travel

Beware the second time around

  We were stuck at the Gare du Nord with no place to stay. We had arrived on the Eurostar, fresh from London, with accommodations all arranged. We had booked an apartment near the Champs-Élysées through AirBnb, and everything was … Read MoreRead More

Getting my mom and I to London and back: a study in trip planning

  In my last post I talked about how my mom and I were going to Europe together. Specifically London, although we threw in Paris at the last moment. It’s a really exciting time. For me, one of the best … Read MoreRead More

The absolute best way to use frequent flyer miles

  I’m going on a big trip starting this week, and I’m really excited about it! I’ve hinted about it in previous posts, but I wanted to lay it all out here so you can share in my excitement and … Read MoreRead More

Why foreign transaction fees are (annoying but) no big deal

  WARNING: This post contains math. Are you old enough to remember travelers checks? When I went on my first trip abroad when I was much younger, that was still the de facto method of using currency when in a … Read MoreRead More

Challenge: Travel to one new country every year

Got any travel plans for this year? Still think that travel isn’t in the cards for you, despite your wish to the contrary? I have a challenge for you. And I think you can achieve it, both this year and … Read MoreRead More

Does a mileage run ever make sense?

  I was trying to find a round trip ticket on Alaska Airlines that would end up being more than 6,342 miles round trip. This is difficult. Alaska runs a rather short-haul system, and the longest flight they run is … Read MoreRead More

NEXUS is inconsistently awesome: a report on flying to Canada

  I’ve written before about NEXUS and how much of a good deal it is for most people who fly on any regular basis. To recap: $50 and an interview (and your eyeballs scanned) will get you expedited security and … Read MoreRead More

Become a Trusted Traveler with NEXUS (and get your eyeballs scanned)

  A few months ago, I wrote about my experience signing up for NEXUS, the joint border clearance program between the US and Canada that allows for expedited travel in, out, and between the two countries. The process for getting … Read MoreRead More

How to save money on airfare by purchasing frequent flyer miles

  Frequent flier miles can be a really amazing tool for seeing the world. I used miles to travel in international business class when I came home from Europe earlier this year, and while it was a bit of an … Read MoreRead More

Is it worth it to purchase lounge access?

  As mentioned in the discussion of my failed attempt at extending my airline lounge access, I had purchased lounge access for a year, and had enjoyed the experience. But I balked at renewing my membership. It just seemed like … Read MoreRead More