Q) What is the halacha concerning someone who is travelling away from his home for Shabbat with regards to lighting candles?
A) A married man who is a guest at another home for Shabbat and is given a room of his own, must light candles for himself in his own room. With respect to the Bracha, he may only recite it if his wife is not lighting at his own home. If his wife is lighting at home he must still light in his room but without a Bracha.
A guest who does not have his own room and his wife is not lighting at home, still has an obligation to light candles. However since the host is already lighting in the dining room, the guest should give some money towards the expense of those candles and thereby fulfil his obligation. However, if his wife is lighting at home, he need not do this.
One who plans to eat the Shabbos meal elsewhere and to return home to sleep, should light at home and ensure that the candles are large enough so that they will remain lit until he returns home. The reason for this is because one must benefit from the candles in order to avoid a Bracha levatala. Another option would be to have benefit from the candles after nightfall before leaving his home for the meal. If one will not be able to benefit from the light of the candles, they should be lit without a Bracha.
(Source: Maamar Mordechai Shabbat Vol 1, Chapter 12).
Lighting the Shabbat candles when traveling
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