Hello Reader,

🧭 Where in the World?

We’re at home and all over the place this holiday season. Thankfully, travel and technology help us stay close to family and friends, no matter how far apart we’re living.

In Minnesota, cold temperatures and snow, even under bright blue skies, remind us that those in need are both right next door and spread across the globe. Join us in taking time to give where you see fit.

We like to combine hyper local donations (to food shelves or housing) with global efforts (refugee or humanitarian aid), plus extra support to organizations we value (public and independent media, social justice.)

🛫 Get Going: Tours We Recommend For You

• South America (with us!) We're leading a small group (maximum 12) to Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay in February-March. We're concentrating on food and wine, with some history and culture thrown in. If you're a fan of wine, you're probably already familiar with the wines from Chile's Colchacua Valley and Argentina's Mendoza region. We'll be visiting both, and we'd love you to join us. There is more info on our Tours Page, and if you're interested in even more info, email Kris at kristin@travelpast50.com with the subject line "South America Wine and Culture."
• Elective Study Abroad. Pick your dates (as early as March 2026) or pick your destination, but do have a look now at the 2026 course offerings by Elective. Their study abroad model is a great kickstarter for your thoughtful travel. (Read about our experience here.) Consider your study options: Palermo, Paris, Istanbul, Andalusia, and more, to experience this unique approach to travel. We are going on the Istanbul course ourselves, and would love to have you join us there. Also, Travel Past 50 readers get $250 off per person for enrollments in any of Elective's 2026 courses. Just use the exclusive code TP50.
• Ireland. The Ireland in Focus tour to Sligo that we did in October has announced its next tour for October 2026 and is offering a $300 discount to our readers. Use the code TP50 at checkout to get the deal. You can read about our experience here, or listen to Kris's radio broadcast on Travel Writer's Radio here.

🧳 Our Latest Posts

You may be a fan of the quotes that appear with each of our emails. We keep a running list of our favorites, loosely related to travel. See our refreshed post of Inspirational and Amusing Quotes About Travel here. (Hint, you can borrow some for your greeting cards!)

Also for future reference (unless you happen to be traveling there in the next couple weeks), check out why Spain is a fantastic destination for Christmas markets and foods: Fun Holiday Traditions in Spain. Spain’s festivities are family-friendly, easy-going, and in a favorable climate, too!

Watch for our announcement coming December 29 of the 2026 DIY Trip Summit, a January virtual event about traveling beyond the crowds in Europe. Kris is again a featured speaker, and this year Travel Past 50 is offering travel consulting services to First Class Pass holders. Look for details in next week’s newsletter and via our social media. Curious? You can still watch Kris’s presentation on packing from last year’s event

🗞️ Travel News From Around the Web

• Although we've been Costco members for a long time, we've never used them for travel. That may have to change. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Costco has great pricing on package vacations, and of more relevance for us, rental cars.
• Do you have your Real ID yet? If not, you might still be able to fly, but it will cost you.​
• If you've ever had a European flight delay or cancellation due to the airline's fault, you are entitled to compensation. Two years ago, we each got €600 when our flight home from Paris was cancelled. Similar policies were set to go into effect in the U.S., but they've now been cancelled.
• The state of the travel business in the United States is not good, according to this story. Inbound travel by foreign visitors to the US is down significantly, due to more difficult visa process, higher fees, and general feeling the United States is not welcoming.
• And, if you want to toss a coin in Rome's Trevi Fountain next year, that will cost you €2, plus the cost of your wish.

💸 This Week's Best Deals in Travel

• Thrifty Traveler, our favorite source for great flight deals, is offering $20 off a premium membership. Just use this link to sign up, and the $20 will be credited at checkout.
• And, if you're still stuck for a last-minute stocking stuffer idea, there's always something on our favorite travel accessories list for the traveler on your list.

📖 What We're Reading

Tom constantly looks at those lists of the 100 best books ever and occasionally tries to fill in the gaps in his erudition by reading one of them. After seeing Jane Austen repeatedly on those lists, and realizing he'd never read one of her books, he's now almost finished with Pride and Prejudice, although he's had to repeatedly resist screaming at her obsessive use of double negatives.

Kris is reading, somewhat begrudgingly, Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl. In the genre of books about precocious young people trapped in their socially awkward academic environment, Special Topics first annoyed Kris because of its unrelenting show-offy use of literary and film references, complete with publisher names and dates. But there is a mystery involved, so she’s practicing her speed-reading techniques to hop skip and jump through the remaining pages. At 500 pages, it would read better, maybe, in a larger Calibri font?​

You can see most of the books we recommend in one place at our Amazon book shop. If you'd prefer an alternative to Amazon, there is Alibris.com, where we frequently buy used books, and Bookshop.org, which supports independent booksellers. And, if you're into art books, like we are, check out the catalog at Taschen, the world's foremost publisher of art books.

If you buy a book through our links, we make a small commission at no additional cost to you.

❝Travel Quote of the Week❞

There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living. – Nelson Mandela

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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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Are you planning to book a trip soon?

• See our favorite travel resources​
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Some other recommendations from our partners:

• See the travel gear and books we recommend at our Travel Past 50 Amazon shop​
• Shop our favorite place for outdoor gear and travel clothing at REI Co-op​
• For your Spain travel, check out suggested itineraries at Spain's official tourism site​

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