendar, and as such is also called the Lunar New Year. The ancient Chinese believed that a man-eating beast called the Nián emerged from his lair each year on this day to prey on humans. Believing this beast to be sensitive to loud noises and the color red, the early Chinese frightened it away with fireworks and bright red colors. These customs eventually evolved into the scintillating celebrations we enjoy today.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member captain oddsocks.

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Posted in Asia, California, Entertainment, Family & Kids, Festivals & Events, Holiday & Seasonal, International Travel, London, New York City, Shopping
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Rick Steves, an avid traveler and author of European guidebooks, recently spoke about the value of travel in today’s world at a Bay Area event, a talk that was filled with thoughtful political insights and personal anecdotes. With a presidential election on the horizon and politics on the brain, one story he told struck me as especially relevant to the political climate of today.

During a trip to Afghanistan, a man approached Rick while he was sitting in a cafeteria in Kabul, a moment he recalls as his most memorable cultural experience. The local man said, “You’re an American, aren’t you? Well, I’m a professor here in Afghanistan. I want you to know that a third of the people on this planet eat with spoons and forks like you do. A third of the people eat with chopsticks. And a third of the people eat with their fingers like I do. And we’re all just as civilized.”

Although Rick admits his wife needed to do some “retraining” upon his return home, he ate with his fingers for the remainder of that trip, an experience he described as “a joy…very natural.”

I was able to catch up with Rick to get more of his thoughts on why he thinks traveling abroad is essential. He graciously responded to all my questions, as I asked him about everything from who will get his vote in the 2008 election to what travel follies he hopes his mom never finds out about.

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Posted in Guides & Planning, International Travel, Q & A
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"Oh! And the Czech Republic isn't on the euro either!" my fiancé gleefully reported yesterday.

We've chosen the absolute worst year to get married and go on a honeymoon abroad. Our plan was to take two glorious weeks off work and see a new corner of the world, something neither of us has ever done before. Unfortunately, the weak American dollar isn't exactly cooperating.

Bye-bye Barcelona. Hello Bangkok. The great search for a cheap honeymoon destination has begun. Instead of bemoaning the dollar's plunge, we're looking at this as a chance to step off the beaten path. Much like paying for our own wedding, we have decided that where there's a will, there's a penny to be pinched.

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Posted in Budget Travel, International Travel, Mexico
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As December 27 dawned, millions of Kenyans headed to polling sites to vote for a president. As December 27 drew to a close, I booked an airline ticket from Nairobi to New York. And as the next few days progressed, Kenya plunged into violence that has left more than 650 people dead, so far.

I’ve spent the past few weeks reading horrific tales of bloodshed with the hope that post-election killings will cease any day. I’m not scheduled to visit Kenya for another 5 months, but regardless of how much the situation improves by then, it’s scary to think that what is widely regarded as the most stable country in Africa can dissolve into tribal conflicts and machete attacks at the drop of a ballot.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member smokeysf

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Posted in International Travel, Security & Safety
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When I think of Japan, I usually conjure up images of serene temples, delicate cherry trees, and of course that ever-so-delish dish of choice, sushi (although as a vegan, I’m more apt to prefer California’s version, the tasty avocado roll). Not to mention some of the most fascinating cartoon art and pop culture around (Maguro Parasite Museum, anyone?).

After reading an article in Outside magazine on ski getaways in Japan, though, I checked out Japan's Travel Info website--and man, is there ever some amazing skiing in this island nation. Nagano, the main city of Japan’s most mountainous region, is just a two-hour train ride away from Tokyo. It’s no wonder the city was selected to host the 1998 Winter Olympics: it’s got plenty of incredible ski resorts, including the largest one in Japan, and boasts 9,840-plus-foot peaks, perfect powder, and runs for all ski levels and tastes. Not to mention its incredible historical significance--it grew up around 1,400-year-old Buddhist temple Zenko-ji, one of the largest Buddhist temples in Japan. Nagano is easily the country’s best one-stop ski center.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member brunokyooshi

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Posted in International Travel, Ski & Sport, Spas, Spiritual & Religious
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It took 48 hours and a side trip to Portugal, but I’ve finally made it back from Brazil.

After spending New Year’s week in South America, three friends and I arrived at the Rio de Janeiro airport to discover that our flight home had been canceled—and that the first available flight out of Rio on any airline would be on January 21. It was January 6.

