Smart Traveler

  By Bill Triplett When you’ve got a long flight ahead of you, few things are more comforting than the thought of a cushy seat in business class. On a recent trip from New York to Santiago, Chile – about 10 hours over 5,000 miles, as the 787 flies – I had

  by Geri Bain Nestled into the Tuscan hills, just a 40 minute drive from Siena and within walking and biking distance of many historic and picturesque towns, Hotel Adler Thermae Spa and Relax Resort, covered in a recent article  makes a wonderful home base for enjoying Tuscany.  The resort

    By Geri Bain Relaxing in the naturally-heated thermal lagoon-like pool at the Hotel Adler Thermae Spa & Relax Resort, I met couples and families from Italy, Germany, England and Switzerland as well as a handful of Americans. Many described the resort as their vacation home; a place they

by Buzzy Gordon The Dead Sea has been extolled throughout history for its healing properties. While thousands of sufferers from psoriasis, rheumatoid disorders and other diseases flock annually to its shores and waters for relief, just about everyone can benefit from the overall sense of well-being imparted by the planet’s

By Gary Walther On the first full day at Mountain Trek, a tall, silver-haired figure slides through the side door of the dining room at 7:40, walks over to a shelf, picks up an old-fashioned alarm clock (the kind one winds with a key), and then plants himself at the

  By Jules Older   For travelers, there’s no shortage of toys and tools, gear and gadgets. The best of the lot make great gifts to go. Here are some of my favorites.   Trekking Poles You will get funny looks. You will be asked, oh, five times per mile,

By Mary Alice kellogg Sometimes SpaWatcher yearns for a simpler, time-warp era, when not every treatment had deep psychological/spiritual meaning and homework. A time when a massage didn’t necessarily thrash your innards for your own good, even if those pressure points needed a jackhammer to release tension. Something nice would

  By Everett Potter A southern airport named for a political power couple ranks as the nation’s worst. But don’t blame partisanship—Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, AR, earned the lowest score from a consensus of travelers. They voted in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards survey,

By Everett Potter Portland, OR, has a reputation for hipsters, but its airport makes a positive impression on all kinds of travelers thanks to quality food and shopping options and the likelihood of an on-time departure. So, if your next itinerary includes PDX—rated the nation’s No. 1 airport—consider yourself lucky.

By Mary Alice Kellogg Are we deluged with television ads for hotel booking sites? We are. Are we confused as to which give the best prices and customer service? It goes without saying. Can we trust the hotel reviews on the sites? Caveat emptor, say savvy travelers. Recently this reporter