Travel guides

Travel Guides

103 guides on travel guides, newest first.

Detroit skyline along the riverfront

Detroit: Should You Rent a Car or Rely on Public Transit?

Whether to rent a car in the Motor City or rely on the QLine, the People Mover, buses, bikes and ride-hail: how the region is laid out, getting in from DTW, what driving, parking and the Michigan left are really like, taking a rental into Canada, and a decision table by trip type.

Detroit skyline along the riverfront

Best Time to Fly to Detroit: Seasons, Weather & Prices

Month-by-month guide to flying to Detroit: cold, gray winters and warm riverfront summers, the auto show, festivals, Dream Cruise and football weekends that drive hotel prices, the cheapest and busiest windows, and how to get downtown from DTW.

Detroit skyline along the riverfront

Things to Do in Detroit: A First-Timer’s Guide

A first-timer’s guide to Detroit: Campus Martius and the Art Deco towers, the RiverWalk and Belle Isle, the best neighborhoods, the DIA and The Henry Ford, Motown, techno and jazz, the Tigers, Lions and Red Wings, coneys and square pizza, day trips to Windsor and Dearborn, and two sample itineraries.

Montreal skyline with Mount Royal in the background

Montreal: Should You Rent a Car or Rely on Public Transit?

Whether to rent a car in Montreal or rely on the metro, buses, the 747 airport bus, BIXI and the REM: how the island is laid out, how STM fares work, what driving here is really like (no right turns on red, winter tire law, moving-day traffic), when a car is worth it, and a decision table by trip type.

Montreal skyline with Mount Royal in the background

Best Time to Fly to Montreal: Seasons, Weather & Prices

Month-by-month guide to flying to Montreal: real winter, humid summer and two short lovely shoulders; cheapest and busiest fare windows; the Grand Prix, jazz festival and Osheaga weeks that spike prices; and Trudeau airport versus the cross-border alternatives.

Montreal skyline with Mount Royal in the background

Things to Do in Montreal: A First-Timer’s Guide

A first-timer’s guide to Montreal: Old Montreal and the Old Port, Mount Royal, the Plateau and Mile End, the museums, the markets, the food (smoked meat, bagels, poutine and beyond), the Canadiens, the festivals, day trips to Quebec City and Tremblant, and two sample itineraries.

Downtown San Diego skyline seen from across the bay

San Diego: Should You Rent a Car or Rely on Public Transit?

Whether to rent a car in San Diego or rely on the Trolley, buses, the Coronado ferry and coastal trains: how the city is laid out, how MTS and PRONTO fares work, what driving and parking are really like, when a car pays off for La Jolla, the beaches and North County, and a decision table by trip type.

Downtown San Diego skyline seen from across the bay

Best Time to Fly to San Diego: Seasons, Weather & Prices

Month-by-month guide to flying to San Diego: a mild climate with May Gray and June Gloom, the summer beach season and Comic-Con that drive peak prices, the quiet winter and post-Labor Day windows, and how to get downtown from SAN.

Downtown San Diego skyline seen from across the bay

Things to Do in San Diego: A First-Timer’s Guide

A first-timer’s guide to San Diego: Balboa Park and the zoo, the USS Midway and the Embarcadero, Old Town, Coronado, La Jolla and Torrey Pines, Point Loma and the beach towns, the Gaslamp and Little Italy, fish tacos and craft beer, the Padres, day trips to the Safari Park, Carlsbad, Los Angeles and Tijuana, and two sample itineraries.

Independence Hall in Philadelphia

Philadelphia: Should You Rent a Car or Rely on Public Transit?

Whether to rent a car in Philadelphia or rely on SEPTA: how Center City is laid out, how the subway, trolleys, Regional Rail and fares work, what driving and parking are really like (the Schuylkill Expressway, the Parking Authority, tolls), when a car is worth it for Valley Forge, Longwood Gardens and Amish country, and a decision table by trip type.

Independence Hall in Philadelphia

Best Time to Fly to Philadelphia: Seasons, Weather & Prices

Month-by-month guide to flying to Philadelphia: hot summers and crisp falls, the Fourth of July, graduation and convention peaks that drive hotel rates, the cheapest winter weeks, the events to book around, and how to get downtown from PHL.

Independence Hall in Philadelphia

Things to Do in Philadelphia: A First-Timer’s Guide

A first-timer’s guide to Philadelphia: Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and Old City, Reading Terminal Market and City Hall, the art museum, the Barnes and the Parkway, Boathouse Row and Fairmount Park, the best neighborhoods, the Fourth of July and the Mummers, sports, cheesesteaks and BYOBs, day trips to Valley Forge, Longwood Gardens and Amish country, and two sample itineraries.

