Thursday, November 8, 2007

The $97 passport fee that the State Department has been charging is higher than the cost of processing the passports, according to a congressional investigation reported in the Associated Press. Over the past year, as the government issued nearly 14 million new passports, it collected at least $111 million more in fees than its stated costs for processing passports. Share your opinions on passport costs. read more

• Slide Show: Coolest Passport Stamps
• Should You Need a Passport to Visit Canada? You Tell Us! (140 Comments)
• What Are the Passport Rules Again?
• What Are the Visa Rules Again?
• What to Do If You Lose Your Passport?

"Every now and then it stuns me anew that Americans are not allowed to travel freely to Cuba. It's patently absurd, bordering on stupid, and definitely embarrassing—one more global PR gaffe that makes us look less like a superpower and more like a petty backwater." —Editor Erik Torkells read post

• Can New Economy-Class Seats Be Comfortable?
• The Great Wheel of China Is Set to Debut in 2009 in Beijing
• Anti-Theft Travel Gear for the Beach

There's a lot more to Puerto Rico than San Juan, including a spectacular rain forest, scruffy beach towns, and locals who really know how to roast a pig. read more

• Slide Show: Gorgeous Photos of PR's Beaches and Back Roads
• More of Our Favorite Road Trips

Inspired by our road trip story? You're in luck! We've rounded up a variety of lodging options—historic hotels, rentals, beach resorts, cozy paradores—starting at $87 a night. Some packages are geared toward Christmas, and none require a passport.
why it's a deal

• Eat Like a Local: San Juan
• Sweet Little Guesthouses of Vieques
• Trip Coach Transcript: Puerto Rico Advice

Discounted hotel packages and room rates—some valid over Thanksgiving—for a getaway to the Windy City, from $95.
why it's a deal

• Eat Like a Local: Chicago
• Chicago Getaway: The Chic Starts Right Here
• Bike Tours in Chicago and Beyond

Round-trip airfare, transfers, and six nights split between sexy Rio de Janeiro and laid-back Salvador da Bahia, from $862. why it's a deal

• Going Deep Into Brazil's Beach Towns
• Scouting Report 2007: Caraíva, Brazil
• In the Hills of Rio, Santa Teresa's Sweet B&Bs

"My favorite spot in Boston is the Harvard Museum of Natural History. Part of my new novel, Run, takes places in the ichthyology lab, but even if dead fish aren't your thing, you'll be dazzled by the handblown glass-flower collection. Starting in 1886, father-and-son team Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka spent their lives making 4,200 perfect glass replicas of more than 800 plant species for the university, from single blooms to intricate bouquets." read more

More from our Take My Word series:

Bill Buford on Tuscany Peter Carey on Malaysia Sue Grafton on California Erik Larson on London

Andrea Levy on Jamaica Claire Messud on New York City Jessica Morrison on Buenos Aires Bich Minh Nguyen on North Carolina

If you have serious allergies, traveling to a country where you don't speak the language is scary. At selectwisely.com, you can order allergy and emergency cards in several languages—and even add pictures to help communicate the idea. —Robin Willcox, South Hamilton, Mass. read more

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