Three Affordable Mini Chains

What's an offset?More than 20 organizations have online calculators that estimate your personal share of the heat-trapping gases tied to global warming. Once they give you a ballpark figure, the organizations tell you how much you'd need to donate to ecofriendly projects to prevent or stop companies from emitting a comparable amount. How harmful is air travel?No one knows for sure. Aviation may account for 2 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions. But most climate scientists believe that air travel has added warming effects because of jet contrails and nitrogen oxide emissions. And when considered by energy use per mile covered, planes eat up far more energy than buses and trains. Are offsets affordable?For the typical domestic trip, an offset costs less than $20 per person. For example, to offset a ½-ton of carbon dioxide, which is approximately what would be produced by a round-trip flight between Chicago and Miami, you could buy an offset for $6 from TerraPass. Do some organizations charge more than others to offset the same amount of greenhouse gases?Yes, prices to offset one ton of emissions vary from $3 to $33, according to a survey of 24 organizations. The reason: Some ecofriendly projects cost more than others. For instance, a landfill project that captures and destroys methane, an especially potent greenhouse gas, may be cheaper than one that replaces soot-producing stoves in a developing nation. How much does an offset accomplish?Scientists can only estimate the emissions that will be prevented if an energy source like a wind farm is used as an alternative to fossil fuels. So if an offset provider says that a project will make a specific number of pounds of greenhouse gases vanish, be skeptical. No one knows the benefit of an eco-project that precisely. If the uncertainty bothers you, you might feel more confident investing instead in home improvement, such as installing energy-efficient windows in your house. Who keeps these organizations honest?There's no governmental oversight of carbon offsets. But roughly a dozen organizations make evaluations. The best watchdog groups verify that an offset exists for no other reason than to reduce carbon dioxide levels, that it's verifiable and measurable, and that the benefit to the Earth is long lasting. As one step, many organizations keep registries to ensure that offsets are not sold multiple times, says Anja Kollmuss, a staff scientist with the Stockholm Environment Institute and author of several carbon-offset studies. Which watchdog groups are the most trustworthy?Many are well regarded, but we'll single out two for special mention. The Gold Standard is backed by 60 nongovernmental organizations and was started in part by the World Wildlife Fund. It only approves energy-efficient projects, such as distributing power-saving appliances in developing nations, and renewable energy projects, such as building water power plants. It does not give its seal of approval to tree-planting projects out of concerns that reforestation may not directly reduce carbon dioxide concentrations. Offset providers Atmosfair, ClimateCare, and myclimate are among the companies with Gold Standard projects. Another helpful resource is the Carbon Offset List. Unlike the Gold Standard, this is a website created by a single organization, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and vetted with the help of independent experts. The Carbon Offset List highlights a dozen projects it deems trustworthy, from providers like Carbonfund.org, e-BlueHorizons, and TerraPass. Are offsets a way to justify a wasteful lifestyle?Like most things, an offset is what you make of it. An offset may serve as a last resort for reducing your carbon footprint after you've already made your trips as environmentally friendly as possible by taking direct flights, packing lighter, and renting a fuel-efficient car. How can I buy a reliable offset?Though offset companies may not let you put money toward a specific project, you can usually pick the type of program to subsidize, such as renewable energy creation, says Tom Murray, the managing director of corporate partnerships for the EDF. Some offset sellers, like myclimate, allow you to donate to only to projects certified by the Gold Standard.

