Summer Travel Plans Include Solo Experience For Some

by Chris Owen on

Summer travel plans have a majority of Americans on the road and in the sky this year and in greater numbers than in the past. A recent report says 59 percent of Americans will travel this summer, primarily in the United States. Also up is solo travel as single travelers plan engaging vacations more than in the past.

“Consumers want deeper, richer experiences when they travel,” said David Patron, vice president of American Express Travel in a Wall Street Journal report. “When a traveler visits a destination they want to understand the local traditions and feel like they are getting a true insider experience.”

USA Today reports sixteen percent of 1,500 U.S. adults recently surveyed by American Express say they will take a trip alone, up from 12 percent last year

“People who have never traveled alone often describe their first solo trip as an almost religious experience,” says Independent Traveler. “To take in new surroundings unfiltered by the prejudices, tastes or preferences of a traveling companion can be heady stuff. Traveling alone gives you the chance to indulge yourself fully.”Independent Traveler also offers a variety of tips for solo travelers, urging caution while enjoying the freedom and flexibility that solo travel offers.

“One of the best reasons to travel alone is to meet new people, but this also makes you more vulnerable,” says Independent Traveler. “It’s okay to hang out, travel and share with new friends, but you might not want to ask them to hold your money. Scam artists can often be the most charming companions you’ll find; you want to be open-minded, but keep your guard up enough to ensure your safety.”

See more tips for solo travelers at Independent Traveler.

[Flickr photo by mikebaird]

Summer Travel With Pets Made Easy With New Book

by Chris Owen on

For many Americans, pets are essential participants in family outings but bringing them along can pose some challenges. The new edition of “Traveling With Your Pet: The AAA PetBook,” offers resources for planning pet-friendly vacations that can make the process easier.

The book includes a listing of all pet-friendly AAA Approved and Rated lodgings throughout the U.S. and Canada. Listing more than 600 pet-friendly campgrounds, dog parks and attractions, the guide has useful tips for preparing four-legged travelers for the road or air and handy information about pet etiquette, insurance and emergency animal clinics.

“We know pets are very much a part of our guests’ families. As such, we want to welcome pets and their owners to our more than 1,600 pet-friendly properties,” said Dorothy Dowling, senior vice president of marketing and sales for Best Western.

AAA runs an annual Photo Contest that picks winners to appear on the back cover and spine of the next edition and also receive cash and prizes.

In this year’s contest, sponsored by Best Western, two winning pet photos will be featured on the cover and spine of the book, published in May 2013. The first place winner, featured on the back cover, will receive $300, a $150 Best Western Travel Card (valid at any Best Western Worldwide), pet treats and five copies of the book. The second place winner, featured on the book’s spine, will receive $150, pet treats and two copies of the book.

“Traveling With Your Pet: The AAA PetBook,” in its 14th edition, is annually updated and available at many AAA and CAA offices as well as select bookstores and online booksellers.



Flickr photo by David d’O

Summer Travel Season Kicks Off Right Now

by Chris Owen on

Summer travel season traditionally starts on Memorial Day then ends on Labor Day. Nothing new there. This year though, there are solid signs that the summer travel season could very well be back up to pre-recession levels with Americans traveling more than ever before.

Helped by a dip in gas prices in many areas, Memorial Day weekend travel should start the summer off with a bang as 34.8 million Americans are expected to travel 50 or more miles from home between Friday and Monday. But even in places where the price of gasoline is higher, summer travel is a big priority.

“High debt burdens, gasoline prices, and uncertainties regarding the strength of the current economic recovery have not deterred Californians from holiday travel,” said AAA spokesperson Cynthia Harris in the Newark Patch. “But many consumers intend to cut back on the distance they travel, as well on entertainment expenses, to compensate for reduced travel budgets.”

To make those cutbacks, travelers may book less expensive budget hotels rather than a resort-style property. Best Western International told Gadling that advance summer bookings at the chain’s hotels are up 21 percent this summer compared to summer 2011.”Early numbers not only show bookings are up, but travelers are staying longer with length of stay growing by 4 percent over last year,” said Best Western in an email. “In addition, data shows advance bookings are up throughout the U.S. at suburban properties by 20 percent; at in-town hotels by 19 percent; and at resort properties by 18 percent.”

How we get there is another matter. Airlines buzzing about an increase in fares has many travelers in the car for summer travel, and for good reason. Going forward, “the trend for gasoline prices continues to be down,” oil industry analyst Phil Flynn told the Chicago Sun-Times

Overall, AAA expects travel to be up about 1.5 percent.

“It’s not a huge increase but it is significant in the sense that we’re not having a decrease like we have shown in years past.”

[Flickr photo by Wubbo Sieger]

Photo Of The Day: Happy Birthday Brooklyn Bridge

by Meg Nesterov on


Today marks the 129th anniversary of the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge. Happy Birthday, you barely look a day over 100! This photo by Gadling’s own Willy Volk was taken from the NYC Water Taxi. He used a fake tilt-shift effect to get the unique perspective and slightly blurred edges, but it reminds me of the view you might see on a rainy day riding the subway over the neighboring Manhattan Bridge. It’s a view that never fails to inspire visitors and New Yorkers – one that’s unmistakably New York. Celebrate the anniversary with a walk across its span to Brooklyn and back; it’s one of New York’s last great free thrills.

Share your best travel photos with us in the Gadling Flickr pool. If we find them inspiring (and can download them), we’d love to include one as a future Photo of the Day.

Bring Your Augmented Travel Agent Along For The Ride

by Chris Owen on

Often, planning a trip can call for using a travel agent. Venturing to unknown lands armed with the advice of someone who has been there before is always a good idea. Now, one travel organization is making it possible to take their agents along with you on your trip.

Travel Leaders Franchise Group will soon be releasing a travel app designed to arm their customers, and only their customers, with customized travel information.

At the time of booking, agents at Travel Leaders will provide a link that enables their clients to download the app prior to their departures. Armed with an augmented reality function, travelers point their devices at a landmark or location to instantly learn about the area’s top sites to visit, along with admission prices, hours of operation and reviews.

The app enables clients to “take their agents with them virtually on a trip,” Roger Block, president of Travel Leaders Franchise Group told Travel Weekly.

Destination content will be fully loaded at the time of the download so clients won’t incur any international roaming charges.

Feeling left out because you don’t have a Travel Leaders agent in your back pocket? Don’t. While this agent-loaded app is personal, so is the do-it-yourself version from TripIt.

The TripIt app takes travel-booking information – via direct entry or by forwarding confirmations from airlines, hotels and other travel service providers – and forms its own itineraries, complete with destination information.


[Flickr photo by U.S. Army via Compfight]