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Posted in Air Travel, International Travel, South America
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The passport requirements for land and sea travelers returning to the United States from Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean have been extended to a yet-to-be-determined date. USA Today reports that land and sea travelers must have their passports by sometime in 2009. The new restrictions were expected to take effect in the summer of 2008.

As of January 31, 2007, an oral declaration of citizenship will no longer be enough to re-enter the country. U.S. and Canadian citizens will need to present either a WHTI-compliant document, or a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, plus proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. Examples of WHTI-compliant documents are a U.S. passport, passport card, or the SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST and U.S. Coast Guard Mariner Document.

For more information, visit the State Department Web site.

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Posted in International Travel, Travel Alerts
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As an American living in a post-9/11 world, it’s somewhat counterintuitive to abolish border checkpoints. Over the past few years, our government has heightened security measures and implemented new passport regulations. But in Europe, just the opposite is happening, as nine more countries will sign the EU agreement on Friday.

Traveling throughout Europe is much like traveling domestically from state to state. Europeans have enjoyed the freedoms of borderless travel since the founding countries (France, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg) signed the so-called Schengen treaty in 1985. Since then, the EU has grown to include 15 countries.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member Vicho.

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Posted in International Travel, Travel News
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Despite all evidence to the contrary, I love nothing more than a good road trip. I’ll get on a bus to anywhere: Belfast, Ireland; Providence, Rhode Island; Stowe, Vermont; Dijon, France; and Pythagorio, Greece, are among the places I’ve first glimpsed through the windshield of a Peter Pan (or equivalent) coach.

But after reading the reactions of the first group of passengers to disembark from the London-to-Sydney OzBus—under the headline “End of the road for the OzBus after 84 days of mishaps and mayhem”—I have to wonder if a transcontinental-continental-continental bus ride is more terrifying than terrific.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member lcampbell

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Posted in Australia, Car Travel, International Travel, Scenic Drives
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How many lists have you seen like this one, telling you what you absolutely MUST do before you die, get old, get married, or get a cold? Maybe 1,000. Or better yet, how many articles such as this one have you read, telling you that those other lists are crap? OK, so both have merit, I'll admit. Like many travel junkies, I have a list. Not to divulge too much, but it includes a Maltese adventure, Latvian beer, and an Antarctic sunrise. However, I agree that determining that there are certain things that one must do before the end is a bit strange. Diff'rent strokes, after all. One of my greatest travel memories is being seasick at night in the Galapagos, unable to find the horizon on which to steady my gaze. That's not really something that anyone would ask for or desire, nor was the nausea something I want to relive, but it was great, if only retrospectively.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member runarut

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Posted in International Travel, Ski & Sport
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The best traveling companions aren’t always the ones with whom you left home. Some of my most memorable travel buddies are people I’ve met along the way: Erwin of the indigo hair in the Paris Laundromat; Paula of the free pizza on the train to Rome; Christos and Jason of the ouzo on the Greek ATVs. The list goes on.

A few weeks ago, I spent two days with a group that inspired me in ways none of my previous friends of travel happenstance can claim, and, perhaps not surprisingly, I met them in New Zealand, the friendliest and most inspiring place I’ve ever visited.

Their names are Niko, Baldy, Auntie Sugar, Reina, Corrinne, Claire, and Brent; their mountain is Ruapehu; their river is Whanganui.

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Posted in Group & Companion, International Travel, Nature & Outdoors
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Travelers have always followed guidebook advice religiously, scurrying from one historic site to the next, but for some Americans the book they’re taking their cues from has changed. Move over, Frommer’s. It’s the man upstairs’ turn.

Menlo Consulting Group found in a recent survey that one-third of Americans who travel abroad said they hoped to take a faith-based trip in the future and 9.5% of travelers polled had already completed a religious journey. This percentage encompasses 4.5 million travelers and means big business for travel companies, particularly those offering guided tours of holy sites around the world.

