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TravelCommons

As much about the journey as the destination.

Practical travel mechanics + destination notes for frequent leisure travelers.

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Journey (Mechanics)

Practical systems for traveling well: planning, packing, pacing, rail and air.

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Destinations

Notes from places worth the effort: neighborhoods, day trips, and “don’t miss” picks.

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Podcast Archive

Classic TravelCommons road warrior stories and travel lessons from the vault.

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Latest Posts

  • Things I’m Recommending Right Now…

    In the last podcast episode, I mentioned that I’ve found myself giving out a lot of travel recommendations recently. So rather than limiting them to a 2-barstool radius in my favorite Nashville taprooms, here are (in no particular order) the things I’ve been recommending lately… Restaurants, Bars, and Taprooms Oaxaca (Oaxaca de Juárez) As I

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  • Podcast #200 — Wrapping Up the TravelCommons Journey

    Finishing 19 years of podcasting where I’ve been thinking way too much about travel, I indulge in some nostalgia and talk about my personal travel philosophy

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  • Podcast #199 — Smile for Security: Facial Recognition in Travel

    Using my face as my boarding pass to get on a flight to Oaxaca, Mexico and then as my passport to get back in the US got me thinking about how facial recognition has permeated the travel experience. To help us understand where this is going, we talk with two travel industry experts, Dr. Sheldon

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  • Podcast #198 — London Vacation Rental Woes; Hertz’s EV Retreat

    London’s vacation rental market is broken and Booking.com is no help. Also, Hertz’s EV retreat, Sioux City, Iowa embraces their SUX airport code, a flash-in-the-pan airport delay crypto betting app.

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  • One More Top 10 List Of Holiday Travel Tips

    Travel volume continues to grow, straining airline capacities and airport aisles — and that’s even before the Christmas travel crush hits. As you mentally prepare yourself to wade into the crowds, here are TravelCommons’ top holiday travel tips to keep you moving over the river and through the woods… But above all, be realistic. It’s

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  • Podcast #197 — Renting a Tesla; 2023 Traveler Gift Guide

    It’s the sustainability episode of the TravelCommons podcast, talking about my experience renting a Tesla from Hertz and my road-tested list of Christmas gift suggestions for the frequent traveler(s) in your life. I also talk about some new TSA biometrics equipment I faced (literally) in Nashville and yet another update on the EU’s ETIAS system

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  • Podcast #196 — Cheers to Beer Tourism and Travel!

    In this beer-focused episode, John Holl, editor of All About Beer, gives us his take on beer tourism and tips on how to beer travels. I talk about my experience planning my Asheville, NC taproom visits with ChatGPT. We also dive deep into the new JD Power Airport Satisfaction Survey and do a quick update

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  • Podcast #195 — Checking Out Holland’s Tulip Festival

    In this episode, I dive deep into our Dutch tulip-themed trip last April. Before the tulip festival stories, I randomly wander through a potpourri of travel topics — TSA passenger volumes returning to pre-COVID levels, having a surprisingly satisfying customer service experience with American Airlines, Hertz’s EV push, and a bit of a chuckle about

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