Lonely Planet blog Category: news

Update: Visiting New York after Sandy

Robert Reid Lonely Planet author

Planning to visit New York City for the holidays, but wondering what to expect after Hurricane Sandy? Expect a New York Christmas as usual, at least in Manhattan where most winter visitors stay. You’ll still see store windows lit up with holiday displays on Fifth Avenue, and the big tree and ice rink packed with…

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Lonely Planet meets Layar: bridging the print-digital divide

admin Lonely Planet author

Once a book is printed, it’s printed – nothing changes without a reprint. But what if you could add contextual digital content to enhance the book with real-time information on the fly? We’re experimenting with just that in partnership with Layar, a free augmented reality app available on Apple iOS and Android devices. To start,…

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Creative new ways to board an airplane

Andy Murdock Lonely Planet author

Airlines never stand still. Following recent months when airlines introduced fees for printing boarding passes and higher prices for sitting in window or aisle seats, airlines are getting creative with the way they board passengers. Thankfully, some recent experiments aren’t direct attempts to extract more money from passengers: while some airlines are simply trying to…

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Are Americans safer in Mexico than at home?

Robert Reid Lonely Planet author

Every week or so I get asked, ‘Is it safe to go to Mexico?’ I had always said, if you’re thoughtful about where you go, yes. But after my most recent trip there, I’m changing my answer… to a question: Do you think it’s safe to go to Texas? To be clear, violence in Mexico…

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Better ways to have fun in Cartagena

Andy Murdock Lonely Planet author

Cartagena, Colombia has been in the news for all the wrong reasons over the past weeks, in the wake of a scandal implicating a group of US Secret Service agents alleged to have hired prostitutes while on the job. Earlier this week, we were amused to see The Daily Show‘s Jon Stewart, poking fun at…

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When should you use a travel agent?

Robert Reid Lonely Planet author

That tiresome argument between what makes a ‘traveler’ different from a ‘tourist’ is sometimes split along the lines that the latter used a travel agent. A tourist goes where he or she’s led by an agent or package tour, the traveler does it all on your own. Yeah, well… While the number of travel agents…

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US National Park Week 2012: where to go when the parks are free

Andy Murdock Lonely Planet author

It’s April, so it’s time once again for one of the most tempting deals in American travel: National Park Week. Each of the 397 parks in the National Park System is offering free admission to visitors from April 21-29. The US National Parks are a bargain at any price, and the $80 annual pass is…

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Google’s smart glasses: ‘Project Glass’ for travellers

Andy Murdock Lonely Planet author

For a few months the tech world has been buzzing about Google’s work on Terminator-style smart glasses. Today, Google released a video (see below) showing their vision of the potential of such a product, which they’re currently calling ‘Project Glass’: taking photos, getting directions, checking the weather and making a phone call all while having…

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If Amsterdam’s hash bars closed, would you still go?

Robert Reid Lonely Planet author

Think quick: Amsterdam! What’s the first thing you think? Don’t lie. It’s the hash bars. The Netherlands’ infamously lax policy regarding small amounts of cannabis is so legendary that the whole national economy would fall flat without it (or at least it wouldn’t have attracted John Travolta’s character from Pulp Fiction, or prompted articles like…

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What are the seven wonders of nature?

Andy Murdock Lonely Planet author

This past week, the New7Wonders Foundation released a provisional list of the ‘New7Wonders of Nature’ based on popular vote, part of a series of lists attempting to define the wonders of the world as we see them today. The list (in alphabetical order) includes some well-known natural sights, but also some that are perhaps a…

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