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Columnist: Libby Smith
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Rediscovering
posted: 02/05/2012 3:12 a.m. Discuss
Several weeks ago, I ran across a picture of my husband, Griffin, and me taken at Washington’s Dulles International Airport in 1979 before we boarded a flight to London for a six-week honeymoon in Europe. I was wearing a little Clovis Ruffin sweater dress, pantyhose and sling-back pumps. Griffin had on a suit and tie. Time was when travel — foreign or domestic — was a much-anticipated event for which you wore your Sunday best.
Smugglers, Elvis, crocodiles: The 2011 zany awards
posted: 02/05/2012 3:10 a.m. Discuss
“The true mystery of the world,” wrote Oscar Wilde, “is the visible, not the invisible.” In 2011, human creativity again produced a full complement of the strange, the zany, and the bizarre, perplexing travelers at home and abroad. Among last year’s remarkable occurrences : Inscrutable Orient Award. In Hanoi, hundreds of people worked around the clock to save the Sacred Turtle of Hoan Kiem Lake from pollution and debris. The rarely seen freshwater turtle, which is the size of a large desk, swims alone in the lake and is reputed to have helped a Vietnamese king fend off Chinese invaders nearly six centuries ago.
Surcharges on jet fuel bumps fares
posted: 01/29/2012 2:54 a.m. Discuss
If you are planning a trip to Europe this year, prepare to pay more. The airlines recently raised fuel surcharges again; the surcharge to many cities is now $470 round trip. Last year at this time, the fuel surcharge was $330.
Google on path to travel domination?
posted: 01/29/2012 2:54 a.m. Discuss
If you haven’t Googled a flight itinerary recently, you should try it.
Yellowstone’s long, white winter
posted: 01/29/2012 2:53 a.m. Discuss
I took a deep breath, positioned my skis and shot down the hillside, whizzing through a forest of trees covered with thick, feathered layers of ice.
CONSUMER TRAVEL: ‘Special discount’ seldom for real: File under ‘scam’
posted: 01/29/2012 2:53 a.m. Discuss
“Special discount — 50 percent off the regular price!” You see that sort of claim everywhere these days. And all too often it’s a lie. Sure, the discounted price is true, but that part about 50 percent off is pure fantasy. This is one of several sorts of lies you’ll encounter this year — lies that, if you aren’t aware, can lead you to a bad choice. Although the perpetrators aren’t outright crooks looking to steal your money, they’re still scamming you. Here are two of the most prevalent examples.
TRAVEL IN EUROPE: Northern Europe spruces up for tourist trade
posted: 01/29/2012 2:52 a.m. Discuss
While the countries of southern Europe struggle with financial instability, those living in northern Europe are in stronger shape, thanks to their ability to produce more while consuming less. It remains to be seen to what degree they will continue to bail out their less fiscally responsible neighbors. But one thing’s certain: Travelers to Germany, Switzerland and Scandinavia will encounter their share of renovations, red tape and reinvigorated neighborhoods and sights this year.
In the swim
posted: 01/22/2012 3:53 a.m. Discuss
A town of around 1,000 people on the western shore of Manitoba’s Hudson Bay is base camp for two of the most amazing animal shows on earth.
Air-fare disclosure kicking in
posted: 01/22/2012 3:50 a.m. Discuss
It comes as no surprise for experienced travelers, but novices are sometimes shocked to find that the final cost of airline trip can be much higher than the price touted on the airline’s website or advertising.
CONSUMER TRAVEL: Landing nicer seat via bidding is a go, but is it worth it?
posted: 01/22/2012 3:49 a.m. Discuss
A few days before my short flight on US Airways from Charlotte, N.C., to Baltimore last fall, US Airways sent an e-mail asking if I’d like to upgrade to first class for $90 at the airport, if a seat was still available.
TRAVEL IN EUROPE: France, Spain put on a fresh face for tourists
posted: 01/22/2012 3:48 a.m. Discuss
While their economies may be undergoing turbulence in 2012, positive changes in France and Spain are also in the air — making this year a good time to touch down in these essential European destinations.
Solid as a rock
posted: 01/15/2012 3:45 a.m. Discuss
A little more than a stone’s throw from the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, Lower Manhattan’s newest attraction, is a dining bonanza on one of Manhattan’s oldest streets. Stone Street, a 10-minute walk from the former World Trade Center site, is home to a dozen restaurants on its two short blocks between Hanover Square and 85 Broad St. — the former headquarters of Goldman Sachs that bifurcated the historic street in 1983.
World Heritage distinction brings preservation, qualms
posted: 01/15/2012 3:42 a.m. Discuss
World Heritage is big business, bringing with it hordes of tourists to poor countries that can use the jobs and the cash. It can also overwhelm the very sites it is designed to protect with all the less-savory aspects of mass travel, from chain hotels and restaurants to the impact of thousands of sport-shoed feet treading on fragile ground.
Museum to focus on mob movies
posted: 01/15/2012 3:41 a.m. Discuss
A mob museum scheduled to open next month in Las Vegas will trace Hollywood’s portrayal of mobsters in a violence-filled exhibit that organizers say is not intended for children.
CONSUMER TRAVEL: Hankerin’ to ride the rails? Sooner better than later
posted: 01/15/2012 3:40 a.m. Discuss
Congressional budget cutters are not being kind to Amtrak, and the outlook is pretty grim. Whatever your view on the relative benefits of spending cuts and tax increases, you can expect the Amtrak system to face budget paring that will almost certainly degrade performance. That means if you’ve ever wanted to enjoy an extended “land cruise” on one of Amtrak’s long-distance trains, do it soon.
