For decades, cash was the ultimate travel backup. But nowadays, many travelers get a shock when they arrive at a resort and discover it has gone completely cashless.

Many travelers bring streaming devices when they stay in hotels. Then you get to the room and discover the device either won't connect to the Wi-Fi or can't reach the internet.

Renting sports gear on vacation sounds simple enough. You pick out a kayak, snowboard, paddleboard, bike, or jet ski, sign a form, and head off to have a good time. Then you glance at the paperwork and suddenly it feels like you are signing away half your life just to go down a hill or paddle around a lake. The language can be intense, especially when it starts talking about serious injury, equipment damage, and responsibility. Still, the paperwork is not there because every rental is a disaster waiting to happen. It is there because outdoor sports do involve real risks, and rental companies want those risks spelled out before anyone gets started.

The Andes flight disaster—or the Miracle of the Andes—might be one of history's most harrowing survival stories.

You know that the best vacations include waterfalls, wildlife, reefs, forests, cliffs, or empty trails. But lately, you're noticing more permits and closures for "conservation" than ever before.That can feel frustrating, especially when nature was the whole reason you booked. But in the modern world, to put it simply, this is the new normal.

There’s no shortage of college rankings—but they rarely agree. So instead of relying on just one, we combined the three biggest and most important ones out there: U.S. News, QS World Rankings, and Times Higher Education.