We go on the road to Romania and Transylvania, home of the real Dracula. In the first Voyage Report podcast recorded in the field, Mark chats with Wise Transylvania tour guide Adrian Ungureanu about his homeland, why more Americans are visiting Romania, and his most popular tour—"Dracula's castle."
The Great American Total Solar Eclipse is less than two months away. It's a rare phenomenon that will cross the United States from coast to coast. NASA scientists recently held a briefing for reporters and the public about what to expect, how to watch the celestial event safely, and what researchers hope to learn. Listen to part of that briefing, as well as a Minnesota couple who has been traveling the globe to chase eclipses for more than 35 years.
It's time to ask the captain! Mark interviews commercial airline pilot Charlie Schaffer and asks all the questions you want answered. Charlie dispels some aviation myths, talks about his top tips for passengers and what they should not do on an airplane, how aviation has changed in the decades he's been flying, what he thinks about the U.S. government's electronics ban, and his favorite places to fly.
Come explore caves with us! We descend into these underground cathedrals with the National Speleological Society. Incoming president Geary Schindel shares with Mark his love of caving, the best caves in the United States and around the world, and how to get into caving for free in your local community.
The Frugal Traveler columnist for The New York Times, Lucas Peterson, dishes on his favorite destinations, deals, and dinner. Lucas chats with Mark about how he finds his savvy travel bargains; how he plans his trips and writes them for savvy readers; and his passion as a foodie, which he shares with viewers as the host of 'Dining on a Dime' on Eater. And he reveals his top tips for travelers.
Simply Smart Travel is a website run by Dr. Jeff Orenstein, the former publisher and founder of Living on the Suncoast Magazine. Jeff chats with Mark about his favorite destinations; his top tips for travelers, including those over 50 years old; and his number one rule for a successful trip.
The U.S. State Department is preparing for an unprecedented surge in passport applications this year, as many passports are due to expire. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Passport Services, Brenda Sprague, talks with Mark from Washington, D.C., about doubling the number of passport adjudicators, increasing passport offices, and the step-by-step instructions for any listener who needs to apply for or renew a passport—including some little-known rules that may save you from ruining your dream vacation.
The Vittoria Energy Expedition is a global journey onboard an entirely renewable energy-powered sailing ship. Mark chats with Nathan Sermonis, one of the co-creators of the project. Nathan tells us about the non-profit's mission and travel, how his team built a green sailing ship with solar panels from scratch, and the expedition's next destination: Cuba.
Celinne Da Costa quit her New York City advertising job and put her belongings in storage to set off on an unusual journey of exploration. She decided to couchsurf her way around the globe, only staying with people she met via social media. She's now writing a book about the journey that took her to 17 countries and the homes of 70 strangers. Mark chats with Celinne about the life-altering moment that made her leave her job, what she discovered on the road, and her practical tips for frequent and infrequent travelers.
One of the largest airline relocations in modern aviation history starts May 12, when 'Moving Day' comes to LAX, the second-busiest airport in the United States. Mark Albert chats with Los Angeles World Airports' Keith Wilschetz and Charles Pannunzio about the relocation of 21 airlines, the airport's $14 billion, multi-year modernization project, and how this incredibly complicated project will affect fliers.
The Unexpected Journey is a video project that seeks to "wake people up" from their lives by encouraging them to experience travel, culture, and charitable acts. Co-creator Mitch Summers chats with Mark about his own awakening, the goals for his self-funded project, and which country his team of five will travel to first to shoot their premiere television episode.
The Wall Street Journal's Andrew Blackman and photographer Genie Austin chat with us about their nomadic life. In 2015, the couple sold most of what they owned and hit the road. They tell Mark about their biggest discoveries about themselves, how they earn money to keep up the lifestyle of an explorer, and their top tips for travelers who want to experience a week—or a year—on the road.
Henrik Jeppesen was just 27 years old when he completed his quest to visit every country in the world. Neither money nor war stopped his adventure. Jeppesen chats with Mark about his next goal, his top tips for travelers to save money, and his favorite places.
Brett Snyder runs the very popular CrankyFlier.com, an 11-year old aviation industry blog with a loyal and devoted following. Brett shares with Mark how he got his start in the travel industry *in middle school*, some of his adventures in the air, and his top tips for fliers when their travels don't go exactly as planned. As a bonus, Brett brings us some breaking news - the date of his next Dorkfest at LAX.
Ben and Maggie Bowman of Chicago got the honeymoon of a lifetime - an all-expense-paid adventure to three stunningly beautiful destinations. The only catch? It was all for the pilot episode of the reality TV show "Honeymoon Hunters" on The Travel Channel. In this podcast, they share their experience, whether they would do it again, and their best non-TV tips for all newlyweds.
Rob Shipman has traveled the world on a global culinary adventure as an executive chef for hire. Rob tells host Mark Albert how he comes up with unique dishes in each of the countries where he works, admits he's changed a dish to make it more photogenic in our Instagram culture, and gives listeners one of his favorite recipes to make for themselves at home. Visit Rob's website at www.the-food-guy.com
Scott McCartney has written The Middle Seat column covering aviation for The Wall Street Journal since 2002. He chats with host Mark Albert about his much-watched annual airline rankings, whether airline CEOs ever yell at him, and the big changes ahead for fliers in 2017.
Russell Leven, director of the new PBS series City in the Sky, explains how he put together such an extraordinary, behind-the-scenes look at global aviation for PBS and the BBC in three episodes: Departure, Airborne, and Arrival.
CBS News Correspondent Jeff Pegues talks about the current security situation and threat picture travelers need to be aware of in 2017: how to stay safe while traveling, current security warnings around the globe, how the US travel ban could affect travelers, and what he's doing to keep his own family safe.
Meet a Minnesota couple who has traveled across the United States and to four countries for more than 35 years to catch solar eclipses. The most spectacular total solar eclipse in the US since 1776 occurs Aug 21, 2017 - and they tell host Mark Albert, they'll be ready.
Mark Albert welcomes listeners and globetrotters to this new podcast, explains how The Voyage Report will deliver the scoop on travel, and gives a tour of the voyagereport.com website for news, destination videos, tips and tricks, deals, and photography.