Online Resource Guide: Reviews and Travel Forums

FREE TRAVEL Affordable EuropeVueling.com Airline that lists hotel and car-rental discounts SkyEurope.com Airline that lists hotel and car-rental discounts Voyages-sncf.com Tickets purchased more than a month in advance for France's TGV trains are also at least ha;f the normal price Visitlondon.com Budget hotel and entertainment listings for London Europeancityyards.com For a full list of cities with city cards Rouelibre.fr Information on Paris's bike rental stands Busabout.com Sells multi-city passes that rival the Eurail Pass in terms of price abd flexibility Eurolines.com Sells multi-city passes that rival the Eurail Pass in terms of price abd flexibility Easycar.com, Alimex.eu, Sixti.com: European car rental chains Eurocheapo.com How to find free stuff in Europe Airline that lists hotel and car-rental discounts House-sitting Caretaker.org Subscribe to the Caretaker Gazette; find caretaker and house-sitting opportunities Housecarers.com Register to find house-sitters and house-sits worldwide Housesitworld.com Advertise for and find house-sitters worldwide Sabbaticalhomes.com House-sitting, house rental, or house exchange site for the academic community Hiking Trail Volunteers Appalachiantrail.org Official site of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Cdtrail.org Official site of the Continental Divide Trail Alliance Pnt.org Official site of the Pacific Northwest Trail Association Sister-city Exchanges Sister-cities.org Volunteer organization that links US cities/counties to their similar counterparts in other nations Hospitality Exchanges Globalfreeloaders.com Register to host travelers and to find free accommodations worldwide Hospitalityclub.org Network of international hospitality exchange Volunteer Farm Workers Wwoof.org Site for World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms Association Membership Clubs that Host Travelers Educatorstravel.com Educators Bed & Breakfast Travel Network Evergreenclub.com For travelers over 50 Lghei.org Lesbian and Gay Hospitality Exchange International Motorcycle-travel.net Motorcycle Travel Network Tandemclub.org Tandem bike enthusiasts around the world Womenwelcomewomen.org.uk Friendship and travel network for women worldwide Home-swapping Digsville.com Home exchange world-wide Gti-home-exchange.com Home exchange, travel planning links and tools Homeexchange.com International home exchange Ihen.com The International Home Exchange Network Intervacus.com Register to list your home/vacation house for home exchange Swapnow.com Self-described largest international home-swapping network in the world Fair-Trade Art Collectives Rajanacrafts.org The organization trains poor Cambodians to make jewelry, clothing, wall hangings, and cards. Mercadoglobal.org Many of these Guatelmalan women lost their husbands in the country's civil war, and sell traditional Mayan goods to support their children. Textilescusco.org The Peruvian's center's mission is to preserve the ancient Incan style of weaving by giving women a place to work and to sell their goods. Misc. Autodriveaway.com Transport cars across the country Rotary.org Official site of Rotary International Schultzinternational.com Business model, advice and support for owning your own business Workamper.com Jobs and news for RV owners VOLUNTEER & WORK ABROAD Anyworkanywhere.com Jobs and resources for work and travel world-wide Culturexplorers.com A socially responsible tour company that tries to benefit locals Globalcrossroad.com International volunteer organization offering placements in 22 different countries Globalexchange.org A socially responsible tour company that tries to benefit locals Habitat.org Official site of Habitat for Humanity I-to-i.com Volunteering, teaching, conservation projects abroad and more Volunteerinternational.org Find international volunteer work Page 1: General Resources | Health Page 2: Search Engines and Auctions Page 3: Transportation Page 4: Accommodations Page 5: Gadgets, Gear & Travel Tech Page 7: Recreation | Romance | Goofing Off Page 8: Travel Forums

PLANES, TRAINS, CARS Carbon Offset Information Carbonfund.org Donors can direct their money to renewable energy, reforestation, energy-efficient projects, or some conbination thereof. Low-Cost Airlines Airasia.com Official site of Airasia, a low-cost carrier that flies throughout Asia Attitudetravel.com Info and news on low-cost carriers world-wide, and links to airline sites Lowcostairlineseurope.org Links to low-cost carriers in Europe Openjet.com Search engine for low-fare flights and hotel packages in Europe, and beyond Searchlowestfares.com Search engine for low-fare flights, international deals Skyscanner.net UK-based search engine for low-fare flights Wegolo.com Search engine for car rentals and low-cost flights in Europe Whichbudget.com International low-cost airline routes Airlines/Airports Farecast.com Farecast predicts whether airline ticket prices will rise or fall based on past airfare data Fly.faa.gov Official site of the Federal Aviation Administration, includes info on delays at