Travel Blogs: International Destinations

Go to: General | Hawaii | Las Vegas | L.A. | Miami | NYC | San FranciscoPage 1: General travel, air travel, dispatchesPage 2: Food, gear & gadgets, hotels, maps Page 3: News & deals, sports, and more Page 4: International destinations GENERAL TRAVEL Route 66 News, rwarn17588.wordpress.com; Happenings and events along America's most famous highway. HAWAII Hawaiianize, hawaiianize.com; Info and missives from the Hawaiian Islands, including where to spot the season's first Humpback whales to the newest skate and surf shops. LAS VEGAS Cheapskate Las Vegas, cheapskatelasvegasguide.blogspot.com; Thrifty advice on where to find lodging, meals, deals, and more in Las Vegas. Las Vegas Guide, thelasvegasguide.blogspot.com/; Reviews and information on visiting Las Vegas from a frequent traveler to Sin City. LOS ANGELES LAist, laist.com; Covers the latest on the L.A. scene, with links to other Los Angeles-based blogs. Losanjealous, losanjealous.com; Los Angeles' food, events, culture, and more. MIAMI Critical Miami, criticalmiami.com;A round-up of local events, places, and ideas for having fun in Miami. Miamist, miamist.com; The low-down on Miami, from hot Cuban restaurants to Buddhist meditation workshops. Miamity, miamity.com; Music, art, culture, and more in Miami. NEW YORK CITY Gothamist, gothamist.com;The site for everything New York. Manhattan User's Guide, manhattanusersguide.com; The latest in NYC art and entertainment, food and wine, activities, and shopping. NewYorkology, newyorkology.com; Daily updates on what's going on in NYC, with links to shopping, sightseeing, food, and more. SAN FRANCISCO SFist, sfist.com; News, events, restaurants, nightlife in the City by the Bay. Page 1: General travel, air travel, dispatchesPage 2: Food, gear & gadgets, hotels, maps Page 3: News & deals, sports, and more Page 4: International destinations

The host city of Winter Olympics XX, Turin (Torino in Italian) has been busily beefing up its facilities and cultural programming, hoping to make the most of its moment in the spotlight and present itself as an appealing tourism destination of the first order. The 16-day festivities will cover 15 different sports and dish out 84 medals to the best of 2,500 athletes as determined by 650 judges and referees and witnessed by 1.5 million spectators. Here's all the information you need to be one of them. WHEN & WHERE: February 10 - 26, 2006. The official website of the Games is Torino2006.org and they have a handy events calendar (PDF). All the flashy ceremonies and stadium sporting events like figure skating, speed skating and ice hockey will take place in Turin, whereas the Alpine events like skiing, bobsled, and luge will occur in the Val di Susa and Sestriere mountain resorts west of the city. Turin is also host to the Paralympics, March 10 - 19, 2006, during which athletes with disabilities compete in wheelchair curling, ice sledge hockey, Alpine skiing and Nordic skiing. GETTING THERE: Flights for travel to Turin in mid-February are currently $572 (Alitalia) from New York; $599 (multiple carriers) from Washington, D.C.; $647 (Air France) from Chicago; $907 (multiple carriers) from Phoenix; $827 (multiple carriers) from San Francisco WHERE TO STAY: Notoriously short on high-end lodgings, Turin has been booking up rapidly, with many rooms set aside for travel agencies and tour providers at the get-go. The official site for booking area-wide hotel rooms is the zealously named JumboGrandiEventi.it. There are currently 41 hotels listed, with doubles priced anywhere from $74 to $1,000 (63 to 853 euros) per night. Turin's official tourism website, TurismoTorino.org, has a much more extensive database of hotels, B&Bs, and hostels, allowing you to search by price (from as low as $53/45 euros), area, or type of accommodation. The tour operator Somewhere has apartment rentals and B&Bs available with rates starting at $129/110 euros per night and a five-night minimum stay during the Olympics. CoSport.com, North America's resource for Olympic ticket sales, offers ticket-accommodations packages (dubbed Hospitality Packages), which can drastically simplify the planning but will be significantly more expensive than the D.I.Y. approach of booking your lodgings and events separately. One of the simplest packages, four nights at the Hotel Continental Torino (double occupancy) and tickets to just one event, costs a whopping $2,778.50 per person. Given the paltry selection of rooms left in Turin and the reality that many competitions are a good two hours outside the city, it's worth considering the adjacent region of Valle d'Aosta, about a 90-minute drive to the north near the borders of France and Switzerland. You can search for lodgings of all sorts--B&Bs, hotels, camp sites, mountain huts, hostels--on its official website: regione.vda.it HOW TO BUY TICKETS: In North America, the official channel for purchasing tickets is CoSport.com, , 800-457-4647. Event tickets have been classified as either Type I, anticipated to be in high demand, or Type II, anticipated to be less popular. For each Type I ticket or Ceremony ticket ordered, you must order at least one Type II