Jun 12th, 2009 at 8:00PM: Ten years ago on June 12, CouchSurfing was born--or rather CouchSurfing.com was registered as a domain name and sleeping on the couch of people you just met became an organized system. More than just a way to hook people up with a free place to call it a night, CouchSurfing was created as a way to help make the world a better place.
See, if you stay on the couch of people who have agreed that ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
travel posts
International CouchSurfing Day: Do you have a couch lined up?
Jun 12th, 2009 at 8:00PM: Ten years ago on June 12, CouchSurfing was born--or rather CouchSurfing.com was registered as a domain name and sleeping on the couch of people you just met became an organized system. More than just a way to hook people up with a free place to call it a night, CouchSurfing was created as a way to help make the world a better place.
See, if you stay on the couch of people who have agreed that ...Bing Travel: "We save the average couple $50 per trip"
Jun 12th, 2009 at 3:30PM: Hugh Crean is the general manager of Bing Travel, Microsoft's new travel search engine. Microsoft is trying to chip away at Google's search engine dominance, and Bing Travel is part of a multi-pronged effort that also includes shopping and health-related microsites. Crean's company, Farecast, was acquired by Microsoft last year and folded into MSN Travel. I asked Crean about what Bing means to ...PhoCusWright: Travel biz to drop 11% in 2009
May 15th, 2009 at 2:00PM: Everything that came after 2006 sucked, right?
If you feel this way, you'll love the latest study from travel research firm PhoCusWright, which estimates that the travel industry will fall back to pre-2006 levels this year. The U.S. travel market is forecasted to decline by 11 percent by the time the ball drops, reflecting a change in consumer demand levels. Frankly, people who are out of work ...How global warming could change travel
May 13th, 2009 at 4:30PM: We heard it from Al Gore in "An Inconvenient Truth," and we're hearing it again -- this time from the World Ocean Conference 2009 that is in its third of a five-day conference, taking place in Manado, Indonesia: rising sea levels will likely displace millions of island dwellers in the next twenty years. According to two recent articles in the Conde Nast Portfolio and AFP, the the polar ice caps ...Germans still coming to U.S., but not as much
Apr 24th, 2009 at 1:00PM: German bookings to the United States were strong through the end of last year, even as overall action from outside the country dipped in the fourth quarter. Data from the U.S. Department of Commerce shows that nearly 1.8 million Germans came across the Atlantic Ocean, an increase of 17 percent from 2007.
Fourth quarter arrivals from German last year reached 420,285, a gain of more than 9 percent ...Visiting Every Country On Earth
Apr 24th, 2009 at 8:30AM: Most travelers have a "life list". That is to say, a list of travel destinations that are amongst their "must see", such as the Great Pyramids or Machu Picchu. Others set goals to visit certain countries, selecting ones that appeal to them on some level. That's exactly what Chris Guillebeau did when he was 22 and working in Africa for an international charity group. At the time, Guillebeau says, ...Daily travel deal - all inclusive Caribbean resorts starting at $112
Apr 22nd, 2009 at 1:00PM: Unless you live on the west coast, you are probably still stuck in rain and mid 40's weather. So, what better way to escape it all than heading to the Caribbean for a bit of all inclusive R&R? Starting at just $112, you'll find yourself in one of the 16 resorts on sale. And when these places say "all inclusive", they really mean it. Once you are checked in, you'll get free food, free drinks ...Record foreign travel spending in 2008, unlikely to continue
Apr 22nd, 2009 at 12:00PM: Records were broken last year. International visitors to the United States spent $142.1 billion on travel and tourism-related activities (including traveling to and within the country), according to preliminary U.S. Department of Commerce statistics. This is up 16 percent from 2007 – which was a record-setting year, as well.
Visitors spent $110.5 billion on travel and tourism-related goods ...Talking Travel with Road Trip USA writer Jamie Jensen
Apr 22nd, 2009 at 10:30AM: Avalon travel writer Jamie Jensen, whose travel guidebook, Road Trip USA, hit book stands earlier this month, took time from his busy book tour to answer a few questions about travel, writing, and road tripping across the country. Don't forget to enter the Gadling Giveaway of the latest edition HERE, or read my glowing Travel Read review of the book HERE. Enjoy the interview!
