The 2012 Hurricane Season Forecast Has Been Released, And It Looks Good

Last year, Wade Bruleson of Enid, Oklahoma, learned the hard way what could go wrong when you rent a car in Mexico. During a vacation stop in Cozumel, Bruleson went on a quick trip in his family's rental car to pick up a map from a local shop. During the drive, he accidentally broadsided a motorcycle, which led to a few broken bones for its two riders. At the police station, Bruleson discovered that the premium insurance policy he bought from his rental car company wouldn't cover everything. In Mexico, the guilty party in a car accident that causes injury must pay a cash settlement to victims, something that's not covered by insurance. The cash settlement is equal to the wages that injured are expected to lose because they will be out of work during their physical recovery. Bruleson had to wait in jail while his car rental company and the family of the victims agreed on a figure for compensation. At one point, the victims wanted $6,000 for lost wages during the time they were recovering. That number was eventually talked down. Burleson walked free after about 30 hours, thanks to the help of many people, such as his son, family friends who wired money, the American consulate, and others. In the US, a personal auto insurance policy or credit card coverage tends to meet the requirements of car rental companies and the legal system. The same is not true in Mexico. The law requires that foreign drivers buy liability insurance from a Mexican company, such as Sanborn's Insurance. This liability insurance is generally not included as a perk on a US credit card, but it's worth buying because it greatly reduces the chances a traveler may be jailed or face steep financial penalties. Policies typically include coverage of attorney and bail bonds. Besides liability insurance, a traveler should also get collision and damage insurance (which more or less covers the vehicle) as well as personal accident insurance (which essentially covers the driver and other passengers). Being fully insured is important in keeping a situation from getting out of hand. But there is no readily available insurance to pay a settlement to cover their wages. That has to come out of the traveler's pockets, and can soar to thousands of dollars, as Burleson found out the hard way. And the guilty party has to stay behind bars until the financial settlement is reached. Spending a night in a Mexican jail is no picnic, as Burleson described on his blog: One concrete bed for two men, one concrete toilet in the center, ants and spiders crawling over the walls, feces and urine staining the floor and bed, no lights and only a small window that let an outside street lamp light shine through. I was not offered a pillow or a blanket, nor was I given any water. I would not eat or drink for the next 24 hours. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL 6 Foreign Car-Rental Fees to Watch for on Vacation Mexico City Unmasked Airlines Suspected of Fibbing About Seat Availability for Families Max Out AAA and Senior Discounts on Hotels With Room 77

As New Yorkers, we like to think we set the trends. Yet there was one thing this city didn't have that most other major cities already feature: bike–sharing. But pack your helmets—starting this summer, locals and travelers alike will easily be able to take a two–wheeler for a spin. The Citi Bike program will include 10,000 bikes in 600 locations around Manhattan and Brooklyn. The locations are still being worked out, but it looks like a good number of docking stations will be set up in high–traffic areas (like Columbus Circle at the southwest corner of Central Park) and transit hubs (outside Port Authority Bus Terminal). Of course, just like everything else in Manhattan, the rentals are not cheap, even with branded sponsorship by Citibank. A 24–hour membership is $9.95, with the first half hour of each ride free (pricing from there is $4 if you keep the bike for an hour, $13 for an hour and a half, and $25 for two hours). Compare that to Boston, where a 24–hour membership is half the price of New York's system, with the first 30 minutes free. In Montreal, a 24–hour membership costs about $7 (the first half hour is also free). Chattanooga, Tennessee even beat NYC to the punch by launching their bike–sharing program last month, with a 24–hour membership costing $6—and the first full hour of your ride is included in the membership cost. I planned on wrapping up this list by making the point that the only place more expensive then New York, in terms of most things, is London. I was shocked to see that the cycle hire program there is only 1 GBP (about $1.60) for a 24–hour membership! It can be inferred that heavy underwriting by sponsor Barclays keeps cost down. I've lived in New York for a dozen years and have never biked, mostly because I am petrified of car doors being flung open and taxi drivers who take red lights as just a suggestion. But I'm tempted to take one of these for a spin (bring your own helmet). What about you? Would you be intimidated by renting a bike in a strange city, or does that sound like a great way to see the sites? MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL San Francisco: 3 worthy bike rides New trend: Urban bike tours in Los Angeles and New York Electric bike rentals smooth out sightseeing