Downtown Houston skyline at dusk

Houston: Should You Rent a Car or Rely on Public Transit?

Whether to rent a car in Houston or rely on METRORail, buses and ride-hail: how the city and its ring roads are laid out, how METRO fares work, what driving here is really like (freeways, frontage roads, toll roads, flooding and heat), when a car is worth it for Space Center Houston and Galveston, and a decision table by trip type.

Downtown Houston skyline at dusk

Best Time to Fly to Houston: Seasons, Weather & Prices

Month-by-month guide to flying to Houston: mild winters, humid summers and hurricane season, the rodeo, spring break and the Offshore Technology Conference that drive fares, the cheapest windows, and choosing between IAH and Hobby.

Downtown Houston skyline at dusk

Things to Do in Houston: A First-Timer’s Guide

A first-timer’s guide to Houston: Space Center Houston and Mission Control, the Museum District and Hermann Park, the Menil Collection and the Rothko Chapel, Buffalo Bayou Park and its bats, Montrose, the Heights and the East End, the rodeo, the Astros and Rockets, Viet-Cajun crawfish and brisket, day trips to Galveston, and two sample itineraries.

Golden Gate Bridge spanning the entrance to San Francisco Bay

San Francisco: Should You Rent a Car or Rely on Public Transit?

Whether to rent a car in San Francisco or rely on Muni, the cable cars, BART and the ferries: how the city is laid out, how fares and the Visitor Passport work, what driving, parking and break-ins really mean for visitors, when a car is worth it for day trips, and a decision table by trip type.

Golden Gate Bridge spanning the entrance to San Francisco Bay

Best Time to Fly to San Francisco: Seasons, Weather & Prices

Month-by-month guide to flying to San Francisco: the foggy summer and warm fall, the rainy season, the conventions and festivals that drive hotel rates, the cheapest and busiest windows, and choosing between SFO, Oakland and San Jose.

Golden Gate Bridge spanning the entrance to San Francisco Bay

Things to Do in San Francisco: A First-Timer’s Guide

A first-timer’s guide to San Francisco: the Golden Gate Bridge and the Presidio, Alcatraz and the waterfront, the cable cars, Chinatown and North Beach, Golden Gate Park and Lands End, the Mission and other neighborhoods, food, sports and festivals, day trips to Muir Woods and wine country, and two sample itineraries.

The Jefferson Memorial across the Tidal Basin during peak cherry blossom bloom in Washington, DC

Washington, DC: Should You Rent a Car or Rely on Metro?

Whether to rent a car in Washington, DC or rely on the Metro, buses, bikes and trains: how the city is laid out, how Metro fares and SmarTrip work, what driving and parking really cost (cameras, circles, tolls, tow zones), when a car is worth it for day trips, and a decision table by trip type.

The Jefferson Memorial across the Tidal Basin during peak cherry blossom bloom in Washington, DC

Best Time to Fly to Washington, DC: Seasons, Weather & Prices

Month-by-month guide to flying to Washington, DC: the cherry blossom and spring school-trip peaks, why hotels are cheaper on weekends and in August, the events to book around, and how to choose between Reagan National, Dulles and BWI.

The Jefferson Memorial across the Tidal Basin during peak cherry blossom bloom in Washington, DC

Things to Do in Washington, DC: A First-Timer’s Guide

A first-timer’s guide to Washington, DC: the National Mall and the memorials, the Capitol and the Library of Congress, the free Smithsonian museums and the National Gallery, Georgetown, Dupont Circle, U Street and the Wharf, the cherry blossoms and the Fourth of July, sports, food, day trips to Mount Vernon and Shenandoah, and two sample itineraries.

Downtown Boston skyline viewed across the Charles River

Boston: Should You Rent a Car or Rely on Public Transit?

Whether to rent a car in Boston or rely on the T: how the city is laid out, how the subway, Silver Line, commuter rail and ferries work, what driving and parking are really like (tunnels, tolls, rotaries, residents-only streets), when a car is worth it for Cape Cod and New England, and a decision table by trip type.

Downtown Boston skyline viewed across the Charles River

Best Time to Fly to Boston: Seasons, Weather & Prices

Month-by-month guide to flying to Boston: snowy winters and glorious falls, the foliage, graduation and Marathon peaks that drive hotel rates, the cheapest winter weeks, the events to book around, and how to get downtown from Logan.

Downtown Boston skyline viewed across the Charles River

Things to Do in Boston: A First-Timer’s Guide

A first-timer’s guide to Boston: the Freedom Trail from Boston Common to Bunker Hill, Beacon Hill and the Public Garden, Back Bay and Copley Square, the North End and the Seaport, Harvard and MIT, the MFA and the Gardner, Fenway Park, chowder and lobster rolls, day trips across New England and two sample itineraries.

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