South of France to Rome, Italy: Why So Hard?

When I leave today for Rome from sunny Montpellier, I will walk to the end of my street and board an express train to Nice. I have an hour and a half layover in Nice - just enough time to stroll down to the sea while munching on a delicious sandwich from Paul - [...]

Heathrow Terminal 5! Pull Yourself Together!

OMG Heathrow Terminal 5, you are a mess. Get it together, mate. Come on.
First there was the fact that the architects, engineers and designers seemed to have overlooked including one passenger-accessible electrical outlet. Hello! It’s the 21st century calling, permission to plug in, please.
Then there was the crazy biometrics - all [...]

Around the World in 80… Airports

The Old Grey Lady had an article recently about traveling on a single, round the world ticket. Michelle Higgins fills the article with enough facts and numbers to choke a horse, but it’s compelling reading worth a perusal.
I’d like to discuss two things that caught my eye about this article. The first one [...]

Airline Travel - Open Letter to Bill Gates (Yes, Really.)

There was an interesting article in the New York Times about the apparent decline in services, amenities and even common courtesy in the cheap seats on airplanes. OK, well, the article’s alright but they received over 400 comments on it, and the comments are where all the action is. The comments range from [...]

The Price of Love: A Cheap Flight to Madrid

Cal and I have had quite a year. Actually, for everyone I know - with almost no exception - 2007 has been a year of what I’ve taken to calling “life-altering shitstorms.” QUITE a year.
For me, I went through an ugly legal battle after being laid off from my job. Man, was [...]

Coming to a Parisian Bistro Nowhere Near You

MK has booked her flight! She’s coming over for a weekend. Arriving Friday, leaving Monday. MK is a dedicated friend and most honored travel addict. Either that, or she just really likes red wine and baguettes.
I simply got a forwarded email of her flight details, but a screen shot speaks a [...]

Girls’ Weekend in Paris

I am just a princess.
The Queen Mum of travel addiction is my dear friend and gentlest reader MK. I got a fevered email from her just the other evening:
Just home from Costa Rica, let’s talk Paris baby.
She had just returned from a week-long vacation with three other adults and four children under the age [...]

Terrifying Airplane Landings

Gentlest reader Cyntata has alerted me to quite possibly the most terrifying plane landing I have seen since 9/11.  I’m not saying that as a joke - all kinds of crazy panicky feelings came up when I watched it.  But, watch it I did - over, and over, and over again.
Apparently, a vacation on St. [...]

Of Flight Patterns and Satellites and Maps

This post from a guy named Hoon is absolutely mesmerizing. He has done amazing things with some sort of technology that I can’t begin to understand, but he’s made a dreamy landscape of America through 24 hours of flight patterns. It’s perfect to watch first thing on a lazy Saturday morning.
Also, he is [...]

Discount Airlines in Europe

Does everyone know about wikitravel?
I’m sure everyone does, but I feel like it’s my own little secret. It’s basically wikipedia, but for traveling. I really love it and find it immensely useful, but the thing I don’t love is that there is not a specific section describing the gay community in its city [...]