ticket. (Figure skating is a I; Curling is a II. You can determine the categorization and buy tickets here). While there is still a decent amount of availability for both ticket types, the cheaper seats are selling faster than the pricey ones. As of November 15, 2005, the only Opening Ceremony tickets left were at the highest bracket, a cool $1,250 a head. If you're still in town and haven't had the Olympic spirit beaten out of you, you'll save a bundle on Closing Ceremony tickets, just $560. Here's a look at others still available: Type I: Only select women's figure skating tickets remain, mostly at the $490 rate. Among the less high-profile of the high-profile, there's the two-man bobsled at $59, the men's cross-country skiing relay from $50.50, women's snowboarding from $59, and men's ice hockey semi-finals at $235 or $403. Type II: Men's single luge at $67, women's ice hockey preliminary round (USA vs. Finland) at $67, women's cross-country skiing at $84, and plenty of curling by both sexes starting at $34. WHILE IN TOWN: The capital of Italy's northwestern Piedmont region is bisected by the Po River and surrounded by the snow-capped Alps. It's both commercial--home to Fiat and Pirelli, the national broadcasting company RAI, and the soccer team Juventus--and cosmopolitan, with French flair and a history of filmmaking, chocolate-making (especially of the decadent Gianduja hazelnut variety), and cultivating Barolo wine and truffles from Alba. A cut above the rest of Turin's museums, the world-class Museo Egizio houses a treasure trove of ancient Egyptian art, statuary, sarcophagi, and jewelry lovingly amassed over the centuries by the onetime ruling House of Savoy (Via Accademia delle Scienze, 6; museoegizio.org, in Italian only; closed Mon., 6.50 euros). Two other noteworthy museums focus on home-grown industries: the movies and cars. First, the Museo Nazionale del Cinema traces the history of photography and film and displays vintage movie posters and props from classics like Fellini's Casanova (Via Montebello, 20, museonazionaledelcinema.org; closed Mon., 5.20 euros). Second, the Museo dell'Automobile's collection of 170 cars dotes on local brand Fiat, but leaves room for other dreamy models like Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Ferrari, and Bentley (Corso d'Unità d'Italia, 40; museoauto.it; closed Mon., 5.50 euros). For an earful of opera, make a beeline for the 18th century Teatro Regio (Piazza Castello, 215; teatroregio.torino.it). And warm up with some coffee at Caffè Al Bicerin, once the haunt of Nietzsche. The special drink, called a Bicerin, is beautifully layered with chocolate, cream, and coffee (5 Piazza Della Consolata, 011-39/011-43-69-325, Bicerin $5).Excerpted from our recent feature, Where Foodies Love to Eat HIT THE ROAD: Ditch the crowds and soak up the scenery in the outlying valleys. Ten miles west of Turin in the Val di Susa, the 12th century Benedictine abbey Sacra di San Michele is perched atop craggy Monte Pirchiriano. Its formidable and maze-like structure was the inspiration for the setting of Umberto Eco's novel The Name of the Rose. Follow the trail, about 1 ½ hrs, from the town of Sant'Ambrogio up to the abbey (open daily, 4 euros). Hiking and driving directions available on their website. The Barolo valley's wine-producing villages lie about 35 miles to the south. Sample the regional fruits at Castello Falletti in the town of Barolo (daily, 2 euros per tasting) or explore by car (complete list of area wineries: barolodibarolo.com).

Highlights from the current issue of Budget Travel Movie Quest 2005 The 10 films that are inspiring us to travel--and how you can re-create the best moments yourself Every Day Is a Winding Road When it feels like every moment of your life is scheduled, maybe your vacation shouldn't be The Spirit of St.Lucia For three men raised on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, growing up meant getting out. But each found his way home--and now runs a small hotel there. Whitney Pastorek finds out what drew them back Road Trip: Florida PanhandleThe northwestern coast of Florida sprawls out in one sandy strip. There's plenty of room for everyone--spring breakers and gators included How to Buy World Cup TicketsThe World Cup happens every four years, and the next one, in 2006, is expected to draw 5 million spectators to host country Germany My Hometown: San Francisco The city is a lovely place to spend a weekend--even for a native. My challenge has always been figuring out exactly where to leave my heart Trip Coach: New York City A secret dream getaway that's all about her--the husband is even happy to tag along while his wife goes shopping 40 Best Vacations The real deals right now 20 Tips A new use for postcards, why you should remove the left front hubcap of a rental car in England, and 18 other tips from our readers True Stories Win a trip to Costa Rica! If your response is the best we receive before Dec. 31, you'll win a seven-night walking tour of Costa Rica from Cross Country International Walking Vacations. You can find more in the December 2005/January 2006 issue of Budget Travel magazine. Subscribe now: 10 issues for $12!