FIND A SECLUDED BEACHThe Algarve, southern Portugal's balmy riviera, sees nothing but blue sky 300 days of the year. Admire the ocean views from the roof terrace at Dianamar, in the whitewashed old center of Albufeira, just a block from the beach. Rooms are simple, but all have private terraces, and the price includes a generous breakfast buffet and afternoon cake (doubles from $65). The most dramatic coastline is along the drive to the medieval fortress town of Lagos. (Cars can be rented for around $30 a day in Albufeira; book online with companies like Europcar.) Between Praia de Dona Ana and Porto do Mós, the cliffs have been broken by the wind and sea into jagged rock formations pierced by blowholes and grottoes. Secret half-moon bays of golden sand lie hidden from view from all but the ocean. An hour beyond Lagos is Europe's southwesternmost point: Cabo São Vicente, a cape whose plunging cliffs are dotted with crumbling medieval churches and castles. More than 500 years ago, Portuguese sailing ships left to explore the world from these shores. There's great hiking in the fragrant pine woods and peach orchards less than 20 miles inland, around the spa town of Monchique—a cluster of tiny houses and 18th-century mansions tumbling down a steep, wooded valley. The trail up to the Picota peak has magnificent views out over the coast all the way to the cape. Families from Lisbon take weekends on the beaches of Cascais, less than 20 miles from the capital. There they jostle for space on three broad, short beaches and wander, ice cream in hand, along the ocean esplanade or the clusters of narrow streets crowded around the town's imposing fort. For wilder, lonelier sand, head to Guincho, four miles west. This sweeping, gently curved shoreline is pounded by some of the best surf in the eastern Atlantic. An almost constant wind makes for superb windsurfing; a world championship is hosted here most Augusts. But watch out for those rips and prepare for cold water. While the Algarve is good for swimming from spring to autumn, you'll need a wet suit around Cascais for all but the summer months. The town is easily reached from Lisbon; trains leave from Belém station every 15 minutes and take just over half an hour ($4.50 round trip). But if you choose to stay, take a room at the Solar Dom Carlos, a 16th-century manor in a quiet Cascais backstreet (doubles from $30). There's a pocket-size former Royal Chapel on the hotel grounds. MARVEL AT OPULENT CHAPELS AND PALACESLisbon spreads in terra-cotta and cobblestone over seven hills, staring out over the Tagus River to the shimmering Atlantic. A rugged Moorish castle tops the skyline, and the streets are lined with baroque churches and Gaudíesque art nouveau buildings. Allow at least three days for a first visit, and make time for the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. Extravagantly decorated doorways lead through long cloisters to a church supported by pillars adorned with stone ropes and coils of faux seaweed. These rise to a fan-vaulted ceiling whose thousands of tons of stone somehow look light and airy. Many Portuguese notables are buried at this monastery, including Luís de Camões, author of Portugal's national epic, Os Lusíadas, and the explorer Vasco da Gama. The Gulbenkian is one of the world's great small museums. Oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian acquired a huge collection of Egyptian, European, and Oriental artifacts and Renaissance art, which was brought to Lisbon after his death. Highlights include intricate Roman jewelry, opulent Moorish carpets and tapestries, paintings by Rembrandt and Van Dyck, and an extensive collection of René Lalique's art nouveau glassware. Finish your day with a late afternoon's wander around the narrow, cobbled streets of the Bairro Alto neighborhood on a cliff overlooking the 18th-century city center. There's a pretty medieval square or a magnificent church at every turn. The most beautiful is the Igreja de São Roque, whose simple exterior hides what was said at the time to be the most expensive chapel ever built—a feast of rich gold work and beguilingly complex mosaics of lapus lazuli, ivory, agate, and precious metals. Built in Rome in 1742, it was blessed by the Pope before being transported in its entirety to Lisbon. It's an easy day trip from Lisbon to Sintra, a former royal hill retreat in cool forested hills near the coast. It looks like a Disney fantasy: pastel tiered castles crown the hilltops; faux-Moorish domed palaces lie hidden in wooded gardens; and extravagant, neo-Gothic mansions loom at the top of steep driveways. The grandest of all is the Palácio Nacional da Pena, rebuilt by Portugal's half-mad Austrian king-consort in the late 18th century (park and palace admission $14). It's a fascinating mishmash of Italian colonnades, Ottoman/Oriental turrets, and windows painted in garish pinks and yellows. The interior of the building is preserved as it was when royalty fled during the 1910 revolt—down to the tables set for dinner and the lamp-stand statues of turbaned Turks holding light bulbs. SAMPLE ROBUST WINES AND FRESH FISHEvery small Portuguese town has its own wine, traditional cakes, and cheeses. In the Alentejo, cheeses are curdled with thistle flowers and washed down with rich, earthy red wines. Base yourself in Évora, a city founded by the Romans, expanded by the Moors, and enriched by the Portuguese kings. Each group left its monuments; the cork forests and vineyards around the city