Elaine Glusac

Elaine Glusac is the Frugal Traveler columnist for The New York Times travel section and an accomplished freelance travel writer based in Chicago. With over two decades of experience, she has established herself as a leading voice in budget-conscious travel journalism. In 2019, she was named Travel Journalist of the Year by the Society of American Travel Writers, with judges praising her mastery of every form of travel writing and her deeply reported, meticulously contextualized pieces. Glusac's work extends beyond The New York Times to include regular contributions to AARP, AFAR, Chicago Tribune, Conde Nast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, Travel + Leisure, and Virtuoso Life. Her writing style combines practical budget travel advice with rich cultural context, making destinations accessible to both budget-conscious travelers and armchair explorers. She approaches travel journalism with thorough research and local immersion, often creating detailed itineraries that she then reality-tests on location. Glusac is also an author, having written guidebooks including Top 10 Chicago, and describes herself as a map lover, winter chaser, and practitioner of Buddhism.