Sherman's Travel

No matter where we call home, we share one thing in common: gathering around the table to break bread and crack open a bottle or two. Sometimes when the conversation and local liquor get flowing, the result is a big old headache the following morning.

Approaches to alleviating the hangover vary by destination. Some are healthy, some are indulgent, and some are plain crazy – while others turn to a cheeky afternoon drink as the ultimate cure. Here are five hangover cures from around the globe. Read more

It’s been just about a dozen years since I first earned my traveler’s stripes out on that well-trodden European backpacking, budget-crunching circuit, and while that rite-of-passage trip was right on in just about every way, I’ve been lamenting missing out on a pit stop in storied Prague pretty much ever since. Fast forward to 2012, and I’ve found myself out here once again, Eurail pass in hand, backpack on back, and budget top of mind, but this time, with a firm eye on the Prague prize.

The one caveat? While I’ve managed to tuck away a few more fun-funding dollars on this go-around, I’ve found myself with an only slightly higher-than-hostel budget, coupled with disproportionately high-end tastes. I set out on a mission: Relive the glory days of my budget-crunching college hosteling days, without sacrificing style or privacy. Read more

On this season of ABC’s reality series The Bachelorette, single mom Emily Maynard and her bachelor suitors have jetted off to four amazing and romantic destinations over the past several weeks: Bermuda, London, Dubrovnik, and Prague (shown at left). I have been to each place several times – and loved them all – so I decided to create a quiz to help you figure out which of the four destinations is best for your next romantic getaway. Answer the 10 questions that follow (write down the letters you choose on a piece of paper) and then read on to find out where you should consider heading to next. (They’re all great . . . just completely different!)

Read more

As far as 2012 travel trends go, river cruising is right up there, so there’s no surprise that the gays are all over it. And although it may be one of seven LGBT tour operators chartering groups aboard European riverboats this summer, newly founded Brand g is the only one that wants you to experience it for free. Contest time!

Launched just in time for Valentine’s Day, as well as the heartening strides made for gay marriage in Washington State and the repeal of Prop 8 in California, the “Share The Love” contest is encouraging adventurers to share their same-sex love story, or for friends to nominate their favorite LGBT couples, for the chance to win two spots on its 10-day Danube River Cruise, which includes a 2-night stay in Prague and port calls in Nuremberg, the Bavarian forest, Salzburg, Linz, Melk, Vienna, Slovakia, and Budapest. Read more

Spring usually means the arrival of warmer weather, blooming flowers, and higher airfare to Europe. Fortunately, KLM is breaking tradition and slashing rates on flights to London, Venice, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Rome, Barcelona, Helsinki, Oslo, Prague, Madrid, Zurich, and Stockholm! This sale coincides with the start of festival season in Europe, so why not pop over to Budapest for the Palinka food and wine festival, Barcelona or Madrid for May Day fiestas, and Stockholm for the popcorn film festival?  Fly now through May 15 from Chicago, New York, Dallas, or San Francisco for rates as low as $278 one-way.

Sample Fares (O/W)
•    New York City – Barcelona: $278+
•    Dallas – Amsterdam: $313+
•    Chicago – London: $336+
•    Miami-Budapest: $374+
•    Washington – Oslo: $379+
•    Houston – Venice: $384+
•    San Francisco – Madrid: $419+

THE VALUE: Fares to Europe in April and May are often close to $500 each way, so this sale saves you an average of $400 round-trip.

THE CATCH: Taxes and fees are not included, and these one-way prices are based on round-trip purchases.

THE DETAILS: Click here to book your flight with KLM.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the best hotel deals in Europe.

British Airways’ Europe air fare sale is the perfect way to spend that languishing Christmas bonus. Starting from just $397, round-trip flights span the breadth of Western Europe from Paris to Madrid to Frankfurt and more, departing from over 15 major U.S. cities on both coasts, with the lowest rates on routes from the Boston, New York, and Philadelphia heading to London and Edinburgh. Reserve your seat by January 27, and soak in Athens’ mild climate and Carnival celebrations or stroll through Florence’s art galleries and cathedrals unhindered by the crowds of summer, all the while paying half the rate of non-discounted flights.

Sample Round-Trip Fares (Before Taxes):

• New York-London: $397
• Boston-Edinburgh: $397
• Houston-London: $472
• Philadelphia-Madrid: $498
• New York-Rome: $519
• Philadelphia-Munich: $530
• Chicago-Amsterdam: $565
• Boston-Prague: $577
• Miami-Milan: $579
• Orlando-Rome: $579
• Washington, D.C.-Barcelona: $549
• Los Angeles-Milan: $649
• Las Vegas-Paris: $656
• Baltimore-Athens: $676
• And more!

THE VALUE: Save over 50 percent on regular airfare.

THE CATCH: The climate is similar to the States, so don’t expect to get too far away from the chill.

THE DETAILS: Visit www.travelocity.com to book your flight by January 27! Travel January 25 through April 12.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Visit our Savvy Flyer blog before you take off for up-to-date advice and news from the skies.

Fresh from the land of Kafka, Pilsner, Absinthe, and Bel Ami comes some pretty spectacular news: the first-ever Prague Pride (PraguePride.com) has been scheduled for August 18-21, 2011 pending police and city hall approvals. Sure it’s near a year away, but that’s the only weekend left in Europe’s summer without a conflicting Pride, so mark your calendars now. Because if my recent visit to the Czech Republic for the 11th Annual Mezipatra Queer Film Festival (Mezipatra.cz) was any indication, gay life is thriving. Prague, long a beacon for backpackers and culture vultures thanks to its über-romantic Old Town is also a haven for LGBT folk of the Central and Eastern European region thanks to a basically agnostic society and a sense of nationalism that makes it easier to be gay than non-Czech.

Read more

Prague’s newest hotel/hostel opened for business today. The 94-room, smartly designed Mosaic House offers “green”-minded travelers an eco- and cost-friendly option in the heart of the Nové M?sto (New Town) area, just steps from the famous Charles Bridge. Built in 1935, the revamped structure was outfitted with energy-efficient lighting, low-flow toilets, automatic room temperature controls based on the number of people in the room, and the Czech Republic’s first gray water recycling unit (meaning shower water is filtered for reuse). Even the oil used to fry up  hamburgers at its restaurant serves an exalted eco-purpose: it fuels the property’s airport shuttle busses! Doubles start at around $50.

For more trip-planning information, visit our Prague Travel Guide.

Sometimes I discover the best hotels while off duty. Actually, I can’t even take credit for this one; my parents took a chance and booked this Prague gem after hastily scanning a few booking sites in search of well-located rooms under $300 (my recommendations were fully booked). They lucked out. What they ended up with was this extravagantly cozy boutique hotel, housed in an old mansion in Mala Strana (I prefer this side of the Charles Bridge – it’s a little quieter but the Old Town is just a 15-minute walk away). It was hard not to be romanced by the Alchymist Residence Nosticova, what, with all its gothic charms, beamed ceilings, chandeliers, and luscious décor, especially in what I called the Versace-fabulous restaurant (think Italian extravagance to the max). I stayed nearby in a supposedly cool, contemporary hotel. I wanted to bunk with them!   Read more