Welcome to our site. Here's a link to some of out Most Popular Posts

If you like what you see why not subscribe to our RSS feed. You can also help us by bookmarking this page with any of the buttons at the bottom of each article. Follow us on Twitter for travel deals and travel related news, questions and conversations. Thanks for visiting!

With gap year travel becoming so popular and more and more young people finding time between school, college and working life to get out on the road for an extended period of time, the concept of the new Lonely Planet book The Big Trip should definitely interest a few readers. It’s the first edition of this title and is all about planning and executing your first “big trip” abroad. Read the full story

If you’re on a diet and traveling you can ruin your entire diet routine or you can ruin your vacation by being too regimented. So, how do you find a happy medium where you can enjoy yourself and not destroy your healthy eating plan?

The first thing you need to do is get educated. You may have already done this when you started your diet but you may need a bit of a refresher course. Learn what the local cuisine is and what the calorie content is. If you’re concerned about other aspects of your diet check out those areas as well. This will help you determine if the sushi is a splurge or a healthy choice. Or which dessert is going to blow the diet for a week versus a dessert that will simply require an extra scenic hike. When you make your food choices you want to be educated on what is healthy and what isn’t.

Being proactive is also a great way to avoid extra calories, sugar, cholesterol or fat. Bring your own snacks so you aren’t tempted to grab something on the go that’s less healthy. And a good dieter knows that having healthy regular snacks prevents you from overeating later.

And finally, SPLURGE. Don’t go overboard and undo any good you’ve done, but make a point of trying some local cuisine treats and enjoying your vacation destination. There is really no rule that says you can’t share meals or desserts or that you have to finish every last bite. Use moderation but allow yourself a few extra treats while on vacation.

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. Read the full story

If you’re like me, even an overnight adventure can mean a lot of packing stress and at least two pieces of luggage, not to mention the purse and the fanny pack, if hiking is involved. Sure, I’m medium to high maintenance and I accept that, but I’ve learned that I don’t necessarily have to pack that way. Below are some tips I’ve learned that can help you pare down your “essentials”. Read the full story

In an effort to protect the public from lithium batteries (and aren’t we all afraid of them) the DOT enacted new lithium battery rules for travel beginning on January 1^st of 2008. Basically the rules state that you cannot pack spare lithium batteries in your checked baggage. Meaning the bags you hand over to the clerk at the counter. And when they say spare batteries they mean loose ones floating around. If you have lithium batteries in your camera, MP3 player or other device those are just fine. Read the full story

If you want to get through the airport faster and with more ease, use the following travel tips to help you breeze right through, saving both time and hassle. Read the full story

Packing for a trip can be an art form. Or at least a science. Learning to condense your belongings into one bag can make your life easier. Here are some tips. Read the full story