Thursday, October 30, 2008

In the last decade, some Romanian families have reclaimed ancestral estates and opened guesthouses in Transylvania—the infamous stomping grounds of Count Dracula. Get details on their Halloween celebrations and check out our slide show. read more

• Uneasy Dreams: World's Weirdest Hotels
• Spooky Walking Tours
• Plus: Check back Monday for photos from New York's outrageous Halloween parade (weather permitting!)

Virtual strip searches of passengers are currently being done using full-body scanners at Los Angeles International, JFK, Baltimore-Washington International, Miami, and many other airports. Check out the revealing photos and tell us: Is this an inappropriate invasion of your privacy? read post

• $1/Day Car Rentals for Trips to Florida
• This Weekend: A Warhol Exhibit Well Timed to the Elections
• Train Toilet Bites Man
• How to Do Adventure Travel on a Budget
• Continental Waives a Bag Fee; Cruises Eliminate Fuel Surcharges

Colombia's vibrant seaside city is experiencing a rebirth. But the attraction for Liz Ozaist was deeper: She went to discover the place that enchanted her father 20 years ago. read more

• What $100 Buys in Cartagena
• Video: Colombia Uncut
• The Colombia of the Movie Love in the Time of Cholera
• Real Deals: Colombia Tour, 11 Nights, $1,145

The Traveler's Medicine Cabinet 11 items that should be in every traveler's first-aid kit… How to Travel for Free Ways to score a free trip with some research, patience, and good timing… Ski Deals From $125 A flurry of discounts in California, Colorado, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Whistler, B.C.

Why wait for an occasion? From pretty nesting bowls to a roomy tote bag, these items make a great gift for a friend—or a pick-me-up for yourself. read more

• Passport Cases With Style
• Multiuse Beauty Products
• NYC: Shop the Meatpacking District Online

Trip Coach can help! E-mail us at Letters@BudgetTravel.com with all the details of your trip—where and when you're going, who you're traveling with, and any questions you have—and you could be featured in the magazine. e-mail us now

Readers We Recently Coached:

• A Family's Tour of New Zealand
• A Couple's Escape to Guadeloupe and Martinique
• A Girls' Getaway in Charleston and Savannah

Round-trip airfare, some meals and sightseeing, local transportation, and six nights in the buzzing capital, Managua, and at an all-inclusive beach resort on the Pacific, from $1,096. why it's a deal

More on Central America:

• Trip Coach Transcript: Nicaragua
• Nicaragua's Full-Immersion Spanish Classes
• What $100 Buys in Tegucigalpa, Honduras
• Which Costa Rica Is Right for You?

Be wowed by the state's dramatic southwestern coast on this seven-night late spring cruise out of Seattle. It makes stops in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Prince Rupert, B.C., and rates start at $999, including meals and on board activities. why it's a deal

• Alaskan Cruise Tips
• Girlfriend Getaways: Ultimate Guide to Cruising
• Trip Coach: Kid-Friendly Alaska
• Plus: Been to Alaska? Share your photos, Travel Journals, and videos at myBudgetTravel—you'll be entered to win a trip to Fiji!

Round-trip airfare, some meals, and a nine-night tour of the landmarks, beaches, and appealing towns (Opatija, Dubrovnik, Split) that dot the Adriatic coast, with a taste of big-city life in Zagreb and Ljubljana, from $1,399. why it's a deal

• A View With a Room: Lighthouse Lodgings in Croatia
• Best Places You've Never Heard Of: Croatia's Baranja Region
• Trip Coach: A Father and Daughter in Croatia
• What $100 Buys in Ljubljana, Slovenia

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