Little Rock and Roll

A question to all you traveling theater buffs: Near what New York "square" were six out of the last eight Pulitzer Prize-winning plays first presented? If you answered Times Square, you were dead wrong. In fact, none of those memorable hits began their lives in the Broadway theaters that surround Times Square, and only half of them even played the Great White Way eventually. All were nurtured in so-called off-Broadway theaters, five in the area surrounding 14th Street's Union Square, the new and perhaps truer heart of New York's legendary theater scene. It's in this trendy, restaurant-crammed slice of the Big Apple, in more intimate and certainly less expensive playhouses, that the Eugene O'Neills, Tennessee Williamses, and Arthur Millers of our generation are currently presenting their shows. That's no secret to New Yorkers. But the legions of tourists who fill the seats of Broadway theaters night after night rarely realize there's an alternative to the flashy, $85-a-pop extravaganzas that crowd midtown. And the same visitors mistakenly think that because they've chosen a "name brand" show they're going to be seeing the best the city has to offer. While there are outstanding productions to see on Broadway, few are as intellectually challenging or provocative as what you'll find in the smaller theaters. As Tim Sanford, artistic director of the well-respected Playwrights Horizons put it: "There's a homogeneity to the shows that get picked for Broadway. They have to have a marketing hook or an overwhelming critical consensus to move. If a play is seen as edgy or controversial, commercial producers may shy away from it, even if it's had good reviews." There's also a dirty little secret about long-running Broadway shows: chronic fatigue syndrome. It's very difficult to keep a show fresh year after year. The original stars leave; replacement casts are "put in" by stage managers, rarely getting to work with the director; and the repetitiveness of doing the same thing eight times a week can transform a vital piece of theater into a pallid imitation. A few years back, the original creators of Les Miserables visited the show unannounced and promptly fired all but one lead actor, appalled that so many of the players were simply walking through their performances. Shows off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway have a shorter shelf life. With the exception of The Fantasticks (which ran for an astounding 42 years), these productions rarely stick around for more than a few months and rarely change casts. They're also significantly less pricey, averaging $45 a ticket at the 40-or-so off-Broadway theaters, just $15 at the nearly 80 off-off-Broadway houses (as compared with the $65-$85 rates of most Broadway productions). And a few simple steps can knock down the off-Broadway costs considerably. Visit the TKTS booth in Times Square (47th Street and Broadway) or downtown (Bowling Green Park Plaza) on the day of the show for discounts of up to 50 percent to both Broadway and off-Broadway productions, reducing the off-Broadway expense to about $25 per person. Two prominent theater Web sites, playbill.com and theatermania.com, offer coupons that can be downloaded and used either over the phone or at the box office for savings of up to 50 percent (you simply become a "member" for free to get the goodies). Real daredevils can vie for "rush tickets" available only on the day of the show, sometimes only within the hour before curtain, which can drop the cost of off-Broadway plays and musicals to $10. Theatergoers can even see shows for free if they're willing to don a black-and-white outfit and seat people. To cut costs, many theaters employ volunteer ushers. (Simply call a couple of weeks in advance, choose a night, and you're hired.) So, what to see? Where can you be reliably assured of a profound and highly engrossing off-Broadway or off-off-Broadway evening, given the fact that you probably haven't heard of the play that's being presented - or of its unknown playwright or actors? With the help of a number of theater professionals, we've compiled a highly subjective list of quality off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway companies. These are the ones, we think, that do consistently entertaining and thoughtful work. The magazine Time Out New York is also an