A generation ago, young travelers hit the road with nothing more than a backpack, a few dollars and a Eurail pass to cover as many Western European countries as possible.

But these days, that Eurail pass can take travelers far past the west-to-east borders, all the way to the Black Sea.

Already jaded by her Western European experiences, Dara Bramson reports on her journey south and east as part of a new generation of intrepid backpackers.

Airlines have become notorious for stringing travelers up like piñatas and beating them with frivolous fees. Now, American Express wants to take a swing.

Starting January 1, the credit card company is enacting a new policy that could cost you the points or miles you earned with your card—if you don’t pay your bill on time.

Dear Peter,
I know it’s our tradition to leave notes for each other in hotels around the world and for me to send you these electronic postcards as I travel on my own, but today I have decided to begin the Napa Bottle Blog since I am out and about doing the entire area scene.

There’s going to be a Born to Shop California Wine Country, so I will have a lot more to report on besides Napa, but right now I am living in the Westin Verasa in East Napa, California.

“Signoreeeeena. Learn to lean out! You’ll never see anything with your face in the rock.”

My alpine guide is truly baffled. By the kung fu grip I’ve asserted on the limestone, which only loosens with the shaking of ankles and perspiring of palms, I’m starting to resemble a Garfield plush cling.

The internal dialogue has officially spiraled out of control: I can’t do this. I’m going to plummet. To an untimely demise. Do not cry do not cry do not cry… Do. Not. Cry.

Dear Peter,

I am about to do a huge tour of Napa and California Wine Country for a new book, so I kicked off the research the way anyone would—in the city of San Francisco.

It was just a quickie visit, but the main purpose was to attend a re-corking workshop, something I had never even heard about before.

Space, the final frontier, is a little closer to becoming the next big tourist destination.

First entrepreneurs developed sub-orbital spacecraft that could theoretically put rich folks into orbit for a few hours - for a hefty fee. Now a Barcelona-based company has put together a concept for a galactic space resort and expects to receive its first paying guests by the year 2012.

But is it safe? How much will it cost? Is it even feasible? Keep reading to find out the fantastic details of a space vacation…

Happy Halloween! Peter was on The Early Show this morning to talk about some of America’s most haunted hotels, where guests can stay in a room with a “boo!”

Read the article on CBS News to find out about spooky hotels where guests have checked in, but never checked out.

It seems like every week there’s a new way to find and book hotels online. But how can you figure out if these new sites are actually worth your time?