The first all-volunteer Greeter guide service began in New York City in 1992. Now 22 cities worldwide have Greeter programs, the most recent being Moscow in June 2011.

Global Greeter guides meet with individuals or small groups (six people, maximum) and conduct free walking tours (donations welcome) of two to four hours. Instead of major tourist sights, you might see mom-and-pop stores, hole-in-the-wall eateries and other places of a resident’s daily life.

To find a...

Pittsburgh International Airport in Pennsylvania is one of the first in the US to set up a special security screening lane for travelers with one item of carry-on luggage (no larger than 22"x14"x9") — with no extra purse, briefcase or camera bag — or no carry-on at all.

This is not related to any TSA program, nor is it part of any perks program for first-class ticket holders or elite frequent flyers. All passengers still go through full security screening...

Open Africa (Cape Town, South Africa; phone +27 21 683 9639, fax 683 8013), a nonprofit organization, has helped set up 60 “off-the-beaten-track, self-drive travel routes” in six countries. The majority are in South Africa, with others in Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland.

Routes can be driven without a 4-wheel-drive vehicle in most areas. Examples — “Kalahari Oasis Route” in South Africa and the “Caprivi Wetland Paradise Route...