Friday's Friendly Funny

Friday's Friendly Funny by Dave Blazek is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.

Based on a work at blog.friendlyplanet.com.

Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://blog.friendlyplanet.com.

Friday's Friendly Funny

Friday's Friendly Funny by Dave Blazek is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.

Based on a work at blog.friendlyplanet.com.

Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://blog.friendlyplanet.com.

From the Mayflower through the Millennium: What 600 years of travel looks like

If there's one thing I know from my 30 years of travel experience, it's that the industry is always changing. My job today is much different from when I started my company, particularly with the advent of the internet. But my three decades of globe-trotting is just a small piece of the picture representing the centuries of travel achievements, milestones, and innovations that have come before me. 

To illustrate the point, we've created an infographic depicting some of the major developments and trends in the travel industry over the past 600 years.

What do you think will be the next milestone in the travel industry?

How to be smart with your money in Europe

The economy might be tough, but those travelers who do their research will still find plenty of affordable ways to take that well-deserved vacation. In fact, Europe, where the euro has lost ground to the dollar recently, has become a favored destination for bargain-hungry travelers.

The new, more affordable Europe caught the attention of Quentin Fottrell of SmartMoney, and he included a few of my tips in his article "Euro Woes a Boon for Travelers?" Hop over to read some ideas I shared on the smartest ways to travel and shop in Europe.

Thanks for featuring my advice, Quentin!

Friday's Friendly Funny

Friday's Friendly Funny by Dave Blazek is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.

Based on a work at blog.friendlyplanet.com.

Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://blog.friendlyplanet.com.

Italy's history: Modern pictures of the past

Ciao a tutti! Italy is a destination for all travelers and is filled with some of the most interesting history, culture, and art in the world. It's the home of the gladiators in ancient Roman times, the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, and driver of the Age of Discovery.

And with all that history, there are more than a few sites that tell the stories of people long ago and give a glimpse into what their lives were like. So we put together this photo essay to show you some of the most important sites from Italy's history.

First, a look at historical Rome.

This is the beautiful Colosseum in Rome, the largest amphitheater built in the Roman empire. It was the spot of gladiator fights, dramas, and re-enactments of famous battles.