15 unbelievable facts about Japan that will make you buy a plane ticket

For about the price of a typical single-family home in Mississippi, ultra-rich adventurers can spend three weeks traversing the world via private jet thanks on an Abercrombie & Kent "air cruise."

This as-told-to story is based on a conversation with Justin Miller, a Tokyo-based DJ and English teacher. He shares what he's learned about Tokyo after living in Japan for 15 years. It's been edited for length and clarity.

Brits have an interesting vernacular that includes words and phrases that might confuse many Americans.

Every summer, Americans selectively schedule their vacation time, typically taking a week or two to get out and enjoy the sun or a dreamy, far-off destination. But as the midyear heat wanes and the holiday season approaches, more of us should assess the vacation days we’re not using—all 658 million of them.

When Kevin Maloney started to plan his trip to Iceland, a friend mentioned a new service called ViaHero. “I knew there was a lot to see in Iceland and I had a short period of time. I didn’t want to spend a lot of personal time doing the research,” Maloney says. “My goal was to have an expert map it out for me.”

An airport connection (or two) is often the price you pay for service to far-off destinations. Unfortunately, a connection almost always complicates your travel planning, asking you to decide where to connect and how much time to allow for the connection. There’s no easy formula answer to those questions, but there are a few choice airports to try and avoid.

On April 15th, 2019, the whole world watched in shock as Notre Dame burst into flames. Thankfully, much of the cathedral’s structure, including its iconic bell towers and flying buttresses, survived the blaze. It will likely be closed to tourists for years, but a flood of donations has already put restoration plans in motion.

Looking for a reliable source of Brexit travel information? You’re not alone—the U.K.’s own lawmakers are still asking questions about the issue of borders and free travel after Brexit. As of January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom officially has left the European Union. But what’s to come still remains unclear: For the rest of the year, the U.K. will remain in a “transition” period, meaning nothing will change between now and 2021 in regards to borders and other travel-related items. Meaning, if you have a summer vacation planned to the U.K. or Europe, you shouldn’t worry about anything changing.

American citizens are pretty fortunate in terms of passport power, but your little blue booklet may not be quite as powerful as you think. The list of countries that require visas for Americans includes some travel hotspots, for example Australia, Brazil, Cuba, and China.

You don’t need to be a nature expert to appreciate the seas of colorful flowers that mark the end of winter each year, or to get lost in photos of them. Some of the world’s biggest and best spring flower blooms turn travel-worthy spots like national parks and famous cities into a sea of color.

The current coronavirus outbreak in China highlights a longstanding problem in travel: What to do when a contagious disease breaks out in an area you’d like to visit. A significant amount of travelers are concerned; a January poll by Airfarewatchdog (SmarterTravel’s sister site) found that 50 percent of travelers said the virus becoming more widespread would impact their travel plans, and the virus has spread around globe. But how do you know if you should actually cancel or adjust a trip based on a viral outbreak abroad?

When Martha Stewart is home on her 156-acre farm in Bedford, New York, she's knows exactly how to prep and fine-tune the flavors she wants to achieve. But as soon as she's off her home turf, she's all about sitting back and discovering the cuisine of a locale, as far-flung as it may be.