Travel In Life

On August 21 a total solar eclipse will be visible within a band across the entire United States. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon crosses between Earth and the sun, blocking out the view of the sun. June 8, 1918 — nearly a century ago — was the last time the US was witness to such phenomena.

If roughing it in the French wilderness sounds like your idea of adventure, then here’s a reason to book your next flight to France tout de suite: the company Refuges Périurbains (peri-urban shelters) is offering visitors a chance to spend a night in one of their owl-shaped cabins for free.

Want to vacation like American fashion designer and icon Betsey Johnson? Well now you can — and it looks pretty fabulous. The 74 year-old Johnson is offering fans and vacationers alike the chance to live her whimsical lifestyle at her Mexican villa. Johnson’s pad, located in Zihuatanejo, Mexico is now available to rent on Airbnb for $618 per night. It’s a pretty reasonable alternative should Gwyneth Paltrow’s Mexican villa be out of reach at $8,000 a night.

Europeans have been doing the wine thing so well for so long that it’s no shocker they felt the need to take things up a notch. Dig deep and (literally) dive into these two wild new wine experiences.

Nostalgic for summer camp? It doesn’t get any more Troop Beverly Hills than these five accommodations, where you can relive your childhood heyday—but in a lot more style. If you’ve ever been to Oak Bluffs, then you know it’s pretty camp-like. If not, picture brightly-colored cookie cutter houses everywhere and you’re in the iconic OB.

For a country that’s big on the siesta, you might be surprised to learn that Spain’s first nap bar opened just recently. Located in Madrid, Siesta & Go offers beds by the minute or hour, so you can get your midday snooze on. Inspired by similar concepts popping up around the globe in places like London and Dubai, Siesta & Go hopes that locals and travelers alike will find that a place for a quick nap or quiet work will prove worth paying for.

Thinking about investing in a vacation home, but don’t want to totally break the bank? There are plenty of homes up and down the East Coast—close to beaches and local attractions—that would make a great second home to escape to that may be within your means. And here’s the thing: Your “second” home doesn’t have to be the second home you own. Forever renters might like to make an affordable getaway like these their very first home purchase.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve been advised against living my life in a bubble. But what about spending the night in one? At Iceland’s Buubble Hotel, guests can experience the upside of intentional isolated living. According to Dwell, the self-proclaimed “5-million star hotel” is situated in a forest a couple of hours outside of Reykjavik and consists of five transparent bubble units.

If you’re starting to think about fall travel, you’re in luck. Southwest Airlines is celebrating its 46th birthday, and you get the gift. But the sale ends soon, so snag your flights now. The sale is for destinations across the US, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and one way fares start at just $39. The prices are good on trips between August 22 and December 16, and yes, there are blackout dates that apply (sorry, Thanksgiving travelers).

Exploring the entire world on foot sounds like an impossible feat, especially considering the fact that water covers nearly 71 percent of the Earth’s surface. Even for a mermaid, we’d venture to say that making a trip around the globe without the assistance of modern transportation is asking for a bit much. Luckily though, morphing into a half-human, half-sea creature isn’t necessary to get the exploratory deed done, thanks to this spectacular walkable world map in Denmark.

When you’re traveling, where you stay doesn’t have to be just a place to sleep and keep your things—it can also add a lot to your experience. Sure, you can book a hotel, but there are so many more unique options available —vacation homes that are a surreal adventure on their own; places that are beyond Instagram-worthy levels of cool that you’ll remember forever. And while some of these stays are expensive, many of them are surprisingly affordable, too.

Getaway. Escape. Whatever you want to call it. Your summer vacation need not be an extravagant European adventure in order to be relaxing. In fact, it’s better if it isn’t. When you really need to take a break from city life, you probably want something close, affordable and, above all else, like a home away from home. These 5 vacation rentals fit the bill, if you’re a New Yorker.

Is there anything cuter than a tiny house? The answer is yes, and it’s a tiny bookstore. One pair of teeny home builders just made a structure that’s booking it across France—as a traveling book shop. How novel! The young couple behind tiny house company La Maison Qui Chemine just completed something a little different—a mobile book store.

How much do you wish you could just snap your fingers right now and escape to a relaxing—but totally Instagram-worthy—beach house? You deserve a vacation, so if the sun and sand are calling to you, it might be worth it to browse some beachy Airbnbs—at the very least, you can daydream, but maybe you’ll wind up planning a trip, too. To get you started, here are some totally dreamy beach houses from all over the United States available for rent right now.