Budget Travel Editors: Thanks for joining us for this week's Trip Coach. Let's get to your questions! _______________________ Harrisburg, Oregon: Going to Florence in February..with car to Cortona for 3 days..any surefire tips on "driving in Italy"..Tammy G, Harrisburg, OR Budget Travel Editors: There are several rules of thumb that apply to renting cars in Italy (and Europe in general). 1) You'll pay less if you rent before you go; try AutoEurope.com 2) If you're going for longer than two weeks, consider a short-term lease 3) Request a car that takes diesel, it's cheaper to fill up 4) Rent a manual, or "stick," if you can 5) Take full advantage of having a car, meaning get off the main ateries and travel to places not otherwise accessible-small towns and villages. Michelin (michelin.com) sells the best, most detailed road maps of Italy. Note: Italians drive fast, so don't feel compelled to keep up. _______________________ Stillwater, MN: My husband and I are planning a 2 to 2 1/2 week trip to New Zealand in February/March 2006. We're considering participating in a 2 week trip called the Rimu offered by Active New Zealand ... we're in our mid 50's to early 60's, but quite active and when we travel we love to get off the beaten path and see the country. Should we get one of those camper vans and "do the country" ourselves? Any input, suggestions of what NOT to miss, alternatives, would be MUCH APPRECIATED. Budget Travel Editors: An ideal way to explore NZ is by camper van. While NZ is not an expensive country to visit (only to get to!), you can save a lot of money if your accommodations are taken care of. With only two weeks at your disposal however, I'd recommend sticking to one island. If you're looking for a more active experience and more dramatic scenery then I'd suggest the South Island for its mountains, glaciers, hiking paths, gorges, etc. Your very best trip-planning resource is the country's excellent official tourism website: newzealand.com. It includes driving routes. For example, here's a link to its Southern Scenic Route. There's even a pull-down menu to help you determine the weather and rainfall during the time you plan to visit. Keep in mind that they drive on the left hand side of the road in NZ, so you'll want to take it easy on the road. Go to airnz.com for flight and vacation package info. Go-Today.com has an 11-night South Island Fly-Drive package good for travel the end of February, late summer, for $1,439 per person. _______________________ Madison, IN: My husband and I (both age 29) are wanting to visit Acadia National Park in Maine along with our 12 year old girl. We would like to make this a road trip. We were wondering about the best places to stop along the way (definetely Niagra Falls) and still allow time to explore the park area adequately. We would like to spend some time in nature as well as some time spent in town. I can not find much literature an the National Park at all. What are the best sights to see? Sorry for rambling! Thank You. Budget Travel Editors: A road trip from IN to ME sound like fun. You will most definitely want to stop in Niagara Falls. Here's a link to a story from our October issue you may find helpful. From there, I'd recommend travel across and down NY State to the Berkshires (visiting Mass MOCA in North Adams, Tanglewood in Lenox, Norman Rockwell Museum along the way), and then hopping on the Mass Turnpike to 495, 495 to 95, and 95 to 295 up the coast of Maine. In our July/August issue we published a road trip story on seeing mid-Coast Maine. As for information about staying on Mt. Desert Island or visiting Acadia National Park, I'd recommend checking out these URLs: ; nps.gov/acad/; acadianationalpark.com. Warning: If you intend to camp, be sure to make reservations ahead of time, and also let people know where you are. The cell phone reception in the area is notoriously bad. _______________________ Rye Beach, NH: What are the weather conditions in southern Italy, Sicily and Malta in February? Budget Travel Editors: February is a dicey time to travel to Europe weather-wise, though the southern/Mediterranean areas you mentioned fare better than the chilly and rainy North. In cities like Palermo, Bari, and Naples, temperatures tend to be in the high 40s to low 50s. Malta's capital, Valletta, heats up a bit more and can reach the high 50s or low 60s. You won't need to pack a bathing suit, but you may not need a wool hat either--and at least it should be warmer than New Hampshire! You can read about exploring Italy's southern region of Apulia in our recent article, Once Upon a Time in Italy. _______________________ Phoenix, Arizona: We are trying to plan a trip to New York City for 4 nights starting December 7, 2005. We are finding it impossible to find hotel rooms for less than $400 per night. We are looking for 2 rooms for 2 adults each. The low cost hotel rooms sound like hotel hell after checking Tripadvisor.com. Budget Travel Editors: It's a tall order but certainly not impossible to find affordable hotel heaven in New York. (Tripadvisor.com's reviews should be taken with a grain of salt--after all, you can't be sure who posted them, if their tastes are similar to yours, what agendas they may have, or if they even stayed at the hotel at all!) Here are some of our favorites: Abingdon Guest House, two Federal townhouses in the West Village with doubles from $159 (abingdonguesthouse.com), the Gershwin Hotel (gershwinhotel.com/english/site1.html) in the Flatiron where superior rooms start at $129, Second Home on Second Avenue (secondhomesecondavenue.com), a 19th century townhouse in the East Village with doubles from $100, or the Upper West Side's English-inspired Country Inn the City (countryinnthecity.com), with apartment-style doubles from $150. For more tips on where to stay, eat, shop, and play, download our free New York City Snap Guide. _______________________