excellent and highly inclusive source for theater listings and reviews. Each of our listings is preceded by either two stars (for off-Broadway theaters with, on average, $45 seats) or one star (denoting an off-off-Broadway theater with seats for about $15). In each case, we carefully list the discounts to which members of the public are entitled. New York Theatre Workshop 79 East Fourth Street, nytw.org An off-Broadway powerhouse, New York Theatre Workshop is known for its heady, intellectually satisfying pieces. Artistic Director Jim Nicola told us, "We tend to do plays that have a real connection to history, in the sense that we always try to relate the individual experience to those of others in the river of time. History gives you the capacity to look around, see what's around, and also see that it doesn't have to be this way." Discounts: Student tickets $15, senior citizens (over 65) $28. Ten tickets at $10 go on sale two hours before curtain. Also uses playbill.com and theatermania.com. Ushering: Five volunteer ushers per night, call two weeks ahead. Greatest Hits: Rent (Pulitzer Prize), Dirty Blonde, Quills. The Public Theater 425 Lafayette Street, publictheater.org With a strong emphasis on American playwrights, the Public Theater strives to "reflect the city we live in," according to Director of Marketing and Audience Development Donna Walker-Kuhne. "The Broadway theater offers fantasy. The Public offers reality, a reality that is eclectic and multicultural. You'll get the same polish and finish here as you do on Broadway, but the stories are much closer to home." Along with five performance spaces at its impressive Lafayette Street home (the former Astor Library), the Public presents free and star-studded Shakespeare in the Park each summer. Discounts: $15 rush tickets an hour before showtime for non-sold-out performances. Also check TKTS. Ushering: No. Greatest Hits: A Chorus Line (Pulitzer Prize); Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk; Elaine Stritch at Liberty; Topdog/Underdog (Pulitzer Prize). Brooklyn Academy of Music 30 Lafayette Avenue and 651 Fulton Street, both in Brooklyn. Go to bam.org for directions and schedules. "I'm like a Geiger counter," says Executive Producer Joseph Melillo, "sweeping around the globe to find world-class artists who are doing mature, adventurous work." Mr. Melillo certainly strikes gold more often than not. BAM has become the place, not only in New York, but throughout the nation, for seeing the top European and Asian theater and dance artists. Discounts: Student/senior rush tickets $10 (call 718/636-4100 at noon, day of performance, to check availability). Ushering: No. Greatest Hits: Works by Ingmar Bergman, Peter Brook, Robert Wilson, Mark Morris. The Ontological-Hysteric Theater 131 East 10th Street, ontological.com Richard Foreman's dreamscapes have consistently challenged and intrigued audiences for 30-plus years. Playing more to the subconscious mind than the conscious mind, this is theater at its most challenging and surreal. Discounts: $15 tix, 'nuf said. Ushering: No. Greatest Hits: Bad Boy Nietzsche, Pearls for Pigs. Playwrights Horizons playwrightshorizons.org As the name implies, this theater concentrates on the craft of playwriting, offering authors a forum to develop new works. In the past few years, the company has been especially successful with its innovative musicals. Playwrights is building a new theater (to open in 2003) and is currently bouncing from house to house in the Times Square area. Discounts: playbill.com, TKTS booths, $15 student rush tickets two hours before show. Ushering: Yes, call a month in advance. Greatest Hits: Driving Miss Daisy (Pulitzer Prize), Sunday in the Park with George (Pulitzer Prize), The Heidi Chronicles (Pulitzer Prize), Falsettos. The Vineyard Theatre 108 East 15th Street, vineyardtheatre.org The Vineyard veers from top-notch plays and musicals to pieces that land firmly in the realm of performance art. A mixed bag, but always interesting and well performed. Discounts: TKTS booths, theatermania.com. $15 student rush tickets on the day of the show, sometimes $20 general rush tickets too (check Vineyard's Web site). Ushers: Three per performance, call three weeks ahead. Greatest Hits: Three Tall Women (Pulitzer Prize), Fully Committed, How I Learned to Drive (Pulitzer Prize), Goblin