SmarterTravel • 13th January 2025

What Does SSSS Mean on Your Boarding Pass?

If you spot the code “SSSS” prominently on your boarding pass, be prepared for an unexpected delay. This four-letter designation may elicit a few four-letter words from you when you find out that it stands for Secondary Security Screening Selection and means you’ve been selected for extra security checks at the airport. If you’re going to get SSS on your boarding pass, there will be a few red flags that might alert you that the designation is in your future.  If you get SSSS on your boardin...

Oyster.com • 27th May 2024

The Ultimate Yosemite National Park Packing Guide

Although Yosemite National Park is one of the most-visited national parks, it’s still a vast wilderness. Having the right gear for your trip can make the difference between having a great time and getting in to trouble. From broken-in hiking boots to ample food and water, this detailed packing list will make sure you’re prepared for anything. To make things even easier, we’ve broken down our Yosemite packing lists into different seasons to account for the varied weather within the park.

SmarterTravel • 17th April 2024

Ambiente Sedona Hotel Review

Wake up to a stunning glass-enclosed sanctuary immersed in the breathtaking beauty of Sedona’s legendary red rocks. Welcome to Ambiente, a groundbreaking “landscape hotel” that elevates the art of seclusion and sustainability to new heights. This adults-only oasis features 40 private, cube-shaped “atriums” elegantly poised above the rugged terrain, each offering panoramic views through its glass walls.

SmarterTravel • 11th April 2024

What Is the Safest Hotel Floor to Stay On?

The ground floor of a hotel is the most convenient, and the top floor has the best views—but they’re not the safest floors to stay on in a hotel. Here’s why, and which floors you should request to stay on instead.

Oyster.com • 23rd February 2024

The Ultimate Adults-Only Disneyland Guide

When you think of Disneyland, images of kids, families, and iconic cartoon characters likely come to mind. While Disneyland may seem like a playground just for kids, the Happiest Place on Earth is a surprisingly popular destination for adult-only trips.

SmarterTravel • 17th August 2023

The 8 Best White Sneakers for Travel

Once seen as the ultimate marker of a tourist, white sneakers have become ubiquitous worldwide. The right pair can transition from day to night, pair with dresses or jeans, and offer plenty of arch support and comfort while still looking stylish.

SmarterTravel • 10th May 2023

The 24 Best Hotels in New York City 2023

New York City may be the city that never sleeps, but we all need some time for rest—so picking the right hotel is essential to a successful vacation in the Big Apple. Whether you’re looking for a quiet hotel where you can escape from the city’s bright lights and loud noises or a lively property that will put you in the middle of it all, New York City has the perfect hotel for you.

SmarterTravel • 5th May 2023

What Do Hotel Star Ratings Really Mean?

A Five star rating has become shorthand for luxury—but what exactly does that rating mean when it comes to hotels? Why is the same property four stars on one hotel search site and three stars on another?

SmarterTravel • 7th February 2023

What’s It Like to Hike Mount Kilimanjaro?

The sign at the entrance of Kilimanjaro National Park warns us: We have 34 hours of walking ahead of us before we reach the mountain’s summit. At the speed we’re walking, I start to worry we might need double that amount of time. Our journey of 42 miles has begun with a single slow step—it feels as if we’re pantomiming walking in slow motion.

SmarterTravel • 17th October 2022

How to Escape the Crowds at Petra

Despite all its architectural wonder, on first impression, ancient Petra feels like a theme park. Crowds of tourists spill off of buses and you become absorbed into the hoards as you funnel down the city’s one main path through the narrow slot canyons. Bursting out at Petra’s iconic Treasury, you’re greeted by braying camels, pleading hawkers, and garish souvenir stands competing for your attention.