For many travelers, simply hearing the word airport induces instant anxiety. However, if you’re among the well-heeled making your way through LAX, there’s a new luxury terminal for VIP travelers that will definitely provide a welcome respite from the typical airport mayhem. Dubbed “The Private Suite,” the exclusive $22 million terminal opened on May 15. It offers the ultimate service for its posh passengers, who can afford to not be stressed out when they travel.

Think about it: if you had an unlimited budget and could live anywhere in the world, where would you go and what would your dream home be like? For a little taste of opulence, we looked through listings for apartments and penthouses in Burj Khalifa, which stands at 160 stories, making it the world’s tallest building (maybe in your dreams you’re not afraid of heights either?) located in Downtown Dubai.

With summer right around the corner, one of the cheaper times to fly is actually before Memorial Day kick-off weekend, not after. Consider one of these buzz-worthy cities for a quick jaunt and then you can get back to your regularly scheduled programming of pool parties, BBQs, and lazy beach days. Bon voyage!

As much as we love spending time on social media, some of the unexpected burdens it brings kind of make us want to log off permanently. Just kidding – that probably won’t ever happen, but while we’re sharing, we shouldn’t allow ourselves to become so blinded by the likes that we stop prioritizing the need to protect ourselves online.

Taking a vacation is a surefire way to get in some serious relaxation time, but what about when you come back from your trip? If your return consists of meandering home from the airport, lugging in your suitcases and trying to get yourself together to go into the office the next day—and just the thought of it is already stressing you out—you might want to consider tacking an extra day off onto the end of your vacation, when you can.

Sanrio fans, now you don’t need to head to Asia to sip a latte featuring your favorite cartoon cat (or—sorry—girl). There’s now a Hello Kitty themed café in Southern California. With a lot of pink and even a neon sign of Hello Kitty’s face, the café is located in the Westfield Santa Anita mall in Arcadia, and had its grand opening this weekend. This permanent version comes after a pop up was a huge success in Irvine last summer.

So, you’ve never left the country before, but your sense of wanderlust is strong. Going abroad can feel super intimidating and the process might seem overwhelming, but it’s totally worth it to get to experience the world and finally visit the places you’ve been dreaming about. If you’re a first time international traveler, here’s what you need to know.

Need a break from your everyday routine? If you’re thinking about taking a vacation but don’t know where to go—or where is budget-friendly—you’re in luck. There are plenty of international destinations that don’t cost a fortune to fly to, and tons of resources available to help you plan your trip. Here are 10 of the cheapest destinations to fly to in April, and links to blog posts and guides to get you started.

You don’t have to be a member of the Night’s Watch to defend this wall. With a mere click on Airbnb and $55, this tiny home in Butzbach, Germany’s medieval wall (yes, in the wall!) can be under your care for the night. While there are certainly no shortage of quirky and famous Airbnbs to be had, according to German newspaper, Frankfurter Allgemeine, these particular homes are record-breaking.

Feeling like you could use a vacation soon? You’re not alone—we’re daydreaming about travel, too. If you’re thinking about treating yourself to a trip, we’ve got you covered. Here are 10 of the cheapest destinations to fly to in the US in April, and some cool, local things to do while you’re there.

Dreaming of taking your first solo trip? Traveling in general can be an amazing experience, but going it alone can also be incredibly freeing. You can do whatever you want when you want to, and you don’t have to worry about appeasing anyone else with your plans. It can also push you out of your comfort zone and help you grow as a person.

If you’ve been known to indulge in the occasional (or perhaps daily) shower beer, we have a hotel for you. Scottish brewery BrewDog is crowdfunding a new hotel in Ohio that will be right up your alley. The new hotel, called the DogHouse, will be attached to the company’s just-opened Columbus brewery and is set to debut alongside their new sour beer program in Q3 2018.

Looking to visit the country of wine, steak, and tango? Argentina announced a travel deal that will save you quite a bit on your stay in the beautiful South American country. Effective as of January 2, all international travelers to Argentina receive a reimbursement on the Value Added Tax (VAT) on all hotel stays and lodging.

Morgan’s dream of living in Europe was a topic even on her first date with her partner Matt. “Matt had never been to Europe before, but it wasn’t long until we booked out first trip together and he caught the travel bug,” writes Morgan. Three years after that first date, Matt got the opportunity to open his company’s European office. And they had a pick of pre-approved countries like Ireland, England, Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands!

