The only thing that tops taking a vacation is scoring a great deal to get there. It’s the cherry on top of any trip — plus, money saved means you can book that helicopter tour or extravagant spa experience without guilt. And while saving money on airfare is always nice, it takes travel savvy to find cheap flights. Knowing how early to book and when to travel is crucial, as is knowing what destinations offer the best flights from the U....
Amtrak wants to help people escape for spring with a free companion ticket in private rooms starting Tuesday, the company shared with Travel + Leisure. The sale, which is valid through March 21, allows passengers who book a private roomette to bring a guest for no extra charge with fares starting at $193. The sale is valid on travel between March 16 and May 22. “Private rooms provide travelers with a first class, one-of-a-kind experience to see the country,” Roger Harris, Amtrak executive vice president and chief marketing and revenue officer, said in a statement provided to T+L....
Austria lifted its temporary lockdown on Sunday, weeks after the country implemented tightened restrictions due to the rise of the omicron variant. However, lockdown measures are still in place for those unvaccinated, and masks will be required for all on public transportation, inside stores, and inside public spaces, according to a report from The Associated Press. In addition, restaurants will continue to have limits on occupancy and instituted an 11 p....
Come around you rovin’ gamblers. Bob Dylan’s spirits company, Heaven’s Door Spirits, has partnered with Las Vegas behemoth MGM Resorts International on an exclusive limited-edition bourbon, 777 Blend. Of course, the name nods to the mystique surrounding the number 777 in the gaming community, but it also describes the blend within. It’s crafted from a blend of three 7-year-old whiskeys; a brand-new wheated bourbon, a low rye bourbon, and a straight rye whiskey....
California is having a real nature moment and nobody is supposed to be around to see it. In mid-April, following heavy rains, California’s famed poppies sprouted and bloomed, creating a scene that looked like it was straight out of a romance movie. However, because of California’s social distancing orders, nobody was supposed to see this gorgeous sight in person. Like other public spaces around the state, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is closed to the public....
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lowered its warning against traveling to several countries this week, including some popular tourist destinations like Canada and Saint Lucia. Overall, the agency reclassified 14 destinations as “Level 3,” indicating a “high” level of COVID-19 transmission, but not telling people to avoid traveling there altogether. Each of these destinations was previously classified as “Level 4.” The destinations now designated as a “Level 3’’ are: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Iran, Libya, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Lucia, and Suriname....
A Delta plane on its way to Los Angeles International Airport for an emergency landing on Tuesday ended up dropping jet fuel on kids in an elementary school playground. The Boeing 777 plane, Delta Flight 89, had initially taken off from LAX and was headed to Shanghai with more than 140 passengers when it was forced to turn around and head back due to an engine issue, Delta and the Los Angeles Times reported....
Editor’s Note: Those who choose to travel are strongly encouraged to check local government restrictions, rules, and safety measures related to COVID-19 and take personal comfort levels and health conditions into consideration before departure. Each November, Disney’s parks transform into beautiful winter wonderlands practically overnight, complete with holiday decor, seasonal treats, and festive entertainment. The holiday season is one of my favorite times of year to visit the theme parks — with oversized Christmas trees, cheerful encounters featuring characters dressed in festive attire, and delightful entertainment combining Disney magic and holiday nostalgia, there’s truly no place that does the holidays quite like Disney....
Disney’s Riviera Resort, the newest on-site resort at Walt Disney World in Florida, is slated to open on Dec. 16, 2019. This is the first all-new resort to open at Disney World since 2012, when Disney’s Art of Animation Resort opened. Inspired by the European Riviera, Disney’s Riviera Resort transports guests to the Mediterranean Coast with dining and decor that is reminiscent of 20th-century southern France and Italy. Of course, this is a Disney property, so expect plenty of nods to your favorite characters hidden in the art and decorations throughout the resort....
Disney World announced plans to begin a phased reopening of its theme parks on July 11 with new health and safety precautions in place after closing in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom will open on July 11, and Epcot and Hollywood Studios will follow on July 15, according to plans revealed today. In today’s virtual meeting of the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force, Jim McPhee, senior vice president of operations at Walt Disney World, presented Walt Disney World’s plans for reopening....
