train travel Page 2

On the Saturday, May 11th, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Amtrak is having a sale on many of their long distance trains through May 16th. Save at least 30% on certain classes of service. Business travel is showing a significant rebound, and a study pretends to tell us which day of the week to buy your airline tickets. We have our doubts about the findings. Consumer households are paying, on the average, $1,100 in credit card fees every year. Not late fees for missing a payment, but fees that are added to your purchases by merchants to offset the growing cost of your cash-back and triple rewards cards. Are you getting value from your travel credit cards? Mark was in Chicago and Seattle this past week, scouting hotels, restaurants and attractions for upcoming Sports Leisure Vacations trips. He shares tips for some of the spots he visited, including a dive restaurant under the tracks in Chi-town, made famous in a Saturday Night Live skit and Chicago Cubs baseball history. There's a new vacation rental company joining the fray. We'll tell you a little about "Rentalz," and why they say they are different from the others.

On the Saturday, December 2nd, 2023 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, the postponement of a Taylor Swift concert causes an airline to change its rules, and a Southwest pilot who is part of the group asking to strike "warns" flyers about the upcoming holiday season. Renting a car at an airport is an invitation to wasted time and hassle. Mark violated one of his own rental car rules last week and it could end up costing him some $$$. He reminds you what to do before and after your car rental, and throws in an idea for renting that could save you some cash. The Fox River Train has a special family-orientated Christmas package. And their sister train in Willits takes you to see the World's Tallest Christmas Tree. We have details and there's a link in our list. We answered a ton of questions from our mailbag, including TSA renewals, and what to do if your Pre-Check clearance isn't on your boarding pass. We also touched on charging electric cars on the road (again, a couple of links can be found on the right or below) and a host of other subjects.

On the Sunday, January 29th, 2023 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Amtrak restarts service on the Surfliner, between San Diego and Los Angeles, after it had been suspended since September due to track issues. The residents of Machu Pichu have called a strike against tourism. The historic site is a huge cash cow for the government of Peru and the people are against the people in power. If you are planning a trip in the next 6 months, do your homework. Our Smarter Traveler segment focuses on two topics - How tipping has gotten completely out of hand, with travelers regularly being asked to tip on "tax". Some credit card tip prompts are running as high as 30%. Mark and Tom say this is way out of control. Second subject was how domestic first class is being "dumbed down" by some airlines, even being labeled "business class" instead of first. But some transcontinental and international routes have much better premium seating. If you are buying up, make sure you know what you are getting. Mark took a group to Miami and the Florida Keys last week. He offers a host of tips on attractions, lodging and how to get the most out of a visit to Key West. In the mailbag, the guys gave wisdom to single travelers, explaining why it cost more to travel alone, plus talked about a possible luggage hack while flying, to save baggage fees.

On the Sunday, December 4th, 2022 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Air France takes a small step to protect the climate by banning some short local flights where train travel is available; and remember the cat who got into a suitcase and was found by a TSA scan? There's a happy ending to the story. Speaking of scans, TSA is now scanning faces at a dozen airports nationally. The program will be in every airport soon. Are there any options, and what are your rights when TSA wants to put your face on the screen? Our Smarter Traveler segment has some details. If you have ever wanted to take a European vacation in a luxury sports car, staying in boutique hotels and dining in the best restaurants? Let us introduce you to Ultimate Driving Tours. They can make your dream come true. Leaving home for the holidays? There are some things you need to do to keep your home safe. Some you may have heard before, but even if you get just one new idea, your home might be a little more secure.