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Travel Photo of the Week: Castel del Monte

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:43:59 +0000

Castel del Monte is one of Italy's most fascinating castles. Unlike many fortress castles, it is octagonal in shape, but that's just one of Castel del Monte's mysteries.

No one knows why Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II built Castel del Monte the way he did. He used mathematical and scientific principles to design the castle, but failed to include a moat and other defensive elements.

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Air Australia Goes Into Receivership, Grounds Flights

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 13:53:38 +0000

Perhaps this blog post should be titled, "Why You Should Always Pay for Airfare With a Credit Card Unless You Buy Financial Default Travel Insurance."

CNN and the Herald Sun are reporting that Air Australia went into voluntary receivership yesterday, leaving passengers stranded in various places and rendering tickets for future travel valueless.

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Visit African-American Heritage Sites in the Southern US

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:06:37 +0000

If you truly want to learn about the fight for racial equality and civil rights in the United States, you need to head south. Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama and the rest of the Deep South saw the worst of slavery, the joy of emancipation and the struggle for true equality - a struggle that continues today. Southern African-American heritage sites include museums, national parks, national historic trails and educational institutions. There's no better way to understand the complexities of the Civil Rights Movement than to go to the places Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis, Rosa Parks and other civil rights leaders lived and worked.

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Travel Photo of the Week: Hopewell Rocks, Bay of Fundy

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:31:14 +0000

This is the highest high tide you'll ever see.

Canada's Bay of Fundy experiences two high tides and two low tides per day, six hours and 13 minutes apart. The bay's shape and the pull of the moon's gravity upon the Earth combine to create the world's highest tides. For example, this morning's high tide (5:31 A. M. Atlantic Standard Time) at Hopewell Cape was 41.3 feet, while the low tide at 12:06 P. M. will be 4.6 feet. That's a difference of 36.7 feet! The tidal differences are even higher further up the bay, at Nova Scotia's Minas Basin.

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Cruise Industry Associations Change Lifeboat Drill Rules

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:43:43 +0000

In the aftermath of the Costa Concordia disaster, cruise industry associations have changed their rules concerning lifeboat drills, according to CNN.

Cruise lines must now hold lifeboat drills (also called "passenger musters," "muster drills" and "passenger safety drills") before a ship pulls away from the pier. In the event that passengers embark after the drill has taken place, they will receive group or individual safety briefings.

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Tolls: How to Pay Them, What to Expect

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:02:02 +0000

Building and maintaining roads is expensive. That's why so many jurisdictions around the world turn to tolls as a way to pay for highway maintenance and construction.

While the concept behind toll roads is the same wherever you go, implementation of the toll collection process varies from place to place. Depending on your destination, you might encounter automated toll booths that accept exact change only, "video tolling," transponder readers and even toll stickers.

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Air Canada, Porter Airlines Adopt All-Inclusive Ticket Pricing Policy

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:29:01 +0000

As Canada begins to work toward implementing all-inclusive airline ticket pricing rules, which will likely be similar to the airline pricing rules that went into effect in the United States last month, two Canadian airlines have decided to go ahead with all-inclusive ticket pricing, following the example of WestJet. WestJet began advertising all-inclusive fares in newspapers last month.

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Do You Need a Travel Visa?

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:00:07 +0000

It depends. Two factors determine whether you will need a travel visa for your international trip: your destination and your citizenship.

Many countries require all visitors to apply for travel visas; others participate in visa waiver programs or other agreements that allow some travelers to enter without visas. Before you plan your next trip abroad, you should find out whether you need to obtain a visa.

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Travel Photo of the Week: Heidelberg Castle

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:13:17 +0000

I can't count how many times I have heard that Heidelberg, Germany is an overrated, over-touristed city. Too crowded, some say. Too kitschy, complain others. I guess they went to a different Heidelberg. I love the castle, the bustle of the main street, the view of the river from the hills, Heidelberg Castle and the local food. Most of all, I love the history.

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Spirit Airlines Imposes Fee to Cover Cost of Implementing New Regulations

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:22:51 +0000

Spirit Airlines, best known for charging passengers for both carry-on and checked baggage, has unveiled a new fee that all of its passengers must pay. According to CNN, Spirit Airlines will now charge passengers a $2 "Department of Transportation Unintended Consequences Fee." In a press release, Spirit Airlines said it imposed the new fee to cover the cost of holding a reservation for 24 hours, as the new Department of Transportation airline pricing and passenger protection rules require.

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