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Erin Raub

Five Tips to Avoid Frustrating Hotel Fees

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Hotels seem to have nickel-and-diming down to a science: they charge small fees here and there, eventually tacking a decent chunk of change onto your final bill. It’s no wonder — hotel guests use cell phone nows, so hotels can’t charge $1 per minute of local phone usage. The game is not to charge for [...]

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Travel Tip: Travel Cheap, House Swap!

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House swapping isn’t for the faint of heart — you’ll send keys to complete strangers and leave them alone in your house for days at a time! — but thousands of independent travelers are slowly discovering the joys of this inexpensive (and slightly voyeuristic) way to travel.

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Travel Product: Compressible Packing Bags

In the age of booked baggage fees, packing light is where it’s at. Of course, in practice, keeping your bulky bag down to size isn’t so easy. Enter plastic, vacuum-tight travel bags, which help you pack more into less space.

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Travel Tip: Prepare Your Appliances for Use Abroad

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As you pack for that winter skiing trip in the Swiss Alps or Australian summer vacation, you may throw your hair drier, laptop, or cell phone charger absentmindedly into your bag. Not so fast: though North America, much of South America, the Caribbean, and Japan use 100-125 volt appliances, most of the world does not. [...]

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Ingenious Travel Product: the Portable Book Light

When I was a little girl, my parents had a strict bedtime for me. When that time came around, it was lights out, no excuses. Luckily for me, I had a secret weapon at my disposal: my portable book lamp. Diving under the covers, I would read into the wee hours of the night — [...]

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Travel Tip: Machu Picchu Without the Inca Trail

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It’s a common traveler’s plight, but rarely do you hear about it: Peru’s famous Inca Trail fills up fast. It can be a sad disappointment, after months or even years of anticipation, but many Machu Picchu pilgrims face this problem every year. If this happens to you, or if you worry that it will, take [...]

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How to Survive a Too-Full Flight

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If you’ve traveled the not-so-friendly skies recently, you’ve likely noticed a rise in passenger density (not to mention diminished amenities and airline comforts). To help reduce costs and maximize fuel efficiency, airlines have switched to smaller airplanes and fewer flights, causing a large increase in overbooked and too-full flights. To survive these uncomfortable conditions, have [...]

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Postcards Struggle to Find Their Place in a Digital Age

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Postcards used to be every traveler’s favorite way of keeping friends and family updated on their trips with short prose and whimsical “wish you were here!”s. Today, though, the digital ages has threatened postcards with email, social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace, and even travel-themed ecards and digital postcards.

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Destination: Puerto Rico

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As you dig into a spicy, citrusy ceviche and down a typical rum drink, you’ll know that coming to Puerto Rico was a fantastic choice.

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Cruising for less

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Though many of us dream of someday taking a cruise, sometimes our wallets don’t stretch that wide. Luckily, MSNBC has brought us 13 tips to save money on your next cruise.

Now’s the time to buy: We’re about to hit the cruising high season, so the best deals are available right now.
Buy your own airfare: Though [...]

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Cruise New Zealand and Australia with Holland America

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New Zealand has the reputation of being one of the most beautiful places on earth: comprised of two main islands, North Island and South Island, the country is nicknamed God’s Own Country and Paradise of the Pacific.

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Six Flags Great Adventure

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Located in , Six Flags Great Adventure is conveniently located just 67 miles from New York City, 58 miles from Newark, and 60 miles from Philadelphia. The park features incredible rides, themes, and adventures packed into a Wild Safari area, amusement park, water park, and Hurricane Harbor (think serious water park).

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Scuba Diving the Baja Peninsula

Scuba Diving the Baja Peninsula

Though connected to the United States, the Baja California Peninsula, also called Lower California and simply the Baja Peninsula, is part of Mexico. It is connected to the U.S. state of California and stretches a length of 775 miles (1250 kms) from northern Mexicali to southern Cabo San Lucas.

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The Beautiful British Virgin Islands

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The British Virgin Islands, located in the cerulean-blue Caribbean Sea, just east of Puerto Rico, are a British overseas territory consisting of Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke, and fifty other smaller islands and cays. None of the islands are particularly large, though, and Tortola, the largest island of the BVI, stretches a mere [...]

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Sutherland Falls

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New Zealand offers some of the world’s most spectacular scenery and is the ultimate destination for the adventure traveler. The South island of New Zealand is home to the city of Queenstown, which is the top draw for tourism. The easy accessibility to the lakes and the mountains makes the region a hot sport for [...]

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Molokai’s Amazing Kahiwa Falls

Molokai, the fifth-largest Hawaiian island, is home to the state’s tallest waterfall, Kahiwa Falls. Sometimes reported as reaching 1749′ in height, the falls actually reaches an astonishing 2165′ feet and includes six tiered drops before finally emptying into the sea. Though Kahiwa Falls are often mistaken for their neighboring Papalaua Falls, they are located slightly [...]

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Taking a Sip of Coffee Tourism

Tourism isn’t limited to beaches, mountains, and pretty scenery: in today’s world, travelers traverse the planet to pursue all hobbies and interests under the sun. A growing industry is coffee tourism, dedicated to educating you on different types and various roasts of coffee.

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