🌎 Latest Tavel Goodness!

Hello again!

We’ve got fresh stories, travel news (from the Caribbean to the Med) and some can’t-miss contests to spice up your wanderlust.

Let’s kick off with our newest blog posts...

Corsica Dreams! Our Sailing Cruise

On a whim, we joined a last-minute October cruise to Corsica with Star Clippers.

We’d been craving an off-the-beaten-path adventure, and their 7-day itinerary from Nice delivered in spades! We hiked coastal trails, explored medieval Corsican villages and swam in still-warm Mediterranean waters. Plus, the weather couldn’t have been better —sunny and warm (save for a couple of days).

We’re already eyeing another Star Clippers sailing for next fall!

Visiting St. Maarten on a Cruise?

Wondering what to do in St. Maarten on your cruise? Lucky you!

You can explore not just one, but two island countries in a single day — Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin.

We spent a glorious three weeks on the island (and have also visited on cruise stops). We’ve cherry-picked the very best ways to spend your day in port — whether that’s getting jet-blasted at Maho Beach or sipping rosé at an Orient Bay beach club (think serious French Riviera vibes!).

Le Petit Hotel: A Beachfront Gem in French St. Martin

Some hotels win you over the moment you arrive — and Le Petit Hotel is one of them.

Within moments of checking in, we felt like we’d slipped into a sunny slower-paced version of Caribbean island life, where mornings began with croissants on our balcony and the sea practically lapped at our doorstep.

The tiny sister hotel to Hotel L’Esplanade (where we also stayed), it charms with 10 beautifully designed rooms and a lovely beachfront setting. No wonder this little treasure is one of our favorite boutique hotels on St. Martin/St. Maarten!

Awesome Travel Contests

✈️ Win a round-trip flight to South Australia

To celebrate United’s brand-new nonstop service from San Francisco to Adelaide, you could snag one of 25 return flights on this shiny new route. Adventure “down under”? Yes, please!

🔹Eligibility: Open to U.S. residents
🔹 Deadline: November 21, 2025
🔹 Enter the travel contest: Click here

🏝️ Win a 7-night trip to Grand Cayman

Enjoy sun, sand and sea for two, with roundtrip Air Canada Rouge economy tickets plus a 7-night stay at the stylish Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman — complete with a complimentary round of golf.

🔹 Eligibility: Open to residents of Canada
🔹 Deadline: November 30, 2025
🔹 Enter the travel contest: Click here

🚢 Win a Royal Caribbean cruise

If you love cruising, you’ll want to jump on this! JetBlue Vacations is giving away a Royal Caribbean cruise worth up to $4,999 USD (flights not included).

🔹 Eligibility: Open to U.S. residents
🔹 Deadline: December 31, 2025
🔹 Enter the travel contest: Click here

✨ Win a fabulous $25,000 dream vacation

Enter Travel + Leisure’s “Trips & Sips” Sweepstakes for a chance to win $25,000 toward the getaway of your dreams. Pack your bags and make it happen!

🔹 Eligibility: Open to U.S. residents
🔹 Deadline: January 31, 2026
🔹 Enter the travel contest: Click here

Travel Lighter and Smarter

As we look ahead to our winter trips coming up — hello Cabo San Lucas! — we’re reminded of a few simple tips that have made traveling so much easier for us.

1) Go plain — and pack black

You can pack less this way. Repeat outfits without guilt. No one notices, and black is chic, slimming and endlessly mix-and-matchable.

2) Pare down toiletries

All luxury hotels offer great bathroom products, so just pack your must-have wrinkle cream and buy sunscreen when you arrive.

3) Bring a good sleep mask

We love our contoured silk eye masks — miles more comfortable than the flimsy airline versions.

4) Take an extra credit card with you

Cards get lost, stolen or frozen (ask us how we know!). Keep one in your wallet and stash the spare separately, like in your passport holder.

5) Photograph your suitcase

If you’re checking a bag, take a quick photo before it disappears down the belt. If it goes wandering, that picture will make describing it to an agent infinitely easier.

6) Screenshot (or print) your boarding pass

Airline apps fail. Screenshots don’t. Snap a shot of your boarding pass and that little baggage-tag sticker (it’s the magic code if your suitcase does go astray). Even better, print your boarding pass too, since phones have a habit of dying at the worst possible moment.

7) Take earplugs

Snoring spouses, crying babies on the plane and street noise outside your hotel... Earplugs are your best friend! A good night’s sleep is priceless — we even wrote a whole guide on the best ones. Spoiler... Skip the foam ones that can irritate sensitive ears and go for the soft Ohropax wax earplugs.

🌎 Travel News From Around the World

Visiting Europe? New requirements

Europe’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) is rolling out. If you’re visiting from the U.S., Canada or another non-EU country, you’ll now have your passport scanned and give a photo and fingerprints when entering some 29 European countries. (It’s being phased in over the next six months and should be fully up and running by April.)

Best Christmas markets in the world (2025)

Get ready to wander through twinkling lights and mulled-wine aromas! From Brussels to Budapest, CNN Travel has rounded up the world’s most magical Christmas markets.

10 Amazing places in Europe for a dose of winter sun

Looking for the sunniest spots for a European winter vacation! Lonely Planet spills the beans on the Algarve (Portugal), Malta, Cyprus and other bright balmy corners of Europe.