Which was your first issue of Global Traveler? Mine was the November 2006 edition, with the snow-capped peaks and lakes of St. Moritz on the cover — an image I still carry with me. Whether you began reading with our first issue in February 2004 or joined later, thank you for traveling with us. November 2017 marks our 195th issue, and the countdown to 200 is underway.
One of the things I love most about being part of the GT team is our willingness to evolve and embrace change. This year we introduced a refreshed magazine design and launched a new website. We also expanded our monthly Friends & Family feature by launching whereverfamily.com, a daily-updated web publication focused on travel for modern families. Through print, digital and events, we strive to innovate, have fun, and continue delivering trusted coverage of destinations around the world.
Stay with us as we navigate the globe for the next 195 issues and beyond. Whatever comes next, we’ll keep delivering the information you need to travel in style.
ONE ON ONE WITH THE GT TEAM
Our anniversary issue gives us a chance to share more personality with readers. Below, the team answers many of the same questions we ask travel industry leaders, offering insider glimpses into the people behind the magazine.
CARLY ALLEN, associate publisher and executive vice president
Travel tip you can’t live without: Get everywhere early.
Favorite dining experience around the world: Din Tai Fung at the base of Taipei 101 — exceptional dim sum and an energetic atmosphere.
Travel app you can’t live without: Airline apps and SigAlert for Los Angeles traffic updates.
Favorite family travel memory: Snorkeling in Oahu with my family — while my mom got seasick, my sisters, dad and I had a blast exploring the reefs.
Recommended experience: For aviation enthusiasts, the Boeing Factory in Renton, Wash., is an impressive visit.
Describe GT in three words: Global, fun, unique
Insider tip for visitors: Avoid tourist traps like Venice Beach and Hollywood Boulevard; try Malibu beaches or Silver Lake for a local flavor.
JEAN-CLAUDE CHAOULOFF, advertising manager
Travel tip you can’t live without: Learn basic phrases of the local language.
Favorite dining experience: Daniel in New York City.
Travel app you can’t live without: Lonely Planet.
Favorite family travel memory: A Turkish Treasures tour.
Recommended experience: Visits to Israel and Egypt.
Describe GT in three words: Informative, fun, current
Insider tip for visitors: Spend at least a week in New York City to truly sample what the city offers.
TRACEY CULLEN, art director
Travel tip you can’t live without: Always wear comfortable shoes in the airport — you may have to sprint to make a connection.
Favorite dining experience: The Earl of Thomond at Dromoland Castle Hotel in Ireland — unexpectedly excellent cuisine and memorable homemade breads.
Travel app you can’t live without: The app for the airline you’re flying to stay updated on changes.
Favorite family travel memory: Driving through Ireland after visiting Blarney Castle, chasing a rainbow across lush, rolling hills.
Recommended experience: Snorkeling at Baby Beach in Aruba.
Describe GT in three words: Informative, entertaining, beautiful
Insider tip for visitors: York, Pa., is known as the “Snack Capital of the World” — plan a factory tour if you can.
KAITLIND EYDELLOTH, account executive, Western region
Travel tip you can’t live without: Say yes — be open to new opportunities.
Favorite dining experience: Eating pasta, pizza and gelato twice a day in Italy.
Travel app you can’t live without: Waze.
Favorite family travel memory: A cross-country drive from San Francisco down the coast to San Diego and on to the Grand Canyon — a formative nature-filled trip at age nine.
Recommended experience: Spend 24 hours in Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day.
Describe GT in three words: Refined, poised, elevated
Insider tip for visitors: Enjoy outdoor activities in Los Angeles — hiking, paddleboarding, wine tasting and beach time.
RICHARD EVANS, senior vice president
Travel tip you can’t live without: Always allow extra time to reach your destination.
Favorite dining experience: Dining around a campfire in the Masai Mara for a week, immersed in the sounds of the bush.
Travel app you can’t live without: Waze.
Favorite family travel memory: Summers on Cape Cod.
Recommended experiences: See the pyramids and tombs in Egypt and the prehistoric cave paintings in southern France — both are essential, humbling encounters with human creativity across millennia.
