Travel in city Baltimore

It's the question rail enthusiasts have posed for years: When might U.S. train travel start to more closely resemble that of Europe and Asia?

In 2019, my overall travel experience was significantly elevated after I discovered the world of airport lounges. For those who don't know, airport lounges are separate spaces inside terminals, and those with access can enjoy complimentary food and refreshments, private bathrooms, comfortable chairs and other amenities. Though some lounges require you to have a specific fare class or airline elite status, my Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers me a free Priority Pass Select membership.

For travellers with time on their side and a thirst for adventure, America’s old-school train network offers a charming way to see the country. Brought together under the banner of Amtrak services in 1970, rail tracks wind between almost every state. Travellers can chug through the Rockies, cross the Great Plains or skirt the Pacific Ocean in California, watching the US’s diverse landscapes unfurl from the comfort of a cabin. To get the best value, helpful booking tips and find out what facilities are on board, try this handy guide.

Customs and Immigration Control officer stamping a passport. (Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/FTiare)

Save big on holiday travel this season with Amtrak’s winter flash sale offering discounted fares across the country to popular destinations from New York and Boston to Chicago and beyond.

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In its latest push for rail improvements, the Biden administration has announced billions of dollars in federal funding for more than two dozen projects along Amtrak's busy Northeast Corridor.

Southwest Airlines expanded its schedule for next summer with new routes to the Caribbean, Orlando, Mexico, and more.

Southwest Airlines unveiled a whopping 30 new airline routes in its latest schedule update, which extends its booking schedule through Aug. 4, 2024.

Trains are my favorite mode of transportation. 

JetBlue Airways has launched its Fall Real Sale offering one-way tickets as low as $39.The three-day sale can be booked now through Thursday, October 12 and is valid for Tuesday and Wednesday travel between October 17, 2023, and February 14, 2024.  Notable discounts available this week include Newark (EWR) – Miami (MIA) from $39 and Orlando (MCO) – Washington (DCA) from $39. Other $39 flights include Fort Lauderdale (FLL) – Charleston (CHS), Los Angeles (LAS) – San Francisco (SFO) and Atlanta (ATL) – Fort Lauderdale (FLL).Travelers can also fly between Boston (BOS) and Baltimore/Washington (BWI) for as low as $49; New York (JFK) and Milwaukee (MKE) for just $59 and San Juan (SJU) and Punta Cana (PUJ) in the Caribbean for as little as $89 one-way.Blackout dates include November 21-28, 2023, and December 19, 2023, to January 9, 2024.Contact your travel advisor or visit JetBlue.com to shop the Fall Real Sale.

Travelers hoping to plan an epic winter getaway can save big thanks to Southwest Vacation’s semi-annual sale offering up to $250 off flight and hotel packages. 

Cheaper Amtrak tickets and more time to explore your destination—Amtrak’s Night Owl fares are a win-win. Amtrak recently expanded these ultra-cheap fares (priced as low as $5) to more times and routes, making it even more convenient to travel for less.

We're still several weeks away from turkeys appearing on supermarket shelves en masse and familiar holiday tunes playing on the loudspeakers in stores. However, now is the time to get serious about booking holiday travel — particularly when it comes to flights.

Wouldn’t you like to have a sculpted, shapely, toned, hourglass figure like that of Gwyneth Paltrow?

Low-cost Icelandic airline Play is making a fall or winter European getaway more affordable with 30 percent off flights to popular destinations across the continent.

The best way to visit New York City and Boston is through a unique experience designed for luxury travelers. The Mandarin Oriental is offering a 75-minute seaplane shuttle for two as part of a four-night package split between its properties in the two cities. It’s the ideal vacation for anyone who can afford one of the best view suites in each city, is eager to bypass the hassle of entering and exiting a major airport, and is up for the adventure of taking off and landing in the water while enjoying magnificent airplane views in between.

Amtrak is making it cheaper to travel between Boston and New York, extending its discounted late-night fares.

Nothing starts your trip off on the wrong foot like a long security line at the airport. Though there are tools to shorten your time waiting in line — namely, TSA PreCheck and Clear — your experience, unfortunately, depends on your fellow travelers to a certain degree. People in front of you might be moving slowly because they forgot to take their keys out of their pockets or because they're new to TSA PreCheck and didn't realize they could keep their shoes on.

About the time when stores start to put out their Halloween displays and Americans ponder their Halloween-season plans, America’s best mega-haunted attractions put the finishing touches on their year-round work of planning and enhancing their attractions. The haunts will soon spring to life to “scare them to death” with the latest and greatest fear-based entertainment. America Haunts, the national association for the most proven and prestigious commercial haunts, reminds the adventurous that the season goes by fast and to buy tickets in advance. There aren’t many open nights for the undead to get their fright-fill fun within the season. Most haunts fall between four to nine weekends, plus a few open weekdays, including Halloween night, Tuesday, October 31.

THIS ARTICLE IS ADAPTED FROM THE AUGUST 26, 2023, EDITION OF GASTRO OBSCURA’S FAVORITE THINGS NEWSLETTER. YOU CAN SIGN UP HERE .