WHERE CAN WE FIND THE CHEAPEST TRAVEL INSURANCE?

Q – We will be leaving in three months for a two-week cruise to Greece and Turkey with Sea Dream 1. Picking the cruise was easy, the ship only has 50 cabins and 100 people. But choosing insurance is tougher. How do we find the best deals on travel insurance? A – We’re not going…

CAN YOU FIND US THE ULTIMATE RETIREMENT TRIP?

Q – We would very much like to have your help with planning our ultimate trip, a celebration of my retirement from the financial world with  a month-long journey that might include as much wildlife as possible in Africa as well as, if at all possible, the Amazon. We’re open to what else we might see…

USING MY PHONE ON A CRUISE TO SOUTH AMERICA

Q – We leave for a cruise to South America this winter and we’re already looking forward to it – except for the communications part. Is there any way to cut down on the cost of making a call while still using my regular phone (Android)?  A – There is one rather new technique that…

THE SELECTION AND TRAINING OF A ‘SINGAPORE GIRL”

The “Girl” is more likely a woman, but that aside, no one can deny the status of Singapore Airline’s unrivaled record as one of the World’s Top Three Airlines” for more than a decade. Despite challenges from the new collection of Five-star airlines based in the Middle East, Singapore consistently ranked # 1 or #…

WHICH AIRLINES HAVE THE LOWEST FARES TO EUROPE?

Q – We love reading this site even though it is clearly aimed at the upscale traveler. I suppose we are about fifty-fifty upscale. But we just hate spending money we don’t have to for another inch of chair for eight or nice hours. For a 5-star hotel at the other end yes – but we just…

LOOKING FOR A CHICKEN IN PARIS

Q – Don’t know if you can help with this, but would appreciate it if you can help. I am not a vegetarian but my fiancé and I do not eat meat. We do eat chicken and fish. We will be in Paris for six days in August and we would love to know that…

THE NATION’S LEADING CONSUMER TRAVEL ADVOCATE HAS GONE DIGITAL

Wendy Perrin, the nation’s most respected consumer travel advocate  and the long-time Consumer Editor at Conde Nast Traveler Magazine,  announced her resignation citing differences with the current direction of the publication under its new management team. Just a few days later, Perrin was named to a new position, created just for her,  as Travel Advocate…

A LETTER FROM CHINA: WATCH WHAT YOU EAT

The Chinese government has been facing increasing pressure to improve the quality of its air and its exported toys. But what about domestically produced foods? In an unusually bold step, the Chinese government has banned food production in an agricultural center of approximately 8 million acres. The ongoing production of fruits and vegetables was banned because…

FEWER THAN 100 PEOPLE HOLD MORE WEALTH THAN HALF THE WORLD’S POPULATION

The international charity, Oxfam, has just released a report indicating that the 85 richest people in the world now have $1.7 trillion in personal assets. That means that their personal wealth is now equivalent to the total wealth of 3.5 billion people living with them on the same planet. Never, have so few controlled so much. Several…

HOW DO WE LOSE SEATS THAT WERE CONFIRMED SIX MONTHS AGO?

Q – We will be leaving for a European Cruise booked through Regent Seven Seas in three weeks. We booked the air/sea program and paid extra for an air deviation. We were flying United Airline on a flight from Atlanta that is actually going to be operated by Lufthansa. We have a connection in Frankfurt…

WHICH IRAN TOUR SHOULD WE BOOK?

Q – We have read that Iran is a great destination with friendly people and a great deal to see. Wonder if you agree? We’ve been looking at Travcoa and Mir Tours. They each seem to be operating two departures this year. Which of the two passes your “legitimate Tour Operator” Test? Really enjoying the…

 THE NEW 2014 BEST AT SEA AWARDS  We take pleasure in presenting our 2014 ‘BEST AT SEA AWARDS’ in the “4-5-Star Inclusive Category”. These ratings are based on evaluations from the most respected industry and consumer media sources, our own personal Churchill & Turen Ltd. ship evaluations, and written evaluation reports from more than 1500…

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DESIGNER LUGGAGE IS FOR SELDOM FLYERS

Recent exposure of luggage theft rings operating at LAX and several other major airports, makes it imperative that travelers follow some basic advice when packing. These are the most important rules the pros follow when packing: 01 – Leave any designer luggage or any piece costing more than $200 at home. Thieves will steal the…

ARE ONLINE FLIGHT SEARCHES RIGGED?

Q – Over a period of about 24 months, we’ve noticed that when we start planning our flights for vacation it seems that the prices have always gone up when we are ready to book, often just a day or two later. It happens too often to be a coincidence. Any recommendations or are we…

DO I NEED A VISA FOR TRAVEL TO ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

Q – We have a rather unusual situation. We are traveling with friends on a Baltic cruise this July that includes three full days in St. Petersburg. My mother is quite ill and there is the remote possibility that I could be called during the cruise with the  need to fly out of Russia in a…

HOW MANY COOTIES ARE LIVING ON MY BUSINESS CLASS BLANKET?

