Bowman’s Travel Brief: When Did You Fall in Love With Travel?

It’s winter, and I’m in the only queue that doesn’t make my blood boil: the line for the Eurostar en route to Paris. Behind me, a couple begins having a heated tiff about who should be carrying a particularly bulky suitcase. In a moment of post-breakup schadenfreude, I can’t help but feel a little smug about the fact that I’m making this journey alone, with a relatively tiny bag and the person who would never have offered to carry it left firmly behind in London. To be honest, I need the reassurance. I’m newly single and heading for the most romantic city in the world. Will this be an uplifting journey of self-discovery, or am I just running away from my problems? Or, worst of all, am I plunging headfirst into a lonely holiday with only unwanted memories for company?

Scamming is on the rise. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), people lost $10 billion to scams in 2023—a $1 billion jump over 2022 and the highest amount ever recorded.

The Department of Transportation proposed new rules Thursday on how airlines should accommodate passengers who use wheelchairs. 

Netflix’s mega-hit dating show Love is Blindis back— with viewers once again fascinated with the love-seekers in the pods. Episode 5 of season 6 follows five engaged couples enjoying a romantic honeymoon at a luxurious all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

Though her work on Saturday Night Live keeps her tethered to New York City, comedian Chloe Fineman can most often be found criss-crossing the country to film in Los Angeles or back to the Bay Area, where she grew up. Recently, for her campaign with Nütrl Vodka Seltzer, she got to see a new place: Mexico City. “First of all, my brain still can’t understand how it’s a three-hour flight from LA [and five hours from New York], so I could meet all my friends in the middle,” she says. “And it was the most beautiful city. We saw luchadores wrestling, and the food was unbelievable. Some of the best meals in my life were in Mexico City!”

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will sweep across areas of North America.

A new flight connection calls for a landing ovation – and a new set-jetting package for Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts guests – as the first-ever U.S. commercial flight descends upon majestic Ocho Rios, Jamaica on February 24th. In homage to the swift and seamless journey directly into the Caribbean Riviera, Sandals’ and Beaches’ new “Love and Let Fly” package transcends traveler wanderlust from the silver screen to the golden Jamaican beaches coveted for decades by film producers and vacationers alike. MORE TIME TO ‘BOND’, LESS TIME IN TRANSIT

What ski culture in the US has historically lacked is the idea of community-based après-ski activities. In the US, après-ski is usually no more than grabbing a drink in the ski lodge bar, and lacks the kind of scale and excitement that makes it a vital part of the ski day, as you’d find in the Alps.

For basic information about how, when and where to experience North America’s total solar eclipse and why you must try to get yourself to the path of totality on April 8, check my main feed .

This year more folks are prioritizing travel and newfangled experiences. We’re inspired by beloved television shows à la Emily in Paris to reexamine cities we’ve previously visited. Scoring tickets to see our favorite musical artists, like Taylor Swift, fortuitously opens up the prospect of flying to a different country. A rising wellness and longevity movement encourages travelers to seek alcohol-free vacations. Slower and more intentional travel—quality over quantity—is important and sustainability and eco-minded experiences are at the forefront.

Everyone loves a good deal, but the best promotions in travel are the ones that are free. If you’re planning to take a trip that you booked during recent Valentine’s Day getaway offers, or just want to try your luck. These travel-related contests and giveaways could have you on the road in no time.

Welcome back to another episode of the TravelPulse Podcast!