Infographic: Best Places in Europe to Ski on a Budget - 559

As this winter’s ski season continues, Expedia came out with a fun infographic on the best places in Europe to ski on a budget. The infographic covers popular destinations in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Spain, Andorra, Bulgaria, France, and Slovenia, even including the best value après ski activities (including beer prices!).

Have a look and let us know what you think. Are they spot on, or are there any great places missed that are your favorites?

(Infographic courtesy Expedia.co.uk. Click for a larger image.)

Beat the Travel Funk with Travalo!

We know it all too well, the “travel funk”. It’s on planes, trains and conference centers around the globe. Fight the funk with Travalo! Body sprays and perfume bottles are hard enough to find in travel sizes, so when they inevitably bust open in your purse or luggage, it’s all the worse.

On a recent trip to Copenhagen, Denmark, I took several planes, totaling almost a full 24 hours of travel. I arrived safe, tired and stinky, only to find that none of my bags made it there. Honestly, it would have made a big differnce in how I felt if I had

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Come on, Irene: Hurricane Irene expected to affect travel plans - 558

Hurricane Irene makes landfall on the East Coast. Image courtesy of National Weather ServiceAs 600-mile wide Hurricane Irene begins making its way upwards to the East Coast, travelers should be ready to make plans. The storm has already hit the Bahamas and is expected to reach the US as early as Saturday.

According to CNN, American Airlines has already canceled 126 flights, with other carrier following suit. Many travelers Caribbean travelers can change their flights without incurring fees:

Major airlines — including US Airways, American Airlines, United Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines and Air Tran — have dropped ticket change fees for passengers scheduled to fly to or from many cities along the East Coast this weekend.

In addition, the aritcle points out, Amtrak has already canceled train services south of Washington, DC, with more cancellations expected in the Northeast.

Some states are already are already declaring evacuation warnings and states of emergency. New York City has published an evacuation guide for certain city zones, while Governor Andrew Cuomo has stated that Albany’s Emergency Operation Center will operate round-the-clock for 24 hours a day. Transit will also be halted if necessary, according to officials. As for other states:

New Jersey: Governor Chris Christie has declared a state of an emergency, and urged residents of the barrier islands to evacuate voluntarily. Vistors and residents of the Jersey Shore were also encouraged to leave the area by Friday evening, though Irene isn’t expected to touch down until Saturday.

Virginia: Governor Bob Mcdonnell said, “At this time, I encourage all Virginians to gather items they may need this weekend in case of power outages and disruptions in public services and to make sure their family members and friends are also prepared for this storm.” Eastern Virginia residents in low-lying areas have been advised to evacuate. 

North Carolina: President Obama approved a request by the state’s Governor Bev Perdue in declaring a federal disaster declaration before the storm hits landfall. The National Guard have already begun preparing for Irene, while highway patrol will expedite evacuation and offer storm response.

South Carolina: The hurricane warning for the coast of South Carolina has been downgraded to tropical storm, though the appropriate warnings are still in place.

Maryland: Currently a category 3 storm, Hurricane Irene could strengthen to as strong as category 4 as it travels up the coast. Governor Martin O’Malley has declared a state of emergency, while events—such as the scheduled dedication of the new Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial—in Washington D.C have been postponed.

Wherever you may be, it’s best to consult local broadcasts for evacuation warnings and region-specific news. As always, be safe.

Room with an Orbital View - 557

Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft on its way to launch. Photo by spatlanHere at Galavanting, we’ve made no secret about our obsession with space travel (alright, my obsession). And, surprise, surprise, here’s some more news about touring the final frontier. According to Reuters, several Russian companies unveiled plans to develop that country’s space tourism industry.

One such company, Orbital Technologies, hopes to build an orbiting hotel by 2016. The hotel will accommodate seven guests for five days at $1 million a pop. Orbiting at 217 miles above the Earth, “the hotel would be more comfortable than the space station, but did not promise luxury.”

Orbital Technologies made its announcement alongside other Russian firms looking to enter the space tourism industry at MAKS air show in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow. Now that NASA has retired its shuttle program, different companies are entering the space tourism game. One company, state-owned RKK Energia plans to build a replacement shuttle for the 40-year-old Soyuz craft currently used by Russia. Currently, the Soyuz is the only way to join up with the International Space Station, though costs $50 million dollars a ride.

The Russians have a lot of catching up to do, according to both foreign and state officials. It’s an upward climb to obtain funding, especially when compared to private firms in the United States. In the article:

Russian officials say at least one of four U.S. companies at the forefront of the commercial space industry could develop space taxis by 2016 to take astronauts into low Earth orbit, up to an altitude of about 2,000 km (1,250 miles).

Russia, on the other hand, has to contend with older equipment, race against established companies like Boeing to replace the existing Soyuz and also develop a new tourism program, whereas these problems are less of an issue in the better-funded programs of the US.

Photojojo Develops Lenses for Smartphones - 556

The Fisheye, Macro, Wide Angle and Telephoto Phone Lenses at the Photojojo Store!

Are you as addicted to smartphone photography as we are? Yeah, apps like Instagram are great for scratching that “I’m an artsy photographer” itch, but it is still only software. Photojojo, however, offers something much cooler than a software trick: actual lenses for actual photography, rather than merely manipulating in post. 

Photojojo’s lenses come in three varieties: a fisheye, telephoto and a wide-angle/macro lens. They attach to any smartphone with the use of a detachable magnetic ring. Merely place the ring around the phone’s camera lens and you can attach any of the lenses suiting your fancy.

The wide-angle lens includes a removeable macro ring for close-up photos. The telephoto lens allows a phone so equipped to achieve 2x its average zoom. Finally, the fisheye lens creates a 180-degree view for those wacky Facebook photo-ops kids these days seem to enjoy.

The lenses are available for purchase through Photojojo’s site. The telephoto and wide-angle/macro are $20, while the fisheye is $25. Or you can go for broke and purchase all three lenses for $49 to help you achieve your quasi-dSLR dreams.