Market. The New Victory Theater 209 West 42nd Street, newvictory.org Innovative, fun performances for children and families right on no-longer-bawdy 42nd Street. The curators look for work both in the United States and abroad that will appeal to all ages. To that end, they book quality puppet shows, acrobatic and circus troupes, "new vaudeville" acts as well as theater pieces, all of which can be previewed with video-streaming at the theater's Web site. Discounts: None, but tickets are affordable at $10, $20, or $30. Ushering: No. Greatest Hits: Ain't Nothin' but the Blues, The Flaming Idiots. P.S. 122 150 First Avenue, ps122.org Set in an abandoned school, P.S. 122 is as downtown and edgy as theater gets. "We don't have many toilets, the seats are rough, we don't have a real lobby, but it's all about the work and most of our work is pretty entertaining. We do really interesting failures," joked Mark Russell, artistic director. "Over in Europe there are a lot of cultural centers where this type of small, funky theater happens. Here, it's just us." A true New York experience, and a place to see the big names of tomorrow while they're still experimenting. Shows at 7:30, 8:30, and 10:30 most nights. Discounts: None, but tickets cost just $12 to $20. Check Web site for free student and senior tix. Ushers: Three per show. Greatest Hits: Blue Man Group, works by Eric Bogosian, Spalding Gray, John Leguizamo, Meredith Monk. Adobe Theatre Company Various venues in SoHo, adobe.org A young, hip scene, Adobe serves drinks and plays dance music before and after shows for a party atmosphere. Its plays tend to focus on myths, urban and otherwise, which are wittily skewed before evening's end. Discounts: None, but tix are just $12. Ushering: No. Greatest Hits: The Handless Maiden, Duet!

In just a decade since opening its doors to the world, Vietnam has evolved from a Cold War backwater to one of Asia's most sought-after destinations. From business-seeking blue-suiters to penny-pinching backpackers to vacationing couples of all ages, more and more Americans are discovering that this adventure mecca ranks among the cheapest-and at the same time, most compelling - places on earth. It was always a low-cost country for the traveler, but with the lingering economic downturn in Asia, it has now become a dramatic bargain. The Vietnamese currency, the dong, withstood the initial brunt of the crisis that wreaked havoc on the Thai baht, Indonesian rupiah, and Korean won, but it has since been twice devalued, giving the U.S. dollar even more buying power. Some bargain examples Those intrepid pioneers, the backpackers, first began trickling into Vietnam in the late 1980s. They initially complained about overpriced accommodations. But with an improved tourist infrastructure and the 1994 lifting of the U.S. economic embargo came a sharp increase in new hotels, forcing room rates to swiftly decline. Today there is an abundant range of places to stay (some would call it a glut), whether you rough it in a few-dollars-a-day guesthouse, opt for hot showers and air conditioning for about $20/night per double room, or splurge on a really opulent hotel, many of which today offer topnotch accommodation for under $90. And Vietnam dishes up a banquet of low-cost culinary delights: fresh-baked baguettes for a dime, tasty spring rolls for 40¢, or a potent glass of Vietnamese drip coffee to awaken the senses for a quarter. Hot bowls of pho, Vietnam's ubiquitous beef noodle soup, are found everywhere and anywhere for about 35¢ a serving and go great washed down with a liter of bia hoi, local draft beer, for another 25¢. Domestic transport options can be found to suit any budget. Die-hard shoe-string travelers with the endurance to withstand the joys and jeopardy of Vietnam's public buses can move around the country for next to nothing. At the other extreme, chauffeured car charters for about $40 a day offer maximum comfort and flexibility. While self-drive rental cars are not yet available, adventurous souls will find low-cost motorbike rentals for about $8 a day (the Mekong Delta and rugged northwest are two popular areas for two-wheel touring). We'll be detailing all of these opportunities below. What you'll see The Vietnamese mosaic spans a 1,500-mile, S-shaped coastline along the Indochina peninsula, from the plush green paddies of the