airports nation-wide Flyspy.com FlySpy shows airline ticket price changes over a 30-day period for Northwest flights from Minneapolis to 50 cities Seatguru.com Expert advice on airplane seating, organized by aircraft Sleepinginairports.com True stories guide to sleeping in airports Tsa.gov Official site of the Transportation Security Administration Waittime.tsa.dhs.gov Average, maximum, and minimum wait times for security checkpoints in U.S. airports Worldtravelguide.net/airports Detailed info on airports across the globe Popular Flight Passes Around the Globe Aerolineas.com.ar Aerolineas Argentinas South America Pass (800/333-0276). Flights within South America priced by mileage Cathay-usa.com Cathay Pacific All Asia Pass. Flights to over 18 Asian cities Bwee.com BWIA West Indies Airways Caribbean Pass (800/538-2942). Flights between eight Caribbean destinations Staralliance.com Star Alliance African Airpass. Flights in 17 sub-Saharan countries Airline Directory Airtran.com AirTran, Toll-free 800/247-8726, Local 770/994-8258 Alaskaair.com Alaska, Toll-free 800/252-7522 Alohaairlines.com Aloha, Toll-free 800/367-5250, Local 808/484-1111 Aa.com American, Toll-free 800/433-7300 Usairways.com/awa America West, Toll-free 800/235-9292 Ata.com ATA, Toll-free 800/435-9282, Local 317/282-4000 Continental.com Continental, Toll-free 800/523-3273, Local 281/821-2100 Delta.com Delta, Toll-free 800/221-1212, Local 404/765-5000 Frontierairlines.com Frontier, Toll-free 800/432-1359, Local 303/371-7000 Hawaiianair.com Hawaiian, Toll-free 800/367-5320, Local 808/838-1555 Jetblue.com JetBlue, Toll-free 800/538-2583, Local 801/365-2525 Mesa-air.com Mesa, Toll-free 800/637-2247, Local 505/326-3338 Midwestairlines.com Midwest, Toll-free 800/452-2022, Local 414/570-7000 Nwa.com Northwest, Toll-free 800/225-2525, Local 671/649-8380 Southwest.com Southwest, Toll-free 800/435-9792, Local 214/792-4223 Spiritair.com Spirit, Toll-free 800/772-7117, Local 586/791-7300 Suncountry.com Sun Country, Toll-free 800/359-6786, Local 651/905-2737 United.com United, Toll-free 800/864-8331 Usairways.com US Airways, Toll-free 800/428-4322 Usa3000.com USA 3000, Toll-free 877/872-3000, Local 610/325-1280 Taxis and Public Transportation Hitchsters.com A network to help connect people in the same neighborhood traveling to and from New York-area airports so that they can share taxi cabs. Hopstop.com Enter starting and ending destinations and the site supplies detailed subway and bus directions in major U.S. cities. PublicRoutes.com Get detailed subway, bus, walking, and driving directions for major U.S. cities, and London. Provides local search for restaurants and attractions, and hotel/air/car booking engines. Megabus.com Megabus has started service between New York and seven other cities. One-way fares start as low as $1. Luggage Customs.gov Get the specifics on what items are allowed and not allowed into the U.S. Globalbagtag.com Luggage identification system that "uses a unique serial number, which enables it to be traced to the owner via the globalbagtag.com website." Members' contact details, bag description, and travel itinerary are stored on the globalbagtag.com database and can be accessed anytime. Car Leasing Autoeurope.com Car rental in Europe, and driving info Europebycar.com Short-term rentals or long-term tax-free leases, info about international licenses Evrental.com Where to rent fuel-efficient hybrid cars in the U.S. Renaultusa.com Brand new car leasing for Western Europe Simplywheelz.com Hertz's new subsidiary, Simply Wheelz, moves towards automation RV's Motorhomeholidayswap.com Lets RV owners around the world exchange vehicles Food on the Road Roadfood.com Reviews of regional restaurants near highways or in small towns nation-wide Fuel Information Fuelcostcalculator.com Calculates the estimated fuel cost of your trip based on distance, regional gas prices, and make, year, and model of your vehicle Fueleconomy.gov One-stop information on hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles, and how to stretch your gas dollars and life of your car Gasbuddy.com Network of more than 173 gas price web sites that help you find the low gasoline prices near you; find gas prices by intersection, zip code or latitude/longitude GasPriceWatch.com Consumer advocacy website that enlists over 123,000 volunteer "spotters" who report on where to find the cheapest gas across the US Gaswars.com Lists the best gas bargains in the US and Canada Train Passes Raileurope.com Rail passes for Europe; special deals for students Railpass.com Largest Europe rail pass outlet; calculate best options based on travel itinerary (Europe) Japanrailpass.com Economical rail passes for travel throughout Japan Britrail.com Rail passes for travel throughout Britain and point-to-point tickets Leftover Loot-Where does all the stuff that's collected at security checkpoints go? Alabama: adeca.state.al.us/surplus%20property Georgia: surplusproperty.doas.georgia.gov Illinois: ibid.illinois.gov Kentucky: finance.ky.gov/internal/surplus Oregon: oregonsurplus.com Pennsylvania: dgs.state.pa.us/surp_prop Texas: tfc.state.tx.us/communities/supportserv/prog/statesurplus Washington State: ga.wa.gov/surplus Page 1: General Resources | Health Page 2: Search Engines and Auctions Page 4: Accommodations Page 5: Gadgets, Gear & Travel Tech Page 6: Free Travel | Volunteering Page 7: Recreation | Romance | Goofing Off Page 8: Travel Forums

