Travel News – January 20, 2024

Travel News graphic created by Melanie Votaw in Canva.

Romania and Bulgaria are joining the Schengen Area at the end of March 2024. This means we can travel between these and other Schengen countries without passport checks.

The Maldives are experiencing an increase in tourism, so if you’re looking for a quiet, not crowded island destination, you might want to choose someplace else.

Self-service TSA screening? Yep! Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas is testing this out. It’s similar to a self-checkout at a store. It will scan ID and carry-on bags. Will this ultimately be safe enough? Who knows? Hopefully, we won’t find out the hard way.

Guard against ticks! Those of us in the U.S. are aware of ticks that carry Lyme disease – a terrible disease that can cause lots of problems, especially if left untreated. (If you come to the U.S. from elsewhere in spring, summer, or fall, be sure to take precautions.)

But Europe has its own disease from tick bites – TBE. It can cause brain inflammation and severe neurological issues. The symptoms include fever, headache, rash, muscle aches, and seizures. It’s mostly in countries in northern and central Europe, although Switzerland, Germany, and Austria are especially problematic.

It helps to wear clothing that’s light in color, long sleeves, and long pants. Tuck your pants into your socks (even if it looks stupid), and use repellent that is effective against ticks. Check your skin frequently for ticks (even skin that was covered by clothes), and if you find a tick, remove it with tweezers right away.

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Melanie Votaw is the Publisher and Executive Travel Writer of LuxuryWeb Magazine. She has visited more than 50 countries on 6 continents and written for such magazines as Executive Travel, Just Luxe, Business Insider, South China Morning Post, Travel Mindset, and more. She is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association, New York Travel Writers Association, and International Travel Writers Alliance. Melanie's photography has won awards, and she has also written 43 nonfiction books as either the author or ghostwriter.

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