Greenery, Pantone’s 2017 Color of the Year, represents our (re)connection to nature. To solidify that (without actually having to sleep outside during, you know, winter), Airbnb has introduced an “Outside In” home in collaboration with Pantone to celebrate this year’s fresh hue.

For many of us, crossing several popular destinations off a travel bucket list in a single trip sounds like the stuff of dreams – or lottery wins. However, if you’re more than ready to live out your wanderlust fantasies and exchange that lotto scratch-off for a train ticket, then we have wonderful news for you: here’s a train trip across the country that costs only $213.

Tucked away in the gated Ocean Park community in San Juan, The Dreamcatcher guesthouse features nine unique rooms and three suites, each one featuring its own distinct style. And though The Dreamcatcher became a beautiful space organically, co-owners Sylvia and Stephan put in countless hours and hard work, as most major renovation projects require.

Sometimes I feel like I can’t log into social media without being launched headfirst into an ocean of travel envy. There’s always at least one friend Snapchatting European museums or idyllic beaches while I’m sitting at home, saving up my pennies and making more plans for my own set of adventures—which in turn tends to lead to extensive research on how to make those sorts of grand adventures more affordable.

We all have our holiday traditions—from special recipes to fun activities, everyone has an interesting take on celebrating, and that’s not just limited to differences between families. Around the world, different countries and cultures have unique and beautiful holiday traditions to learn about.

Finding the motivation to hit the gym has to be one of the most exhausting aspects of adulting. We could probably think of a million different ways to make routine workouts more appealing (beginning with the death of all treadmills), but burning calories on the Paris Navigating Gym that’s designed to float down the River Seine sounds like the perfect place to test a revised approach to fitness.

It can be jarring, to say the least, returning to reality after a glorious vacation. Whether you spent a week sunning yourself on the white sandy beaches of some tropical isle or shredding the powdery slopes at a ski lodge, holding on to your vacation-mind’s sense of zen can seem hopeless once you have to dive back in to to the daily grind.

Airbnb, once just a place to list your apartment or book a room, is becoming a full-circle travel platform. This week, the company announced Trips, an immersive way to plan and enjoy your travel experience. Announced at the opening keynote of their Airbnb Open festival in LA on Friday, Trips is now available as an update to your Airbnb app and is launching with three areas: Homes, Places, and Experiences.

Does the spectacular woman on the right look familiar? We’ve not only toured photographer Kerry Maloney’s colorful and quirky New Orleans French Quarter abode, we’ve marveled over her personal fashion (and costume) style. Kerry and her travel partner, Jessica Fender, have even shared their best pointers for on looking good while on the move.

When Andy Williams (and every other singer who’s ever released a cover of the song) sang “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” he obviously wasn’t thinking about the whole holiday travel thing. Whether you’re flying, driving, or taking a train or a bus, there’s no getting around the fact that sometimes traveling during the holidays just, well… sucks.

Sometimes, there’s no beating being home for the holidays: quality time with family and old friends, cozying up into your childhood digs, and, of course, mom’s cooking. But over the years, the downsides of family get-togethers start to become more apparent: being volunteered as the party babysitter, steering your Aunt Marlene away from the eggnog, biting into a bad batch of grandma’s gingerbread cookies… you get the picture.

Whether you’re traveling across the country or just enjoying a staycation in your own neighborhood, time spent at a hotel can get expensive, fast. Aside from throwing down cash for the room rate, there’s also parking fees, room service, and tips—the list goes on. However there are few things you can do that, added up, will save you a nice chunk of money that can be better spent on more important things (read: margaritas and massages).

Globe-traveling, curio-collecting, working professionals by day and co-creators of an animated series by night. They’re building a life together rooted in a love of travel and exploration, fueled by intellectual curiosity and creativity. They’re smart and warm and possess Jedi-level cocktail making skills. Here’s life with Mark and Noelle… Mark and Noelle live in a flat in Chicago’s Avondale/Logan Square neighborhood.

As a travel lover (and chronic over-packer), I’ve researched and prepared for many trips—from weekend getaways to months abroad—only to get so frustrated with myself when I realize (usually mid-trip) that I definitely didn’t need to bring that third pair of heels. Here are six things to ditch while packing for your trip. Think of it as the Kon-Mari method for your suitcase.

With Labor Day come and gone (it always happens so fast, doesn’t it?) we can’t help but feel those end-of-summer blues. But just because school’s back in session, that doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t jet off to enjoy those last fleeting warm days. Choose your location wisely, and you could avoid high-season crowds and overpriced hotels, all while soaking in those late summer days.

