Archive: Christina Talcott
It Came From the Chat: Summer Savings Tips, Part 2
You know what I love about our Monday chats? Every week, the participants share travel tips and information with each other. There are usually four or more Travel staffers answering questions, and we can usually answer questions authoritatively and at a rapid-fire pace. But sometimes what the chatters themselves advise...
By Christina Talcott | May 13, 2008; 02:13 PM ET | Comments (0)
It Came From the Chat: Summer Savings Tips
Monday's chat with the Travel section Flight Crew (most Mondays at 2 p.m.) was a busy one, with readers weighing in on such varied topics as Hawaiian B&Bs, Charlottesville dining, honeymoon planning and pickpockets in Italy. We asked for ideas about how to save $$ on summer travel, and we...
By Christina Talcott | May 9, 2008; 06:01 AM ET | Comments (4)
Insta-CoGo: The Dulles Rail Extension and You
In an unexpected reverse move, the Feds announced today that they're funding the Dulles rail extension, which we all but left for dead a few months back. Now that things are back on track (so to speak), it's looking up for Dulles, which is considered Washington's international hub (never mind...
By Christina Talcott | April 30, 2008; 01:30 PM ET | Comments (28)
The Monday Rave: Tax Rebates and Travel
Okay, we've heard you. A few folks (very few, in fact) have questioned the need for fostering negativity on Mondays. We say: Why not? But we're going to mix it up a bit from now on. So herewith is our first Monday Rave. And could there be a better thing...
By Christina Talcott | April 28, 2008; 06:16 AM ET | Comments (15)
Site Inspection: Kanye West's Travel Site
A few weeks back, I was tipped me off to an intriguing development: Hip-hop megastar Kanye West has launched his own travel company. When I first checked the Kanye Travel Ventures site, it was bad: With an amateurish design and limited "deals" -- phone cards were sometimes the only options...
By Christina Talcott | April 24, 2008; 07:51 AM ET | Comments (7)
The Monday Rant: Trashing Tourists
It happens every year here in D.C.: The cherry blossoms pop, the days get warmer, and everywhere you turn, you can't help tripping on... some local griping about the tourists. They stand on the left on the escalators! They stop in the middle of the sidewalk to take pictures! They...
By Christina Talcott | April 21, 2008; 06:40 AM ET | Comments (44)
Your Turn: Cell Phones in the Air?
The EU is finally doing it: It has decided to allow passengers to use cellphones on airplanes. Hmmmmm. The Associated Press reports reports that phone calls will be routed through "an onboard base station -- like a miniature cellphone tower -- linked to a satellite and then to ground networks,"...
By Christina Talcott | April 8, 2008; 12:46 PM ET | Comments (31)
It Came From the Chat: Unnecessary Baggage
You never know what's going to strike a nerve during our weekly chat. On Monday's chat, we asked for stories of completely unnecessary things people had taken with them on trips, and we got some interesting responses -- go ahead, pretend you can't relate. Here are some of our favorites:...
By Christina Talcott | April 2, 2008; 01:01 PM ET | Comments (5)
Insta-CoGo: Clear Security Lanes Debut at DCA
When did being special get ... special-er? First there were HOV lanes on the highway, then came EZPass for tolls. Denver and Salt Lake City airports just got separate security lanes for casual, family and "expert" travelers. And as of today, Reagan National has Clear lanes for registered travelers, courtesy...
By Christina Talcott | March 19, 2008; 02:50 PM ET | Comments (10)
Monday Rant: The Conductor, the Train Car and the Cell Phone
About a month ago, my parents were on an overnight Amtrak train from Greenville, S.C., to Washington, D.C. The train left Greenville at 11 p.m. and was scheduled to arrive in Union Station at 10 a.m. Though they hadn't reserved a sleeper car, when they got on the train, the...
By Christina Talcott | March 10, 2008; 07:02 AM ET | Comments (26)
Travel Health: That Water on the Plane
A few days after I returned from South Africa, I got sick -- really sick. At first I wondered if I was suffering from drinking bad water, from, say, the ice cubes at that cute café in Jo'burg. But that's unlikely: Unlike many African countries, South Africa's drinking water is...
By Christina Talcott | February 20, 2008; 12:41 PM ET | Comments (8)
Travel Health: Dirty Hotel Glasses, Part 2
Fellow blogger John Deiner wrote about a hidden-camera report on dirty hotel drinking glasses a few weeks ago, and most folks were duly repulsed. Now, an even more recent disgusting report has reared its germ-studded head. Earlier this week, ABC's "Good Morning America" aired a report showing just how dirty...
By Christina Talcott | February 14, 2008; 01:53 PM ET | Comments (9)
The Monday Rant: Dulles, Metro . . . and Me
A sampling of this week's sales: United, $213 to San Juan. Jet Blue, $199 to Vegas. Air France, $552 to Madrid. You know what all those fare have in common? They leave from Dulles. And you know what that means? If you're without a car, you'd have to beg a...
By Christina Talcott | January 28, 2008; 07:32 AM ET | Comments (45)
Gimme Bunny
Yesterday I returned from a trip to South Africa, one of the most fascinating, beautiful, exhilarating, heartbreaking places I've ever been. I'm still sorting it all out in my head -- What did I learn there? What were my favorite and least favorite parts? What would I recommend to friends,...
By Christina Talcott | January 17, 2008; 07:30 AM ET | Comments (13)
It's Showtime: In-Flight Movies and Oscar
It's the most wonderful time of the year: awards season. It all starts with the Golden Globes nominations, which were announced last week, and ends with Oscar Sunday. In between -- for me anyway -- is a frenzied schedule of watching as many of the nominated films as is humanly...
By Christina Talcott | December 20, 2007; 07:12 AM ET | Comments (3)
Making a (Packing) List, Checking It Twice
While digging around for the products to include in this year's holiday gift guide, I discovered some great travel-related Web sites. One I stumbled across doesn't sell travel products, but rather sells the notion of traveling light. OneBag.com founder Doug Dyment packs his site (pun intended) with all kinds of...
By Christina Talcott | December 13, 2007; 08:03 AM ET | Comments (2)
What's the 3-1-1?
The cockeyed optimist in me has found something to love about the TSA regulations on liquids in carry-ons. The whole enterprise is a chance to marry my love of traveling with my zeal for repurposing, and it all started with pimples and mouthwash. I'd been traveling a bunch in the...
By Christina Talcott | November 26, 2007; 07:25 AM ET | Comments (6)
Movie See, Movie Do
I'm a recent emigree from the Post's Weekend section, where I spent the last few years writing about movies and the people who make them. And I still have films on the brain. I love watching movies filmed in beautiful or exotic places, with as much attention paid to the...
By Christina Talcott | November 14, 2007; 06:35 AM ET | Comments (6)
Staff Favorites: Chicago
The first time I visited Chicago was in the dead of winter. It was New Year's Eve and I wore a long velvet dress and satin ballet flats and had to walk veeerrrry sloooowwwwly to not fall on the icy sidewalks. My obliging date lifted me over snowbanks, and I...
By Christina Talcott | November 9, 2007; 06:46 AM ET | Comments (6)
