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Tag Results: Winter Break
Where to Hunt for the Northern Lights
Even if the cold doesn’t bother you, the trouble with winter is that nightfall arrives sooner than most of us would like it to. There is however, one good reason to venture out into the frigid winter air during the darkest months of the year: the Northern Lights. Also known as aurora borealis or the “northern dawn,” this electrical phenomena is approaching a peak period that will last until about 2016. In other words, if you haven’t seen this shimmering display before, the odds of catching a glimpse in the next few years are higher than usual. Clear skies on or around the spring equinox (March 20 in 2013) will up your chances even further. And for travelers planning a trip to see the aurora, the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks helpfully posts a forecast online. Read more
Fly non-stop to Istanbul October through March and save hundreds with this round-trip air deal starting at just $505, including tax. Spend Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s in Turkey, for an unforgettable Eastern vacation. Warm up with Turkish coffee while completing your holiday shopping in bazaars, relax in the famous Turkish baths, or soak in thousands of years of history in museums and mosques.
THE VALUE: Non-stop flights from Chicago to Istanbul typically cost over $1,000, so this deal saves over $500 on normal non-stop fares.
THE CATCH: These flights will get snapped up fast, so book now for the widest selection of dates. Lowest prices were found for weekday travel.
THE DETAILS: Click here to book your flight online with our Travel Search price comparison tool.
WE’VE GOT MORE: Find the best place to stay in Istanbul with our hotel reviews page, or check out what to do when you get there with our Turkey travel guide.
San Juan During February School Break: Two Adults, Three Kids, One Hotel Room? Believe It
When I went from being a father of two to a father of three I got many “What were you thinking?” comments from friends, other parents, supermarket cashiers – virtually anyone who felt comfortable observing that my wife and I had exceeded some maximum. And you know who else I still hear it from? Hotel booking engines, which respond to my request for a single room accommodating two adults and three children with “exceeds max children” or some similar admonishment.
From the moment I began traveling with my party of five, my strategy has been to check the rate on a standard double room that takes two adults and two kids, and from there, grill reservationists about whether the room has a sofa bed or will accommodate a rollaway. I also ask if there’s a charge for the extra bed and/or an extra occupancy fee for my additional child. Much of the time I’m pleasantly surprised by the answer. And then there are those times like the other night when I called the Caribe Hilton in San Juan to see if the $269 a night room I found for February 20-24 allowed a rollaway. Nope.
