Responsible travel - a green stay in Sydney

I often catch myself contemplating the chain of decisions that have led me to this place in my life. The inescapable reality is that none of it would have been possible if it wasn't for my black cat, Willow. 

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We’re proud to announce the winners of the 2018 SmarterTravel Editors’ Choice Destination Awards. We’ve scoured the world to find the best places to go in 2018.

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.

Summer, also known as high season for travel, is almost here. And according to AAA just about everyone is poised to hit the road. The organization predicts two-thirds of what it categorizes as “leisure travelers” plan to take vacations this summer, meaning millions of Americans will be hitting the road.

If you’re planning on visiting any of these destinations, you should read up on how to spot bedbugs in your hotel room (and what to do about it). Pest control company Orkin just released its list of the top cities for bedbugs, using data from both residential and commercial (i.e., vacation rentals and hotels) calls. Orkin noted which destinations had more bedbug outbreaks (Los Angeles, for example, moved up two spots on the list), and which had fewer (good job, New York, dropping four places).

Wondering how hectic the high season of summer travel will make the skies? Summer air travel will raise 3.7 percent above last year’s summer travel figure to set another all-time record, Airlines for America announced, with the U.S. expected to see an average of 2.68 million air travelers per day.

Top 10 lists are ubiquitous, especially in travel; it seems there’s one for everything. And when it comes to destinations, whether it’s a “most popular” or “up-and-coming” ranking, these lists tend to be a mix of well-known cities and semi-under-the-radar places. Unless you’re a Booking.com user planning 2020 travel, apparently.

This shopping season, skip the mall and spend your money on travel instead. G Adventures’ big sale is offering up to 35 percent off of some of its best trips.

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.

Whether or not her title remains “Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex,” Meghan Markle will always be the queen of stylish packing. Her whirlwind schedule—jetting off for an appearance on The Today Show one day, touring South Africa as part of a royal visit the next—would leave even the most frequent traveler fatigued and worn. But not Markle, who always looks pristine and put together with a collection of tasteful sheath dresses, belted coats, and darling hats ready to be called into service. (Who else can make a Philip Treacy fascinator look modern and fresh?)

In addition to your regular passport, will you soon need a vaccine passport proving that you’ve had the COVID-19 vaccine for travel? In an interview with Newsweek, Dr. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said that the scenario was “quite possible.”