Follow Jesus to Nazareth, Israel

There's a reason Michigan state parks—and their national park, lakeshore, and recreation area siblings—are so popular when the weather warms up. To imagine the perfect Midwestern summer is to imagine hiking under a canopy of pines, skipping rocks across sparkling blue lakes, and craning your neck skyward with the hope of seeing a shooting star. In other words: everything that makes Michigan’s five national parks and 103 state parks and recreation areas so special. 

If the results of a new study of mice by scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and the University of Bristol in England prove to be extendable to humans, the end of jet lag may be in sight.

Here at SmarterTravel we don’t just write about travel, we do it. And now you come with us!

With Marriott’s pending acquisition of Starwood, there’s reason to expect that as the former goes, so will go the latter.

Delta and United have announced plans to reduce flights to the U.K. this winter following the Brexit vote last month.

Cyber Monday can be overwhelming, especially when your social media feeds and inbox look like the equivalent of a Walmart on Black Friday. But don’t despair! This year, we’re cutting through the mediocre deals and will be Tweeting out only the best discounts on everything travel related.

Southwest is quietly raising fares for thousands of flights to combat what it calls “cost pressures” it expects will impact its business into 2019. And while these increases are indeed minor—said to be only $2 to $5 one-way—the move by the low-cost line could signal the possibility that airfares will rise across the board.

When the legendary host of Jeopardy! passed away on November 8, 2020, the world honored Trebek’s showmanship, philanthropy, and vast reserves of knowledge. But the travel community mourned one of their own.

With COVID-19 cases surging across the globe, the European Union (EU) has just officially recommended that all member states reinstate travel restrictions for tourists from six countries, including the United States. Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro, and the Republic of North Macedonia have also been removed from the E.U.’s safe list.

For the sixth year in a row, Finland has claimed the top spot in the World Happiness Report. The annual report, compiled by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, surveys residents in over 150 countries to determine which nations are the happiest.

Holland America Line will launch a 42-day cruise across the Atlantic Ocean and around Europe and the Middle East from Florida next year, inspired by a journey the cruise line took nearly 100 years ago.

Solo travel has the power to transform: Think of the memoirs “Eat Pray Love” or “Wild.” But you don’t have to circumnavigate the globe or hike 1,100 miles to see why some people choose to go it alone. The freedom to explore at your own pace, open to connecting with people you meet along the way, can feel as intoxicating as a tropical breeze. But solo travel can be daunting, too, especially when problems arise. And of course, solo travelers need to keep certain safety considerations in mind.