Travel news and deals of interest to YOU from around the Web compiled and edited by NoDebtWorldTravel.com

If you know any great travel stories or tips we all should read, please send it to me and I will put an acknowledgment of your contribution in the posting.

Europe Without Hotels
From loyal reader Karen

This could have been titled ‘Anywhere without Hotels’ because the principles are the same. You rent an apartment, condo, house or even a single bedroom from a homeowner who has the spare space. The renter gets a comfortable place at a significant discount, the owner get money in his/her pocket. This is a great win/win situation for everyone involved. The hospitality industry doesn’t like it because they are losing business and have started to lobby against it in New York. As the concept picks up steam, except more protests from the industry.

Three Cruise Lines for Solo Travelers

Solo travelers always seem to get the short end of the stick whenever group trips or cruises are involved. Cruises ships are built for two people per cabin and have to charge you the single supplement or double to make for the lost revenue. Cruise lines are now catering to the single traveler with cabins for singles and events and activities to bring them together on board. Just because you board the ship alone doesn’t mean you have to leave alone, and pay an arm and a leg for the experience. The global recession has taught everyone that you have to cater to every market. Solo travelers are usually folks who plan their own trips and normally don’t do cruises. Cruise lines are hoping that changes.

Bangkok update: is it safe to go now?

I posted my thoughts about Thailand before and here is a more recent summary of the situation and one opinion about whether to visit now. It’s a contentious issue depending on who you talk to. It all goes back to the comfort level one feels. As of this writing, things are quiet in Bangkok, but the underlying issues remain.

Travel Video of the Week
Honduran Adventure
Fellow travel blogger Daniela of Diaries of a Backpacker documents her global adventures in video format. Here is her latest, a trip to Honduras. It is amazing that anyone with a computer, some time and a vision can create video that look as good as what you see on broadcast television. Everyone can record in HD with a simple $100 camera.

Order a pizza, become an airport security screener

The sheer number of airports and fliers in the United States means you can’t really be picky when looking for TSA screeners. But to put it on pizza boxes just means you’re looking for someone who is upright and breathing. Not the best way to ensure that our flights are safe or that folks hired will get/comprehend the proper training to make them an effective front line defense for the airways.

15 Practical Tips for Families Traveling Abroad

For all my parents out there (hey Adia!) you’re not stuck only going on road trips or flying within your own country. With a little planning…OK, a little more than a little planning…you can head anywhere in the world. Great practical ideas like power of attorney, letter of consent, what to bring and even schooling if you’re going to be away that long.

The Best Geek Hotels in the World in 2010

I love this post as a geek and I think I’ll have to hit some of these spots myself. My needs are real basic at this point. Free WiFi and a clean bed/room. That’s it. Really. Start me there and everything else is gravy. But some of this stuff is pretty hot. Telescopes for rent for the budding astronomer, flat screen TVs and BlueRay players, Netflix and Hulu. How about using your smartphone to open your door as opposed to a key or swipe card? I could probably write an entire blog post about that…

Best (and Worst) Travel Discount Programs

CityPass is a great deal in major metropolitan areas, granted that you can get enough time to see everything to make it worth the money. This story also goes over other programs to give a yea or nay. As with most blog posts, you’ll find alot of great information in the comments. Take the time and read them. I find you’ll get alot a great tips from the comments generated off the post you’re reading.

Travel Deals and News – July 20, 2010 – Tips for Family Travel, Traveling Honduras, Geek Hotels, Solo Travelers Can Cruise Too is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel

Good news! The Statue of Liberty will officially reopen her crown for sightseers this coming July 4th. It has been closed since 9/11, and after years of wrangling about security and safety concerns the go ahead was given for it to reopen.

Tickets went on sale this past weekend, and it seems that July 4, 5 and 6 are already sold out.

I already told you about the CityPass. Combine that with the additional $3 ticket for Liberty’s crown and you’ll have a full day in Lower Manhattan.

Statue of Liberty Crown Tickets Available on June 13

Want to climb Liberty’s crown? Make a reservation

The Statue of Liberty Opens Her Arms (and Crown) Again is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel

My world is so much smaller after traveling. The next example of this was Mia, who I met at The Backpack & Africa Travel Centre in Cape Town. She arrived in New York on her own mini round the world adventure.

Mia was working at Backpackers in Cape Town and we kept in touch. She reached out and said that she was passing through the United States on a 3 month trip that was to include Alaska, the United Kingdom and Australia.

