If you’re interested in getting an inside view of a famous writer, don’t visit a museum or a library, get an inside view your favorite’s writer’s life by visiting their home. So where can you go to get an inside view of a writer’s life? One option is Ernest Hemingway’s former home and office in Key West. Everything is how he left it, right down to the furniture he used and the art he collected. Even the cats that stray around the property are descendants of one owned by Hemingway.

Mark Twain’s whimsical 19-room mansion is in Hartford, Connecticut. Twain’s personal library is there, too, so you can see what one of America’s greatest writers was reading. Edgar Allen Poe’s house …

While the majority of Americans use the Internet to research travel destinations, you may be missing out on good information in another language. There are now a growing number of online translation services that could open up more direct sources of destination information even if you can only speak English.

Online-Translator.com allows you to enter web addresses and will translate the pages into English from French, Russian, German, Italian, and Spanish. Google is also now offering software that translates entire web pages, offering the major Romance languages as well as Russian, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, too. WorldLingo.com is free for phrases up to 150 words, but you’ll have to pay to translate more than that. Babylon.com offers …

The euro is already the currency for 14 countries in Europe, and more are slated to start using it soon. The strong euro is one reason why Europe has become more expensive, but there are still parts of the continent where you can experience European culture without paying with expensive euros.

If a honeymoon heralds your life as a couple, make it your nature to go green with a holiday that’s easy on Mother Earth.

Green is the new white… for weddings, that is.

With an increasing number of couples opting for eco-nuptials - everything from recycled paper invitations with soy-based ink to organic flower petal confetti - it’s only natural that the honeymoon gets a green makeover, too.

The prospect of a lower-stress vacation lures some couples through the eco door.

When subtropical storm Andrea became the first named storm of the hurricane season–about three weeks before the official hurricane season begins June 1–it raised concerns among many in hurricane-prone areas that this might be a particularly dangerous hurricane season.

Indeed, most climate scientists say that global warming could greatly increase the number and intensity of hurricanes. But after the high-profile devastation wrought by Katrina in 2005, many hurricane-prone destinations began offering what is generally known as a “Hurricane Guarantee.”

With most hurricane guarantees, the hotel, resort, or travel provider either gives guests full refunds, or allows guests to rebook their lost vacations within one year. But the policy usually only applies if an actual …

Looking for a family bonding experience that’s more than just board game night? Here’s an idea you probably haven’t heard…prison hotels.

May 17, 2007

If you believe current predictions, 10 million Americans are expected to take a foreign vacation this summer. However, it’s now the end of May, and if you don’t yet have a passport, your options for international travel this summer may have just about evaporated.

There’s usually a backlog at this time of year when it comes to applying for a new passport (or renewing an expired one), but this year, that backlog has gotten out of control. On average, the delay in getting a new passport is up to 17 weeks!

That’s more than FOUR months!

August is usually the busiest travel month in much of the world. But here’s where it’s not, and thus where you might score some great deals. While the off seasons can often yield deals, remember, there’s usually a reason…it’s the off season. And it’s usually a weather-related reason.

On the Gulf Coast and the Caribbean, it’s hurricane season, so be sure to get travel insurance that covers this possibility. If you want to make a cheap destination even cheaper, try India in August. Prices at the Grand Hyatt Mumbai drop by more than a third in August compared to April. Just beware of monsoon season, which varies a bit depending on the part of India you’re in, but is …