Q: I’m looking to plan out a 5/6 night Caribbean March break for my family (wife, two kids, 19 & 22) during spring break 2012. We’re looking for a rest — w/swimming, snorkeling, boating, etc. And we’re on your basic kids-in-college budget. We’re open to going to a variety...

Rigid New Year’s resolutions have a limited place in travel, where patience, understanding and flexibility are the building blocks to a successful trip. Most of the meltdowns I observed on the road in 2011 came when people refused to accept that plans had changed or didn’t do enough research about...

It’s the time of the year where I start ordering gift baskets or a box of chocolates for certain far-flung relatives. Before my trip to Switzerland earlier this fall, I would have flipped through a Harry & David catalog, ordering whatever bonbons looked the tastiest. Now, though, my chocolate...

No one enjoys flipping through hundreds of disorganized vacation photos. Follow these tips to organize your best photos and learn how to share travel photos effectively with friends and family. This post previously appeared on Frommers.com Everyone gets a little snap-happy on vacation, some people more...

Photo courtesy of walknboston, Flickr Creative Commons Note: Techcrunch came out with a story yesterday about a blogger who reported that her house was ransacked when an Airbnb client stayed at her house. Weeks ago, Frommer’s had asked me to write this home rental safety column in response to the...

This post previously appeared on Frommers.com Wine bottles break. You may think that you’ve packed that Bordeaux safely inside your suitcase, stuffing the vintage between your clothes or putting a sock over the delicate neck. But it’s still a bottle — and it still can break. I learned...

This post previously appeared on Frommers.com It’s a foodie world out there, judging by the popularity of the Food Network and shows such as Top Chef, Ace of Cakes, and Kitchen Nightmares. And Americans now consume more wine than any other nationality, topping France for the first time in 2010,...

A few people have asked me what people need to do to join a Mardi Gras krewe (and how much it costs).Most krewes, especially the older ones, have closed memberships that have, in some cases, been handed down through families for generations. New Orleans holds its traditions tight, so you have a better...

Even people who fly often can be prone to travel mistakes. And boy, I just made a doozy that cost me $1,000 to fix. I discovered the problem yesterday, when I went to book a car for my upcoming trip to New Orleans. I had considered myself a savvy traveler this Mardi Gras and had saved money – I...

There are few things more difficult than dieting while traveling. You’re grabbing food on the go in airports. You’re eating out most of your meals. Plus it’s hard to escape that feeling of “hey, you’re on vacation! Another pina colada please!” Unfortunately, that...