Jan 26th, 2012 at 11:00AM: For the hip, worldly, and discerning traveler, there's a new guide on the block: The Purple Passport, which just added New York to its roster of web-based city guides.
The Purple Passport offers handpicked hotel, restaurant, spa, nightlife, shopping, and activity recommendations from its team of travel tastemakers, with an easy interface that allows users to add items to personal "passports" ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
guidebook posts
The Purple Passport launches chic urban guide for New York City
Jan 26th, 2012 at 11:00AM: For the hip, worldly, and discerning traveler, there's a new guide on the block: The Purple Passport, which just added New York to its roster of web-based city guides.
The Purple Passport offers handpicked hotel, restaurant, spa, nightlife, shopping, and activity recommendations from its team of travel tastemakers, with an easy interface that allows users to add items to personal "passports" ...6 last minute travel gift ideas for the frequent flier
Dec 23rd, 2011 at 12:00PM:
There was once a time when if you hadn't finished your Christmas shopping by now, you'd be, well, pretty much screwed. But now, thanks to the ole Internet, you can order up virtual gifts and deliver them by email or print-out card with just a few clicks. And with all the free wifi specials in airports and airlines (thanks Delta, Skype, and Nintendo) you can even take care of your shopping ...Download Wikitravel to your smartphone for free
Oct 11th, 2011 at 2:00PM: One of the biggest difficulties for the modern traveler in a foreign country is in acquiring smartphone data. Domestic telecom companies, still stuck in the stone age of pricing models charge a ridiculous amount for international data, and horror stories about $85,000 phone bills have flooded the internet.
Without a data plan to download Google Maps or reference the cloud for research, dynamic ...Hikes near Madrid: a new guidebook shows you the way (in English!)
Sep 30th, 2011 at 1:00PM: Every year, thousands of English speakers visit Madrid on holiday or to teach English. Most never explore the many hikes near Madrid, and that's a shame. The Sierra de Guadarrama offers some challenging and varied routes, and the lowland areas of the Comunidad de Madrid offer pleasant rambles. One of the best spots is La Pedriza, which can be a tough slog and easy to get lost in.
One of the ...New Florence App hits app store (and it's free!)
Jun 21st, 2011 at 5:00PM: Update! The app is now also available for Android devices.
Our old friend and partner-in-crime Leif Pettersen has been busy since his departure from Gadling in 2007. The wayward Lonely Planet author, travel guru and generally affable guy has been bombasting around the planet on various projects, but one in particular recently got our attention at Gadling Labs.
Turns out, Pettersen just ...Fortnighter launches, providing customized expert travel advice
Jun 2nd, 2011 at 1:30PM:
Ever wish you could have a travel magazine or guidebook written just for you, catering to your specific interests and full of up-to-date travel advice? The new travel website Fortnighter offers just that--customized itineraries written by professional travel writers.
How does it work?
Start with a destination, specify who you're traveling with (solo, as a couple, or with friends), and the ...Potential new law renders travel writers liable for recommending "risky" locations
Apr 22nd, 2011 at 2:30PM: Proposed state legislation in Hawaii could potentially render guidebook authors personally liable for damage claims if a reader is injured while performing an activity suggested in the guidebook.
The Wall Street Journal writes that "a proposed state law that would hold Hawaii guidebook writers personally liable for deaths or accidents at spots they recommend." The proposed law has been "watered ...Where are all the travel guide apps for Android?
Mar 25th, 2011 at 11:00AM: Nearly two years ago, I bought my first smartphone: the T-Mobile Android MyTouch*. I'm only occasionally jealous of my iPhone-carrying friends, as I find few travel guide apps for Android. Even after a move to Istanbul, I still use and rely upon it daily; Android's interface is fast and easy-to-use, and seamless use of Google applications like Gmail and Google Maps is part of the reason I bought ...Review: Not For Tourists New York iPhone app
Feb 3rd, 2011 at 2:00PM: For those of you familiar with Not for Tourists books, you know that they are handy little guides designed to help locals (and visitors) discover new and interesting places that are oft-overlooked by the larger guidebook series out there. While their books are typically pocket-size and easy to carry, not everyone (especially actual locals) wants to always be toting a guidebook around with them. ...Lonely Planet maps the future: a conversation with CEO Matt Goldberg
Jan 17th, 2011 at 11:00AM:
Matt Goldberg joined Lonely Planet as CEO in March 2009. Before joining Lonely Planet, he was senior vice president of digital strategy and operations for Dow Jones & Company in New York, where his responsibilities included leading business operations for The Wall Street Journal Digital Network. I spoke with him in November.