When done for pleasure, travel is almost always fun and exciting. After all, you get to see brand new places, try out new cuisines and maybe even relax a little. Business travel, however, feels a lot more like, well… work. Traveling for business purposes is fairly common in the U.S.: The Bureau of Transportation Statistics says that Americans rack up more than 405 million long-distance trips for business each year.

Ahh summer vacations. We never want them to end. One of the highlights of returning home, however, is being able to infuse your space with some of those unforgettable memories. I’m a big fan of collecting travel treasures, but another way you can keep the vacation vibes going all year long is by allowing the local flavor of the destination itself to inspire your décor.

It’s entirely possible I coordinate my summers around when and which national parks I can visit. I’m pretty sure I owe this moderate obsession with America’s coolest outdoor spaces to the brainwashing I received as a child (thanks, Dad), but because today is the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, a little extra national park love is definitely in order.

There’s a common realization many remote workers are having, likely while sitting in front of a computer at home still in their PJs (I speak from experience). It goes a little something like this: “Hey, wait a minute… I don’t have to work from home. I could actually work from anywhere.

Summer is slowly coming to an end, which means it’s time to get serious about crossing things off your summer bucket list. If you haven’t already taken a summer vacation, make that a top priority. Yes, sunshine-drenched days at the beach and lounging by the pool sipping margaritas are limited, but there’s still plenty of time to plan an epic end-of-summer getaway. Here are seven reasons why now is actually the perfect time to indulge in a delicious summer vacation.

What better way to truly break away from your everyday routine than spending your next vacation at the home of a celebrity? On top of A-list amenities like cocktail bars, tennis courts and private beaches, you also get the added bonus of saying you slept in Leonardo DiCaprio’s bed (without looking completely crazy).

I’ve spent far too much time telling anyone who will listen that my two goals this summer are: one, buy a variety of visors. And two, hang out around some lighthouses. I’m well on my way to knocking goal number one out of the park, but had to do a little more research to make my lighthouse dream a reality. If you’ve also been pining for a long stroll on a beach in a J.

In the mid 1970s my mother and her best friend, Emily, took me, my brother, and Emily’s daughter on vacation. They were two single moms exploring the world and trying to find a relaxing vacation with restless children. Years later, I discovered that Emily wrote down the events of the trip and I LOVED it. Below is her lighthearted account of what it was like to visit Grossingers, an iconic Catskills retreat for decades, catering to Jewish clientele from New York City.

Every year, around this time, my family and I take a trip from Minneapolis to Seattle. My husband and I first went when I was pregnant with our daughter. For our next two trips it was just the three of us. The following year the three of us were jointed by her little brother, in my belly. And now the four of us have been together twice. The reoccurring theme? Rushing!

Road trips are a great way to get out of town on the cheap, and record numbers of people are hitting the road on vacation this summer. But before you hop on the subway to pick up your rental car, it’s a smart idea to brush up on both driver’s ed and driver’s etiquette so you can be summer road trip savvy. It boils down to two things.

You can set airfare alerts and AirBNB your heart out. But a “budget” vacation can get financially out of hand fast if you’re not careful about how much you spend. When you plan an afternoon at the shops the same way you might plan a museum visit or a day at the beach, you’re shopping just for the sake of shopping. And it’s the worst thing you can do if you’re trying to save money while traveling.

When I’m planning a trip, the main financial factor I consider is the cost of the actual traveling, whether it’s by plane, train, bus or car. Airfare and lodging especially can be overwhelmingly expensive, so it’s tempting to consider these the true price of the travel, but there are so many other costs that can creep up on you. In addition to wages lost if you don’t get paid time off, here are ten expenses that can surprise you on even the thriftiest of vacations.

They soar among us: cheery travelers for whom the airport is not a soul-crushing penitentiary. Footloose vagabonds who shun nonstop trips and relish the void between connecting flights. Clear-eyed passengers who gaze up at the departure screen, see a five-hour delay and think, This could be fun! We talked to 21 of them to learn how exactly they pass—and enjoy—the time.

The sharing economy isn’t just for the young. The Freebird Club is an Airbnb-like service that connects traveling seniors with seniors who have spare rooms. There are a few notable differences between Airbnb and Ireland-based Freebird Club: mostly, that the host always stays (the idea is to foster connections); and it’s members-only, so the over-50 pay a fee to join and use the service. Freebird Club makes it easier for seniors to travel, knowing they won’t be in a place alone.