are strewn with Iberian dolmens, for example. About 150 miles north, in the mountainous Beira region, is the village of Pinhel, famous for its red wines and vanilla-flavored cavaca candies—invented by nuns from the local convents in the Middle Ages. Pinhel is a delightful maze of winding streets, and makes a great base for hiking in the nearby park land, Serra da Estrela, or for visiting the Côa Valley, where rock faces are inscribed with Paleolithic art. The Douro River flows out of Spain into a deep valley stepped with some of Europe's oldest vine terraces. Port wine comes from here, together with some of Portugal's heartiest reds. The Douro Valley is easily seen on a boat cruise from Porto, a destination in its own right. Here stands one of the largest collections of Renaissance buildings in the Iberian Peninsula. Every other corner leads to a little baroque church whose modest façade hides an interior encrusted with tons of gold. Winding streets in the city's medieval center lead down the hillside to the river. Wander along the quays in Gaia across from Porto city and drop in on the various port wine warehouses for free samples. It's a great way to decide what kind to bring home as a gift. Cap off your day with dinner on the banks of the Douro at D. Tonho. The house specialties are bacalhau (salted cod served steamed or in little deep fried crispy balls), followed by pork fillets with clams or hake au gratin with seafood sauce. 7 INSIDER TIPS 1. English is widely spoken, and it's always more welcome than Spanish, which might even produce a scowl. Portugal and Spain have an age-old rivalry. Visitors trying to speak a few words of Portuguese will make many friends. 2. In the Algarve, everyone sees the ocean from the beaches. But it's just as much fun seeing the beaches from the ocean. Book an afternoon boat trip out of Albufeira Marina with one of the numerous agents on the Rua 5 de Outubro and be sure to take a camera to capture the golden afternoon light on the crumbling cliffs. 3. Portugal can be a difficult country for vegetarians. Even vegetable soup is cooked with meat stock. Be sure to state clearly that you don't eat any meat or fish—even as seasoning. 4. For the coolest night out in Lisbon, head to co-owner John Malkovich's waterfront warehouse club, Lux Fragil, which is always packed with the most fashionable crowd on a Friday or Saturday night. 5. Lisbon has some of the liveliest African music in Europe; terrific Cape Verdean, Angolan and Mozambican singers make the city home. The hottest acts play at the Club B.Leza nights at Cabaret Maxime (from $20). For schedules of Luso-African concerts all over Lisbon, e-mail bleza21@gmail.com. 6. Portugal is a great country for driving. Small distances and an excellent and well-signposted road network mean that it's never a long journey to the next place of interest. And the whole country can be driven from north to south in a little over a day. But beware of Portuguese drivers. Hugging the fender and flashing headlamps furiously on the highway is common practice—as is reckless passing. 7. Portugal is great for kids. Lisbon has a huge aquarium, and the dolphin and seal shows at the Zoomarine on the Algarve are some of the best in Europe. There are swimming pools and restaurants here, so you can stay for the whole day (adults $14). TIMING Portugal is sweltering in the summer (June through August) and very busy with European tourists. The spring (April through May) and autumn (September through October) are cooler, just as sunny, and far less busy. The winter (November through March) is wet and cold. PRICE INDEX • Pint of locally brewed Sagres beer: $2 (€1.55). • A Francesinha, a filling, spicy sausage sandwich hailing from Porto, $4 (€3). • A bottle of Alentejo Conde D´Ervideira Reserva red wine: $14 (€11.20). • A 24-hour combination ticket on Lisbon's public transportation system: $4.75 (€3.70). • Average rate for a two-star hotel in Lisbon: $63 (€50).

COLLEGE SPIRIT & TRADITIONS Bicyclists pedal along Uppsala's cobblestoned streets, lined with inviting cafés and boutiques. The Fyris River flows lazily by gardens, along tree-lined riverbanks, and beneath footbridges draped with violet and white petunias. It would be almost too idyllic, but the town gets a jolt from the 20,000-plus students enrolled at Uppsala University (founded in 1477). Their contagious energy peaks each spring on April 30 for Valborg, or Walpurgis Eve. The tradition of welcoming the spring dates back to pre-Christian pagan festivals, when giant bonfires were lit to ward off evil spirits and clear the land of dead winter debris. In Uppsala, the festivities begin early: Families picnic on herring under blossoming trees in the Stadsträdgården (city park), and students race homemade boats down the river. At precisely 3 p.m., crowds gather below the town's imposing pink castle, where students past and present don their white graduation caps before swilling champagne, rolling down hills, and dancing around bonfires. Sweden's oldest university choir, Allmänna Sången, leads a nighttime sing-along in front of the castle. The party continues into the early morning at the 13 nations, unique student societies that date back to the 1600s and whose buildings are scattered throughout the city. Each has a restaurant and a pub, which offer deep discounts and are normally restricted to Uppsala students. Those with a student ID from a foreign university can gain entrance with a 60 SEK ($7) weekly guest card purchased