Thursday, September 25, 2008

We're thrilled to present this year's eight winners, whose innovations have made travel easier or more affordable at a trying time. Kudos to Southwest for holding firm against add-on fees and Hotels.com for launching an easy reward program that actually pays off. read more

E-mail your fall foliage shots to BTPhotos@BudgetTravel.com for a chance to be included in a special slide show of readers' most colorful photos. Our earlier reader slide shows covered beautiful sunsets and fireworks.

Favorite Foliage Drives:

• New Hampshire, Old Haunts
• Cape Cod Uncrowded
• Old-Fashioned Fun in the Catskills
• Vermont's Lake Champlain
• Expert Advice for Leaf-peeping in Vermont and Maine
• Deals: Fall Foliage Escapes From $100

The collapse of Italian national airline Alitalia seems unavoidable in the next several days. We've received many e-mails and comments from readers requesting advice on what to do. Here are the key steps to follow if you're ticketed on any defunct airline. read post

• A New Music-Sharing Site Brings Back Vacation Memories
• What Happens to Business Travelers When Their Company Is Gone?
• A Sad Farewell to the Cheapest Flights to Paris
• This Weekend: Celebrate the Blues by San Francisco's Bay

Mayan kings once traded cacao seeds as currency and drank them in a spicy, sacred beverage. Now, farmers are cashing in, thanks to the world's growing appetite for specialty chocolate. Get the details and check out our slide show. read more

• Beach Bum Central: Ambergris Cay, Belize
• Dream Trips: The Blue Hole, Belize
• Q&A With Belizean Musician Andy Palacio
• Romancing the Bean: A Vanilla Quest in Mexico

Photos: Mexico, Old and New See the varied sides of Mexico—lively colonial towns, hideaway resorts with swim-up bars, sprawling Mayan ruins… Girlfriend Getaways: The Ultimate Guide to Cruising Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor in chief of cruisecritic.com, shares everything you need to know… Blog: Website for Short-Term Apartment Rentals Roomarama.com now covers Boston, Chicago, and Toronto, as well as NYC.

Airfare, sightseeing tours, and seven nights split between stylish, laid-back Sydney and melting-pot Melbourne from $1,879 during spring and early summer down under. Plus, book any Intrepid Travel Australia package and get a $125 prepaid Visa card.
why it's a deal

• Sydney: Three Cutting-Edge Neighborhoods
• Eat Like a Local: Melbourne
• Beyond Melbourne: Secret Hotels of the Yarra Valley
• Best Places You've Never Heard Of: Willunga, Australia

TourCrafters' affordable airfare/four-night packages start at $569 for Florence, known for hearty Tuscan dishes and almost overwhelming art collections. Comparable packages are also available for feasting in cities like Venice, Paris, Barcelona, or Vienna.
why they're a deal

• What $100 Buys in Florence
• Renting an Apartment in Venice
• Quiz: Think You Know Paris?
• France Menu Decoder

Budget Travel Magazine: Subscribe or Give a Gift Not a print subscriber? The world's most useful travel magazine costs just $12 for 10 issues—or $20 for 20 issues! Take a look inside. Subscribe Now! Give a Gift Subscriber Services

ADVERTISEMENT