If the idea of spending your vacation making a leather belt, block printing your own table runner or weaving a modern floral crown, appeals to you more than sightseeing or sunbathing, a crafting retreat might be just the vacation you need.

Raise your hand if you have a problem packing light. Ok, yeah, so… everybody ought to run down this brief un-packing list before their next trip. Your goal might be making more room in the suitcase, but the real advantage to learning to pack light is ensuring a stress-free journey every step of the way. Less stuff equals less weight to carry, fewer things to keep track of, and fewer choices to make when you get dressed in the morning.

I’m writing this post on a Sunday evening, having just returned from a four-day trip to Stockholm. It was my first visit to the Swedish capital and, as is my wont, I aimed to fill my short time in the city with design-centric museums, galleries, and attractions. In this major center for Scandinavian style, it wasn’t difficult. If you’ve got a jaunt to this fascinating town in your future, read on for three ideas on how to fill your time there.

Getting to know the lay of the land in a new place isn't so hard, if you know what to do and where to look.

If you’re up for getting down with offbeat destinations on your late summer road trips (abandoned asylums! A ventriloquism museum! Ghost towns! A house made of newspaper! The world’s largest six pack!…of beer), check out Atlas Obscura, a gem of a resource for discovering the curious and the wondrous. Atlas Obscura is a collaborative online travel guide celebrating hidden and lesser-known treasures, and their motto is that something worth exploring exists around every corner.

Part of the glory of vacation is staying in a whole new place, full of new sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and experiences. However, sometimes a vacation home can feel a bit too new and unknown: what was that noise, where’s that weird smell coming from, and where is everything – I can’t find anything?!? Here are 10 ways to make your summer home-away-from-home feel homey.

Bracing yourself against the waves of envious, exotic trips that will be flooding your Instagram feed now that summer’s almost here? Whether you’ve got your own exciting vacation coming up or you have to stay closer to home this summer, you don’t have to take off time from work to unwind. Use these quick tips to make any weekend feel like a mini vacation.

We’ve discussed staycations many times, and lauded them as great ways to both save money on hotels and travel and get to feel like tourists in our own city. But what about honeymooning at home? Could a week off from work, perhaps with a housekeeper, lounging about and/or doing all the things you always wish you had time for (both on the town and at home, heh-heh) be the sweetest honeymoon? Has anyone done this?

Vacation season is finally here! You know to make travel plans and pack (that’s the fun part!), but don’t forget to do these things around your home that will keep it clean, protected and even conserve some energy while you’re gone. • Change the sheets — When you come home from your trip exhausted, nothing will make you happier to be home than falling into a fresh bed.

Whether your next vacation is in a foreign place with lots of exotic plans or somewhere a little closer to your own backyard, before you leave for your next trip, consider making these four promises to yourself. You just might find yourself not only enjoying your vacation more, but getting more out of it, too. For your next trip, promise that you… This is a tough one (and one that I fail at miserably). This could be your first and last time in _______ city, right?

Have some trips coming up (for business or pleasure)? Want to know how to glide through the airport, not break a sweat on a road trip and in general, enjoy the act of traveling — the actual getting from one place to another — a bit more? Take a page out of the notebook of travelers who never seem mussed or frustrated with these stress-less secrets.

If you’ve shopped at IKEA before you know that it’s more than a store – it’s an experience. And one of my favorite parts of the experience is the restaurant. Since I don’t go often, I stick to the classics, namely the omnipresent meatballs.

October was a month full of travel for me; I think I only spent one or two nights at home at a time. It was equal parts exciting and exhausting, but I’m happy to be back home—for good this time. Funny enough, an extended vacation away from your apartment can actually teach you a lot about how you live your life at home. Here are three things you’ll only discover once you’ve spent some time away.

How many times have you returned home from a fantastic vacation, only to hear yourself telling someone that you’re so exhausted you need another one to recover? The pace of modern life is making it increasingly difficult for us to switch off, and time away from home can end up being just as stressful, albeit more fun, than our everyday lives. Read on for some tips on how to really unwind on your vacation.

When my husband and I are choosing a vacation destination we are seeking a way to have fun, relax, see new things, and have a memorable experience. What if your hotel alone could give you all that and more?This list of unique hotels go above and beyond the normal boutique or bed and breakfast experience. The whole concept of these unusual accommodations is to give their guests an experience that they couldn’t get anywhere else.