I felt this was a chance to return the favor that Mia had shown me. The hike up Lion’s Head in Cape Town was an impromptu trip when Mia asked me to join them at the last minute when I didn’t have any plans for the day. Needless to say I had a great time.

I still have my CityPass and we decided that we would use it for the Circle Line trip around Manhattan. This was Mia’s first visit to New York City, and while she lived in London for years, she was a little apprehensive.

Not to worry…

Mia survived landing at JFK, her first trip on the subway and staying in spare rooms all around the city to meet me at Pier 12.

The CityPass gave us a ‘buy one get one free’ ticket for the 3 hour complete circle of Manhattan. Remember to get your CityPass for New York or any number of North American cities.

I have seen the various Circle Line boats in the water around the city for years. Can’t tell you the last time I was on one. Can’t tell you if I have EVER been on one, as a matter of fact….

For the jaded New Yorkers who think the Circle Line is not for them, I am one of you and I understand how you feel. But you learn some great info about the city you probably didn’t know. The ride is probably a little better in the spring and early summer, when the breeze of the water is a nice way to cool down. Three hours passes by very quickly.

And if you get a tour guide like John, you’ll be even happeier with the trip. He gave a lot of knowledge, was never boring or overbearing in 3 hours on the water and was genuinely entertaining. One of the best tour guides I’ve ever had.

South Africa Meets New York…on the Hudson River is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel

Continuing from our previous post…

After using the free CityPasses and starting the morning off at the Empire State Building, we caught the subway downtown to Battery Park and caught the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. The ferry was full with tourists and schoolkids on field trips. I smiled as I flashed back to all my adventures around the world. This could have been Rome or Barcelona or London…

Again, the CityPass gets you to the Statue of Liberty but to see the monuments and museum inside the base of the statue, you need to buy that SEPARATE ticket BEFORE you get to Liberty Island. This is very important. If you don’t buy the tickets back at Battery Park, you are out of luck. They don’t sell them on Liberty Island. I don’t quite understand that, but there are signs clearly to that effect everywhere.

So we walked around, took some pictures with us and Lady Liberty and then had lunch. $22US for both of. I’m not sure if I should feel good that it wasn’t more or that we got completely ripped off.

One note: There are plans to open the crown of Lady Liberty this coming July 4th since being closed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. One good reason to head there this summer.

The same ferry runs a circuit between Battery Park, Liberty Island and Ellis Island, so we caught it and headed over to Ellis Island. The main exhibition floor is huge and has all kinds of stats on immigration to America.

The hallways surrounding the main halls are filled with rooms that have smaller exhibits.

I thought of Ellis Island as being an entry point for mostly people of European descent. But there were many mentions of folks from Central and South America, Africa and Asia. Some of the exhibits also talked about the slave trade to the Americas. I was glad to see that mentioned prominently there.

Ellis Island has so many exhibits and is so large you can easily spend a day there. Can you imagine packing all your possessions and taking yourself and maybe your family overseas to a new country?

Once back on the island of Manhattan, my Dad and I had once last stop: The Raging Bull of Wall Street.

We had a great time with CityPass. A great value and a great way to see the big (any) city on a budget!

Saving Money with CityPass on Liberty and Ellis Islands is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel

In a post a few weeks ago I mentioned CityPass. CityPass allows you for one price to purchase tickets to a city’s main attractions.

CityPass saves you TIME by not having to buy separate tickets at each attraction and you’ll save over 45% if you bought CityPass then if you purchased tickets individually. Best part – you get to cut the line and move straight to the front!

Locales covered by CityPass:
Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Hollywood
Houston
New York
Philadelphia
San Francisco
Seattle
Southern California
Toronto

Ladies and Gentlemen, you can’t whisper on the Internet. After my initial thoughts on CityPass, the good folks there read my post and sent me two complimentary CityPasses to use in New York City! I didn’t talk to CityPass, they contacted me. Grabbing my Dad, we went off to explore NYC.

We first started at the Empire State Building. We got there about 9:30AM on a cloudy morning so the lines were not long at all. I can imagine what it is like on a sunny spring Saturday or Sunday.

If you do have CityPass you can skip the long lines for tickets. Just flash the book to the ushers and security and you cut to the head of the line. We even had a special, shorter line for the metal detectors and security scan. This is even more important during the busy spring and summer tourist seasons, where long lines will definitely await you!

The CityPass ticket got us entrance to the 86th floor observatory. There is a separate $15US fee to get to the 102nd floor, which we passed on. The 86th floor observatory was fine for us.

How to Explore NYC and Cut All the Lines! is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel