Travel

Renting an Airbnb this summer? Read this and pack accordingly.

Their soft pretzels never disappoint.

Including when to get the people at Airbnb involved.

Don't forget the snacks!

Because it’s never anyone's goal to upset their Airbnb host!

Spectacular views! Fresh air! A good night’s sleep! Sign us up!

Embrace your wanderlust. Mitigate fears.

Expert cabin crew members and travel bloggers weigh in!

These experts had some great points!

Because nobody wants to present their loved ones with a smushed cake or stale cookies!

From fire safety supplies to a flat-pack sink, here's what you need to cook like a pro.

Because nobody wants to spend the next pit stop rubbing ketchup out of the carpet.

Keep your food fresh — and all of your other belongings clean!

'Tis the season for open-air meetups.

According to a registered dietitian!

Gray Malin and NEST New York have teamed up to make your travel dreams come true.

They come in the cutest colors!

Including a cool Airstream, a rustic farmhouse, a modern space with a rooftop deck, and more!

While you're packing up your towels, lounge chairs, umbrellas, and SPF, make sure to also bring some some snacks from Trader Joe’s. Here are our top 10 picks.

Because it's likely been a while since most of you did some traveling.

Because it's likely been a while since most of you did some traveling.

Finally planning your next trip? Read this first!

It's probably been a while since you traveled. Allow us to help you pack!

Because most of us are out of practice with this whole "vacation" thing, I'm sharing my single best strategy to ease the transition back to real life.

And it has over 6,000 5-star Amazon ratings.

Cheers to summer — and pretending our front stoop is an Italian piazza.

It's the best-selling option on the entire site.

This recipe is a great traveler and makes friends everywhere it goes.

These five little things saved us $250 — at least!

So fancy!

You can make it in an airport or hotel room, and it will keep you going until lunch.

It's time to enter into a serious committed relationship with your tumbler.

Mad respect to the person who brought their Instant Pot on a ferry.

The problem with vacation meal prep and planning is that you actually have to cook on vacation.

Because you can't rely on that free bag of pretzels.

Hint: It's not food! Or gas!

We know what food trends to look out for in the fast-approaching new year, which will likely determine what you’ll be eating. But in 2019, where will you want to eat? Celebrity chef David Chang, host of the hit Netflix show Ugly Delicious, recently revealed his top three picks for the best food cities of 2019 — and one of them might surprise you.

What are apple dumplings? Think of them as bite-sized versions of apple pie (only better), with all the goodness of a flaky crust and gooey apple filling. Many are made with whole apples, but the ones I’m hooked on are made with diced apples, which make them super easy to eat. I love picking some up from a local farm stand as a treat for my family and, no matter what, I always eat one straight away. They’re that good!

There are a lot of stresses that come with moving to a new country. When I moved to the Netherlands for a six-month stint at the University of Amsterdam, I desperately tried to squeeze all of my favorite pots, pans, and utensils into my suitcase, because I wanted the comfort of those familiar items. Ultimately, though, airline baggage fees and limited suitcase space forced me to leave my cherished cooking supplies behind.

Outside Barrachina in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, a bronze plaque reads: “The house where in 1963 the piña colada was created by Don Ramon Portas Mingot.” In the decades since Don Ramon’s discovery, the drink has exploded in popularity: The restaurant now serves approximately 2,200 piña coladas a day. I stopped into Barrachina on a recent visit to Puerto Rico. And, while undeniably touristy, the restaurant is the type of place where everyone’s having a good time.

Okay, trying Ina’s favorite hot dog is not the only reason I went to Paris. But it was so high up on my to-do list that I went straight from the airport to the hotel (to quickly check in and drop off my bags) and then to the hot dog spot. I did not shower after my overnight flight; I did not stop to change my shoes; I did not pass go or collect $200. I went right to Frenchie To Go. How do I know about Frenchie To Go?

They say it’s what’s on the inside that counts, but sometimes the packaging is just too beautiful to throw away. That’s what I was thinking when I was washing dishes in an Airbnb in Provence, France, a few years ago. A collection of glass yogurt pots sat by the sink, waiting to be rinsed and recycled, but I had already decided they’d be flying home with me instead.

If you happen to be headed to Pawhuska, Oklahoma (or are interested in planning a trip), do we have good news for you: Ree Drummond (aka the Pioneer Woman) and her husband have invited you (yes, you!) to visit The Lodge on Drummond Ranch. See, The Lodge is the family’s guest house and, more importantly, it also serves as the production location for Ree’s Food Network show. And the free tours have, once again, started back up!

