Squeezing a weeks worth of clothing and personal items into a suitcase is no small feat. Blouses get wrinkled, earrings get lost, and the blowdryer you lugged over wont work without an adapter. Here are a few tricks for avoiding rookie mistakes.Photo courtesy of Paravel. Paravel Packing Cube Trio Save space and stay organized with a set of handsome packing cubes that allow you to categorize and separate items — and find them in a

Chicagos OHare International Airport (ORD) is pretty well stocked for a long layover (its the least they can do given their less-than-stellar reputation for delayed flights in and out). They have shopping, food, public art installations, a hotel with a gym, two spas, and a yoga room in Terminal 3.But unless you want to spend your few hours camping out by a power outlet while attempting to watch one Netflix episode with your 20-minutes of fr

While everyone else is refreshing their Instagram feed and hogging the power outlets while on layover, you can make the most of your New York Minute. Act like a New Yorker and beat the waiting game with these mini adventures from JFK Airport. Lose Your Baggage: Storing luggage at the airport costs between $4-$16 per day, depending on the size of your suitcase. You can store at the arrivals section of Terminal 1 (near Alitalia and Olymp

Chances are youve had a layover or two in the ATL. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is consistently ranked among the worlds busiest. Ninety-six million fliers departed or arrived in 2014 (thats a lot of travelers!). Free WiFi, an easy-to-navigate shuttle system, and better-than-most airport food makes it an easy place to spend a few hours. But nothings better than getting out and exploring your surroundings.Lose Your Baggage

Passing through the UAE on a layover with a few hours to spare? Travel writer Jaime Morrison Curtis makes a quick list of Abu Dhabi happenings so that you can make quick work of it when you find yourself in the Emirates capital city.ABU DHABI – Like many major cities, Abu Dhabi acts as a hub for tens of thousands of travelers connecting east to west and north to south every year. One thing that makes the transfer port unique is the unusuall

Think all airline search engines are the same? Think again.When booking flights, its common practice to default to the same old website, for convenience sake, or due to the belief that all search engines return the same results. While theres nothing wrong with using Kayak, its worth knowing about other useful sites and the situations when they may come in handy. Here are a few to keep in mind.Book a Flight, QuickGoogle FlightsGoogles stream

Taking your lap dog on a weekend road trip is one thing. But bringing your potbellied pig on a global sabbatical is a whole other. When it’s hard enough to comprehend TSA’s head-scratching rules for what constitutes a “liquid,” how do you make sense of traveling with your dog, cat, cockatoo, or pygmy goat?Once you consider safety, regulations, and paperwork, you might as well call an expert. So we did: Rosemary Filippelli, vice president of

On our search for the best in travel, we always count on a trusty selection of smartphone apps to help with directions, share special moments, and pass time when stuck in transit. Here are the travel apps were downloading for a summer well spent.Photos courtesy of Stop, Breathe & Think.Stop, Breathe & ThinkSummer travel means traffic. Be mindful. I love the Pasadena-based app for short and sweet meditations on being present and dealing with

Dear Fathom: The world has officially gone mad. But I still want to see it all. What steps can I take to prepare for a worst-case scenario?Dear brave reader,First of all, we commend for your continued interest in the world at large. In light of recent incidences of terror and political upheaval, its tempting to cut down on trips and wait for the worst to blow over.But what if chaos is the new normal? Then its more important than ever to be

For this weeks Travel Loot, were taking a closer look at the Litebook Edge, an iPhone-sized light therapy device that naturally shifts the body clock and helps combat jet lag.Long-haul flights and jumping time zones are all in a days work at Fathom, and Im endlessly fascinated with tips and tricks promising to cure jet lag. The latest? The pocket-size Litebook Edge, which I brought with me on a recent trip to Scotland.THE SCIENCEThe standar

Dear Fathom,Airplane air. Subways and pollution. Unidentifiable food on the plate. Leaving home can wreak havoc on a travelers health, to say nothing for her looks. How can I look good and take care of myself, inside and out, when Im on the road?Dear Gorgeous,We hear you, and weve had that same unidentifiable dinner — and the resulting break-outs, too. We have our tricks but were going to let an expert handle this one. Margo Marrone w

Emily Harteau knows a thing or two about traveling with kids. As we write this, shes driving around the Americas with her husband, Adam, and three-year-old daughter, Colette. Another baby is on the way! You can read all about their tales on Our Open Road. Heres how she high-tails it with a toddler in tow.1. GET THEM INVOLVEDBefore you depart, tell your child where youre going, point it out on a map, talk about the plans — get them exc

What if you could book a beautiful room at a tasteful hotel for less than expected in the time it takes to ride the elevator down from work? We test out a new last-minute booking app thats bringing a touch of spontaneity to the staycation experience.Theres a lot you can do with a smartphone during your daily NYC commute. You can check all of your social media accounts, chip away at the neverending stream of emails, and order your usual from

Before the end of summer strikes (that was fast), were taking a moment to tip our hat to the seasons best new hotel openings. Sixteen have caught our eye around the world since our last installment of Hottest Hotel Openings in May.Without a doubt, Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski La Habana, Cubas first five-star luxury hotel, was one of the most highly anticipated arrivals of the season. Closer to home on Long Islands North Fork, the new under-

Dream of freeing yourself from the confines of your cubicle? Youre not alone, and theres a solution for you. Global destinations with low costs of living, great weather, and welcoming vibes are becoming hotbeds for digital nomads. These co-working spaces offer day passes, short-term memberships, community support, and awesome views. Taking work on the road to a far-flung destination sounds like the ultimate travel fantasy. Putting up w

Wonder where Tel Avivians go for a domestic refresh? Local journalist Lotte Beilin shares a few of her favorite Israeli escapes.TEL AVIV – Israels second city is your modern, vibrant, innovative, and cool Mediterranean destination. But even with the cuisine, the markets, the people, and the parties, there comes a time when escaping the city for fresh air and peace and quiet just makes sense. Whether youre in the market for a weekend getaway

Do your eyes glaze over at the mere mention of travel insurance? You’re not alone. Ours did, too, so we did some investigating. There’s no quick and easy answer to when or whether you should buy coverage. Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it doesn’t. Below, answers to a few frequently asked questions. First things first. What is travel insurance?Travel insurance is a guarantee that you will be compensated in the event that you lose o

This holiday season, give yourself a gift: A well-deserved solo vacation to one of these far-flung destinations. Splurge on the airline ticket. Go cheap on the rest.A trip for one can be incredibly freeing and fulfilling. There are no schedules to coordinate. No people to appease. Just a few days on the road where the only thing you have to worry about is calling your own shots. That said, traveling alone can also be alienating. How do you

The best gift parents can give themselves is a vacation that actually feels like a vacation.The kids are off from school, but that doesn’t exactly make it a holiday for the grown-ups. Here are five awesome hotels and resorts with just the right combination of nature, landscape, aesthetics, food, and activities to warrant some good, old-fashioned family fun.Beldi Country ClubWhere: Marrakech, MoroccoWhat’s to love: Your Moroccan dreamscape f

DK, publishers of the beloved Eyewitness Travel guidebooks and maps, have selected their top ten destinations for travelers in 2018. How many are on your bucket list?1. South AfricaIts the 100th birthday celebration of anti-apartheid icon and South African president Nelson Mandela. To celebrate the centennial of the countrys beloved Madiba, there will be numerous exhibitions, programs, sporting events, parades, and happenings delving into t