Resort Perks for Sale

Budget Travel Editors: Thanks for joining us this week. Let's get to your questions! _______________________ New Rochelle, NY: My husband and I are planning a trip to Uxmal, Mexico over Thanksgiving weekend. We've never been to Mexico and we were concerned about hurricanes during that time of year. Since it is our first trip there, we could use all the advice we can get. Sincerely, Dolores and Harry Budget Travel Editors: Hurricane season lasts from early August to late October. Considering the damage Hurricane Wilma did to the Yucatan last year in mid-October, it's no wonder you're concerned with visiting Mexico. However, it's very rare to have a hurricane form in the Gulf of Mexico or Bay of Hunduras in late November, so I don't think you have anything to worry about during your visit to Uxmal. Enjoy your trip. _______________________ Boston, MA: Is there bus service or a train from Warsaw to Vienna? Budget Travel Editors: There's a nightly overnight train from Vienna to Warsaw called "The Orient Express" (not to be confused with luxury Orient-Express line) that makes several stops along the way. Raileurope.com sells a "European East Pass" which encompasses both cities and allows for five days of unlimited travel within a one-month period. First-class tickets are $244 each, and second-class are $172. _______________________ Charlotte, NC: I plan to fly from Charlotte to the Hudson River area in New York and rent a car this July. I am a single traveler who is looking for economical accommodations. Any suggestions? I will be there 3 nights. It might be good to stay in one town and travel from there - I don't know. Thanks for any info you can provide. Budget Travel Editors: Our advice would be to rent a car at the airport and take a scenic drive up the Taconic to explore the EAST side Hudson Valley. In three days you'll barely scratch the surface, and you would be wise to "pick a side." (This way, you'll also have access to all the great cultural sights/goings-on in the neighboring Berkshires too--Tanglewood, Jacob's Pillow, Mass MOCA, Williamstown Theater, etc.) Another reason we like the east is that it's less developed and therefore many of the great landscapes painted by the Hudson River Valley School appear just as they do on canvas. As for accommodations, here are three suggestions: Rhinebeck: Beekman Arms, 845/876-7080, beekmanarms.comSaugerties: The Villa at Saugerties, 845/246-0682, thevillaatsaugerties.comAlso in Saugerties: Saugerties Lighthouse B&B, 845/ 247-0656, saugertieslighthouse.com If those don't appeal, there's also website dedicated exclusively to lodging in the Hudson Valley: hudsonvalleylodging.com For ideas on what to see and do, check out our "Hudson Valley Revisited" article. Also, two of our 10 Coolest Small Towns in the U.S.A. are in/close-by: Hudson, NY and Great Barrington, MA _______________________ Chicago, IL: What's the deal with these air courier sites? Which ones are most trustworthy? Do they even save you money? Thanks! Lindsay Budget Travel Editors: Air courier travel is legit, and it can save you loads of money on plane tickets (international flights for less than $100 and sometimes free). The drawback is you can take little to no luggage since you're swapping your luggage space for the cargo you're accompanying. You also have to pretty flexible on where and when you want to go in order to get the deepest discounts. Joining an air courier organization works best for an individual who lives in or near a major city and has a open schedule and a great sense of adventure. Because couriers are solitary travelers and typically have to be over 21, it doesn't work for family or group vacationing. Check out aircourier.org or courier.org, two of the leading services; they provide good FAQs explaining the basics, and for less than $50 a year, members have access to different national and international courier opportunities. _______________________ Roseville, MN: Are there general rules about renting a car in the U.S. and driving it in Canada? We would return it to the U.S. location. We need to rent a car in Seattle, take it to Vancouver Island, then return it back to Seattle. Weren't sure if the government has restrictions about this... and if rental car companies do. Thanks, Laurie Budget Travel Editors: Generally, with most major agencies, U.S. citizens can drive a rental across the border to Canada with no problem (going to Mexico is a different story). If you're a Canadian citizen, renting a car in the U.S. and taking it to Canada is a bit trickier. Be sure to call the specific agency location you plan to rent from and let them know you'll be crossing the border. They should be able to provide you with the specific documentation you'll need and explain any added fees they might have for this kind of trip. The agency should provide a non-resident insurance card, which Canada requests. In addition to this card, carry a couple copies of your rental contract just in case. Also, be sure to read the fine print about any unlimited mileage rates or other special discounts because this may not extend to out-of-country, or even out-of-state, travel. _______________________ Piedmont, CA: What is the most affordable way to get from Osaka to Tokyo in mid-July, 2006? Thanks, Suzanna Budget Travel Editors: Thanks to competition between bus companies, a daytime or overnight highway bus costs around $36 (4,300 yen) each way and takes about 8 hours. More