Affordable Europe: Italy beyond its cities

From the September 2008 issue of Budget Travel: Starwood's first Aloft and Element hotels are opening this summer, sporting a trendy design and amenities such as self-service check-in kiosks and a touch-screen concierge. Aloft hotels are in about a dozen cities [Montreal was the first one]; Element is currently only in Lexington, Mass.

Despite the spike in gas prices leisure travelers are renting more cars. Or, more precisely, they're renting more cars from the largest rental car company in North America, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which targets the leisure travel market more than any other rental car company. In a recent interview, Steve Short, vice president of leisure business development, gave a quick explanation. Rentals have increased both in number and dollar volume over last year for the Enterprise brand. The number of rentals just in the leisure segment of the home city market is up more than 500,000. Rentals have increased this year in our home city business— meaning all non-airport locations—due to several factors: Leisure travelers— the group that represents the core readers of Budget Travel— are renting cars, vans and SUVs for family trips and special occasions. Enterprise has more than 6,000 neighborhood locations, we are within 15 minutes of 90 percent of the U.S. population. We pioneered the home city segment of the rental car business, along with pickup service. Customers who want fuel-efficient options find we have the largest fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles. When you think beyond the Enterprise brand and include our other brands, National and Alamo, we offer more than 440,000 cars combined. This fleet averages at least 28 miles per gallon. Currently, there are more than 4,000 hybrids in this fleet and we expect that number to increase significantly this fall. Have high gas prices changed your use of rental cars at all?

Where some people saw a small dirt field, Ed Mumm saw an innovative thrill ride. Mumm bought Caterpillar hydraulic excavators, track-type bulldozers, and a skid-steer loader, and started charging visitors for a chance to use them. His attraction, called Dig This, is about two miles outside of Steamboat Springs, Colo. It is America's first earthmoving theme park, giving fresh meaning to the phrase "adult playground." So far, about 90 paying customers have hopped in the giant machines, picked up and tossed a one-ton boulder, dug trenches (which is apparently tougher than it sounds!), and steered around an obstacle course, according to the Wall Street Journal. It's not just a guy thing. About half the participants are typically women, says the Denver Post. Mumm charges between $250 and $650, depending on the machine you pick and whether you spend a half- or full day aboard it. (The price is sky-high because of the owner's sky-high insurance costs.) 888.344.8447, digthis.info MORE FROM BT The 2008 Fun List: The Newest Thrills

Although Munich's Oktoberfest may be the ultimate beer celebration, the reality of 6.5 million drinkers stuffed with schnitzel might not appeal to every traveler. For a sunnier fair with fewer American frat boys, check out Bavaria's second largest brew festival: Gäubodenvolksfest, starting this Friday, August 8, and running through the 18th. What originated in 1812 as a small agricultural fair now draws a substantial (but manageable) crowd of 1.2 million to the southern German city of Straubing—tempting visitors with seven huge beer tents, over 120 carnival rides and booths, and plenty of locals in lederhosen. Five regional breweries run the beer halls, and each prepares its own "festbier" specifically for the occasion, available only in one-liter glasses ($11). Soak up the suds with a wide array of sausages and kraut as well as more adventurous Bavarian specialties, such as a whole, spit-roasted ox. Morning and afternoon events are family-friendly. Roller coasters ($1.50-$6.50), parades, a boxing match, and shooting contests will keep kids entertained, while traditional brass horn music is sure to shield young ears from the German slang in the tents. After sundown, the halls get a little wilder as live rock and pop bands encourage tabletop dance parties. Straubing hotels usually fill up about six months in advance, but with trains from Munich under two hours (same-day round trip from $94, raileurope.com) and about 30 minutes from Regensburg (from $40, raileurope.com), the fest is well worth a day-trip on your Germany tour. MORE Affordable Europe: German hotels with an unusual perk Tips from a Train Expert: Save on trains in Germany