Describe GT in three words: Innovative, ever-evolving
Insider tip for visitors: Venture beyond Philadelphia to museums like the James Michener Museum and Brandywine River Museum, and visit world-class gardens such as Longwood Gardens and Chanticleer.
FRANCIS X. GALLAGHER, publisher and CEO
Travel tip you can’t live without: Be like a local, but act like yourself.
Favorite dining experiences: Memorable meals at Ashford Castle in Ireland, 1862 in Philadelphia, Nick & Stef’s in New York City, and the Queen’s Grill on the Queen Mary 2.
Travel app you can’t live without: Airline apps for connections, baggage tracking and lounge locations — Delta’s, United’s and Hawaiian’s apps are particularly useful.
Favorite family travel memory: A recent family trip to Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, and familiar favorites like the Outer Banks and Cape San Blas.
Recommended experience: Just go — be spontaneous like many millennials and travel without overplanning. Playing golf worldwide has introduced me to people and places I wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.
Describe GT in three words: Reliable, trustworthy, exciting
Insider tip for visitors: Explore Philadelphia’s lesser-known museums like the Rodin Museum, stroll Fairmount Park, and visit the Philadelphia Zoo, the nation’s oldest.
JANICE HECHT, senior editor
Travel tip you can’t live without: Pack energy bars and a water bottle — travel makes me extra hungry.
Favorite dining experience: The restaurants in Grand Case, St. Martin, for superb Caribbean-French cuisine; hoping the island recovers and rebuilds after Hurricane Irma.
Travel app you can’t live without: TripIt, plus airport and airline apps with terminal maps.
Favorite family travel memory: A family vacation to Aruba the summer before college, including a 4WD off-road island exploration that almost went off a cliff.
Recommended experience: Hiking the Appalachian Trail in New England.
Describe GT in three words: Innovative, insightful, inspirational
Insider tip for visitors: Manchester, Conn., offers great outdoor options and connects to the East Coast Greenway for longer adventures.
KIMBERLY KROL, editor in chief
Travel tip you can’t live without: Be open to anything — unexpected places often leave the biggest impressions.
Favorite dining experience: Lunch in the gardens near Agrigento, Italy, where the food was prepared with produce grown on-site.
Travel apps you can’t live without: Waze, Currency Converter and Uber.
Favorite family travel memory: Studying abroad in London, a last-minute family reunion in Edinburgh, and surprising my family at Heathrow after claiming I had an exam.
Recommended experiences: Too many to count — sunrise sand dunes in the Liwa Desert, Pamplona’s running of the bulls, floating in the Dead Sea, an elephant experience in Thailand, and a helicopter tour of Kaua’i’s waterfalls.
Describe GT in three words: Reliable, evolving, passionate
Insider tip for visitors: Reading Terminal Market is busy but a must for sampling Philadelphia’s many flavors.
ALLIE MENZIONE, assistant digital coordinator
Travel tip you can’t live without: Pack your day with great experiences and you’ll sleep well anywhere.
Favorite dining experience: Traditional Greek souvlaki with plenty of tzatziki in the Greek islands.
Travel app you can’t live without: OneDrive for storing travel photos.
Favorite family travel memory: Traveling to Greece with my 80-year-old grandmother.
Recommended experience: A sunset cruise around Santoríni — utterly unforgettable.
Describe GT in three words: Exciting, adventurous, invaluable
Insider tip for visitors: Skip tourist traps in Philadelphia — there’s much more to the city’s dining scene than cheesesteaks.
WILLIAM PAPA, director of sales
Travel tip you can’t live without: Always pack comfortable shoes.
Favorite dining experience: Fresh salt fish and callaloo for breakfast on Negril Beach in Jamaica.
Travel app you can’t live without: Apple Maps.
Favorite family travel memory: A week at Crow Fair in Montana, experiencing pow wow culture and fly-fishing on the Big Horn River.
Recommended experience: Spend a full day in Amsterdam museums like the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum.
Describe GT in three words: Fun, professional, busy
Insider tip for visitors: Philadelphia’s food scene spans many neighborhoods — explore beyond cheesesteaks for diverse cuisine.
