Here are her top picks:

DisabledTravelers.com is updated regularly and offers links from all over the world. The website's founder has a sister with a disability so there's compassion, Van Horn says.

The editorial staff of EmergingHorizons.com maintains a database that is updated monthly. Categories include medical travel, products, and lodging.

Disaboom.com has a travel section with in-depth articles, such as "Accessible RVing and Camping," "Travel Agents Specializing in Adaptive Travel," and "Enjoying Beantown's Old and New: Touring Historic Boston by Wheelchair."

VacationsToGo.com has a thorough guide to accessible cruising with details on more than 90 ships.

For people traveling with oxygen tanks, Breathineasy.com divides its tips into sections: cruises, air travel, or car/RV/rail/bus. There's also a nice chart that compares airlines by oxygen policies.

To book a trip, AbleToTravel.org is the travel agency for the United Spinal Association.

For more help, check out the U.S. Department of Transportation's hotline for air travelers with disabilities (800/778-4838) or TSA's website for air travelers with special needs. —Amy Chen

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Sandy Hook, Conn.: What is the best time of year to go to Africa and where are the best places to go?

Budget Travel editors: The timing really depends on where you're planning to visit and the type of trip (there are more than 50 African countries!). If you have a safari in mind, the most popular destinations are Kenya, Botswana, South Africa, and Tanzania. The high season is roughly June through October, when the weather is drier and animals flock to water sources—making them easy to spot. In the rainier off-season, animals can be harder to track, but trips are cheaper and the landscape more verdant. You can find more safari advice by reading Get the Most Out of Your African Safari.

In Ethiopia, however, the weather tends to be warmest and driest from October through March, and one of the most fascinating times to visit is around a religious holiday like Timkat, the three-day festival of the Epiphany and one of the holiest holidays in the Ethiopian calendar (in January). You'll be inspired by our Sacred Ethiopia story and slide show. For pyramid viewing and cruises along the Nile, try the fall or spring, when the Egyptian heat is less oppressive. The same goes for Morocco. Good luck with your trip planning! —Kate Appleton

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Birmingham, Ala.: My wife and I are interested in doing a French Barge Tour in April or May 2009. Do you have any recommendations? We would also like to have a few days in Paris and a side trip to Dordogne. —Paul

Budget Travel editors: Sounds like a great trip. If you haven't already, check out our cover story on Dordogne and our story on European River Cruises.

Have fun! —Sean O'Neill

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New York, N.Y.: How pertinent is it to know fluent Italian to be going on a toured trip to Italy for a week?

Budget Travel editors: Not very! If you're visiting Italy as part of a tour group, you can expect to have a guide who's fluent in both English and Italian and who'll be able to assist in any tricky situations. Besides, major Italian cities are so overrun with tourists that those in restaurants, museums, and stores typically know enough basic English to help with anything from size conversions to the location of the bathroom (or bagno).

We'd still encourage you to pick up some phrases before you go. It'll add some fun to your visit, and Italians truly appreciate efforts to speak their language. Beyond ciao and grazie, one handy phrase for is per portare via—use it to request your slice of pizza "to go." —Kate Appleton

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Lexington, Ky.: My passport is about to expire. Someone told me that U.S. passports are processed outside of the U.S.A. Is that true?

Budget Travel editors: It's smart of you to renew before your passport expires, because the process of getting a fresh passport is much more of a pain. Passports are processed in the U.S., says the U.S. State Department. But there may be a time delay in getting your passport processed, so do it as soon as you can. See details here. Good luck! —Sean O'Neill

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Baton Rouge, La.: My husband wants to use our frequent flier miles on Continental to travel to Australia. The flights land in Cairnes, which is far from Sydney where we also want to travel to. I am thinking of a cruise. A cruise would be relaxing and let us see the island without stress. What do you think?

Budget Travel editors: I wouldn't recommend the cruise. Don't fear renting a car. Like Iceland, the highway network for the country is, generally speaking, a big circle along the rim all around the country. It's a sophisticated place with friendly locals and you're not likely to get lost or stressed out. Hotels in Cairnes will also have coach bus shuttles departing multiple times daily to Sydney—another option (that spares you the cost of gas, which is higher than in the U.S.)