information and a list of bus companies: Japan Bus Web. Tokyo and Osaka are also connected by the JR Tokaido Shinkansen (Japanese bullet train). An express (nozomi) train only takes 2 1/2 hours, and costs around $120 ($14,000) each way. Local (kodama) trains take about four hours and cost about $85. The Japan Rail Pass provides unlimited travel on the national Japan Railways network (JR). The pass can be used on kodama, but not nozomi, trains. More information: Japan Rail Pass. Or, you can fly from Osaka's Itami Airport to Tokyo's Haneda airport from around $120 each way. Add an extra 30 minutes and $6 to travel from Haneda airport to Tokyo Station via the Tokyo Monorail. Domestic airlines include Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA). A full list of airlines are available on Haneda airport's website. For more information on Tokyo, check out our Tokyo Snap Guide, a handy, eight-page mini-guide on where to eat, sleep, shop, and play. _______________________ Saint Pete, FL: We need to know how to find out train info in the U.K. We need to go from Gatwick to London, London to Harwich to Gatwick. Any suggestions? Thanks. Budget Travel Editors: The best resource for train travel in the U.K. is the official Brit Rail website, where you can check schedules and book tickets in advance. A quick search for early May yielded a one-way trip from London to Harwich for $30 per person and a one-way trip from Harwich to Gatwick Airport for $47 per person. It's an additional $10 per person to reserve a specific seat. For the first leg for your journey, Gatwick to London, you can catch the high-speed Gatwick Express which departs every 15 minutes from the airport and arrives in London's Victoria Station; $21 per person one-way. For insider tips on how to make the most of your time in London, download our free eight-page Snap Guide. _______________________ Hot Springs Village, AR: We are looking for moderately priced canal barge trips in southern or western France between mid-June and the end of July. Any suggestions? Budget Travel Editors: Of course! Our recent article, 10 Questions: European River Cruises runs through all the barge basics from what to expect onboard to any extra costs. It also includes contact information for eight trusted providers. (If your schedule is flexible, you'll save more by traveling in April/May or early fall.) Here are a few trips we found for France in June and July: A Viking Cruises seven-night journey through Burgundy and Provence from $1,799 per person; an Overseas Adventure Travel 11-night Bordeaux cruise from $2,495, including international airfare; and a Barge Connection six-night cruise along the Canal du Midi in southern France from $2,250 per person. _______________________ Pleasanton, CA: How do I find the archives online? Budget Travel Editors: Once you're on our website, budgettravelonline.com, you can search for articles from the past few years by typing the headline or subject matter in the search box on the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Or, you can click on one of the categories listed in the left-hand column of the screen. Articles are organized by destination (U.S., Europe, Caribbean), strategies (airfares, cruises), and spotlights (road trips, family travel). Here are links to the table of contents for the April, March, and February issues. Good luck! _______________________ Fulton, NY: I am looking for a website where I can learn what airlines service a particular airport (i.e. Halifax). Does it exist? Thank you. Budget Travel Editors: Nowadays that the internet has made so much travel information more accessible, your best bet for finding out detailed information about an airport is an internet search for that airport's homepage (most of them have one). In your particular case, flyhalifax.com is very helpful. Under the Plan Your Trip tab you can view a list of both regularly and seasonally scheduled airlines. Good luck! _______________________ Houston, TX: What is the best way for a 57 year old single woman to tour China? Budget Travel Editors: Going to China with a tour company may be the best way to guarantee that you get to see a lot of the country, while also having the security of English-speaking guides and fellow travelers. We often feature tours with Grand Circle Travel in our 40 Best and Real Deals sections. They focus on providing travel options for ages 50 and up, can be counted on for good quality and won't break the bank! (800/959-0405) _______________________ Lakeland, FL: We will be traveling to Montreal and Quebec City with our seven-year-old daughter at the end of May for 10 days. Any suggestions for hotels an ideas for sightseeing that would be interesting for my daughter? We fly into Montreal and plan to spend several days there before taking a train to Quebec City and back again. Budget Travel Editors: Montreal is an easy place to visit; there is a huge variety of activities and attractions to choose from within a compact downtown core of the city. The first place to start would be the city's tourism board, which you can check out at tourisme-montreal.org. Online searches for recent travel articles, reviews and websites about the destination can also give you an idea of your options. For kids, Montreal's Biodôme and Insectarium are great, as are the street performers who congregate in Old Montreal's Place Jacques Cartier to liven up afternoons of too much historic architecture. _______________________ Lafayette, LA: We will spend one night in Montreal in September before boarding a cruise and would like to locate a find dining restaurant that offers outstanding basic food for under $100 per person. Budget Travel Editors: Montreal's restaurants have a deservedly good reputation. The city is known for its smoked meat and bagels, French food, and its ethnic food including Vietnamese, Indian and inexpensive Middle Eastern options. It's common to find BYOW, or bring your own wine, restaurants, especially along Duluth and Prince Arthur streets. (Just be sure to buy your wine before the government-run SAQ stores close for the evening; wine and hard alcohol isn't sold anywhere else.) You can explore your many options on websites like cim.mcgill.ca/~jer, chowhound.com, restomontreal.ca. But, if you get stuck, you can't go wrong with the French restaurant L'Express at 3927 rue St-Denis, 514/845-5333 (reservations recommended). _______________________ Darien IL: I want to spend a romantic three days in Montreal. Plan to leave Thursday evening and return late Sunday evening. Suggestions on places to stay and restaurants would be most helpful. Budget Travel Editors: For those looking for romantic options in the city, a stroll up Mont Royal Park for a breathtaking view of the city and the St. Lawrence River couldn't hurt. _______________________ Fircrest, WA: Having just returned from a spring break in Orlando, I'm starting to plan for my next spring break. Can you recommend reputable agents to plan a budget travel package to Peru? We have 7-10 days, and want to visit Cuzco, Maachu Pichu (overnight preferable). Budget Travel Editors: A good source for tour operators who can be trusted to provide solid, affordable travel packages is, well, Budget Travel. Look through BudgetTravelOnline.com's Real Deals section and the magazine's 40 Best Bargain Vacations section for companies offering packages to the specific destinations you're interested in. Some of the companies who have recently run South American packages in Budget Travel include Djoser, 877/356-7376, djoserusa.com., G.A.P Adventures, 800/465-5600, gapadventures.com., Tara Tours, 800/327-0080, taratours.com., Marnella Tours, 866/993-0033, marnellatours.com., Gate 1 Travel, 800/682-3333, gate1travel.com., Analie Tours, 800/811-6027, analietours.com., and Escapes Unlimited, 800/243-7227, escapesltd.com. _______________________ Budget Travel Editors: Thanks for all your great questions. See you next week!

Maui: Friendly, Quirky, and Full of SoulA market where you can borrow a dog for the day. The clothing-discouraged drum circle every Sunday at sunset. A honky-tonk bar that's dedicated to Willie Nelson. Yes, we're talking about Maui 25 Reasons We Love OaxacaIf one walk through the romantic old streets doesn't leave you infatuated with Mexico's colorful colonial city, a little mescal usually does the trick Secret Hotels of Bali The island is home to some of the world's most famous resorts. When it comes down to friendliness, however, they can't compare with these seven intimate gems 20 TipsNews ways to use pillowcases, cell phone cameras and calculators, and more advice from our readers Trip Coach: EuropeThree Girl Scouts heading to London and the Swiss Alps want to squeeze the most fun out of a limited budget Face-Lift: ParisThe City of Light is in the middle of a cultural boom, beginning with the anticipated reopening of the Musée de l'Orangerie Where City Slickers Can Get Their Hands DirtyMore and more farms are opening up for tours. We like the ones that really allow visitors to participate Hot Property: Home in Bueno AiresPatricia O'Shea, a former publicist, and British record producer Tom Rixton got a little help from their friends when opening their hotel This Just In!An exhibit on first ladies opens at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, some cruise lines start charging an additional fuel fee and a portable solar panel lets you charge your iPod anywhere A Softy for MilwaukeeThe city has always been a nice place. Recent improvements, however, have also made it a nice place to visit SoCal's Coolest StreetAbbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice Beach is a long, mellow stretch of independent boutiques Family Travel GuideWhere is your family going this summer? The trick is to find a trip that will appeal to everyone. Plus: tips for amusement parks and long drives Yes, Growing Older Does Have a Silver LiningBut not every senior discount beats what young'uns pay. How can you tell a good deal from a crock of Geritol? Alterna-Airports 2.0Due to the rapid growth of certain airlines (and the demise of others), a whole new set of airports should be on your radar Confessions of an Amusement Park EmployeeMelissa Mayntz worked at Cedar Point for five summers, and set herself on fire more times than she cares to mention On the Road Again, and AgainDuring long journeys across the country, the authors of two new memoirs searched for down-home grub and a free ride In Tight With the LocalsYou learn a lot about a place based on what the people drink, and how they drink it Road Trip: NevadaFar from the lights of Las Vegas are the open roads and dusty towns of the old American West 40 Best VacationsThe real deals right now True StoriesWin a trip to South Africa! If your response is the best we receive before May 12, you'll win a seven-night trip to the Eastern Cape, courtesy of South African Airways Holidays.