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Posted in Europe, France, International Travel, Spiritual & Religious
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Reading the New York Times travel section this weekend made me yearn for a quick getaway to someplace sunny and warm. Or at least someplace that felt better than here (New York City aka The Big Apple.) Usually I just love fall but it has been a bit of a disappointing fall this year, you know, with the wacky weather and the leaves not quite performing as we’d like all like. Although the air has only just turned chilly this passed week I’m already thinking about what’s next on my travel horizon…

The New York Times seemed to be leaning toward the Caribbean and the call of the warm blue waters. The section was dominated by an opening with a fruity umbrella topped cooler and the allure of soft, sandy beaches. They’re clearly not the only ones with some beach-time on their mind. Maybe it’s a result of the increased access with new flights to the Caribbean but I’ve looked at the data for thanksgiving and noticed that the share of travel to the Caribbean is up 20% this Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving? you ask. Sure thing. It’s trendy to take turkey abroad. Mexico’s share is up by 17%. Even Europe’s is up too. (And I thought the whole Western Hemisphere Passport Initiative and the new passport rules combined with the weak dollar was supposed to be deterring people from traveling? Well apparently not.) What’s more is that these people aren’t like me and thinking I need a little break, uh, now! They’re booking in advance. WAY in advance. The average domestic ticket for thanksgiving this year was booked 85 days prior to departure, international tickets were booked over 100 days in advance. Given that math, that means right now I should be booking for sometime in January possibly more like February.

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Posted in Air Travel, Beaches, Caribbean, International Travel, Thanksgiving '07, Travel News
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With the Western world’s growing leeriness of terrorism, many alluring destinations experiencing social unrest conjure up more fear than gusto. But how dangerous are these places, really?

Part of the equation depends on who you are, where you're from, and where you're going. A good friend of mine recently enjoyed a two-week vacation in Iran. She visited the mountain capital, Tehran, went to the awe-inspiring Persepolis ruins near Shiraz, and got a great tan on the shores of the Caspian Sea. I should mention that she's a second-generation Iranian-American, speaks fluent Farsi, and has family in Tehran. Even so, she was hassled regularly by both police and private citizens, mostly for being an improperly covered woman.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member writeonthespot.

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Posted in Asia, International Travel, Security & Safety
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If you've ever done the Eurail trip through Europe, you know that train travel can be an adventure in and of itself. Now Europe has a new option. The high-speed Eurostar train that used to whisk you along from London to Paris in a sluggish three hours has now outdone itself. Today, a Eurostar train traveled between Paris and London in just two hours, three minutes, and 39 seconds, at one point reaching speeds of 186 miles per hour, according to ABC News.

For the record attempt today, the train had the track all to itself, and had stripped off unnecessary weight to achieve even more speed. Passengers will be able to have croissants and coffee in Paris and be in London for an early fish and chips lunch starting in mid-November, and should expect the journey to take a nice two hours and 15 minutes.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member monbryn.

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Posted in International Travel
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When I travel, I tend to book accommodations on a just-somewhere-to-sleep basis. This is for three reasons: first, I’d rather get it over with and spend more time planning things to do or, more importantly, what and where and how often to eat; second, it saves me money; and third, it’s a good way to make myself feel better about not having a single excuse to set foot in a five-star hotel, save visiting the lobby restroom. “Oh, it’s just somewhere to sleep,” I tell myself. And usually, it is.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member Jason Elite

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Posted in Green Travel, Hotel Travel, International Travel
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What did I do with a week in China amid worldwide claims that the country serves and exports drug-laced seafood, salmonella shellfish, and cancerous ducks?

I ate. I ate all of it.

In July, while the U.S. media focused on China’s toxic wheat gluten and the execution of the country’s former food and drug chief, I focused on dumplings, pork, chicken, snow frog, duck, hoisin sauce, eggplant, and tofu. I devoured dishes from street stands and swanky restaurants, in styles from Shanghai (oily) to Guizhou (spicy).

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Posted in Asia, Culinary Travel, International Travel
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When Virgin America began ticket sales late last month, the site was so flooded with traffic that potential customers – frustrated by long delays – simply gave up trying. Certainly, plenty of people were trying to book at once, but the real culprit was an orchestrated cyber attack that resulted in a slow start for sales. Though the offender remains unknown, it does get you wondering. Could a rival airline have been responsible? Very unlikely, though several of the legacy carriers lobbied vigorously to block Virgin America from entering the market.

