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Celebrity Travel: Go away with Amielynn Abellera
Growing up in Stockton, California, Amielynn Abellera didn’t see herself reflected in the mainstream media. “The only Filipino actors I remember during my childhood were Dante Basco as Rufio in the film, ‘Hook,’ Tia Carrera in ‘Wayne's World’ and Lea Salonga in ‘Miss Saigon,’” said Abellera, who is one of the stars of Noah Wyle...Read more
Rick Steves’ Europe: It’s a Jubilee Year in Rome - Here’s what that means
In Rome, 2025 is a Jubilee Year – so if your travel plans include the Eternal City, it's important to know what the Jubilee is all about, what to expect … and how to prepare for increased crowds.
Since the year 1300, the Roman Catholic Church traditionally proclaims a “Jubilee Year” every 25 years. It’s a time when the pope invites ...Read more
Travel Troubleshooter: Hertz Mistakenly Adds Car Renter To Their Do Not Rent List
Hertz says Shane Rich rented a car in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with two women. He says he wasn't in Mexico at the time. Now the company has suspended his rental privileges. How can he reverse their decision?
Q: I rented a car from Hertz in Cabo San Lucas. After this, Hertz placed me on their Do Not Rent list and claimed that I tried to ...Read more
Taking the Kids: Here’s to new shared adventures and experiences in 2025
Maybe your kids have never seen snow. Maybe your grandkids have never seen the ocean or the Statue of Liberty or ridden on a cable car.
In this new year, there are many opportunities to expand children's worlds through travel without spending more than you can afford. Invite grown children along and extended family, as long as you get along.
...Read more
Celebrity Travel: Go away with Margaret Avery
With an acting career spanning more than five decades, Margaret Avery’s latest role is on the Netflix comedy, “A Man on the Inside,” which has been renewed for a second season. “My character, Florence, has accepted the passing of her husband and has discovered a love for poetry to aid in her grieving process,” said Avery, who was ...Read more
Rick Steves’ Europe: Even a travel writer dreams of taking a vacation
My friends can’t believe I actually took a real vacation. No work … just making long-held travel dreams come true. In fact, I took two vacations!
As the pandemic eased, my favorite travel partner and I found ourselves as busy as ever, and we were ready for a break. We debated what would be our best choice: a week on a gourmet barge floating...Read more
Travel Troubleshooter: Error Message Occurs When Using Chase Points For Travel
When Carlye Siegel tries to book two award tickets with Chase points, the transaction fails. Now Chase won't refund the points. Is this allowed?
Q: I recently tried to use my Chase points to book an airline ticket on Aeromexico. After seeing and confirming the availability of an award flight on its partner airline, Virgin Atlantic, I ...Read more
Taking the Kids: Best 2024 travel memories
It was definitely a “wow” moment. We were on day four of our two-week Abercrombie & Kent Arctic Cruise Adventure in the Svalbard Archipelago. Our zodiacs landed on a beach where scores of huge walruses (they weigh more than 4,400 pounds) were lazing on the beach and splashing in the water...Read more
Celebrity Travel: Go away with Ginny Luke
For musician Ginny Luke, her childhood trips instilled in her a love of travel, while reinforcing her interest in music. “I took a trip to New York with my brother, Wes, when I was 12,” said Luke, who is promoting her latest album “Devil at My Heels” (https://ginnyluke.lnk.to/...Read more
Rick Steves’ Europe: Walking through Prague
Known as the “Golden City of 100 Spires,” Prague boasts a fairy-tale medieval Old Town, historic churches and synagogues, and perhaps Europe’s largest castle. A good way to introduce yourself to the city, its layered past, and its resilient people is with a walk across town, starting on lively, urban Wenceslas Square, weaving through the ...Read more
Why travel and suffer through LAX, flights, lost luggage? Here's one good reason
As an L.A. native and a professional traveler, I know getting a ride to LAX is rarely fun. But even I was tested in summer 2023 after an Uber and then a Lyft canceled on me when I needed to be at the airport in an hour and a half.
Trying not to throw up for fear of missing my flight, I drove myself to the familiar parking lot next to the In-N-...Read more
Klm Owes Money For A Refundable Flight. So, Where's The Refund?
After Mel Stevenson cancels her fully refundable KLM ticket, the airline only refunds her half the money. Can she get the rest?
Q: I am writing because I hope that someone at KLM will help me with a refund for a "flex" flight I purchased this summer. This email comes from a place of desperation, as I've had a terrible time trying to contact ...Read more
Taking the Kids: And checking out holiday lights before they are gone
Big or small? No, not the size of your Christmas tree. We’re talking about holiday light installations around the country, from ones that light up neighborhood streets like Dyker Heights in Brooklyn, New York, to snow resorts to big, splashy ones in theme parks, Las Vegas and New York.
The light displays in the Dyker Heights neighborhood of ...Read more
Review: Short stories look at those moments when living our lives feels unsettlingly like time traveling
Anita Felicelli’s stories are masterfully unsettling.
Combine your most eerie déjà vu moment with your most vividly prophetic dream and you have the tone of the 14 futuristic tales in “How We Know Our Time Travelers.” This is the new science fiction. Not so much Isaac Asimov’s techy gadgetry or Ursula K. Le Guin’s moral conundrums, ...Read more
Celebrity Travel: Go away with Stephanie Koenig
Stephanie Koenig currently stars as Gwen Sanders on the FX series “English Teacher.” The well-traveled writer, producer and actress said that if she had to pick one destination as a favorite, she’d select somewhere in Greece. “There are so many beautiful places to visit,” said Koenig, 37. “We traveled to Greece right after the ...Read more
Rick Steves’ Europe: Barcelona’s best day trips: Monasteries, beaches and Dalí sights
It’s hard to top Barcelona, Spain’s most cosmopolitan and fun city. But if you want a break from the crowds, several day trips from Barcelona are tempting scene-changers: the mountaintop monastery of Montserrat, the Salvador Dalí museum at Figueres, and the seaside towns of Cadaqués and Sitges.
For almost a thousand years, Benedictine ...Read more
For Rachel Bilson, almost any destination will do. Here are her travel hacks
Rachel Bilson says her travel philosophy is to just say yes. The O.C. actor and co-host of the Broad Ideas podcast says she’s a person who will travel anywhere, carry-on in hand, if invited to see a new destination.
In October she said yes to a trip to Marrakech with her stylist, Nicole Chavez. They went to an event hosted by Fashion Trust ...Read more
Taking the kids: Holiday gifts for your favorite travelers
Would you rather get a gift or be gifted an experience?
According to a recent American Express Amex Trendex report on shopping for the holiday season, consumers want to give something special, like a shared fun experience. Roughly one in three said they plan to gift their significant other or their children an experience. ( AAA projects 119.3 ...Read more
Taking the Kids: Holiday Gifts for your favorite travelers
Would you rather get a gift or be gifted an experience? According to a recent American Express Amex Trendex report on shopping for the holiday season, consumers want to give something special, like a shared fun experience. Roughly one in three said they plan to gift their significant other or their children an experience. ( AAA projects 119.3 ...Read more
Celebrity Travel: Go away with Meghan Quinn
In her latest novel “ How My Neighbor Stole Christmas,” bestselling author Meghan Quinn sets up a holiday romance that takes place in fictional Kringletown. “Kringletown is not really based off of any town,” said Quinn, 38. “I wrote a book called ‘The Romantic Pact’ that takes place in Germany. The couple travels down the Romantic ...Read more