Today's travel intel
Hurricane Dean has led to a travel advisory for the Caribbean. Many airlines, such as American and US Airways, are relaxing their rules on re-booking travel. If you have plans to fly in, or cruise through, the Caribbean or the American Southeast during the next week, be sure to consult with your travel provider before you depart.
It's time to plan for Thanksgiving(!). Data-crunchers at the website Farecast.com have studied the fare pricing trend for Thanksgiving '06. If history repeats itself, you'll find that the best fares for Thanksgiving flights will go on sale during the last week of August and the first two weeks of September, with some fare sales launching around mid-September.
Avis has begun to offer chauffeurs at selected rental car locations. To qualify for the service, you have to be a member of the Avis First frequent rental program, with approximately 18 rentals a year to qualify. Rates vary by area.
A new website allows you to earn frequent-flier miles as you surf the Web on any topic. ZooMiles allows you to enter your frequent flier number for Alaska, Delta, Continental, Midwest, Northwest, and US Airways, and then earn up to 1,000 miles a month for surfing.
High-tech, self-guided walking tours of Yosemite National Park are now available. The hour-and-a-half tours involve holding an electronic device that's similar to a GPS unit. As you walk along a trail, the device determines your location and offers you relevant video and audio information about the landscape around you. The device guides you along the 1.6-mile paved Lower Yosemite Falls Loop. You can rent the units at the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center for $10 for adults (plus $1 for headphones). (Earlier: A new way to explore Jamestown.)
Forgotten Canada. Overall U.S. visits to our neighbor up north have plummeted by more than one-third over the past five years. Same-day car trips are have dropped nearly in half. But you can buck the trend. Learn about the charms of Toronto's restaurants and Montreal's hip attractions for girlfriend getaways.
Earlier: No Cuba for you!