Q – Realize yours is not an airline site but I always wonder about the cleanliness of the blankets I find all wrapped up, nice and tidy, on my seat when I am flying Business Class internationally. I’d love to know how often those blankets are actually  cleaned?  I start itching just thinking about it….

ONE QUESTION YOU NEED TO ANSWER

Q – We’ve been following traveltruth  for the past two years and we love every bit of it – but there is one question I don’t think you’ve ever addressed. When is the best time to get awful assigned seats changed to something better? Whenever we call the airlines they say the seating is “closed”. A –…

CAN WE USE CRUISE CREDITS TO REDUCE THE PRICE OF OUR CRUISE?

Q – We will need to make a payment to Celebrity Cruises for our final payment for a two-week cruise to the Mediterranean. We booked it directly with Celebrity and there seems to be some confusion about the credits we were given when we booked with their agent, Joseph. I think we should be allowed…

CAN A FLIGHT ATTENDANT UPGRADE ME?

Q – As a frequent flyer, I have always wondered if a flight attendant has the power to upgrade me to Business Class or even First? I think I’ve seen it happen once or twice, but I can’t be sure the flight attendant did not know the passenger. Just something I’ve wondered about. A –…

POOR COUNTRIES WILL NOT STAY POOR BEYOND 2035 SAYS GATES

Bill and Melinda Gates, who have devoted their current lives to eradicating worldwide starvation and preventable childhood diseases, are predicting that most of the currently underdeveloped world where poverty and starvation currently exist, will rise up to middle class status by 2035. By this date, the Gates believe “there will be almost no poor countries…

WHICH COUNTRIES HAVE REALLY GREAT CREDIT RATINGS?

Q – We were at a friends house last night doing some Pinot Noir blind tastings accompanied by s’mores when the subject of credit ratings for countries came up. A Wall Street player in our group said that he believed that credit agencies that rate businesses also rate countries. I’d really be interested in which…

WILL THE COAST OF NORWAY BE A BOREWAY?

Q – As frequent cruisers, we have to make our minds up quickly about a 16-Day voyage on Regent Seven Seas between Oslo and Copenhagen. This is a cruise pretty much limited to the coast of Norway and St. Petersburg, which we’ve previously visited, is not  on the itinerary. Wondering of you would recommend this specific itinerary?…

GREEK FAMILY SPECTACULAR

Q – We have a rather large, tightly-knit Greek family (so what else is new) and we’re planning to go to the islands in 2016 for a two-week spectacular trip. We thought it best to start now. Of course we’ll have all age groups and some will want to do their own thing. We have some…

CAN WE DO A CUSTOM BEEMER TOUR?

Q – We have three BMW’s in the garage. For our next trip to Europe, we’d love to have a custom trip arranged where we might drive a Beemer on some of Germany’s best roads, with frequent stops for beer and Brotzeit. We know what we want – we just don’t know how to begin….

A PHOTOGRAPHER’S DREAM TRIP

Q – Please don’t use my name but you can say that I am a fairly well-known amateur photographer whose work has appeared in several major publications including AFAR and National Geographic. But I have a day job that finances our photographic journeys. My dream is to take some great photos of Japan’s Mt. Fuji…

CAN WE TURN JAMAICA INTO A MEMORABLE VACATION?

Q – We’re really into traveltruth but we feel you seriously shortchange the Caribbean. There isn’t much objective information about the islands online – they all use the term “paradise” interchangeably.  In three months, we’re off to Jamaica on a corporate reward trip including accommodations at Rose Hall. But we keep hearing negatives about the…

MAY IS THE NEW SEPTEMBER IN EUROPE

There has been a shift in responses to the question “What is the best time to visit Europe?” The response in years past was the summer months. But June through mid-September has seen serious heat inversions in portions of Italy, France, and Spain, along with crowds of students and school’s out backpackers, using the best…

SHOULD I LET MY DAUGHTER GO ON A CRUISE?

Q – Thank you for the information you give about some of the things you need to be careful about on some of these cruise ships. My 17 year-old daughter has asked me to let her go with a friend on a three-night Royal Caribbean Bahamas cruise. Her friends mother will be going, but she…

BIG MOVES TO EUROPE

Q – We have always had a desire to sail the world’s largest ship for a week or so. I’ve heard Royal Caribbean and Carnival ships are huge but we literally want to sail the biggest next summer. Can you tell us which ship that would be? A – The Royal Caribbean Allure of the…