7 reasons to look on the bright side of air travel

March brings an explosion of pink and white cherry blossoms around the globe. To celebrate this annual rite of spring, we've assembled your best shots, from the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (above) to a palace courtyard in Seoul. Look out for icons like the Eiffel Tower and Mount Fuji framed by blossoms, plus unexpected locales like the cherry-tree-lined Main Street in Brevard, N.C. See all 18 photos in our slide show. Inspired to see the blossoms in person? Here are strategies for avoiding the crowds at the popular National Cherry Cherry Blossom Festival in D.C. And check back soon for our roundup of the best festivals worldwide! RECENT READER SLIDE SHOWS Winter | Coastlines | Funny Signs NOW IN SEARCH OF... We're collecting your photos of glaciers and gardens. Upload them through myBudgetTravel, tag them, and check back in the coming weeks for a slide show of the best submissions.

Traveling to Ireland is a dream that will pop into many American heads this month. On March 17, several U.S. cities celebrate the Emerald Isle's patron saint, St. Patrick, with parades and drinking. But parades won't be enough for some Americans, who would rather see Ireland itself. Top of mind is the capital, Dublin, one of our picks for top budget travel destinations in 2011. Lodging prices in Dublin are the lowest of any major city in Western Europe, and restaurants are similarly well priced. The government is about to kill its tax on air travel, making visits cheaper. To boost tourism, Irish officials are planning an event to be called either "The Gathering 2012" or "The Irish Homecoming" an effort to encourage people of Irish heritage worldwide to visit Ireland in 2012. We'll keep you posted as more details come out about the event. Ireland hopes to re-boot its economy, which has been particularly battered by the global financial crisis, by encouraging more people to visit. It hopes to capitalise on the interest in ancestral tourism brought about by the publication online of the 1901 and 1911 censuses, which made it easier for people of Irish descent to trace their ancestry. Working against Ireland is the rising value of the euro and the rising fuel prices that are hiking airfares. Online deals that combine flights and lodging while giving you maximum flexibility are one of the best ways to save because companies can offer discounts "hidden" in the total price of the trip without launching a price war with competitors. Case in point: Real Deal: Dublin, Air/4 Nights, From $399 In related news, yesterday Google Street View was updated (in Google Maps and Google Earth) to include views of some of Ireland's most gorgeous destinations, such as the Rock of Cashel, the fortress that was the capital of ancient chieftains. Those fresh views may inspire you to book a trip. Early spring is a lovely time to visit Ireland. Dublin is compact enough that you can see a lot of it quickly, especially if you follow our "Dublin on the Fly" tips. Be sure to read our Eat Like a Local cheat sheet, too. Go north for the wilder authentic Celtic side by visiting Ireland's County Donegal. Be sure to check out our picks for cool Irish castles. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Dublin: One of Our Top Budget Travel Destinations for 2011 The Real Castles of Ireland: Slide Show Which Ireland Is Right for You? Real Deal: Dublin, Air/4 Nights, From $399

Wednesday is the hardest day of the week. It's closer to the weekend than Monday, but Saturday and Sunday seem so far away after two days in the office. That's why it's prime time for daydreaming about your next vacation. Each Wednesday we ask our Twitter followers where they would rather be (#WishfulWednesday). Your responses the past two weeks inspired us so much that we decided to compile a slideshow of all of the places you're crushing on. In some cases we were even able to suggest a deal to help you get there! From Bora Bora (shown here) to London—join us on a photo tour of the places where you'd rather be right now. Are you on Twitter? Follow us: @BudgetTravel See more from Budget Travel Top 10 Most Travel-Inspiring Films 5 Surefire Ways to Offend the Locals Secret Hotels of Paris

There's been some confusion about securing permits to hike the popular Inca Trail to Peru's ancient site of Machu Picchu. But the message to trekkers is clear—to be safe, secure a spot with a recognized tour operator sooner rather than later. Peru's Culture Ministry doles out 500 permits a day, according to incatrailreservations.com. That number includes support staff, such as cooks, porters and guides, which account for about 300 of those daily permits, leaving the remaining 200 for tourists. Permits are sold on a first come, first served, basis to government-approved tour operators. "With many individuals and groups vying for an opportunity to trek this spectacular route, obtaining permits has become a bigger challenge than ever. All of our 2010 peak season departures sold out months in advance and long waitlists were not uncommon ... reserve your spot early for the best selection of date options," REI Adventures warned travelers on its website. In some news reports, like this one in the British newspaper The Telegraph, there are claims that the allocation system changed this year, creating complications. Gap Adventures, a Canadian adventure tour operator, tried to set the record straight for weary trekkers. According to Gap, this year, Peru's Tourism Ministry took over control of permit distribution from the country's National Cultural Institute, which created a backlog. "Usually, the mass ticket purchases for the year are done in January, but…it got pushed back, given that these governing bodies changed hands, and also because they wanted to implement a system for online purchases," explained Sean Benner, destination manager for South America at Gap. The Inca Trail is a 24-mile journey that takes at least four days to complete with an intermediate level of difficulty, according to PromPeru, the country's tourism marketing organization. More from Budget Travel: Trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Is Egypt ready for tourists? Canada's worst decision ever What is the most memorable place you've ever visited?