Have fun—it's a trip of a lifetime. —Sean O'Neill

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Lexington, Ky.: Hi Budget Travel. I would like to take a trip late this year or early next year to Europe. Easy enough, I suppose, but as a single, gay traveler, what do you recommend as gay-friendly venues? What options are available for traveling with others? I am not looking for one of those whirl-wind trips where you see 75 countries in 3 days. I'd like to spend some time and get to know the place.

Thank you for your time,
Bill

Budget Travel editors: Hi, Bill, I enjoyed visiting your city recently.

I travel with my partner to Europe often, but it's hard to give recommendations based on the limited info about yourself that you've provided. If you have any German ancestry (hard to tell with your name), you may really like Germany. They are extremely gay-friendly in Berlin and Nuremberg, and the tourist bureaus produce pamphlets with helpful tips for travelers. If you're a young person, the Love Parade festival is perhaps Europe's ultimate GLBT event. You can stay overnight at a castle for under 100 euros.

The most welcoming city for GLBT is Amsterdam.

The Irish GLBT scene is abysmal, but if that's your heritage, then you should go, and you'll still find the country's people very welcoming and nonjudgmental. I have.

If cost is an issue, know that you can experience the burgeoning gay centers of Prague, Budapest, Moscow, and St. Petersburg for a fraction of the cost of Western Europe.

Italy is a favorite for its incredible sense of history, though public displays of gay affection are frowned upon.

Paris of course is Paris. You should see it before you die.

Have a blast! —Sean O'Neill

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Seattle, Wash.: We (two 30 year-old adults) are going to Singapore in August for 2 weeks to visit friends. We would like to make some short trips to neighboring countries (e.g., Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, etc.) as well to make the most out of our journey. Which neighboring country to Singapore do you feel would give us the most bang for our buck? We are departing from Seattle.

Budget Travel editors: Sounds like a terrific trip. Be sure to check out EatingAsia.com for tips on dining in Singapore and beyond. (It's written by a reviewer for TimeOut KL). Um, you haven't supplied enough info to help me answer your question. But I'd generally point out that, if Costa Rica is the most tourist-friendly place for Americans in Central America, and Honduras is more roughing it, and Nicaragua has almost no English-speakers and few flush toilets, then you could use the same scale with Thailand being the most infrastructure for tourists (every restaurant named in your guidebook will have Australians and Japanese and Germans in it too), with Vietnam being less established, and Laos being most like Nicaragua in terms of tourist infrastructure. Hope that helps! —Sean O'Neill

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Lexington, Ky.: Is it safe to travel to Liberia, West Africa? Which airline(s) fly there from the USA? Thank you.

Budget Travel editors: Yes it is safe. The US State Department publishes travel advisories and warnings. You can read its report on Liberia here. These are not "politicized" reports. They are highly respected, impartial reports.

Depends what airport you're flying out of. Delta partners with Air France, with connections in Paris. That's the major connector.

Have a great trip. (The historical exhibits to slavery and to local empowerment in the face of colonialist power is supposed to be fantastic). I'm jealous of your trip plan. —Sean O'Neill

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Los Angeles, Calif.: I am thinking about taking one of those river cruises that are in Europe. Have you ever taken one and what did you think about it? Is there any particular cruise line you would suggest?

Budget Travel editors: All of the cruise lines mentioned in this article are well regarded. —Sean O'Neill

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Philadelphia, Pa.: I would like to take a week-long trip in early September to Hawaii. Everything I've seen is way out of my budget. Is there a way to go to one island maybe all-inclusive or cruise within a reasonable budget?

Budget Travel editors: Yo, Philly! Look for package deals. And consider going for a shorter stay: Hawaii's Big Island Air/Hotel, $894.

Also visit the blog GoVisitHawaii.com for more deals.

Hope you have a blast. —Sean O'Neill

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Delton, Mich.: A girlfriend and I are getting away to Orlando for a week in January and are staying on International Dr. We have tickets for Universal but would like to do something that isn't so commercialized too. Any suggestions? We love to do and try new things! One thing...I'm afraid of heights! —Vickie

Budget Travel editors: Hi, Vickie, Check out our May 2008 article on 25 reasons why we love Orlando. And have a blast! —Sean O'Neill

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Budget Travel editors: Unfortunately, that's all the time we have to take for questions today. We regret that there were a few we weren't able to answer. Please check in next week, when our focus is on Girlfriend Getaways!

Is it Memorial Day Weekend yet? Hope you have fantastic time! And don't forget to pause for a moment and give a thought to our soldiers who are bravely serving overseas and can't be with us.