You are here: Accommodations Page 1: General Resources | Health Page 2: Search Engines and Auctions Page 3: Transportation Page 5: Gadgets, Gear & Travel Tech Page 6: Free Travel | Volunteering Page 7: Recreation | Romance | Goofing Off Page 8: Travel Forums ACCOMODATIONS General All-hotels.com: A U.K.-based booking engine with a massive supplier base and 100,000 properties listed Cheapaccommodation.com Hotelchatter.com Tvtrip.com TVtrip posts videos--shot by pros--tyhat let you scope out European hotels. Condos & Apartments Crhmaui.com Cyberrentals.com Resortquest.com Resortime.com Vacationstation.com Vrbo.com Therightvacationrental.com Rentalo.com Vacationspot.com: Owned by Hotels.com, it focuses on townhouses, condos, villas, and resort suites. Vrbo.com: Basically classified ads for 51,000 condos and vacation homes, booked directly through the owners. ResortQuest.com: A property management company that handles more than 20,000 vacation rentals in popular North American destinations such as Maui and Orlando. Apartmentservice.com Catering primarily to business travelers since 1981, it rents 2,000 apartments, the vast majority of which are in Europe. ResorTime.com For a yearly fee of $29.95, members can book luxury resort condos in the U.S. and abroad at heavily discounted rates. Inns & B&Bs BedandBreakfast.com: A database of 28,000 B&Bs worldwide, including nearly 6,000 with photos and expanded descriptions that can be booked through the site English-Inns.co.uk: More than 500 historic hotels and country inns in England Ozbedandbreakfast.com: 14,000 B&Bs in Australia and New Zealand Rustic DudeRanch.org: 120 places for pretend cowpokes in the western U.S. and Canada EstanciasArgentinas.com: Hundreds of Argentinian ranches that welcome day and overnight visitors Gites-de-France.fr: France's resource for 55,000 guesthouses, B&Bs, apartments, and chalets, almost all of which are in rural locations Nzhomestay.co.nz: Dozens of homes and farms in New Zealand that rent rooms; the same company operates Australianhomestay.com Agriturismo.com: Italy's association of more than 1,000 farmstays and countryside villas and B&Bs One of a Kind HistoricHotelsofEurope.com A collection of 16 extraordinary lodging associations with more than 800 properties in total, including Austrian castles, Portuguese pousadas, Irish manor houses, and countryside hotels in Sweden TravelIntelligence.com Some 3,500 hotels handpicked by 120 travel writers, and you can search by categories such as Urban Hideaways, Barefoot Luxury, Budget Chic, and Off the Beaten Track Uhotw.com Unusual Hotels of the World lists 137 art galleries, lighthouses, prisons, caves, and other unique places to spend the night Parishotels.com A database of more than 100 one-to-four star hotels (many intimate and family-run) cherry-picked by the local founders. Restaurant and sightseeing information too. Inexpensive Venere.com An Italy-based booking site for 12,000 European properties--including one- and two-star hotels overlooked by other sites, as well as B&Bs, apartments, pensions, and hostels. Town maps showing property locations are especially helpful. Cheapaccommodation.com More than 35,000 places to stay, ranging from hostels to five-star hotels, though properties tend to skew toward the low-end. Like sister site Cheapflights, it doesn't search availability. Viaggiaedormi.it For Italy: Hundreds of moderate hotels (most rated three stars or less), as well as pensions, B&Bs, apartment rentals, and agritourism stays. Eco-friendly Travel Greenglobe.org Greenglobe21.com Grist.org Hut-Hiking Alpineclubofcanada.ca Doc.govt.nz Huts.org Outdoors.org Sac-cas.ch Yosemitepark.com RVs Cruiseamerica.com Elmonterv.com U.S. Campsites Freecampgrounds.com Woodalls.com Page 1: General Resources | Health Page 2: Search Engines and Auctions Page 3: Transportation Page 5: Gadgets, Gear & Travel Tech Page 6: Free Travel | Volunteering Page 7: Recreation | Romance | Goofing Off Page 8: Travel Forums

There are three chains we go out of our way for: Thrift Town (thrifttown.com), St. Vincent de Paul (svdpusa.org), and Savers (savers.com). As for independent stores... City Opera Thrift Shop 222 E. 23rd St., New York City, 212/684-5344 Gulfstream Goodwill/ Vintage Shoppe 3622 S. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach, Fla., 561/832-8893 How Sweet It Was 419 N. 4th Ave., Tucson, Ariz., 520/623-9854 New Mexico State Fair Open Market 300 San Pedro Blvd., Albuquerque, 505/265-1791 (weekends only) Out of the Closet Thrift Shop 170 10th St. N., Naples, Fla., 239/261-5618; other stores are nearby San Jacinto Antiques 2900 W. 6th Ave., Amarillo, Tex., 806/372-3665 Snoopers Antique Mall 2114 E. Lee Hwy., Wytheville, Va., 276/637-6441; note the three other malls on the same road