I recently boarded a two-hour flight on China United Airlines, a domestic budget airline that used to be a branch of the People’s Liberation Air Force in the 1980s. I was impressed by the shiny new Beijing airport from which I departed, the leg room, and the flight’s punctuality. However, my journey also involved drinking …
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I spent 5 days in Monaco for the Monaco Yacht Show, and my favorite part of the city was the unassuming historical quarter, far from the glitz and glam of Monte Carlo
I recently spent five days in Monaco, an outrageously wealthy city-state on the French Riviera. It’s been called a playground for millionaires — and indeed, an estimated one-third of the population are millionaires. I attended the Monaco Yacht Show, toured luxury hotels, got on board a 365-foot superyacht, and spent hours traipsing around the city. …
The best toiletry bags
The ideal toiletry bag holds the essential items you need when you’re on the go without hogging all the space in your carry-on bag. The Sea to Summit Traveling Light Hanging Toiletry Bag is a lightweight travel bag that fits all the essentials — nothing more, nothing less. Packing is, hands down, the worst part …
The best duffle bags
If you hate checking a bag, you need a good carry-on-sized duffle bag. The Allpa 35L Travel Pack is our favorite duffle bag because its generous size lets you safely store up to 35 liters of your stuff, but it’s still airline-friendly. I’m the worst kind of packer — I save it until the last …
4 ways to use credit card rewards to save on last-minute Thanksgiving flights
Thanksgiving airfare — even prices in miles — can be off the charts, especially if you’ve waited till the eleventh hour to book. You can search for a ticket on an airline’s partner airline and often find it for fewer points or miles. Booking airfare through a bank portal, such as Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel …
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I’ve lived in Seattle for a year and a half, and here are the 9 best cheap or free things to do when you visit
I’ve lived in Seattle for a year and a half, and while it’s anything but affordable, there’s still lots to do here on a traveler’s budget. From sampling fresh local seafood during happy hour at a sushi kitchen, to taking a bus to a nearby trailhead during the summer for less than $3, there’s lots …
I went to a Lucha Libre wrestling match in Mexico City, and it was even better than I imagined
On a recent trip to Mexico City, I went to a Lucha Libre match at Arena México. It was an incredible spectacle that blew away my already high expectations. It doesn’t matter if you’re into wrestling or not — I’m not! Lucha Libre is for everyone. Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories. A few …
Hotel review: I spent a night in one of New York’s coolest hotels, the William Vale — here’s why the Williamsburg hotel is worth the splurge
The William Vale Hotel in Williamsburg is one of the coolest hotels in New York, known for super chic rooms, a thriving pool scene, and the rooftop bar Westlight and Italian restaurant Leuca — which warrant a visit on their own. The hotel is not cheap: many standard rooms will run around $400 and are …
A network of 28 tiny, one-bed hotels in Amsterdam is being called the most beautifully designed hotel of 2019 — and it consists of a series of converted bridge houses. Take a look inside.
Amsterdam’s SWEETS hotel is a network of 28 individual hotel rooms located on and near bridges around the city. The hotel rooms are located in bridge operators’ houses built between 1673 and 2009. SWEETS hotel won the hotel and short-stay interior category in the second annual Dezeen Awards, which recognizes the best architecture, interior and …
The best eco-friendly mineral sunscreen you can buy
Mineral sunscreens are highly effective, and far less toxic to small aquatic creatures that can metabolize chemical-based sunscreens, but they usually leave a streaky white mess. We’ll never stop searching for the perfect solution, but Thinksport’s SPF 50+ Sunscreen is the best trusty, eco-friendly, and almost-sheer option. For the face, Raw Elements’ Tinted Facial Moisturizer …
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An abandoned castle on an island in the Hudson River was once a weapon-filled fortress. Here’s what it’s like to visit its crumbling remains.
