David Armstrong's Web site for people who are passionate about travel.

There's a lot to know about the art of travel, and the state of the
art is changing all the time.

David Armstrong, a professional travel journalist since the early 1990s, provides fresh, factual takes, drawn from first-hand experience, on how to get the most from your travels. This site offers information on the latest developments at airlines, airports, hotels, resorts, spas and tours.

Want to know how well that new airline in-flight entertainment system is working or whether the latest hotel makeover really works for guests? In Review offers some great tips.

If you are interested in visiting quirky, off-the-beaten-track places, head over to Let's Get Lost for some leads. Want to know about the most important and timely travel developments? Try the This Just In section. Frequent fliers might be interested in the information listed in Window Seat. Occasionally, this site will register an opinion about what's going on in travel - or what's not going on, but should be - and you'll find those postings under at the Soapbox.

Just below, you'll find another constantly changing feature: David's Recent Articles, with links to the magazines, newspapers or Web sites that published them.

Whether it's a trip to the next town or the trip of a lifetime, we can help.

“The Summer's Best Travel Values’’ - “Value’’ is the watchword for travel this summer, as the topsy-turvy global economy, weak consumer demand and excess inventory in the travel industry has led to all kinds of travel deals. Of course, finding them—and timing them—can be tricky, which is why two more watchwords for travel in the summer of 2009 are key: ‘‘fast’’ and ‘‘flexible.’’ The best bargains go to nimble consumers who are, for example, ready to travel on short notice and on off-days like Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when jetliners are less apt to be packed and the airlines need to fill seats.
--Mainstreet.com, May 11, 2009

“The World's 10 Best Airport Lounges’’ - What we have here is a good news/bad news situation: The bad news is that with the double whammy of flight delays and snarled airport security, travelers are likely to spend more time in airports than ever before. The good news is airports are growing more attractive if you can get into posh passenger lounges, where options for eating, drinking, working and relaxing abound.
--Thestreet.com, March 11, 2009

“Dining 'Under the Arches' of the Japan Rail in Tokyo’’ - The yen may be hammering the dollar right now, but you can still eat incredibly well in Tokyo without busting the budget -- provided you know where to go. Often, that means dining under the arches of Tokyo's many elevated railroad tracks.
--Thestreet.com, The Good Life section, Jan. 05, 2009

“When Travel Agents Add Value’’ - Traditional brick and mortar travel agencies - once expected to go the way of the dodo after the Internet arrived – have instead smartly morphed into destination specialists.
--Mainstreet.com, Lifestyle section, Dec. 09, 2008

“Old greets new in modern Beijing’’ - As the River Dragon boat chugs up the limpid Kun Yu River, the towers of new Beijing loom in the background, symbols of the Chinese capital's newfound modernity and prosperity. In the foreground, however, Old Beijing is very much alive: Elderly gentlemen dangle fishing rods in the water beneath soft-green willow trees; bathers in skimpy swimming trunks dive into the water; middle-aged ladies atop the riverbank make courtly dance steps to recorded ballroom music.
--San Francisco Chronicle, Travel section, August 3, 2008

“County Dorset: Far from stress of modern life’’ - The unwavering gaze of Thomas Hardy looks out from a hilltop, affording the Victorian writer - or, rather, a statue of him - a sweeping view of the town he immortalized as Casterbridge and the rustic county he called Wessex.
--San Francisco Chronicle, Travel section, May 11, 2008

“The World’s Seven Best Hotel Bars’’ - Forget the rooms. Think about the drinking establishment when you’re booking your next place to stay on a trip.
--Thestreet.com, The Good Life section, March 13, 2008

“Hearing Voices: Cell Phones on Planes’’- Involuntarily overhearing lovers’ quarrels, minutes of sales meetings or plans for family vacations could be as close as the guy in front of you with his seat pushed back, if increasingly persistent proposals to allow the use of personal cell phones in-flight becomes reality.
--Aviation.com, David Armstrong on Air Travel column, March 12, 2008

“No Monkeys like Snow monkeys: Soak Up Japan’s Hot-Tubbing Wildlife’’ - I am watching, entranced, as a gaggle of bathers jumps into a big, steaming outdoor pool. A popular hot spot in the frozen winterscape of upcountry Japan, the bath quickly fills with enthusiasts. Some dunk their heads in water drawn directly from …
--San Francisco Chronicle, Travel section, March 2, 2008

“Tokyo Fish Market: Chaos, Great Sushi’’ - There’s nothing like the taste of raw fish at 7:30 in the morning. Unless it’s the taste of beer at 7:30 in the morning to wash down the fish. That’s what the tableful of club-goers next to me are having, just after they, and I, have finished touring Tokyo’s tumultuous Tsukiji fish market.
--Thestreet.com, The Good Life section, Feb. 21, 2008

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