Enter the Vayama Go Somewhere Tour sweepstakes by August 4 for a chance to win the grand prize: two tickets from the U.S. (Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC) to anywhere Emirates flies, plus $2,000 spending money.

Twelve runner-up winners will each receive a $1,500 voucher redeemable for air travel on Vayama.com.

To participate, provide the requested contact information on the sweepstakes website and press "Enter." Time required to enter: under 30 seconds. ... read more»

It's not too often that a major city sprouts a new neighborhood, but Boston's Fort Point is becoming a hip hub for locals and visitors alike. Located along Fort Point Channel, this burgeoning area is part of the South Boston Waterfront (also referred to as the Seaport District) and has been adding intrigue to the city with its innovative design culture and speakeasy-style watering holes and trendy eateries. It's also becoming a central place for some of Boston's best museums, and it will soon be home to a brand new hotel in a repurposed 20th-century building.

I live and work in Boston and every time I go to Fort Point, I find something new to explore and start to fall in love with my home city all over again. I hope to inspire you to visit. ... read more»

Guest blogger Heather Phelps is a sort-of-recent college grad who loves discovering all the fun and adventures that the world has to offer. She shares her stories and general thoughts on life on her blog, heatherscoffeebreak.blogspot.com.

Traveling on a tight budget usually isn't much of a problem—outside of the U.S. If you've ever studied abroad, backpacked through Europe, or been in any similar travel scenario, you know that finding a cheap (if slightly sketchy) place to stay and a decent meal isn't too difficult. But budget traveling in the U.S.? Not quite the same story. When you're only a year out of college and desperately trying to learn how to budget, you may wonder how you're ever going to get farther than your city limits for a vacation. But I'm here to tell you that it is possible! This past September I explored Northern California with two friends. Our tour included San Francisco, Sonoma, Yosemite, Santa Cruz, and Monterey —and we had a great time while spending less than $900 all week (that's including a round-trip flight from Washington, DC). Here are some tips to help you do it, too: ... read more»

I'm a reluctant sailor. I've never found my sea legs, and even short ferry rides leave me a little green around the gills. Yet I've taken to the water countless times in my life simply because that's how you get to a place. From Whidbey Island in Washington to Anguilla in the Caribbean, sometimes a boat is the only (or at least the cheapest) option.

One of the ways I pass the time in choppy waters is to try out various techniques I've collected for reducing seasickness. I thought I'd share some of those I've had the best luck with, and I'm hoping you'll do the same in the comments below. Because we weak-kneed landlubbers have to look out for each other. ... read more»

April Travel Protection, a major insurance supplier in Europe and Latin America, is entering the U.S. market with a full range of travel-insurance products. Available policies cover single trip, year-round, and cancellation/interruption, with optional add-ons for rental-car collision and cancel-for-any-reason coverage.

April's point of focus is to relieve customers of as much stress as possible if something disrupts a trip. Coverages are primary, meaning you don't first have to pay up front or claim from other sources, and the company maintains its own network of representatives to provide 24/7 complimentary travel-assistance services and complimentary concierge services.

How does April stack up against other options? I tested a sample two-week trip to Europe for a couple in the 40-50 age bracket with $3,500 of total cancellation coverage: ... read more»

According to the just-released J.D. Powers 2013 North America Airline Satisfaction Study, U.S.-based flyers are more satisfied with the overall travel experience, and the most satisfied they've been since 2006.

That's been the gist of the headlines reporting on the study. But really, how much more satisfied are they? ... read more»

There's a new wrinkle in American's boarding routine, described on American's website as follows: "We are making it easier than ever for you to get comfortable on board before departure. Now, customers without overhead luggage can board before Group 2."

That means boarding after first-class passengers, those with elite status, Priority Access customers, and so on, but before everyone else.

It's a novel move on American's part. And as with any novel approach, it's hard to clearly envision its ramifications.

It should hasten the boarding process overall, as travelers hoisting their bags into the overhead bins are a notorious chokepoint in filling the cabin. ... read more»

I've been an enthusiastic TripIt user for a few years now, but only recently upgraded to TripIt Pro. And last week, thanks to a diverted flight that caused me to miss my connection, I discovered just how handy one of its features can be.

For those of you who aren't familiar with it, TripIt is a website (and an app) that lets you put all your travel information in one place. Since most of your flight/hotel/car information can be imported, there's not much manual inputting, and it centralizes all the important stuff like confirmation numbers, addresses, and flight times.

With TripIt Pro, you get extras such as flight delay alerts, gate change updates, alternate flight listings, and open seat alerts. ... read more»

Guest blogger Billy Chamberlin is an avid traveler and writer who's always looking to simplify the airline travel experience, such as by making airport parking reservations.When not away on business, he strums away on his banjo and builds model spacecraft.

These days, traveling can be an unpleasant and stressful experience. It seems there are constant barriers in place to make things more inconvenient and irritating. One goal, of course, is to not let these things get to you. If they do, it's usually downhill from there and when you've got a long flight before you, that's one thing you definitely want to avoid. So what can you do to make your personal travel experience much more comfortable? ... read more»

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a plan to establish preclearance for travelers to the U.S. from Abu Dhabi International Airport. Although preclearance is a great for any traveler, lots of folks in the U.S. are questioning the choice of Abu Dhabi.

The idea of preclearance is to make life easier for travelers who are either returning to the U.S. or visiting America on a flight from a foreign country. At a preclearance airport, customs and border patrol officers process and admit travelers into the U.S. just before they board their flights rather than after the flights arrive in the U.S. Preclearance is available at eight large Canadian airports, the Vancouver rail station and its cruise port, four nearby island airports, and Dublin and Shannon in Ireland. ... read more»