Hello Reader,

🧭 Where in the World?

We’re feeling that acceleration of life that happens every year at this time. While the summer days are waning, we’re scurrying to arrange play dates, friends visits, and fair outings. Meanwhile, we’ve spent several hours this week fine tuning travel plans for the Fall: train tickets, intra-Europe flights, and hotel stays, primarily. While we research ideas for 2026, we’re lining up our travel reading lists, too.

🛫 Get Going: Tours We Recommend For You

Last call: Montpellier, France. There is still time to take advantage of this unique study abroad opportunity in Southern France. Join us to study Art & Art de Vivre in Montpellier, France, September 28 – October 5, 2025. We're looking forward to it ourselves and would love to see you there.

We’ll stay the week on the estate of Chateau de la Piscine, study the art and history of the area, and have plenty of free time to explore the French art de vivre. Only one room remains! Save $300 per person when you use the code TP50. Look for more information and reserve your spot TODAY.

If you can’t book this session, have a look at other upcoming study programs by Elective – taking place in Paris, Sicily, Morocco, Istanbul, Andalusia, Scotland, Brittany, and Copenhagen! ​

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🧳 Our Latest Posts

Queries over the past couple weeks tell us that you are interested in how to pack and prepare for your travel this fall. So, here’s an encore presentation of Kris’s Packing Light video. Feel free to share this Travel Past 50 YouTube channel and comment with your packing ideas! Also, here are all our packing posts in one spot.

The other most frequently asked questions we get are about changing money and managing cellular phone plans. See this post about getting the best foreign exchange rates.

If your phone is not locked by your provider, we recommend Airalo for affordable and easy eSim data plans. If your phone is locked, you should contact your carrier and see about getting it unlocked. This can take a few days, so don't wait until the day before you leave. Beware, some carriers (ATT, are you listening?) won't unlock your phone unless it's paid off.

🗞️ Travel News From Around the Web

• Travel-worthy solar events coming up. Now’s the time to plan travel to see spectacular Northern Lights or the rare total solar eclipse. In 2025-26, we’re experiencing a solar maximum cycle which means more frequent and more vivid displays of the Aurora Borealis. This comes around about every 11 years. Check out night sky tours from trusted operators like Arctic Adventures, Exodus Travels and Intrepid Travel. Thanks, NASA and NOAA. Ain’t science great?
• The travel industry itself is abuzz with concerns over inbound tourism to North America. The U.S. members of the Beyond Borders Tourism Coalition are already reporting millions of dollars in lost bookings and revenue. In the past, according to BBTC’s report issued last week, tourism has contributed about $2.5 trillion to North America’s GDP, or 9% of total economic output. (Tourism supports about 20 million workers in the U.S. and another 2 million in Canada.) The bottom line is “plummeting travel bookings: Foreign tourist spending in the U.S. is forecasted to drop by 11% in 2025, an $18 billion loss. Advanced air bookings between Canada and the U.S. have fallen by over 70% year-over-year.” (By the way, we’re proud members of the Adventure Travel Trade Association whose report is linked above. The organization and its members are committed to protecting both natural and cultural landscapes and we recommend you search the ATTA member directory when looking for local tour operators around the world.)

💸 This Week's Best Deals in Travel

• We’ve had great feedback from those who purchased Vim&Vigr compression socks to the test and wants to give another shout out to Sherry Ott and the Vim&Vigr team for creating the most soft, comfortable version we’ve sampled. They’ve used merino wool in the “Go Explore” style, decorated with airplanes so that you don’t forget why you own them. Purchase your pair here.
• And, speaking of feet, tomorrow starts the end of summer sale at our favorite travel shoe shop, Xero Shoes. Several styles are on sale, and you'll have to do a bit of searching to find the great deals. But, don't forget. Do it tomorrow.
• Also, speaking of sales, the great REI Labor Day Sale also begins today. A great time to fill in those gaps in your travel gear.
• Tom sees that a couple of his packing items are on sale at Amazon right now, including his toiletry bag at 37 percent off, the handy cable organizer at 24 percent off, and these super comfortable sleep masks for the plane at 38 percent off. See all our recommendations for light travel gear here.

✈️ Points and Miles News

• The "National Cheap Flight Day" promotion at Thrifty Traveler ends today! We use Thrifty Traveler's newsletter to spot cheap flights all the time and have used their suggestions recently to get a business class flight to Amsterdam on points. If you sign up TODAY via this link, you'll get $40 off the annual price of this very valuable newsletter. Believe me, if you use it to book one flight, you'll more than make back your investment.

📖 What We're Reading

Kris is reading “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood” and other works by William Wordsworth.

Tom is reading two books at once (not unusual for him.) First is a history based novel by Louise Erdrich, The Night Watchman, about how one determined man changed the course of the US Government when it tried to break long-standing treaties with the Indian tribes. The other book on the bedside is The Secret History, by Donna Tartt, which he read more than 20 years ago. It definitely stands up to a re-read, he says.

For our previous book recommendations, check out this list.

❝Travel Quote of the Week❞

There is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it and no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself. – Henry David Thoreau

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Happy travels,

Kris and Tom

P.S. What more can we do for you? Reply to this newsletter and ask us anything.

​ Tom Bartel and Kristin Henning ​Travel Past 50​ ​ Connect with us: Facebook, Threads, Instagram, ​ Join our Facebook community.

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