The Shulhan Aruch, in Siman 677, brings down an interesting Halacha regarding someone who was away from home on Chanukah. In general, a person away from home is included in the lighting done by his wife at home, and is therefore exempt from lighting himself. However, Maran rules that the exception is when someone travels to place inhabited solely by non-Jews, where he will not have the opportunity to see a lit Menorah. In such a case, he must light with a Beracha, to be able to see a Menorah. However, the Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933) does not fully accept Maran's novel ruling and says that one should light without a Beracha in such a case. Nevertheless, Hacham Ovadia (Hazon Ovadia Hanukah) upholds Maran's ruling to light with a Beracha.
Hacham Bension discusses a case in which a family is invited to eat the Friday night meal at their parent's house and then returns to their own home to sleep. He establishes a rule per which it depends where they will be at the time of "Plag HaMinha"-the earliest possible time to light. If they are still in their own home at that time, they must light in their house, whereas if they leave early and arrive at their parent's home before "Plag HaMinha," they must light there. This applies to Mosa'eh Shabbat as well. If someone was a guest on Shabbat but is returning home immediately after Shabbat, he should light at home. If he stays with his host into Mosa'eh Shabbat for Melaveh Malka, he should light at his host's home.
In general, Hacham Bension advises that on Hanukah, one should avoid traveling from his home between "Plag HaMinha" and "Alot HaShahar" (From mid-afternoon until dawn the next day). This way he avoids a debacle as to where he should light.
SUMMARY
A person away from home, in a place with no other Jews lighting a Menorah, must light his own Menorah with a Beracha, even though his wife lit on his behalf at home.
If one eats Friday night away from home, the place he lights is determined by where he was at "Plag HaMinha."
In general, one should avoid traveling on Hanukah between the time of "Plag HaMinha" and "Alot HaShahar."