It’s a good thing we live in a world with flight attendants and tiny bottles of airplane liquor, because TSA has stepped up its screening of carry-on snacks, and it looks like going through airport security could get even slower and more exasperating for everybody. According to The Daily Meal, TSA officers have been making passengers remove all snacks from their bags before screening.

My 6-year-old is transitioning from kindergarten to first grade this summer and suddenly objects to new foods — even some of her old favorites. Generally, this kind of behavior doesn’t bother me — kids will have “seasons” where they are more picky than others, and they don’t last very long if we as parents keep our cool.

Going on vacation is supposed to be relaxing and fun. But there is always so much to worry about before you leave — and even while you’re away! You need to check your luggage to make sure you packed everything you meant to. Then when you’re actually on vacation, you are worrying about your house and your pets, hoping that they are being good for the sitter. And how many times have you stressed about turning the stove off before you left the house? Did you turn it off?

This summer we’re taking a few long weekend road trips to camp, visit friends, and explore our new home state. As romantic as that sounds, let me remind you that there will be two young kids strapped in their carseats in the back of our family car. No free-wheeling convertible driving into the sunsets for us!

The Lone Star State possesses the perfect environment for gas-station innovation. With 675,580 total road miles, it leads the nation in black top (California ranks a distant second with a paltry 394,608), providing a captive audience willing to support exit-ramp excellence. Its humongous size cultivates a cramped-averse population who possess a skewed sense of proportion (read: we expect a lot of space, and all our beverages arrive super-sized).

For most of us, there is a time for really relishing an afternoon in the kitchen. When it’s rainy, we might settle in for an afternoon of pasta-making bliss, or throw open all the windows while jam bubbles away on the stove. Then again, sometimes we want to do other things, like take full advantage of lovely weather with a long hike, or sit in one place reading for hours at a stretch.

I have been in and out of Manchester, England several times this spring and I can say, with 100 percent certainty, that the staff at the Manchester airport will always ensure that you’re having a pleasant experience — even when a uniformed stranger is searching through your suitcase for a full-sized tube of toothpaste you forgot that you packed. There’s also a better-than-average restaurant called The Lion and Antelope that is always busy (even at 6:45 a.m.

The first thing you need to know about Jungle Jim’s in Fairfield, Ohio, is that it’s not a grocery store. I mean, technically I guess it is, and sure, you could get your TP and toothpaste there while you’re shopping in the Cincinnati suburb.

On any given trip to Trader Joe’s, there is about a 99.9 percent chance I will buy snacks. This is the store’s sweet spot. And it’s not just the fun and sometimes quirky selection I love — it’s the fact that so many of their snacks are super portable. And my fellow Kitchn editors agree. These are the go-to snacks our editors always grab, whether it’s for road trips, plane rides, school lunches, or emergency fuel to stash in their work bags.

Spoiler alert: There's a fun riff on s'mores!

Traveling can get very expensive, very quickly. I’ve always been budget-minded (I’m a big fan of day-old bakery items and department-store clearance racks), and I like to think that I’ve gotten pretty good at pinching pennies whether I’m on a short weekend trip or heading overseas. The easiest way I save money when I’m traveling: I bring or make my own breakfast. Here are five (really good!) reasons why breakfast is the best meal to save on.

And especially for summer vacations.

I remember the headline as clear as day: Mom Spends Beach Vacation Assuming All Household Duties in Closer Proximity to Ocean. It was published on The Onion, a satirical news publication, five years ago, but is still memorable — and hilarious — because it’s true. So painfully true.

I worked as a cashier at my hometown grocery store for years — on weekends when I was in high school, and during the summer when I was home from college. Over the years, I bagged my fair share of groceries, and was always impressed when a customer brought a particularly interesting reusable shopping bag. (First of all: Good job saving the planet! And second, love that you clearly put some thought into it!

As you may already know, I love perusing Airbnb as much for the decorating and organizing ideas as I do to actually book a trip! I’m consistently impressed at how the rental property owners have all the necessary items to make sure you’re comfortable and have everything you need — without jamming the drawers in a way that makes you feel just a little bit weird about being in someone else’s home.

One thing I love about hotel rooms? All the mini amenities. I love trying out the shampoo and conditioner, gargling with mouthwash that I wouldn’t normally use, and finding excuses to break open those little packs of Q-tips. I usually take most of the extras with me, too, since I know the staffers tend to toss them after guests leave — they’re handy if I’m traveling someplace where I won’t be staying in a hotel, or if I run out of something at home.

Everyone knows that the best place to eat in the Hamptons would be at Ina Garten’s house, where we could look through her pantry for things like locally raised honey. But if you’re still waiting for your invitation to one of her famous parties — I assume the post office lost mine somewhere, like my Hogwarts letter — the next best thing to do is to shop at Ina’s favorite places.