Just when we finally thought it safe to book an affordable flight, hotel, and rental car, a New York Times story gets us all disappointed over rates. Apparently, despite the deals elsewhere, rental car costs are going up. One consulting group notes that in May, the average weekly rate for a car booked seven days in advance went up almost 75% from the previous year.

Although the demand for rental cars is down, the car companies are responding by not ordering new cars and selling off the really old ones. In the past, drivers were greeted with a low-mile cream puff, often with a new car scent, but now they are usually stuck in something with many more miles on the odometer. Unfortunately, it’s just simple supply and demand, and less rental cars mean we’re stuck paying more for the dogs that are left. ]]> kjb 2009-06-29T11:32:19-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/15/81254/0248

One of the New York Times’ best travel features is their 36 Hours series. For those with no attention span, like us, it’s a short and sweet way to get a taste of a location in only 1,500 words. This week’s article featured a jaunt to the Research Triangle region of North Carolina.

Having called this area home for the last couple of years, we were pleasantly surprised to see a feature focused on the area in and around Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill.

The NYT recommends it, but we always get sidetracked before making it to the North Carolina Museum of Art. Maybe now that the museum got a big shout-out, we’ll finally get to see some American favorites like Winslow Homer and Georgia O’Keeffe. Their permanent collections are free to visit, so we just have to stop making excuses and finally get a little culture. ]]> kjb 2009-06-15T10:08:45-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/2/12/132252/531

Perhaps the global economic crisis was always going to hit Dubai harder than most cities: Its explosive growth and splashy, celebrity-studded new projects may have earned it a spot in the dictionary illustrating the word "hubris." But the exodus of foreigners who rushed to the emirate for plush jobs raises some unsettling questions about its future.

The New York Times reported today that former engineers, advertising executives and financiers are ditching their cars and their apartments as their work visas expire. The real estate and tourism industries are in such a crater that these people are willing to risk debtors' prison in order to get out. And with no bailout forthcoming from the other members of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai officials seem to have trouble even admitting that there is a crisis.

Will Dubai be able to bounce back despite its loads of debt and ailing industries? Or will it stand deserted in the desert, devolving into that city from "Wall*E"? Truth is, we may have knocked its ever more extravagant offerings, but we kind of always wanted to see what the fuss was about. Guess we should take a trip before it's too late.

Related Stories:
· Laid-Off Foreigners Flee as Dubai Spirals Down [New York Times]
· Three Weeks Ago: Bad Economy Gives Dubai A Good Kick in the Shins [Jaunted]
· Dubai Secretly Turned On By The Idea Of More Beach Liasons [Jaunted]
· Dubai Building Islands, Buying Up Celebrity Souls [Jaunted]

[Photo: ~Aphrodite]]]> egw 2009-02-12T16:36:03-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/7/82631/09866

The weather must be good up there: After seven years, the National Park Service is thinking about re-opening the Statue of Liberty's crown to visitors willing to make the climb.

The statue reopened in 2004 after improvements were made to get the monument up to post-9/11 security standards. But the spiral staircase to the crown, most recently replaced in 1986 for Lady Liberty's centennial, isn't up to code and may have to be replaced before it's an option for up to 30 island-bound visitors at a time. A recent Park Service memo leaked by a New York congressman sought bids to make the crown safer.

On our first trip to New York City we walked all the way up to the crown, and the view is incredible. Let's upgrade this lady!

Related Stories:
· Statue of Liberty Crown Reopening is Studied [NYT]
· The New 7 Wonders [Jaunted]
· National Parks coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: stevesheriw]]]> egw 2008-07-07T09:30:13-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/25/13577/5788

We've been following Matt Gross on his Grand Tour across Europe this summer, barely keeping our jealousy contained as he partied in Rome and volunteered at an organic farm in southern France.

But we were eager to ask him if travel through the unaffordable continent is really that great. And how the hell was he getting by on just €100 ($155) a day?

To find out, we called him up on Skype and recorded our video chat. Check it after the jump.]]> pbb 2008-06-25T14:05:05-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/18/14225/9172

The Frugal Traveling Matt Gross is five weeks into his 12-week Grand Tour, and so far he's hit a number of classic vacation spots in Western Europe. But as he moves east, he's wondering what there might be worth doing near Lithuania.

So, since it's 2008, he's asking for The Internet's help in planning his Week 10. It sounds pretty gonzo:

I'm letting you, the readers, pick where I'll go in Week 10 of my 12-week Grand Tour. A Baltic beach town in Poland? A vineyard in Slovenia? Anything is possible. Well, almost.

It's not just the destination you'll pick--I want you to map out my entire week: How will I get there? What will I do? Where will I sleep? Where will I eat?

You can give Matt your picks over at his Grand Tour blog.

We'd be remiss if we didn't mention our own "Tell a guy where to go" crowdsourcing. The latest Jaunted Contest is underway, and your good ideas for airport layovers could net you a three-day Caribbean vacation. You can enter our contest here.

Related Stories:
· The Grand Tour [NYT]
· Jaunted Contest: Layover Nation [Jaunted]
· Travel Blogs coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-06-18T14:30:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/9/18365/23326

Las Vegas dining is ruled by big-name chefs like Wolfgang Puck, Joël Robuchon and Daniel Boulud. But the restaurants from the famous types are usually more expensive and less well reviewed than their New York and Paris counterparts--and are sometimes set in fake New York or fake Paris.

The New York Times has word this week, though, on a genuine ethnic neighborhood in Sin City--the makeshift Chinatown that has sprung up over the last decade. This being Las Vegas, even Chinatown is set in a mall:

Ask any Chinese tourist and you'll find that Las Vegas' Chinatown is high on their checklist. Tour buses regularly motor a mile off the Strip to stop at Chinatown Plaza, an open-air mall founded in 1994 ...

"Everyone in China knows about Chinatown here," one woman said. "They go to the Strip, and then they go to Chinatown."

Like so many other Chinatowns, Vegas' has a great restaurant scene, with everything from Sichuan to Korean on offer. And, yes, there's plenty of karaoke.

Related Stories:
· Dim Sum Amid Las Vegas' Casinos [NYT]
· Las Vegas Chinatown Plaza [Official Site]
· Las Vegas Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Evil Jungle Prince]]]> BS 2008-06-10T12:50:01-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/