ANGELIQUE PLATAS, assistant editor
Travel tip you can’t live without: Keep essentials handy in one or two places — phone, passport and wallet within easy reach.
Favorite dining experience: In Pettoranello del Molise, Italy, neighbors invited us to truffle hunt and later the chef created an eight-course meal using those truffles.
Travel apps you can’t live without: Google Maps/navigation for walking and Skyscanner for flight searches.
Favorite family travel memory: A large family wedding weekend in New Hampshire that felt like a joyful sleepover with cousins.
Recommended experience: Rowing through the Blue Grotto in Capri is unforgettable.
Describe GT in three words: Busy, engaging, informative
Insider tip for visitors: Bring cash and be ready to walk — Lambertville, N.J., and nearby New Hope, Pa., are best explored on foot.
NICOLE QUASTÉ, assistant editor
Travel tip you can’t live without: Stay flexible when planning and traveling.
Favorite dining experience: The café culture of Paris — coffee and croissants are unbeatable.
Travel apps you can’t live without: OpenTable for dining and GateGuru for real-time flight updates, TSA wait estimates and terminal maps.
Favorite family travel memory: A full-day hike to Borestone Mountain in Maine during my teenage years.
Recommended experience: Rent a car in Ireland for a scenic road trip from Bantry to Sheep’s Head Peninsula; stop in Kilcrohane and Eileen’s Pub.
Describe GT in three words: Resourceful, fun, unique
Insider tip for visitors: Philadelphia’s fine art and street art scenes are exceptional — visit the Barnes Foundation, Pentimenti Gallery and Wexler Gallery in addition to the main museum.
ASHLEY RICHARDS, account executive
Travel tip you can’t live without: Underpack — you’ll always return with extra items.
Favorite dining experience: A hidden gem in Venice.
Travel app you can’t live without: Skyscanner.
Favorite family travel memory: Snorkeling in the Caribbean when my mother jumped in too early and we had to circle back to get her.
Recommended experience: Get lost on purpose — you’ll often find your way back to something great.
Describe GT in three words: Traveling in style
Insider tip for visitors: Try the cheesesteak — extra Whiz!
ANDREW RISCH, sales coordinator
Travel tip you can’t live without: Protect nice shoes with a water-resistant spray and pack beat-up sneakers for hikes or outdoors activities.
Favorite dining experience: A hole-in-the-wall in France where I first tried escargot and loved it.
Travel app you can’t live without: Uber — reliable rides at good prices.
Favorite family travel memory: Dancing with family in a Disney World beer garden while waiting for dinner — an unforgettable happy moment.
Recommended experience: Visiting the Great Wall of China — great views and lively bartering with merchants.
Describe GT in three words: Luxurious, fun, smart
Insider tip for visitors: Don’t put Cheese Whiz on your cheesesteak — it’s not the best choice.
KATIE SKRZEK, vice president/digital director
Travel tip you can’t live without: Avoid checking a bag whenever possible.
Favorite dining experience: Restaurant hopping in New Orleans, my favorite food city.
Travel app you can’t live without: Lyft.
Favorite family travel memory: My first trip to Los Angeles with my parents when I was in grade school.
Recommended experience: Exploring glaciers in Iceland.
Describe GT in three words: Dynamic, entertaining, informative
Insider tip for visitors: Philadelphia’s Midtown Village has a dense concentration of excellent bars and restaurants.
PATRICIA VANIKIOTIS, associate editor/copy editor
Travel tip you can’t live without: Don’t try to see everything — edit your sightseeing list to avoid exhaustion.
Favorite dining experience: A multicourse Italian cooking class and dinner on a friend’s terrace in a small Italian village.
Travel app you can’t live without: Uber.
Favorite family travel memory: Five of us crammed into a taxi headed to a beach on Santoríni.
Recommended experience: Harvesting and crushing grapes followed by an alfresco lunch at an agriturismo in Italy.
Describe GT in three words: Dynamic, enlightening, appealing
Insider tip for visitors: In Portland, Ore., explore self-contained neighborhoods outside the downtown core for eclectic dining, shopping and entertainment.