Road & Travel Magazine's Blog

Is Travel Dating for You?

There are many types of dating — blind dating, online dating, speed dating, even meeting-a-random-guy-in-a-bar dating. However, if you are traveling alone the dating falls mostly into the meeting-a-random-guy category. If you are a frequent flyer, Travel Dating might be for you.

Courier Journal noted several travel services recently. These services connect solo travelers on planes, in vacation hot spots or even for some networking on business trips. Whether you are looking for that special someone or just someone to have dinner with, travel dating and networking services have the answer.

How to Fly First Class For No More Than Coach

Fly first class for no more than coach? Not only is it possible, such fares are available all the time, says Unpublished Airfare Analyst Matthew Bennett. Bennett, also known as "Mr. Upgrade," has launched a web site that posts free and low-cost upgrade deals on dozens of domestic and international airlines — firstclassflyer.com. "Since first and business class travelers represent less than 20 percent of the total airline passenger market, not much has been done to identify these little-known offers," said Mr. Upgrade. "Our job at firstclassflyer.com is to continually research all those elusive specials. They're available — if you know where to look. If there's a deal out there that will get our subscribers an upgrade, we'll find it."

First Class Flyer's paid subscription service will have you sitting pretty, knowing you booked the best seats and value for your money.

For more air travel advice, visit RTM's Airline Rules Section.

Are Your Kids Healthy at Camp?

Worried about what foods your kids will eat when they travel to camp this year? When you went to camp as a kid, you probably didn't serve yourself lunch from a salad bar, but that might just be changing for your children. According to the American Camp Association (ACA), the majority of children's recreation and travel camps now offer not only salad bars, but also fresher foods and healthier cuisine.

Here are 6 new ways camps are keeping your kids healthy:
1. Healthy menu choices
2. Allergen-free foods
3. Special diets
4. Classes in nutrition
5. Awareness of eating disorders
6. Interactive programs

To learn more about these programs and how to find a healthy camp, read RTM's Camp Cuisine Guide.

Cellphone Rudeness: What to do?

Traveling comes with its own set of annoyances such as long lines, delayed flights, security, lost luggage, traffic jams and less that comfortable travel conditions. Travel does not need the added annoyance of loud cellphone users.

We've all met them. We may have even been them. Cellphone loud talkers can make flights, restaurants, lines, waiting areas and other public places miserable. In the past, a screaming child could ruin a any public situation, but many can forgive a frazzled mother. Now, that mother is shouting above the child's screaming into her cellphone, and we, the public, are not so willing to let it slide. What would you do?

Does Cellphone Rudeness get to you? Read RTM's Cellphone Rules.

Fuel Saving Vacations for Long Summer Weekends

Looking to escape for a long summer weekend, but worried about fuel prices depleting your pocketbook or the hassle of air travel?  These fuel saving vacation ideas will help you getaway without braking the bank.

Get Away without Leaving Home:
Try visiting local attractions such as the local zoo, parks, museums, traveling carnival, or amusement parks. Splurge on a big meal out at that restaurant you've always wanted to try and take in a play or musical at a local theater. Many people live within a short driving distance of some great attractions, restaurants and entertainment. Contact the tourism office in your area and ask about great attractions you may not know about. Check out RTM's World Travel Directory and Destination Reviews for possible information about your area.

Counting Calories on Vacation

Keeping your diet on track while traveling can be difficult, even for the most honest of dieters. Tracking calories and eating healthy on the road is hard with larger than life restaurant portions and on-the-go fast food options.

However, CalorieKing.com — the leading provider of food awareness tools for weight management — recently launched its newest tool to help travelers stay healthy while on the road. The free, Internet-enabled mobile phone or smartphone search tool from the CalorieKing Mobile Web Site gives travelers access to the website's 50,000 item food database for details including calories, carbohydrates, fat, protein and more.

Continue reading RTM's article about CalorieKing's service.

What is your Packing Plan?

Figuring out to wear in the morning is hard enough, but figuring out what to wear for you entire trip, even just a weekend away, is down-right daunting. Packing a successful wardrobe without bringing six bags requires some planning.