The abandoned Bannerman Castle sits on Pollepel Island in New York’s Hudson River. Once a fortress for weapons, the castle is only accessible by private boat. The castle was built by Francis Bannerman, a 20th-century Scottish arms trader, but was abandoned in the 1950s. In the early 1990s, the Bannerman Castle Trust led efforts to …
Hotel Review: Most rooms at the micro-hotel Arlo SoHo are barely 150 square feet — here’s what it’s like to stay there
With sleek, tiny rooms measuring barely 150 square feet and starting at only $134 in slower winter months, the Arlo SoHo is a budget-friendly way to explore New York. What it lacks in room size, Arlo SoHo makes up for with bustling common spaces, four bars, an on-site restaurant, co-working space, rooftop lounge, and a …
The best travel adapters you can buy
Travel adapters allow you to safely plug your electronics into foreign outlets regardless of plug prong shape or voltage. The Bestek Universal Travel Adapter is our top pick because it works in more than 150 countries around the world and it’s affordable. See more: The best carry-on luggage you can buy Nothing ruins a good …
Overnight, the Amex Green Card shed its boring reputation to become a high-value travel card with enviable benefits and airport lounge access
Amex just announced a complete makeover of its American Express® Green Card. The Amex Green card has been around for years, and it used to be a pretty low-value option for award travelers, with very few perks and only one bonus category. Now, it offers 3x points on travel and restaurants, and annual statement credits …
The best luggage tags you can buy
If you usually rely on the flimsy cardboard luggage tag the airline provides, it’s time to get a tougher tag that also makes it easier to spot your bag in the endless sea of bags at the airport. The Tile x Away luggage tag is our top pick because it not only looks smart, but …
These 3 Chase cards are all you need to maximize how you earn rewards points
The best way to earn travel rewards quickly is to make sure that you’re earning bonus points for your top spending categories — like dining or travel — whenever possible. Because this can get complicated, the easiest way is to come up with an easy-to-follow strategy ahead of time that will fit most situations. When …
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Hotel review: We loved the boutique Sister City in the Lower East Side, an affordable spin-off of the Ace Hotel with self-serve features
The Sister City New York is a new boutique hotel on Bowery in the Lower East Side from the folks behind Ace Hotels. With a pared-down design and minimal look, Sister City is a more affordable option than its parent hotel, and caters to independent, budget-conscious travelers with self-service check-in and help-yourself amenities. I spent …
The highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere opens in NYC’s Hudson Yards in March 2020 — and you can now buy tickets to it
The Western Hemisphere’s highest outdoor observation deck, which sits 1,131 feet in the air at the top of a New York City skyscraper, is now selling tickets. “Edge,” a triangular platform at the top of a brand-new skyscraper in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards neighborhood, is expected to open in March 2020. It will be a 60-second …
The best travel wallet
When you travel, you need a practical wallet that can hold your passport, boarding pass, and all your credit cards and cash. The Bellroy Travel Wallet fits the bill with its super smart design that holds everything easily without adding bulk. See also: The best carry-on bags I never used to be a fan of …
One of Napoleon’s heirs just got married in a medieval palace. Here’s a closer look inside the lavish Château de Fontainebleau, home to kings and emperors for 700 years.
The Palace of Fontainebleau is one of the largest royal châteaux in France, reports Very Frenchy. It has been used as a royal residence for nearly 700 years, making it the only royal palace in France to be in continuous use that long, Le Francofil reports. While the exact construction date is unknown, Very Frenchy …
The best travel backpack
Backpacks are perfect for when you don’t need a full suitcase, but you want more than a regular daypack or messenger bag. Based on our research and real-world testing, the best overall travel backpack is the eBags TLS Mother Lode Weekender Convertible. See also: The best carry-on bags The world is shrinking. Thanks to incredibly …
I spent 12 days in Russia, where I rode on the world’s longest train line and spent a night in an $18,000 hotel suite — but the most memorable part of my trip was a visit to a bathhouse
Earlier this year, I spent 12 days traveling through Russia for Business Insider. I went inside the Kremlin in Moscow, visited a diamond mine in Siberia, and spent two days riding the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway. But the most memorable part of my trip was a visit to a 200-year-old traditional Russian bathhouse, or “banya.” I …
5 ways to trade Chase Ultimate Rewards Points for airline miles and get incredible value
Chase Ultimate Rewards points are one of the best types of points to earn if you want both value and flexibility. Because of their flexibility, you can get great deals on airfare by transferring the points to partner airlines like Southwest, JetBlue, United, or Iberia. Using the Expedia-powered Ultimate Rewards travel portal, you can book …
I got the Chase Freedom for the intro APR offer, but I’m still using the card two years later thanks to its cash-back rewards and purchase protection
I originally signed up for the no-annual-fee Chase Freedom to take advantage of its introductory APR offer and sign-up bonus ahead of a cross-country move. These offers were helpful, and I was able to pay my balance off without interest. I didn’t think I’d continue to use the Freedom card after my move, but it’s …
I got on board the biggest yacht at the Monaco Yacht Show. Take a look inside the 365-foot superyacht, which comes with a 40-foot infinity pool and 2 helipads.
I attended this year’s Monaco Yacht Show, a glamorous event for yachting industry insiders and wealthy VIPs looking to buy or charter yachts. Monaco is a tiny yet lavishly wealthy city-state on the French Riviera, known for its yacht-filled port, luxury hotels, and gambling, where about one-third of the population are millionaires. One evening, I …
Hotel Review: The Knickerbocker in Times Square is the perfect upscale base for first-time visitors to New York — here’s why
The Knickerbocker Hotel is a historic property that’s been reimagined as a five-star luxury offering in the heart of Times Square with a rooftop bar, and restaurant from a famous chef, Charlie Palmer. With rooms starting as low as $250 per night in slower seasons and averaging around $300-$500 in high-occupancy periods, it’s comparably priced …
I spent 5 days in a French Riviera city known for its lavish wealth, and I was surprised by how ugly it was
Monaco is a tiny yet lavishly wealthy city-state on the French Riviera with a glamorous reputation. It’s been called a playground for millionaires — and indeed, an estimated one-third of the population are millionaires. From a distance, Monaco’s backdrop of Mediterranean coastal landscape and its port full of sailboats and yachts make it look somewhat …