How to Make Family Road Trips Good, Healthy Fun Bring a cooler. Load it with water and juice rather than soda. Why? (A) Soda is bad for kids. (B) It makes them hyperactive. (C) Worst of all, it makes them have to go to the bathroom sooner. Skip the interstate pit stops. Instead, head to a supermarket for healthy snacks like nuts and fruit. Pack picnic supplies. With plastic utensils, napkins, a real knife, and a sheet, you'll be prepared to stop anywhere. Take a half-hour walk each day. Whether it's on a hiking path or in a small town, it's the best way to sightsee. Spring for a hotel with a pool. Kids love them, and swimming is much better than watching TV. National Park Programs the Whole Family Will Enjoy Acadia: Three boat companies run ranger-led sailings off Maine's Mount Desert Island for learning about flora, geology, and history. 207/288-3338, nps.gov/acad, $2-$35 depending on age and boat. Grand Canyon: The Discover the Grand Canyon package includes two nights' lodging, several meals, and two days of guided hiking. The terrain can be challenging; children must be at least 10 years old. 928/638-2525, grandcanyonlodges.com, from $533 for two adults, 16 and under $186. Shenandoah: Three packages each come with two nights' hotel, box lunches, and guided hikes. 800/778-2872, visitshenandoah.com, $499 for two adults, 16 and under $166. Yellowstone: Geared especially toward children 8 to 12, the four-day Yellowstone for Families program includes hotel, breakfasts and lunches, guided hikes, and lessons in animal tracking. 307/344-5566, yellowstoneassociation.org, $1,190 for two adults, 12 and under $365. Wisdom From Parents Who Work at Theme Parks SeaWorld San Diego: "Between shows and rides, visit the aquariums. Even on our busiest days, they're calmer areas." David Roberts, assistant curator of animal training Paramount's Great America, Santa Clara, Calif.: "Hit the water park early to get a spot under the giant umbrellas. It fills up quickly." Cami Masters, guest services manager Universal Studios, Hollywood: "Revenge of the Mummy doesn't thrash you around or put you upside down. It's good for adults and kids." Sophia Schiro, guest relations Disney World's Animal Kingdom, Orlando: "Festival of the Lion King is a great show during midday. It's one of the only shows that's air-conditioned, and you get 30 minutes to cool off." John Dent, manager of operations Legoland, Carlsbad, Calif.: "First thing in the morning, catch the Sky Cruiser, pedal cars that tour the heart of the park. The line gets long later." Kevin Johnson, Ventriloquist Trend: Educational Bathroom Humor Museums are learning what parents already knew: Kids dig gross stuff. The exhibit "Human Grossology" has stations called Vomit Center and Y U Stink, along with a climbing wall molded like human skin--warts, zits, and all. It's at Honolulu's Bishop Museum (bishopmuseum.org) and ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center in Burlington, Vt. (echovermont.org). Then there's "Animal Grossology"--where kids learn about frogs that give birth by belching and follow the progress of a cat's hairball--at Toronto's Ontario Science Centre (osc.on.ca) and the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix (azscience.org). Both exhibits are based on the Grossology books by science teacher Sylvia Branzei.

Lufthansa's GloBall Airpass offers flexible one-way flight coupons for travel to Munich, Cologne, Berlin, and nine other German cities hosting World Cup soccer matches this summer. Fans can purchase a minimum of three and maximum of ten coupons through July 9, starting at 60 euros/$74 each. (If availability is very limited, prices jump to 110 euros/$135.) Travel is valid between June 1 and July 19. The Airpass must be purchased alongside an international round-trip ticket on Lufthansa or one of its Star Alliance Partners, and the first one-way flight must be booked immediately. Keep an eye out for Lufthansa's spirited planes--they have noses painted like black-and-white soccer balls! (Lufthansa-usa.com/soccer, 800/645-3880).  --Kate Appleton For more help planning your trip, read How to Buy World Cup Tickets