Mekong Delta to the breathtaking seascape of Halong Bay. Along the way are countless attractions -- exquisite temples and pagodas, bustling markets and white sand beaches. But perhaps the greatest allure is the people. From frolicsome children perched on water buffaloes to reserved women in conical hats and graceful ao dai (tunic tops over long pants), Vietnam is brimming with friendly faces. The cities are a sea of motor scooters, zigzagging between cyclos (pedicabs) loaded with produce, livestock, and human cargo. In striking contrast, colorful hill tribes in remote regions make up just some of the 54 distinct ethnic groups. Numerous highland minority groups, known as montagnards by the French, still live and dress today as they have for centuries. Getting around Exceedingly popular among independent travelers are Vietnam's "Open Tours" -- a unique concept offering a simple, safe, and comfortable way of getting around the country for peanuts. The tours are in fact flexible on-again, off-again private buses that can be used to reach points along the 800-mile passage between Saigon and Hanoi. Fierce competition among local tour operators has driven prices down, and tickets can be snapped up for pennies a mile. Individual legs such as Saigon-Dalat ($6), Dalat-Nha Trang ($8), and Nha Trang-Hoi An ($11) can be purchased as you go along, or you choose longer routes like Saigon-Hue ($28) or Hue-Hanoi ($19). With at least two weeks to spend, you can fly into Saigon or Hanoi and enjoy an Open Tour overland journey north or south, departing out of the other city. Open Tour tickets can be purchased in the Pham Ngu Lao area (the backpackers' "ghetto") of Saigon at either the Kim Cafe (272 De Tham Street, tel. 8/836-9859) or at the Sinh Cafe (248 De Tham Street, tel. 8/836-7338). In Hanoi, look for Love Planet (25 Hang Bac Street, tel. 4/828-4864), or the Sinh Cafe (52 Hang Bac Street, tel. 4/926-0038). Pickup spots for the buses themselves are in front of the cafes and at various destinations (such as Hue, Danang, Hoi An, Dalat, and others) along the route. Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City Nearly every visitor goes at some point to Ho Chi Minh City, still known to many by its former name, Saigon. The 300-year-old former capital of the south has an unmistakable edge to it, an unshackled air of cosmopolitan hustle and bustle. For about $1 an hour, one-passenger cyclos can be hired to tour the city, face-first into a heart-stopping maze of traffic. For the faint of heart, meter cabs can be hired to most parts of the city for under $3, or you can pick up a dollar-a-day rent-a-cycle to pedal to the cathedrals, museums, and exquisite temples and pagodas in Cholon, Saigon's very own Chinatown. Your lodgings For rock-bottom everything, head for the famous Pham Ngu Lao area. This backpackers' district of hotels, guesthouses, cafes, restaurants, shops, and tour operators has become a bargain hunter's paradise and offers a wide enough range of options that you need not sacrifice comfort for a cheap place to lay your head. Pham Ngu Lao is in the heart of District 1 -- easily found and immediately exciting, something on the order of Khao Sarn Road in Bangkok; despite the ever-present touts from cyclo drivers, counterfeit book sellers, and Juicy Fruit-peddling street children, it has evolved into "backpackers central" with the best prices in town for accommodations and tours. It's mainly on De Tham Street, between Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien streets, and the cheap hotels are all along these three thoroughfares and in the small alleys that crisscross them. Rooms at budget-end hotels, about 80 percent of the 100 or so lodgings in the area, cost an average of $7-$15. Rooms in the $7-$8 range are with fan only, but $10-$15 will get you air conditioning. There is also a growing number of nicer, slightly upmarket hotels that charge $15-$40; these offer amenities such as air conditioning, bathtubs, and satellite TV. You'll want to consider the family-style Guesthouse 127 (127 Cong Quyen Street; tel. 8/836-8761, fax 8/836-0658), a slightly aging, 15-room hotel of the typical concrete variety, which makes up in character what it lacks in decor. For $7-$20 a night (depending on the room), lovable owner Madam Cuc will put you up and feed you home-cooked meals that -- amazingly -- are included in the price. For luxuries like satellite TV and minibars, the shipshape Hanh Hoa Hotel (237 Pham Ngu Lao Street; tel. 8/836-0245; fax 8/836-1482) charges just $25 for deluxe rooms; and while the hotel is small (13 rooms), its units are large. Alternate choices nearby include the friendly Mini Hotel Cam (40/31 Bui Vien Street, tel. 8/836-7622), sitting dead center along a solid strip of about 20 tall and narrow concrete "mini-hotels." This 15-room, clean, quiet, five-story hotel costs $7/night with fan, or $10-$15 with air conditioning. An upmarket choice is the plush Giant Dragon Hotel (173 Pham Ngu Lao Street; tel. 8/836-4759, fax 8/836-7279), a shiny, neon-lit place with 34 well-appointed rooms for $15-$25/night. All have air conditioning and satellite TV. Nearby are excellent restaurants such as Zen (175/6 Pham Ngu Lao Street), where for under $2 you can fill up on fresh vegetarian spring rolls and the best guacamole this side of Mexico. The oddest sight: the famed Cu Chi tunnels, a vast underground network of secret passageways utilized by the Vietcong against French and American forces. Agencies like Kim Cafe or Sinh Cafe (see "Getting Around") in Saigon charge as little as $4 for a full-day excursion (add a $4 entry to the tunnels), including a stop at Tay Ninh for noontime mass at the striking Cao Dai Temple. The religion is a unique and colorful blend of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity, and Islam. The Mekong Delta One excursion not to be missed is a journey into the Mekong Delta, the "rice basket" of Vietnam. Boating through the narrow canals offers an up-close glimpse of life on the Mekong River and its countless tributaries. Visit incredible "floating markets," snake farms, and quaint rural villages, or stop to chat about Buddhism with the friendly monks at one of the delta's abundant Khmer-style temples and pagodas. Nominal food costs aside, all-inclusive two-day/one-night programs cost as little as $18 per person, while more extensive three- and four-day trips cost from $27 and $50 respectively. Delta tours can be booked at one of countless travel agencies in Saigon (about 30 or so in the Pham Ngu Lao area alone; see above). Dalat North from Ho Chi Minh City, many head for the cool mountain climate of Dalat. Prized as the "Jewel of the Central Highlands," Dalat boasts the outdoor beauty of the Adirondacks, with all the honeymoon kitsch of the Poconos or Niagara Falls. Visit the bizarre Valley of Love to catch Vietnamese cowboys decked out in chaps and spurs, or pay the 30¢ admission to visit the other-worldly Hang Nga Guesthouse & Art Gallery (3 Huynh Thuc Khang Street, tel. 63/822070). The architecture at this Disneyesque attraction features a giant wire spider's web in the courtyard and one building in the shape of an immense concrete giraffe! At the tranquil Lam Ty Ni Pagoda, share a cup of tea with Vien Thuc, an eccentric Zen monk who draws visitors from all corners of the globe. Possibly Vietnam's most prolific artist, his provocative "instant paintings" sell for a mere $2. Dalat has a treasure trove of hotels in the $5-$10 range and plenty of charming villas in the $20-$50 range from its days as a French hill station. A delightful family-run inn, the Hotel Chau Au Europa (76 Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, tel. 63/822870, fax 63/824488), offers comfy and charming doubles for $25-$35; it's close to the center of town but tucked away so you can sleep peacefully at night. For the bottom end of the budget hotels, try the 12-room Highland Hotel (90 Phan Dinh Phung Street, tel. 63/823738), a nondescript concrete building whose basic rooms are $4-$6 for singles, $7-$8 for twins. Rooms can also be booked at the bizarre Hang Nga Guesthouse (described above), whose funky little twin units rent for $29-$60 and are charming in their own way. But as the Hang Nga doubles as a tourist attraction, it lacks privacy. Dalat can be reached by the Open Tour buses discussed earlier, by private car, public bus, motorbike, or even bicycle; there is no train service. It takes about six hours to drive. Hoi An, Hue, and points north The charming, historic town of Hoi An is a place to linger amid quiet streets, a sixteenth-century Japanese covered bridge, and well-preserved examples of Chinese and French architecture. Incredibly, this little