DG: Why did you move to Lonely Planet?
MG: First of all, to ...Photo of the Day (12.7.10)
Dec 7th, 2010 at 7:30PM:
I love travel gear shots. I'm always curious to know what people consider essential items & what tech gadgets people can't live without on the road. This photo was taken in 2005 and at first glance, seemed pretty outdated.
These days, it's rare to see a camera that shoots on DV tapes, a Powerbook, or an iPod without a touchscreen (gasp)! It just makes me wonder what we'll consider ...Ask Gadling: What do you do when your guidebook is wrong?
Sep 27th, 2010 at 3:00PM: Ever bought a guidebook and discovered when you arrived it was useless? Full of outdated maps and ho-hum restaurant picks, your guidebook is better suited for Grandma's group tour than a grand night on the town.
Rest easy, mindful traveler. Rather than being something to worry about, discovering your guidebook is awful should actually be cause to celebrate. In fact, you might as well chuck that ...How to decide if a tour is right for you
Feb 18th, 2010 at 2:30PM:
For some travelers, the mere sight of a tour bus is enough to make them cringe. Heck, I don't enjoy seeing large masses of humanity spilling out of a humongous vehicle and mucking up my "unique" travel experience. But that's not to say that all tours are wastes of your time and money.
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.gadling.com/2010/02/18/how-to-decide-if-a-tour-is-right-for-you/'; ...Travel Read: Culture Smart! Ethiopia
Jan 31st, 2010 at 1:00PM: I'm headed to Ethiopia soon and I'm busy reading everything I can get my hands on about the country. Thus I eagerly picked up a copy of Culture Smart! Ethiopia. The Culture Smart! series offers insights into the customs and cultures of dozens of different countries. As a first-timer to sub-Saharan Africa I hoped to get lots of insight into a very different world.
Sadly, I didn't.
The book's ...South by Southeast: Avoiding the hordes
Jan 29th, 2010 at 9:00AM:
I had high hopes for my arrival in Hoi An. This historic city, set along Vietnam's Central Coast, has all the ingredients to be the perfect destination: a charming downtown lined with ancient Chinese buildings, a picturesque waterfront setting and a unique culinary history. So it was a shock when I stepped off my bus to find the city the epitome of a tourist trap, stuffed to the gills with ...Gadling readers compile Belize must-sees
Nov 19th, 2009 at 2:30PM: Gadling would first like to congratulate Dave C., the lucky winner of our Moon Belize giveaway! Dave C. wrote: "I don\'t get the change to do as much diving as I like, but when I can, I won\'t miss it. If in Belize, I would certainly not want to miss the opportunity dive at the Blue Hole. Diving gives me a sense of peace I can't get doing anything else, and the Blue Hole just looks like a ...The newest edition of Moon Belize is a gem
Nov 11th, 2009 at 5:00PM: The first things that come to mind when I think of Belize: Mayan ruins, world-class diving, bird-watching, and hiking through nature. Sounds like a vacation in paradise, if you ask me - and I'm from Hawaii. Joshua Berman, a travel expert to both Nicaragua and Belize, recently revised the 8th edition of Moon Belize, and the result is a comprehensive, informative guide for any kind of traveler.
...Fake Canadians go home
Aug 30th, 2009 at 4:30PM:
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.gadling.com/2009/08/30/fake-canadians-go-home/'; tweetmeme_source = 'Gadling';
I'm as mad as a polar bear reading about global warming. Everywhere I look I see Canadian flags on backpacks. A maple leaf seems to be as important an item of budget travel gear as daddy's credit card, but there's one problem--many of the people flashing the good old red, white, and red ...Travel Bookshelf: free guidebook to "Angels and Demons" Rome
May 19th, 2009 at 2:00PM: Small press guidebook publisher Roaring Forties Press has released a free guidebook in downloadable PDF format titled Rome's Angels and Demons: The Insider's Guide to the Locations Featured in the Book and Movie. Author Angela K. Nickerson covers all the sites mentioned in the bestselling book, and then delves into the historical background of the real characters mentioned in the plot, such as ...Travel Bookshelf: Cheeky Guides
May 15th, 2009 at 11:30AM: Let's face it--most guidebooks are boring. Sure, they're informative, but they either read like a postgraduate thesis (Blue Guides) or are filled with snotty, uninformed opinions (take your pick)
The Cheeky Guides come as a breath of fresh air, or rather a gust of lager-laden belches from some local lush leaning against the bar at a seedy pub. These guides to Oxford and Brighton, two of England's ...