Traveling between cities by bus is classier it used to be, thanks to new premium lines like Greyhound Express, BoltBus, and Megabus. In good news, Greyhound Express and BoltBus are expanding their route maps to California and Washington State this month, after having begun to cover Texas on February 28. These buses offer reserved seating, free Wi-Fi, additional legroom, and plusher seats. These perks have become standard on intercity routes in the Midwest and on the East Coast. On Wednesday, Greyhound Express coaches began service on routes connecting L.A., San Francisco, and other Californian cities. Tickets rarely cost more than $45 each way, and occasionally can be bought for as little as $1. To compare, a bus ticket between L.A. and San Francisco at $45 is much cheaper than a plane ticket between those cities purchased three-week in advance, recently starting at $79. Budget Travel wishes the new service well. A couple of years ago, Megabus tried to take on the California market but failed. Hopefully Greyhound Premium can succeed where Megabus failed. It hopes to soon launch a route between L.A. and Las Vegas, which would be great for out-of-town visitors. On May 17, BoltBus begins running four daily departures both ways between Seattle and Portland, Ore, as MSNBC has reported, with fares typically between $12 and $26 roundtrip. Amtrak's fares on the same route are roughly double that, booked three weeks out. BoltBus hopes to add a service linking Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. Two months ago, Greyhound Express started service between Dallas and Houston. Expansion to San Antonio is now in the works. All in all, good news for budget travelers! SEE MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Megabus Continues to Grow, Benefiting Travelers 6 Best Budget Bus Companies in the U.S. Buses Are Back, at Least for Trips Between Cities

With few exceptions, it is not necessary nowadays to pay a travel agent to book your trip. Should you be paying for help anyway? The industry publication Travel Weekly, which, granted, is written mainly for travel agents, recently called attention to the newfound attention travel agents are getting in the media. Stories from Forbes, The New York Times, and various TV networks others have all focused on the idea that using an agent might not be such a day idea after all, even if it does cost extra. In theory, travelers today have more information and booking capability at their fingertips than ever before. So there's less need than ever to pay someone else to book your trip. In theory. But with all of this possibility comes added complication, especially given the dizzying, often counterintuitive ways that travel purchases (flights especially) are made nowadays. The "unbundling" of airline travel, in which a long list of possible fees cost extra in addition to the cost of a flight, is one complication. We're not talking about chump change either. Spirit Airlines just announced it is charging up to $100 per carry-on bag. Fee-tracking tools from services such as NerdWallet can help clue travelers in on fees, but it's still a chore trying to figure out which airlines charge what fees, and how much. This week, Joe Sharkey's New York Times column, meanwhile, covers the scenario in which, as odd as it may seem, booking a circuitous series of one-way flights can be cheaper than a simple round trip. While some travelers love strategizing and searching to beat the system, many understandably don't want to be bothered. Presumably, most Budget Travel readers are DIY travel planners. Ditto for the independent-mind backpackers who travel around the globe with Lonely Planet guides in tow. And yet, in a recent Lonely Planet poll, more than half of those who responded said that they'd happily pay an agent either "a small fee ($30 - $50) to save the time and hassle" or "whatever they ask! I'd rather chew my arm off than sort through all the many online travel options." So maybe a sizeable portion of BT readers now feel the same way: that after a couple decades of booking their own trips, it's now time to give the responsibility back to the pros. Would you pay a travel agent a fee to book your trip? Have you done so recently? If the answer is yes to either, tell us why, and under what circumstances. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: 8 New Hotel Booking Websites for Finding the Perfect Hotel Hotel Bonuses: 3 Deals That'll Each Earn You $50 Tips on When to Book Summer Flights Amid Rising Fares