town has close to 100 expert tailor shops that can fit you in hours for anything from a silk kimono to a Chinese smoking jacket -- and for less than the material alone would cost in Hong Kong. Hoi An's local delicacy is cao lau, a delicious noodle dish prepared with fresh vegetables and sliced pork. Most local eateries serve it, but for ambiance, the soft-lit Yellow River Restaurant (38 Tran Phu Street, tel. 510/861053) cannot be beat. Another gem is the Faifoo Restaurant (104 Tran Phu Street, tel. 510/861548), which serves savory cao lau as part of a laudable $3 full-course dinner. After dark, stop in at the excellent Tam Tam Cafe & Bar (110 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, tel. 510/862212) for a game of billiards in a restored tea warehouse. The delightful 12-room Vinh Hung Hotel (143 Tran Phu Street, tel. 510/861621, fax 510/861893), an atmospheric old Chinese trading house, has standard rooms for $20, or courtly suites furnished with classic Chinese antiques for $45. Or try the brand new and quite snazzy 24-room Pho Hoi 2 Hotel (Cam Nam Bridge, tel. 510/862628, fax 510/862626), which offers comfortable fan rooms from $8, or $18-$35 with air conditioning (ask for a river-view room). Stop by Danang to see the superb Cham Museum (entry $2), or travel out to the Marble Mountains on the way to China Beach, immortalized by the TV series. Not far from the extravagant Furama Resort ($160-$500 a night!), the Non Nuoc Seaside Resort (tel. 511/836215, fax 511/836335), right on the beach, is an excellent value at $10-$15, or $27 with sea views. North from Danang, over breathtaking Hai Van Pass, is the ancient capital of Hue, where an impressive complex of monuments is preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A $3 boat trip along the scenic Perfume River will take you to the magnificent tombs of Vietnam's former emperors ($5 entry fee each). Military buffs will appreciate a day's sojourn from Hue out to the Vietnam War-era Demilitarized Zone, where $25 buys a full-day tour of the battlefields and relics. Hotels in Hue The popular Thai Binh is down a quiet street (10/9 Nguyen Tri Phuong; tel. 54/828058, fax 54/832867); it offers basic twins in a concrete structure for about $10-$15, or larger rooms with bathtubs for $20-$25. There are nice little balconies on each of the five stories to sit and eat or sip a coffee. Or try The Guesthouse (5 Le Loi Street, tel. 54/822155, fax 54/828816), a classic old French colonial villa right on the banks of the Perfume River. The grounds feature well-kept gardens, and rooms start at $25. Hanoi and the north Vietnam's capital and political center, Hanoi ranks among the most pleasant cities in Asia. It boasts a distinctly Parisian ambiance, yet along the 36 ancient streets of the picturesque Old Quarter you'll find a Chinese-flavored charm. After seeing the lakes, parks, museums, and impressive architecture, stop to visit one of Vietnam's best free tourist attractions, the embalmed body of Vietnam's beloved "Uncle Ho" at the massive Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Don't leave town without taking in a performance of Hanoi's extraordinary water puppets ($2) or sampling the delectable cha ca fish cakes at acclaimed local eatery Cha Ca La Vong. Guesthouse/cafe/tour operators like TF Handspan (116 Hang Bac Street, tel. 4/828-1996, fax 4/825-7171) and the Queen Cafe (65 Hang Bac Street, tel. 4/826-0860, fax 4/826-0300) offer lodging for less than $10, and are also excellent places to book day trips to the Perfume Pagoda ($17), a remarkable complex of Buddhist temples on the outskirts of Hanoi. One of the city's most unique lodgings is the Ho Tay Villas (West Lake, tel. 8/047-772, fax 8/823-2126), housed in an enormous former Communist party guesthouse about three miles north of downtown. Rates of $35-$40 are a relative bargain for the experience. More central is the 32-room Dong Xuan Hotel in the Old Quarter (26 Cao Thang Street, tel. 4/828-4474, fax 4/824-6475), popular with the backpacker set. Fan-equipped rooms cost just $4-$6; they're $7 with air conditioning. Nearby, the Van Xuan Hotel (15 Luong Ngoc Quyen Street, tel. 4/824-4743, fax 4/824-6475), also gets a steady stream of budget travelers. Basic doubles with air conditioning cost $10, and those with more space and a private balcony cost $15-$25. Cafes in Hanoi also