Thanksgiving travel

Let’s give travel thanks for ….

Economy, Holidays

The economy may be tanking, but right now a tank of gas costs way less than it did last year at this time. As I prep for my Thanksgiving trek, I’m thankful for that. Travel-wise, this year, I’m also grateful for:

City bus drivers who wait a few extra seconds before pulling away from the curb so that folks running for the bus can hop on;

States that have saved lives by passing laws requiring hands-free headsets for drivers using cell phones – and for the states that will soon do so;

TSA-approved laptop cases, airports with free wireless Internet access, and the blossoming of free power charging stations in the terminals and;

The United Airlines ticket counter agents at the Montreal Airport who went way out of their way this past summer to help me get a retiring guide-dog to her adopted family in Seattle.

This past year I was also delighted to find healthy dining options at airports; truly quiet “quiet cars” on commuter trains; and plenty of smoke-free hotel rooms that, once I was all settled in, didn’t turn out to smell like smoke after all.

I’m not the only thankful traveler. Here’s a link to my MSNBC.com Well Mannered Traveler column that’s full of travel gratitudes from others.

Free free to add your own.

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Guide to stress-free holiday travel

Holidays

With the economy in a tizzy, everyone is cutting back on just about everything, including travel.

But don’t let that lull you into thinking everyone but you will be staying home this holiday season.

Even in tough economic times – or maybe because of tough economic times – people gather together for the holidays. So planes, trains, buses and highways will be full. Lines will be long. And tempers could be short.

Which is why you might need the 15-point Guide to Stress-Free Holiday Travel that I put together for MSNBC.com.

When you’ve read through those tips, check out the cool “getting to Grandma‘ feature MSNBC.com put together about how culture – and Thanksgiving costs – have changed over the past 50 years.