Anne Banas
SmarterTravel
New York, NY, United States
Contact Anne
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Past articles by Anne:
Mini Travel Toiletries: The Secret to Packing (Much) Lighter
The world of mini toiletries is so much bigger than just the travel-size product bins at your local pharmacy. Here's how to pack toiletries like a pro. → Read More
8 Reasons You Should Go on a River Cruise
From interesting destinations to high-quality experiences, here are eight reasons to book a river cruise right now. → Read More
10 Hidden Islands You've Never Heard Of
Unspoiled and isolated, hidden islands are vacation bait for anyone with escapist tendencies. Protected from crowds and the stress of modern life, these retreats will allow you to become one with nature, soak up local culture, and live in paradise. So go ahead and become a castaway for a day or two. Here are 10 secret places—from the mysterious North Atlantic to the warm waters of the Indian… → Read More
Eight Vacations for Ultimate Relaxation
Too often, we're crushed by the weight of our own hectic lifestyles. To help lighten your load, we've compiled a list of relaxing vacation spots that will set you on a path to a well-deserved sense of calm. From inner peace in Bali to an outdoor bathtub in Idaho, we've got your well-being covered. → Read More
Recipe: Sachertorte from Vienna, Austria
While you can only find the Original Sacher-Torte at Hotel Sacher in Vienna, the following recipe will give you a taste at home. → Read More
Canceled Flight? What to Do When Bad Weather Strikes
A primer on your rights and other important things you need to know when bad weather strikes. → Read More
How to Travel to Cuba Legally from the U.S.
While the doors into Cuba are ajar and continue to open wider, there are still import regulations to heed. To go there, U.S. visitors must fall within the twelve approved categories—including family visits, educational activities, religious activities, and humanitarian projects—for Cuba travel. Travelers need to make trip arrangements through a provider that complies with the U.S. Treasury's… → Read More
How to Travel to Cuba Legally from the U.S.
It's 5:00 a.m. at Miami International Airport as I file into Sun Country's check-in line for my charter flight to Havana. Through my bleary, sleep-deprived eyes, I notice something striking. While I'm pulling a small roller-board suitcase, most other passengers are pushing large carts stacked high with shrink-wrapped plasma TVs, bicycles, and ottoman–sized wads of clothing. Their reasons for… → Read More
How the Sharing Economy Opens New Doors for Travelers
Skip the traditional booking options and go local by using other people's homes, cars, and even kitchens when you travel. → Read More
10 Flight-Friendly Recipes You Can Make Yourself
SmarterTravel's Executive Editor Anne Banas is also an aspiring pastry chef who recently graduated from the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In the following story, she's combined her travel expertise with her cooking skills to develop a collection of delicious flight-friendly recipes. You know the old saying, "If you want something done right, do it yourself." This… → Read More
Europe's Best Hidden Eats
From local holes-in-the-wall to trendy clandestine establishments, travelers to Europe have plenty of ways to veer off the tired tourist track when they dine. At these hidden spots, whether a secret late-night bakery in Lisbon or a dynamic pop-up in London, diners can immerse themselves in the local culture and be in the know despite being far from home. On a recent stopover in Lisbon, I met up… → Read More
From Bean to Bar: Chocolate Worth Traveling For
From the white pulp of the cacao pod to the dark velvety candy, the path chocolate takes from bean to bar is a fascinating one. And travelers can follow along as companies reveal the whole process, starting with fermenting the beans and ending with molding cocoa liquor into delectable bars and bonbons. As the craft chocolate movement and people's food curiosities have grown, chocolate makers… → Read More
10 Amazing Wine Towns in Europe
From medieval hilltops to breezy coastlines, European wine towns make for irresistible vacation spots. Local cuisines help form a food-wine symbiosis unique to each locale, and surrounding vineyards provide the perfect backdrop. Whether renowned or under the radar, these gastronomic playgrounds offer plenty to taste plus enough history and culture for days of exploration. So head down into the… → Read More
10 Essential Tips for Riding the Rails in Europe
You get to the station on time, find your platform, and hop on the train, right? Not so fast. When it comes to European rail travel, the decisions that will shape your trip start long before you step foot on the train. And while a train journey can be enjoyable and relaxing—with unmatched scenery to boot—there are plenty of pitfalls along the way that can easily derail your trip. From booking… → Read More
Secrets of the Danube: 8 Inspiring River Towns of Eastern Europe
River cruising is a laid-back way to see many destinations in one trip. The elegant barges glide effortlessly from one port to the next, giving you ample opportunities for exploration and photo ops. I recently embarked on a five-country, Viking River cruise that took me from Bucharest, Romania, to Budapest, Hungary, along the Danube. We visited former communist capitals regaining their pre-Iron… → Read More
A Sweet Trip to Paris (in Pictures)
I confess. I've been leading a double life: Travel editor by day and pastry chef at night. For the past year, I've split my time between the office and culinary school, breaking only to dust the sugar off my clothes. Since my training focuses on classical French pastry, I thought it was only fitting to combine my two biggest passions with a visit to Paris (and to as many patisseries as I could… → Read More
Big Island Bounty: A Tour of Hawaii's Best Food and Farms
Long before "farm-to-table" became a ubiquitous buzz phrase, a group of island chefs founded the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement to celebrate regional and ethnic foods that showcase local ingredients: grass-fed beef from Waimea's pastures, sustainably managed fish and seafood, and fresh produce grown in volcanic fields. These culinary pioneers transformed the islands' harvest into elegant,… → Read More
Big Island Bounty: A Tour of Hawaii's Best Food and Farms
For real Big Island flavor, go beyond the resorts and luaus and head into the fertile rainforests and fields of Hawaii Island. From coffee plantations along the famed Kona coast to specialty farms on the world's tallest volcano, small-scale producers afford visitors behind-the-scenes glimpses into estate-produced roasts, silken white honey, chocolate made from local cacao, succulent tropical… → Read More
10 Amazing Wine Towns in Europe
On the southwestern tip of Peljesac, a peninsula on Croatia's Dalmatian coast, Orebic is a maritime town that attracts tourists looking to relax on its sandy beaches, dine on the local catch, and drink wine from the surrounding vineyards. Explore the Maritime Museum—and its collection of models and paintings of boats—at the foot of Mount Elijah, and find sea captain's homes (which you can often… → Read More
New Zealand's Best Food and Wine
New Zealand might arguably be the youngest country on Earth, having only been settled for about 800 years, but its food and wine scene is quickly becoming one of the world's best. The island nation's innovative Pacific Rim cuisine celebrates European, Asian, and Polynesian influences, while its New World wines draw from Old World experience. On the North Island, the Classic Wine Trail stretches… → Read More