Latest Travel News tips

Editor’s Note: This snapshot of life in Italy under COVID-19 lockdown comes from Nancy Raff, an American expat who has lived in Italy for nearly a decade, and who shares her experiences of life in a small Tuscan village on her website and weekly newsletter.

The novel coronavirus pandemic may very well be the biggest shock of the decade. Frequent travelers are finding themselves at home due to mandatory lockdowns. Instead of booking your next world trip, you may try donating part of your travel budget to help others in need.

You’ve likely already heard about the bush fires in Australia that are currently devastating the country. All six Australian states have seen damage from fires, but New South Wales (which includes Sydney) has been hit hardest, where 136 separate fires (including 69 that are not contained) continued to burn this week, according to a CNN breakdown. At least 24 people are dead. And in New South Wales alone, estimates a University of Sydney professor, nearly half a billion animals are dead, too.

How one mini freebie illustrates the story of the airline industry at large.

After a long period of silence after saying last year that inflight animal rules would change, the Department of Transportation is now officially soliciting public comments on new rules about animals in an airline cabin.

Review and booking website Tripadvisor (SmarterTravel’s parent company) is out with its annual list of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. It’s dominated by iconic attractions, some of which you’re guaranteed to wait in a two-hour line for unless you can purchase skip-the-line passes. It’s also worth noting that almost every attraction on the list is in Europe.

Here at SmarterTravel, travel is always on our minds. These days, though, it’s impossible to think about travel without thinking about COVID-19.

Dealing with canceled travel plans amid COVID-19 is frustrating for everyone: travelers, tour providers, airlines, hotels, and of course, vacation rental owners and hosts.

There may not be a more disheartening experience than showing up to your destination, heading down to the baggage claim, and waiting, waiting, waiting … until the crowd thins, the barren carousel whirrs softly to a halt, and your bag is nowhere to be seen. Reality hits: The airline lost your bag. And instead of shuttling to your resort and hitting the pool, you’re off to customer service not knowing if you’ll ever see that new bathing suit again.

Editor’s note: Due to COVID-19 concerns, the U.S. State Department is encouraging potential visitors to reconsider travel abroad, and has banned arrivals from the entire continent of Europe. The below story is based on a 2019 survey of travelers and safety statistics from 2018.

Want to take a vacation? Cyprus, Romania and the Seychelles will all welcome you—as long as you’re fully vaccinated against COVID-19. These countries are now waiving the quarantine and COVID-19 testing requirements for international travelers, provided that they have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at least two weeks prior (10 days for Romania).

In stressful times like this global pandemic, it’s easy to get caught up in fear, confusion, and the never-ending news cycle. But perhaps the best way to escape it all is to mentally dive into a good vacation. Researching your dream trip of choice is a helpful reminder that the world will go back to normal again—and when it does, you’ll have a decisive plan of action for a trip you’re excited to take. Whether it’s a new type of travel for you (sailing, hiking, train itineraries, or road tripping) or a destination you’re unfamiliar with, now’s the time to tackle all your wildest travel ambitions.

Airlines shuffle route networks around every year, and in 2020 there are already some exciting new routes on a variety of airlines. Cheap flights are a common side effect of new route announcements, so these 13 destinations are likely to see lower airfares in 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic has largely put an end to travel, but there are still people needing to fly to provide care for others or travel for essential work service. Traveling feels scary right now, especially for those who can’t drive to their destination, but there are ways to make the journey as safe as possible for yourself and others. So if you have to board a plane right now, here are the coronavirus tips you need to know for domestic travel.

If you were sad when the smash-hit Netflix show “The Queen’s Gambit” ended, you can now relive the show for yourself in Lexington, Kentucky, at the 21c Museum Hotel’s new Harmon Room.

The White House just announced that beginning “early next week”, the United States will begin requiring all travelers entering the country to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within one day of departure, regardless of nationality or vaccination status. Currently, fully-vaccinated travelers only need a test that had been taken within three days of traveling, while unvaccinated travelers have to get their test within the one-day window.

Just as we began to head into a semi-normal feeling holiday season, news of a new coronavirus variant, Omicron, began to dominate headlines worldwide. Should travelers be worried about this new variant? We asked the experts to find out.

You might want to rethink your Christmas market plans—the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just moved four popular European destinations to the highest warning level for travel (Level 4: Very High Risk).

Here’s a good reason not to check a bag—during the second half of 2021, U.S. airlines lost or mishandled over 1.2 million bags. As the pandemic waned and travel picked back up, the amount of mishandled luggage also increased—by 80.6 percent, in fact.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just upgraded its advisory for Canada to the highest rating, Level 4. “Because of the current situation in Canada, even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants,” warned the CDC in its latest Travel Health Notices update.

It’s a familiar routine: You board the plane, settle into your seat, and then text frantically, trying to eke out just one last message before you hear the flight attendant’s announcement to switch your portable electronic devices to airplane mode.