BY: What is the ...US Airways goal: survival
Apr 15th, 2009 at 3:30PM: US Airways offers a story of aimlessness searching for an identity. Its attempts to go low-cost in 2005 never panned not, nor did its hopes of being a global heavyweight two years later. Now, it sits uncomfortably in the middle and has the unfortunate goal of survival. The CEO, Doug Parker, of course, has all the answers. He blames the industry analysts for making too much of the company's woes ...Recession impact evident in January, foreign visits to U.S. down
Apr 13th, 2009 at 9:00AM: Foreign visits to the United States are down 9 percent year-over-year for January 2009, according to an announcement by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Spending by this group of visitors reached $10.6 billion – down 7 percent from January 2008. So, it looks like the people who spend less aren't coming, since cash isn't falling as fast as visitation. Slightly more than 3 million people ...3 for 2 in Paris through end of May
Mar 27th, 2009 at 1:00PM: The Hotel Jules has been refurbished, and its new owners, G.L.A. Hotels wants to give you a good reason to stop by. Through the end of May, you can book two nights at this unique property on Rue La Fayette and get the third night free. Longer stays are rewarded. Each additional night is also 33 percent off. With cheap flights to Paris right now, this deal rounds out the total bargain. The ...Baghdad or Bust
Mar 23rd, 2009 at 4:30PM: Here at Gadling, we often have conversations revolving around where we want to travel next. As we run through our lists, inevitably the conversation will turn towards the opposite question. Where wouldn't you go? The usually hot spots always get named: Iraq, Afghanistan and, of course, Houston in August. But the New York Times featured a group of travelers bold enough to travel to Iraq. And ...The best kind of travel experience
Mar 19th, 2009 at 9:00AM: I just returned home to New York after three weeks in New Zealand and Australia. In the coming days and weeks, I'll be sharing some of my best stories from this adventure with you. On my travels, I was fortunate enough to swim with dolphins, explore gorgeous beaches, hike up mountains and around lakes and interact with some amazing animals. But for my first story from this trip, I'd like to share ...Traveler sentiment up ... reality not told about it
Mar 18th, 2009 at 9:00AM: In February, the U.S. Traveler Sentiment IndexTM climbed to 90.2 from 78.2 in October 2008. An increased in the perceived "affordability of travel" is the driver of this trend. Since travel companies are desperate to fill seats and guestrooms, potential travelers are showing a bit more optimism. The index, which is part of the travelhorizonsTM survey conducted by Ypartnership gauges traveler ...The first 24 hours in Nicaragua
Mar 13th, 2009 at 10:30AM: Just how cold is the water in Nicaragua, I say to myself as I scuttle up to the lapping ocean's edge. Mike had told me it was going to be colder than I would normally think. I dip my toes in, and quickly realize what Mike was talking about. Despite my assumption that everything about Central America is hot, the water is chilly at best – cold to be generous. "Aw, heck," I shriek before ...Europe By Rail
Mar 1st, 2009 at 8:30AM: For many, taking the train is still the most wonderful way to travel. It is a romantic throwback to a long gone era, before modern jets linked the world. For some, taking the train is just too slow, but for those that enjoy it, that is one its charms. It affords travelers the opportunity to see the countryside, often from a comfortable car filled with modern amenities. The train system in Europe ...Germans still traveling to U.S.
Feb 26th, 2009 at 3:00PM: You'll find plenty of German tourists at just about any major destination in the world, and this is unlikely to change. As of October/November 2008, German tour operators are reporting a 4 percent to 9 percent increase in tour bookings.
Trips to the United States were up 5 percent for the first 11 months of 2008 compared to the same period in 2007. Seventy-nine percent of the tour operators ...Moon Travel Guides enjoys a handsome facelift
Feb 26th, 2009 at 12:00PM: My brother-in-law, Jason Salter, has been working long hours for Five Paths, his web developing company, updating the website for Moon Travel Guides for over a year now. His hard work has paid off, and Moon was so pleased with the results that Gadling recently heard from a Moon representative alerting us to the latest changes and features on its new (and quite modern) online look.
Redeveloping an ...Mixing Business with Adventure
Feb 25th, 2009 at 8:00AM: The New York Times had an excellent article a couple of days back offering up some great tips on how to mix business and adventure for travelers who are frequently heading over seas for their jobs. Often times those travelers are short on free time, and may only be visiting a country for a few days, but that doesn't mean they can't take advantage of that time to still take in the local sights and ...