Yosemite National Park is testing out a lottery system for summer reservations at one of its most popular campgrounds. For $10, hopeful campers can enter the lottery, which is running until Feb. 6. The winners — 640 of them — will be randomly selected and will have the chance to make peak summer reservations at Yosemite’s North Pines Campground, one of the park’s most popular campsites. North Pines sits in the heart of the Yosemite Valley, making it an ideal spot for visiting the park’s top sights....
What began as a symbol of hope in the Old Testament, and brilliantly morphed into the LGBT movement’s defining flag, is also something celebrated by travelers around the globe (in particular, one auto-tuned hiker in northern California made a meme out of the phrase “double rainbow” back in 2010). Hawaii has long been associated with rainbows, and for good reason: in Honolulu, the undisputed “rainbow capital of the world,” rapid weather fluctuations, mixed with sudden drops in elevation from mountains (where rainclouds form and linger) to sunny beaches make rainbows a near daily occurrence....
This year’s World’s Best Awards survey closed on March 2, just before widespread stay-at-home orders were implemented as a result of COVID-19. The results reflect our readers’ experiences before the pandemic, but we hope that this year’s honorees will inspire your trips to come — whenever they may be. As one of the countries hit first and hardest by the coronavirus, Italy has exercised caution as it gradually resumes activity after lockdown....
Hotels that charge hidden “resort” fees will now appear lower on Expedia search results than those whose prices are entirely inclusive. “Everything else being equal, the properties that charge a resort fee on top of a base price will be [displayed] lower than those that don’t charge a resort fee,” Expedia president Cyril Ranque announced at a conference in Las Vegas this week, according to Travel Weekly. Hotels who advertise on the booking site have been alerted of the change that will affect all Expedia-owned search sites (which includes Expedia, Hotels....
Japan has extended its state of emergency until at least March 7 even as officials continue to plan for the rescheduled Olympic games only a few months away. Under the state of emergency, which will be extended for 10 of the country’s prefectures, including cities like Tokyo and Osaka, people are required to work from home when possible and restaurants must close by 8 p.m., The Associated Press reported this week....
Wannabe homeowners in Japan are about to get the deal of a lifetime. The Japanese government is launching a program to reduce the number of abandoned homes across the country by offering them for sale for nearly nothing, or actually nothing, according to Insider. According to a 2013 report, there are about eight million houses that have been left abandoned all over Japan. Natural disasters and an aging population tend to be the main reasons why many of these homes have been left empty for so many years....
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its face mask guidelines late last week, recommending disposable masks like KN95s and N95s instead of cloth masks. KF94 masks are another popular option as far as protective disposable masks go. These masks have an ergonomic three-panel design with an adjustable nose bridge and chin cover that offers a comfortable, secure fit on the face. If you’re in the market for a KF94 of your own, Maskc, a brand known for its comfortable disposable face masks, just launched its own version....
Norwegian Cruise Line is extending its suspension of cruises until the end of November, despite the fact that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s “No-Sail” Order is due to expire at the end of October. In addition, cruises aboard the Norwegian Star, Dawn, and Spirit cruise ships are canceled through March 2021, the cruise line announced on Monday. The cancellation through Nov. 30 will also affect all ships in Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises....
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s post-royal life is off to a seriously fancy start. Late last week, the newly minted Canadians jetted off to the warmer weather in Miami to attend the exclusive JPMorgan Miami billionaire’s summit. Both Harry and Meghan spoke at the event, The BBC reported, however it remains unclear if either one was paid for their time (though some reports say the couple was paid upwards of $500,000 for appearing)....
Qantas is giving its fleet of Boeing 747s an epic goodbye. On Wednesday, Qantas’ last Boeing 747 took off from Australia, marking the end of a 50-year history between the aircraft and the airline. But, rather than simply go from point A to point B, the aircraft instead took a little time to write a special message in the air in the form of a kangaroo, which happens to be the airline’s iconic logo....
