It has been a decade+ since I’ve bought a single-use plastic water bottle while traveling on my own, but I’ve also not gotten sick even once. That’s because I always carry a refillable bottle and a water purifier in places where the tap water is questionable. My favorite is a SteriPen (highlighted in issue #180), but I’ve tried plenty of others that have worked well also, saving me a small fortune in addition to keeping Mother Earth alive. See my full rundown here: The Best Water Purifiers for Travelers.

United Bets on Secondary Destinations

United Airlines has been getting a lot of press lately after announcing its 2027 new routes and creating a stir. Usually these announcements are ho-hum, just more capacity heading to London or Cancun, but this one was different because it shows how traveler tastes are changing. The new direct routes from the USA include places like Toulouse, Marseille, Valencia, Terceira (Azores), Ljubljana, and Catania, as well as Okinawa in Japan. “Eight of the 10 will have no competing nonstop service by another U.S. airline.” See the rundown here.

See Nazi Warships on the Danube

If you picked 2026 for your Danube River Cruise, first we hope you actually got to go. Record heat and low water levels from climate change have scuttled some sailings, but on the plus side, you may be able to see some German warships that were sunk during the Nazi retreat in World War II. According to this BBC article, the low water levels have also exposed a bomb, an ancient bridge, and woolly mammoth tusks.

Global Residency Programs Report

People pick a place to settle down for a whole host of reasons, but in this mobile environment we’re in now, a good number of them are choosing based on economic policy, taxes, and residency options. The 2026 Global Residency Report attempts to quantify the 48 best options. “The market for residency programs has changed more in the last ten years than in the previous forty. What began as a simple proposition: invest in real estate and receive residency and citizenship rights, has been reshaped by regulatory scrutiny, housing politics, and a decisive move toward productive, actively managed capital.” Tops on the list for those with asset protection issues are Switzerland, UAE, Portugal, Italy, and Greece.

A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.