offer tours to UNESCO-protected Halong Bay, one of the world's most spectacular natural monuments. Two- and three-day all-inclusive packages to tour the 3,000-plus islands and grottoes are attractive, costing from $24 and $38 respectively -- prices that are hard, if not impossible, to beat on your own. Vietnam offers so much for so little. Where else can you surf the net at cyber cafes for 6 per minute, find exquisite lacquerware boxes for $1, or stumble upon world-class paintings by undiscovered artists for less than $50? Those lucky enough to visit revitalized Vietnam will find it all, while discovering a vast and varied blend of traditional culture, strikingly beautiful landscapes, and some of the world's most hospitable hosts. Vital Numbers VISAS: Embassy of Vietnam, 1233 20th St. NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20036 (tel. 202/861-0737, fax 202/861-1297); 30-day tourist visas cost $65. Phone Numbers: Country code 84; city codes have two, three, or four numbers; local phone numbers have six or seven digits. Thus, to call Ho Chi Minh City (city code 8), dial 011-84-8 and seven digits. When calling from one city to another within Vietnam, dial O + city code + number. AIRFARE: Round-trip excursion: New York to Ho Chi Minh from $804. Los Angeles to Ho Chi Minh from $714.

Why do the big names so dominate the rental car industry? One reason: When people are investing their safety in a used car they've never driven before, they want to be reassured of the maintenance and quality standards of a trusted national brand. These brands therefore charge a certain premium for such peace of mind. But in many markets, better deals are frequently available at hundreds of small, no-brand-name independents--away from the airports--that are regulated and consistently provide dependable vehicles. No-names can offer cheaper rentals in part because they don't pay the heavy government fees and taxes imposed at airports. They also recognize that the public comes to them for one reason - discounts. If they don't deliver, most can't stay in business. With a little bit of knowledge, you can steer clear of the shysters and choose a money-saving auto rental for those trips when an independent firm will meet your needs--and it will do so much of the time. "There are top-of-the-line, world-class companies and there are dogs-companies you wouldn't want your daughter, wife, or parents to be renting from, just like in any business," says Neil Abrams, founder of Abrams Consulting Group, which advises auto rental operators around the globe. "But just because it's not a household name, one can't infer it's an inferior product. Many independents have late-model, low-mileage cars." Even now, word about these no-name agencies isn't widespread; all of them combined still handle only a small fraction of the business raked in by just one of the majors; still, during 2001, Auto Rental News reported 7,820 independent car rental locations in the United States, with 107,192 cars in service and estimated revenues of $1 billion. Prices at some of the majors have been climbing even as post-September 11 travel declined. Hertz hiked its weekly rates by approximately 26 percent last December, and other companies such as Avis also increased rates. Not long after, the Chicago Tribune quoted an Avis spokesman as saying prices had been "irrationally low" for months. The message seemed clear: People who rent cars from the largest firms should expect to pay more. Our own findings We compared prices in Chicago as well as in opposite corners of the country, Fort Lauderdale and Seattle. Our Internet research focused on booking an economy car from March 7 to 13, more than a month in advance. This lead time should have helped ensure bargains at the major agencies, which use a computer pricing system known as "yield management" (altering rates automatically based on existing reservations - meaning the earlier, the cheaper). Still, the best-known names had a hard time competing with the small independents. In Fort Lauderdale, the base price for an economy car was $244 at Hertz, $199 at Dollar, and $196 at Enterprise. But a single-location, 150-car operation called Bay Auto Rental, near the airport, charged only $134. Another independent, Sunshine Rent-A-Car, asked even less-$119. And the lowest price we found was at InterAmerican Car