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Posted in Air Travel, Business Travel, California, International Travel, New York City, Travel News
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Having lived in eight different countries before reaching double digits, and with family now spread out across the globe, I've taken my fair share of international flights. They're long and they're boring, but they don't have to be unbearable. Here's a few things I've found that help:

* While business and first class usually give you an amenity kit for the flight, good old coach doesn't do it anymore---and if you're like me, you'll likely be flying coach. No matter! Just pack your own amenity kit; I usually just find an old toiletry bag and fill it with an eye mask, a pair of earplugs, some Evian spray, a lip balm, antibacterial hand cleaner, a few Advils, some Wet Ones for freshening your face after a sub-par sleep, and a moisturizer. That way, you've got everything you could possibly need for your comfort all in one place, and don't have to go rooting around in your bag for that Chapstick every few hours.

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Posted in Air Travel, Health & Wellness, International Travel, Packing & Baggage
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Like a crushed beauty queen, the Statue of Liberty was relegated to the runner’s-up lounge to weep with the Easter Island statues after the “new” seven wonders of the world were revealed over the weekend. Read the winner’s list, though, and you’ll see she had some tough competition. Edged out by the likes of the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, Petra in Jordan, and Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer, she really has nothing to be ashamed of.

Although I’ve been to a lot of wondrous places, I’ve been to only three that made the list: the Roman Coliseum, Chichén Itzá, and, most recently, Machu Picchu.

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Posted in Educational & Historic, International Travel, Travel News
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Editor’s Note: G’day mate! I write you after my long haul to the land down under, where I’ve been hanging with the Aussies and roos. It’s been an experience, so, come on, have a go! Join me for my three week Australian series, Adventures of Oz. (3 of 3)

Cupid’s arrow has struck. I’m definitely in love, and my significant other has an Australian accent, an unbridled passion for nature and beauty like I’ve never seen before. That’s right; I’ve developed a soulful love affair with the land down under. (What? Were you expecting stories of a tan, buff surfer or a hunk from the Outback? No such luck!)

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Posted in Australia, Beaches, International Travel
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It's the season of the White nights in St. Petersburg – an amazing time of year when night is as bright as day and the whole city celebrates. I was in St. Petersburg for the very beginning of white night season –this picture was taken on a boat ride at 11pm! While I was there it stayed light until around midnight. That kind of light is a wild thing. You know you should be getting ready for bed but when it's so light outside….Wouldn't you rather walk along the cobble streets and view the canals?

The White Nights offer a perfect time to take in the beauty of St. Petersburg. The city is very walkable (though you'll need to be wearing comfortable shoes) and in fact the traffic is so horrid that you're almost always better off hoofing it than taking a taxi. (As a side note taxis are also extremely expensive and if you don't know the language you're really at a loss when it comes to bargaining.) You can appreciate the details of the city if you take it in by foot and you can stretch that to the max during the white nights. From St. Isaacs Cathedral to the Hermitage, the summer palace to the Peter and Paul Fortress – you could spend days in St. Petersburg and not get the time to see all of the art and architecture.

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Posted in Educational & Historic, International Travel, Russia
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Editor’s Note: G’day mate! I write you after my long haul to the land down under, where I spent my holiday with the Aussies and roos. It was an experience, so, come on, have a go! Join me for my three week Australian series, Adventures of Oz. (2 of 3)

The very first time you see something is always the best. Well, it is at the very least the most emotive. That first sight, the very first glimpse of something truly amazing, is a rollercoaster of emotions. You’re stunned, awed, captivated, ecstatic and overwhelmed all at the same time. That’s how I felt when my cab emerged from the underground tunnel and followed the curve of the street toward the harbor to expose one of the world’s grandest masterpieces in all its glory.

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Posted in Australia, International Travel
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Last month I went to a wedding in Mexico with a group of friends, requiring several of them to get a passport because of the new regulations implemented by the U.S. State Department earlier this year. Two weeks before our big departure, most of them still hadn’t received their documents, which should have already been in their hands. One of my friends even made the drive from Dallas to the Houston passport office to pick it up in person.

Lucky for summer travelers who procrastinated (shame on you!) and didn’t apply for their passports in time, the U.S. eased the new passport restrictions, allowing passengers who haven’t received their documents to travel with just an official passport receipt and photo ID.

Passports have been a hot topic in travel since January, when the U.S. began requiring a passport for travel to all international destinations – including Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. Travelers have been forced in recent months to alter or cancel their vacation plans because of the time it took to receive a passport, a process that normally takes only six weeks but is now taking at least 12. (Back in the day, I got mine in less than two!)

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Posted in International Travel, Travel News
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