SmarterTravel • 19th July 2022

A Land of Legends and Love

The candy-like sweetness of a wild strawberry plucked from a mountainside trail. The bracing sensation of a shot of homemade pine schnapps as it warms you from the inside atop a breezy summit. The syrupy redolence of honey crafted by the bees buzzing gently around you. Slovenia’s national tourism slogan is “I feel sLOVEnia,” but it should be “I taste Slovenia,” because the tastes of the country will linger with you long after you leave.

SmarterTravel • 7th June 2022

How to Check for Hidden Cameras in Your Hotel Room or Vacation Rental

It’s a horrifying scenario—finding a hidden camera in your hotel room or vacation rental. And unfortunately, it’s also a recently emerging trend as more and more people report this invasion of privacy. One 2019 survey found that a whopping 11 percent of respondents had found a hidden camera in an Airbnb. Protect yourself by learning how to check for hidden cameras in your vacation rental or hotel room.

SmarterTravel • 10th May 2022

The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park Review

Wrap yourself in a plush bathrobe and sip champagne as you gaze out the picture windows overlooking Central Park. Watch New York City’s vignettes below as the city skyline fades from day to night. The Ritz-Carlton New York Central Park offers a front-row seat to Manhattan’s crown jewel—Central Park.

SmarterTravel • 13th April 2022

The 16 Best Hotels in Las Vegas

The right Las Vegas hotel can make or break your vacation, more so than in other destinations. In Vegas, you could hit the casino, catch a show, party poolside, and dine at some of the city’s best restaurants without ever leaving your hotel. So don’t gamble with your hotel choice—stay at one of the best Las Vegas hotels. Our experts have picked the best hotels for every type of Vegas vacation. Here are the best places to stay both on and off of the Strip.

SmarterTravel • 29th March 2022

The Best International Chips Available on Amazon

Whether you call them chips or crisps, there’s one thing we can agree on—the salty snack game is way stronger in other countries than it is here in the United States. Fortunately, thanks to the magic of international shipping and online shopping, you can have fun foreign flavors like grilled squid, cucumber, or fried crab delivered right to your door.

SmarterTravel • 27th January 2022

Why You Should Visit the Island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas

They say you come to the island of Eleuthera “to be, not to do.” This isn’t to say there isn’t plenty to do—it’s just that you might get stuck on the “be” when seemingly every intriguing dirt road leads down to a beach that looks straight out of a postcard, and you’re the only person around for miles.

SmarterTravel • 27th January 2022

Eleuthera, Bahamas Travel Guide

Eleuthera, a long and skinny island that slices through the Atlantic Ocean, is one of the 12 inhabited Bahamas Out Islands, a quiet collection of unspoiled islands and cays. Despite Eleuthera’s remote feeling, the island is quite easy to get to. Located 50 miles east of Nassau, Eleuthera offers direct flights to Orlando, Miami, Charlotte, Ft. Lauderdale, Nassau, Atlanta, and Rock Sound.

SmarterTravel • 22nd December 2021

5 Common Mistakes Travelers Make Returning to the U.S.

Before the pandemic, you just had to worry about remembering your passport in order to make it back to the United States. Now, with new travel regulations restricting reentry into the country, travelers have to be extra careful that they’re doing everything right if they don’t want to get stranded abroad. Here are five common mistakes you should avoid making when flying back to the U.S.

SmarterTravel • 22nd December 2021

11 Trips of a Lifetime to Take in 2022

Polar bears, prosecco, adult study abroads, and more—if you’ve been dreaming about epic trips over the last two years, here are 11 more to fantasize about (or book immediately). As the state of travel remains in flux during the pandemic, you can be reassured that many of the tour operators listed have flexible change/cancellation policies in place for these trips of a lifetime.

SmarterTravel • 25th August 2021

What Type of Flyer Are You?

There are only eight types of flyers on a plane. Which one of these are you, and which one is your least favorite type to sit next to? The One With the Blank Stare This person didn’t pack any entertainment and is just staring straight ahead the entire flight. Are they keeping the plane aloft with the power of their mind? Are they an air marshal? Are they sleeping with their eyes open? It’s an in-flight mystery that will never be solved.