We always end up feeling kind of superior when we write up intercultural tipping posts. If there's one thing in the entire breadth and depth of international travel that Americans do more politely than Europeans, it's that we tip instinctively and we tip well.

The inverse also tends to be true. More than once we've had a dinner where a European friend magnanimously insisted on paying the bill, only to dramatically undertip the server. Awkward!

But it's a wide world out there, with subtle customs and complex rules. Tipping practices can vary by country and sometimes even by region. Violating local etiquette can range from the merely de classe to the positively dangerous.

To help you avoid mistakes, Conde Nast Traveler (a relation to the Jaunted/HotelChatter/VegasChatter family) just published a huge guide to global tipping practices. Covering more than 35 major countries across every inhabited continent, it describes in detail who, when, and how much you should be tipping.]]> Omri 2009-07-28T16:25:10-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/5/26/124445/128

The folks over at Condé Nast Traveler recently sent three writers on a mission to Moscow and gave each of them a different tool to use in completing some touristy activities. One writer was armed with an iPhone, the other was given a new BlackBerry Bold phone and the last writer was left with an old-school guidebook from Eyewitness Travel.

Interestingly enough, the writer saddled with the guidebook ended up completing the required tasks much faster than the other two with the internet at their disposal. And here's why: ]]> juliana 2009-05-26T17:11:02-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/4/16/112027/210

It's that time of the year again, folks: the CN Traveler Hot List Awards! While it's no secret that the recipients of the titles of "Best Hotels," "Best Spas," "Best Nights" and "Best Tables" are often big players in the city scene (hidden gems, these are not), it's always fun to check off where we've been and where we'd give our right arm to have a simple appetizer.

Launching right into those honored for having the best "tables" in the world, we're intrigued by the fact that Dubai only garnered one winner: Ossiano at the new Atlantis Palm Jumeirah Hotel. Wait, but isn't Dubai spending its days and nights tacking up fancy new restaurants who in turn spend their days and nights drizzling gold-tipped china with fancy new sauces? Frankly, we expected more. ]]> JetSetCD 2009-04-16T12:51:09-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/10/16/10369/786

Traveler editor-in-chief Klara Glowczewska speaks at the Readers' Choice Awards in New York City.

As she opened the Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards in New York last night, publisher Elizabeth Henriques Hughes quoted recent cover boy Matt Damon and his conviction that "if people had thick passports" the world would be a better place. Of course, Jason Bourne sought out exotic destinations largely to kill people in them, but we get what she was saying.

Still, to visit many of the places honored at the awards, readers displayed not only their thick passports but their thick wallets. The silliest of the 18 awards given out at the ceremony, held at the New York Public Library (and reference to "Sex and the City" completely intended), pitted three Four Seasons resorts against each other to determine Hawaii's best.

Four Seasons CEO Kathleen Taylor pointed out in her acceptance speech (for the Maui resort at Wailea) that all three resorts have won before--well, the readers know what they like!

After the jump, the host's embarrassing travel moments and our chat with "30 Rock" actress Katrina Bowden.]]> egw 2008-10-16T11:32:38-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/26/11927/5606

If The New York Times, Budget Travel and National Geographic Traveler can do it, then so can Conde Nast Traveler! The glossy travel mag that's farmed out its web operations for so long has decided to build a new website of its own--and the magazine needs your help to do it.

Consumer News Editor Wendy Perrin, who is web savvy enough to have a Twitter account, announced the news on her blog:

Conde Nast Traveler's Web site, CNTraveler.com, will be spinning off from the Concierge.com mother ship next year and voyaging into cyberspace on its own. We're building our brand-new site from scratch--which has us all very excited--and I've been in a lot of discussions lately about what the new CNTraveler.com should be and what features it should have. Of course, we'd love to hear from YOU as well.

Crowdsourcing: Hotter today than it was in 2006!

Related Stories:
· We Want Your Opinion! [Perrin Post]
· Three Is a Trend: Travel Media Pro-Am [Jaunted]

Disclosure: Jaunted was acquired by CondeNet in April, but no one working there asked us to write this post!]]> pbb 2008-08-26T11:15:16-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/6/8510/10857

After John McCain used footage of her in a campaign ad, Paris Hilton is striking back with an absolutely hilarious video of her own, in which she presents her energy policy and plots an escape to Maui to get a great tan.

So what's that magazine she's consulting? It's the August issue of Conde Nast Traveler. Sorry T+L!

Related Stories:
· McCain Compares Obama to Britney, Paris [Jaunted]
· McCain Stops by the Sturgis Rally [Jaunted]
· Maui Travel coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-08-06T08:51:37-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2006/12/1/85019/3520

It's the time of year for Travel Hell, and here to save us is the December issue of Conde Nast Traveler. Wendy Perrin and her crack squad of travel industry experts pieced together a lengthy article on the how's and why's of holiday air travel, which we don't have to tell you sucks. Here are four things you need to know this season to keep you sane--at least until you get to your in-laws' house:

· More and more people are getting bumped--voluntarily or not--from flights, so be prepared: it could happen to you. If the airline asks for volunteers, it's up to you to sweet talk good compensation, be it free tickets or vouchers. CNT has a tip: "Cash doesn't have blackout dates."

· To avoid getting bumped all together, check into the equipment being used on flights. The bigger the airplane, the better the chance some people won't show.

· You may be able to avoid all this if JetBlue flies to your airport. They never overbook flights. But caveat emptor: They also have one of the lowest on-time arrival rates of major carriers.

· If you are flexible, you should be able to avoid delays. Flying early in the morning on Saturdays or Tuesdays is best, CNT says. And look up historical on-time data before booking.

Good luck out there!

[Photo: drewish]

Related Stories:
· Escape From the Airport [CNT]]]> pbb 2006-12-01T10:35:02-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/