at the university student union. Visitors without a guest card may find that a kind word and a smile are enough to gain entrance to many nations, especially early in the evening. OUTDOOR CAFÉS & DESIGN SHOPS Gästrike-Hälsinge nation, one of the few that stays open in summer, serves dinner in the backyard of a stately yellow mansion. Outdoor heaters and a stack of cozy fleece blankets ward off any evening chill, so you can linger over rounds of Åbro beers. Around the corner, overlooking a pond crowded with ducks and a few swans, Konditori Fågelsången is a quintessential Swedish café. The glass counters display dozens of sweets—cakes draped in green marzipan (princesstårta), rich chocolate balls rolled in coconut (kokosbollar), spiced apple tarts (äppelkaka), and warm cinnamon rolls (kanelbullar)—that tempt you to skip a sandwich in favor of dessert on the outdoor patio. For a more traditional and well-balanced meal, join the many Swedes who take advantage of daily lunch specials known as dagens rätt. Warm, filling Swedish classics like meatballs with gravy or salmon with potatoes and dill sauce are paired with a drink, a salad, bread, and coffee. Lunch at high-end restaurants, like the riverside Åkanten, is an especially good value (about 79 SEK/$9.50); the same meal might cost twice as much at dinner. Across the river, along the pedestrian-only stretch of Svartbäcksgatan, department stores and a giant H&M share space with cafés and 100-year-old bakeries. In warm weather, vendors with small wooden carts sell raspberries and chanterelles handpicked in nearby forests. At Holmlunds, a bi-level clothing boutique, find dresses and skinny jeans from Acne, the current darling of Swedish fashion. Nearby, DesignTorget stocks whimsical housewares, toys, and gifts. GREEN SPACES & ANCIENT SIGHTS Still further along Svartbäcksgatan is the meticulously maintained garden of pioneering botanist Carl Linnaeus, who created the system of classification still in use today. The organized garden, known as Linnéträdgården, has been preserved to look as it did when Linnaeus lived in the adjacent house in the 1700s. Entrance to the garden is free from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Beyond the walls of Linnéträdgården, the towering Gothic spires of Scandinavia's largest cathedral, Domkyrkan, are visible above the rooftops. Inside the 15th-century redbrick cathedral, the smell of freshly blown-out candles lingers beneath the soaring gray stone arches. In the small chapel in the rear of the cathedral, Gustav Vasa—the 16th-century king considered the founder of modern Sweden—is buried alongside three of his wives. Uppsala's oldest landmarks, a trio of royal burial mounds from the 6th century, are a few kilometers outside of town in an area called Gamla Uppsala, or Old Uppsala. As early as the 6th century, Gamla Uppsala was an important political and religious center, a home to Viking kings, and the site of mysterious pagan sacrifice rituals. Near the mounds, a 15th-century church faces the 21st-century Gamla Uppsala museum that details both the area's known history and its many unsubstantiated legends. On long summer days, when the sun doesn't set until 10:30 or so, the fields around Gamla Uppsala are great for lounging on a picnic blanket. Give in to the urge to linger—surely there's a later train back to Stockholm. Getting there Direct trains to Uppsala depart two to three times per hour from Stockholm Central Station; round-trip tickets cost about $14, and the trip takes 40 minutes. From Stockholm–Arlanda Airport, the train trip takes 20 minutes, and tickets cost about $28 round trip, sj.se. For Gamla Uppsala, take bus 2 or 110 from Kungsgatan, in front of the train station. Round-trip tickets are about $7.40 on-board or $5 at Pressbyrån newsstands (there's one in the train station). Spending the night The Scandic Uplandia hotel by the main shopping drag, Svartbäcksgatan, has contemporary rooms and an on-site sauna (doubles from $100, including a breakfast buffet). Or try the nearby hostel-style Uppsala Vandrarhem & Hotell (doubles from $60). At most Uppsala hotels, prices drop considerably on weekends and in late summer when business is slower.

The loveliest times to visit the Eternal City are also the busiest and most expensive: mid-March through June (with a spike around Easter), September through October, and December through early January. Hotel prices are generally lower in August, when locals flee the sweltering heat and many restaurants close. Whenever your visit, be warned that those who procrastinate will be punished with less-than-desirable locations and/or price tags. It's wise to consult hotel websites for possible discounts and to contact them directly—some will offer discounts of up to 10 percent for payment in cash. And as few Roman hotels are standard in room size and amenities, you'll want to be in touch to relay any special requests, like baby cots or even a room on a lower floor in hotels with no elevators. For online price comparisons, the Italian booking service venere.com typically has the best deals. One alternative is to rent an apartment, especially if you're traveling with children or in a large group. You'll find some of the best deals at rome-accom.com though many landlords require a substantial deposit and cash payment. You could also consider staying in a religious house. The sites go-to-italy.com and santasusanna.org have extensive lists of obliging current and former monasteries and convents.