Rental, a larger independent with locations in several major Florida cities. InterAmerican's base rate: $104, a savings of $140 over Hertz. The story was similar in the other cities. In Seattle, Hertz wanted $294 for its economy cars and Dollar asked $217. Enterprise was more competitive, quoting $124. But the rock-bottom prices we found were still at the small off-airport firms. Express Rent-A-Car gave rates between $99 and $119 and Ace Extra Car Discount Rentals charged just $116. The difference between Hertz and Ace Extra: $178, or more than 60 percent. And in Chicago, Hertz, Avis, and National all quoted rates at or above $200. Two small agencies called Rent-Rite and Ace Rent-A-Car asked $129 and $139, respectively. Payless, a prominent international brand, offered $132. What you get The vehicles we saw during unannounced lot inspections appeared clean, well maintained, and surprisingly new. At Bay Auto Center in Fort Lauderdale, for instance, customers mostly drive 1999-2001 model-year cars, and the fleet even has 2002 editions mixed in, says owner Jeff Burruano. The average odometer reading is 15,000 to 40,000 miles. "The market requires that independents have brand-new to one-or-two-year-old cars," says Mickey Vergillo, the owner of Seattle's Ace Extra Car Discount Rentals. "Ours have very low mileage. And we usually sell them before they reach 30,000 miles. Of course, you don't have quite the selection or the high-end cars you do with the major brands." The owners of both Bay and Ace Extra say they take pride in offering good customer service. "We have three operators on the phones 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We just had a woman call to say she had broken a key in the car door lock," Vergillo explains. "I paid to have it fixed. It cost me $204 and it was a $230 rental. So I lost money on that one." With small fleets, the no-names operate much closer than large companies to the edge of financial disaster. "A few bad incidents with rentals can put them out of business, or even a lawsuit. They're gone," points out Abrams, the consultant. "The smaller you are, the more protective you have to be of your assets." For consumers, that protectiveness means a few more restrictions at the no-names. The most frequent of them is distance limitations. In an example typical (but not universal) among no-names, Bay Auto Rental allows customers to take its cars only a limited distance from Fort Lauderdale - as far south as the Florida Keys and as far north as Orlando, with 200 free miles a day. Those who go beyond these limits pay a steep price: 25: a mile. Then, of course, there's the issue of one-way rentals, which are out of the question with single-location no-names. Finally, there are plenty of horror stories about people who got stuck with lemons after they left the rental lots - which can happen to anyone who doesn't exercise a bit of caution. Overall, though, consultant Neil Abrams believes customers are shielded against the rip-off artists. "The independents have to be licensed," he says. "It varies by state, but in general the states do regulate the car rental industry." State regulations usually include minimum insurance requirements and statutes mandating full disclosure of restrictions on travel and mileage. The best protection: Ask about restrictions, inspect the car before leaving the lot, and read the contract carefully before signing it. Finding the no-names One of the best Web sites for finding a no-name is BreezeNet (bnm.com), which lists rental car firms at and around 65 major U.S. airports, including some of the small off-airport companies. BreezeNet also has car rental information for 37 smaller airports, from Burlington, Vermont, to Omaha, Nebraska, to Lihue, Hawaii. It also includes a listing of last-minute specials from big-names such as Hertz and Alamo, special pages devoted to cars in Florida, California, and Canada, as well as for college-age consumers, van and SUV rentals, and ski-area vehicles--with discounts provided. And many firms, large and small, offer discounts of up to 25 percent simply for booking through BreezeNet. Another Web approach is TravelNow (travelnow.com). By clicking on the "drive" tab at this site, travelers can find auto rentals in more than 20 major cities, including options at many independents. And, don't forget the Yellow Pages!