Globeandmail.com tells you how to pack like a pro in an article offering tips and tricks for travelers trying to simplify the packing process. Packing tips include bringing fewer clothes and shopping at your destination, leaving travel essentials in your suitcase so you don't have to remember them for each trip, and coordinating your colors to make sure pieces can mix and match.

ROAD & TRAVEL Magazine also offers tips for packing light and a packing checklist to make sure you're prepared. Remember, a good packing plan will make for a better, saner trip.

2011 Jaguar XJ Sedan Road Test Review

2011 Jaguar XJ Sedan New Car Review

Dances on Pavement as New Luxury Performance Sedan

by Bob Plunkett

Jaguar XJ Named 2011 International Luxury Car of the Year 
Most Respected

Sensuously shaped sedans -- Jaguar's flagship XJ series in rakish new fastback style for 2011 with lightweight aluminum structural elements and a powerful engine lurking below the bulging hood -- park side by side on a block of Alta Loma Road just off the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, Calif.

A special thanks to Bridgestone Tire for sponsoring the 2011 International Car of the Year Awards.

With the push-button starter already engaged and the big engine purring, a stretched-wheelbase XJL Supercharged sedan we select for a drive -- wearing high-gloss ebony body paint and the leather-lined cabin trimmed in shades of caramel and sand -- is ready to roll. [Read full story]

New Ford Explorer Wins 2011 SUV of the year

Ford Explorer Named 2011 International SUV of the Year. Accepting the ICOTY Award was Ford’s Explorer Marketing Manager, Craig Patterson, center. (l-r) Presenting the award were ICOTY jurors, Joe Wiesenfelder, senior editor, Cars.com; Courtney Caldwell, ICOTY founder and editor, Road & Travel Magazine; Denise McCluggage, editor of denisemccluggage.com; and Mike Martini, president, Bridgestone Tire OE Americas and ICOTY sponsor.

Ford Explorer Named 2011 International SUV of the Year by ICOTY Jury during private ceremony in NY.

The 2011 ICOTY Awards were sponsored by Bridgestone.

A new safety option adds inflatable seatbelts to second-row seats. These devices distribute the impact forces from a sudden stop over five times the surface area compared to conventional seatbelts so they pare the pressure on the rider's chest while also helping to control motion of the neck and head. 

Active safety systems include four-wheel disc brakes tied to an anti-lock brake system (ABS) and Ford's AdvanceTrac electronic stability control device with Roll Stability Control (RSC), which measures vehicle motion on both the yaw and roll axes.

And a new electronic safety device aboard is dubbed Curve Control -- it can detect when the driver runs too fast into a turn, then automatically deploys the brakes to slow and stabilize the wagon.

For power, all trim versions of Explorer draw from a new 3.5-liter V6 engine with DOHC (dual overhead cams) and performance-enhancing Ti-VVT (twin independent variable camshaft timing) technology.

Read full road test review by Bob Plunkett.

2011 Luxury Car, Sedan and SUV of the Year Honored

Sponsored by Bridgestone Tire

Three new cars and trucks for 2011 land International Car of the Year Awards in three seperate categories. Congratualtions to Ford Explorer SUV, Jaguar XJ, and Volvo S60.

In private ceremonies held in New York City, the 2011 International Car of the Year Awards (ICOTY) honored three vehicles deemed best in class for their most superlative connection with consumer lifestyles.

[Photo - Who's Who?] (L) Courtney Caldwell, Editor-in-Chief, Road & Travel Magazine, presents Ian Callum, Design Director for Jaguar, with the International Luxury Car of the Year Award for the 2011 Jaguar XJ. Also on hand from left to right: ICOTY jury member Denise McCluggage, DeniseMcCluggage.com; Adrian Hallmark, Global Brand Director for Jaguar; Michael Martini, President of Bridgestone OE Americas; another distinguished jury member, Joe Wiesenfelder, Senior Editor, Cars.com; and Frank Klaas, Global Head of Communications for Jaguar Land Rover.

And the winners are:

 2011 International Sedan of the Year:
2011 Volvo S60 – Most Dependable

2011 International Luxury Car of the Year:
2011 Jaguar XJ – Most Respected

2011 International SUV of the Year:
2011 Ford Explorer – Most Resourceful

See Special ICOTY Issue

Read full press release here.