Vacation | featured news

Home, sweet home.

Cindy Goodman was having dinner with a group of girlfriends one night when the conversation took a surprising turn.

When the dollar sank to a record low against the euro last July, many Americans decided that a trip to Europe would have to wait for another time.

It's that rare vacation moment when everyone is happy at the same time. "Our kids have never been on a train before," said Mary Macho, visiting from Eden Prairie, Minn., with her husband, 10-year-old twins and 8-year-old.

If the IRS cuts you a check, a vacation may suddenly seem doable. Get inspired by our seven fully itemized, long-weekend itineraries, starting at $895 for a family's complete expenses. That's far less than the average tax refund of about $2,700.

This is a cool database of interesting places to visit round the world (drop down box, not click-through)

It's the season of brackets, beer and, of course, basketball.

Royal Caribbean has angered many of its most loyal customers this week with changes to its frequent cruiser program, the Crown & Anchor Society.

AFP - Americans visiting violence-wracked Mexico this month for annual "spring break" vacations should be safe as long as they don't stray from tourist resorts, a Republican lawmaker from Texas said Monday.

The economic downturn has a welcome upside for travelers. The U.S. dollar is surging, gas is cheap and hotel rates are dipping. Resorts are throwing in free entertainment, airlines are advertising recession sales, and cruise lines are offering discounts of up to 75 percent. Deals are out there, and this is the time to grab them.