Latest from Stefan Brand
20 Articles
15 Things an American Park Entrance Will Arrange Free for Any Traveller Who Has Turned 62 That Year
Here's the twist almost nobody expects: the "free" in a senior park pass isn't quite free, and it isn't tied to the year you turn 62. The pass costs $20 for an
23 Things Airport Meet-and-Greet Teams Arrange for Travellers Over 65 Entirely Without Being Asked to Them Directly
You probably picture a smiling stranger with a name sign and a wheelchair. That's the part you can see. The best teams do most of their work before a traveler o
7 Rental Car Rules That Change After 70 and What Drivers Need to Know
Turning 70 doesn't automatically lock you out of the rental counter. Still, the paperwork, pricing and fine print can shift depending on where you rent and who
Iran War Drives Up Fuel Prices, Bringing a Continuous Round-the-World Cruise to a Halt
A residential cruise ship that had been sailing around the world continuously for more than two years has evicted passengers in Cambodia.[1] The operator blames
Cruise Ship Sustains “Considerable Damage” After Striking Container Vessels
On the evening of Sunday, October 25, 2026, the TUI Cruises ship Mein Schiff 3 was leaving Bremerhaven, Germany, when it hit two moored container ships. No pass
8 U.S. Mountain Towns You Won’t Want to Leave
Plenty of places look good in a photo. Fewer hold up once you've parked the car, walked the main street, and realized you've lost track of the afternoon. The to
5 Countries Where Expats Find Both Affordable Living And Real Happiness
Cheap rent doesn't mean much if you're lonely, and a lively social scene won't help if your savings vanish by month three. The most useful evidence comes from p
These 3 Countries Record The Most Deaths Among US Tourists Each Year
Every year, a few hundred U.S. citizens die abroad from non-natural causes such as crashes, drownings and violence. The State Department tracks these cases, and
8 Effortless Habits of People Who Breeze Through Airport Security
You've probably watched someone glide through a checkpoint while you wrestled with a belt, a laptop and a bag of tiny shampoo bottles. It rarely comes down to l
Qasr al-Farid: The Lonely Nabatean Tomb Carved From a Single Rock
Walk across the flat desert floor at Hegra and one monument pulls your eye before any other. It isn't hidden in a cliff face or tucked into a canyon. It sits by
5 Countries Introducing New Tourist Fees You’ll Pay
Travel budgets used to be about flights, a bed and a few good meals. Now there's a growing list of small charges that show up at checkout, on a hotel bill or bu
La Niña Could Disrupt Winter Travel This Year. Here Are the Regions to Watch
If you've seen headlines promising a La Niña freeze this winter, the current ocean data points the other way. La Niña faded earlier in 2026, and a very strong E
12 Countries Where Americans Will Need a Visa in 2026
A U.S. passport is among the more useful travel documents. Even so, you can visit about 180 countries without getting a visa in advance, but others do require o
Top 9 Most Affordable Countries to Live Well on $1,200 a Month
Twelve hundred dollars a month won't stretch far in most Western cities. In several parts of Asia, Europe and Latin America, it can cover a real apartment, regu
4 Overlooked U.S. Towns Making a Comeback in 2026
Most lists of rising American places are crowded with the same names, usually big metros or resort towns with famous skylines and ski lifts. The towns doing qui
Why I Skip Group Tours, and You Might Want To Too
Plenty of people have stood on a pavement in a foreign city, watching a guide's raised umbrella bob away down the street. The group follows, phones up, and anyo
15 Items Ship Medical Teams Wish Every Passenger Carried Aboard That Almost Nobody Ever Packs
Picture the cruise ship hospital: gleaming operating rooms, a full pharmacy, a specialist for every ailment. Now picture what's actually down there. Ships have
Mexico’s Hotspots Face Growing Risks as Violence Rises
Mexico's security story in 2026 is hard to sum up in one line. National figures point in one direction, while the news from certain cities and states points in
13 Arrangements Airport Assistance Teams Put in Place Automatically Without Ever Telling the Traveller Anything
Most people picture airport assistance as one friendly person with a wheelchair. That's only the part you can see. Behind it sits a chain of flags, equipment, s
Top 5 Countries Where Americans Can Live Well on $600–$1,100 a Month
A monthly budget between $600 and $1,100 would barely cover rent in most American cities. In a handful of countries, it can pay for a decent apartment, regular