What $100 Buys in... Ljubljana

BT Editors: Welcome to this week's Trip Coach. Let's get to your questions! _______________________ Alexandria, VA: I am taking my family to Rome for Thanksgiving and need a nice but relatively inexpensive hotel for 5. There will be three adults and two children. Would like to be fairly centrally located. Can you assist? Thank you! BT Editors: Our Rome Snap Guide, the most recent addition to our collection of downloadable mini-guides, is packed with insider tips on the best places to sleep, eat, play and shop. Here are three of the recommended hotels, all right in Rome's centro storico: Hotel Mimosa with doubles from ¿75/$95 and triples from ¿90/$114; Albergo del Sole al Biscione, with doubles from ¿110/$140; and Hotel Navona, with doubles from ¿125/$158 and triples from ¿160/$203. For insights on the best ancient art gallery, cheap city tour, and gelateria, read Rome Sweet Rome, Stephen Heuser's account of a six-month stint when he called the city home. _______________________ Hinesburg, VT: My three sisters and I live in four states: Vermont, Florida, Michigan and California. We get together the first week of April each year for "Sisters Week", In April, 2007, we'd like to spend Sisters Week someplace else in the U.S. suggestions? BT Editors: What a fun tradition! You four are the perfect audience for our special Girlfriend Getaways magazine. We highlighted 10 U.S. cities for long weekends, full of shopping, spas, culture, and a night out with the girls: Asheville, Austin, Burlington, Memphis, Palm Springs, Portland, Reno, Santa Fe, Scottsdale, and West Palm Beach. Enjoy! _______________________ San Jose, CA: I am going to Barbados in January. I am on a budget and want to stay in a clean safe villa or hotel on the beach. Can you please advise? I would also like to know if I could wait until I get there to get a hotel and pay with Barbados currency? BT Editors: We'd recommend booking at least the first night in advance. Check out Shells Guesthouse (246/435-7253, barbados.org/gstname.htm) or Cleverdale Guesthouse in Worthing (vrbo.com/11696), where rooms start at around $25/night.For more information on where to stay, read 'Bewitching Barbados.' You can also check out the official tourism website for more lodging options. _______________________ Canton, NY: My three sisters and myself are planning a sisters trip in July 2007. We are in our 50's and would like to find a place to go where we are able to walk to attractions, bars, coffee shops, etc. We prefer the small town atmosphere. Any suggestions? BT Editors: A few suggestions: Check out our recent articles on the Coolest Small Towns and Four Walkable Cities _______________________ Denver, CO: Hello! My best friend from college and I are planning a trip to London next fall. We are looking for some suggestions to do it on a budget, including B&B's that would cater to two single women traveling together and possible side trips. Although I have been to London twice, both times were when I was younger and all of the travel plans were made for me. Thank you for any suggestions you can give us! BT Editors: You'll want to check out our London Snap Guide. It's full of recommendations on where to eat, sleep, shop, and play _______________________ Vancover, British Columbia: We are traveling to Vancover in March 2007. We enjoy art theaters, musuems and dining out. What are your top picks? We are in our 60's. BT Editors: You should definitely try to stop by Vancouver Island. You can get there from Vancouver by ferry (bcferries.com). If you like museums, be sure to check out the Royal BC Museum. Also check out the stunning Butchart Gardens. In Vancouver, check out the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Museum of Anthropology. _______________________ BT Editors: Thanks for all your great questions. See you next week! _______________________

"During a research trip to London for Thunderstruck, an unusual bout of scalding weather forced me to transfer to a hotel with air-conditioning. I found a room at The Academy, a sophisticated and well-chilled hotel in a row of Georgian town houses in Bloomsbury. The next day, I began hunting the addresses of key events in my book, and discovered that by sheer coincidence my new room overlooked the very block where my killer and his wife once lived. It was a serendipitous if slightly creepy moment, once of those bursts of historical resonance that I always hope for." --Erik Larson, whose new book Thunderstruck goes on sale Oct. 24. The Academy, 011-44/20-7631-4115, theetoncollection.com, doubles from $188. More Take My Word: Claire Messud on New York Bill Buford on Tuscany Sue Grafton on California Peter Carey on Malaysia

Andrea Ross of Journeys Within, which offers tours of Southeast Asia, answers our questions about travel safety and day-to-day life in Bangkok since military leaders took seized control of the government on September 19 Q: When did you arrive in Bangkok, and what is your role there? A: I have been in Bangkok for the last month working from our office here. I am the director of tours for Journeys Within, so I'm spending time in Thailand working on our tours here and meeting with my Bangkok director. Q: What have the scene on the street and the mood been like in Bangkok? A: Coups are a prominent part of Thai history, though the last one was 15 years ago. No one here seems to view it as a breakdown of democracy, but rather an important step in reaffirming democracy. In Bangkok, Thaksin was very unpopular, so the mood here, if anything other than normal, is slightly excited. Yesterday while I was out running errands I saw a woman approach some soldiers stationed by the skytrain and wei (bow with hands together) to them. Though I could only understand part of what she was saying, the sentiment was clearly "thank you." Other than a slightly increased military presence, there is very little changed in the capital. Q: What advice would you give to travelers currently in Thailand? A: We have guests here at the moment and we called them the day after the coup to make sure they weren't worried, and they continued their tour as scheduled. We advised them to keep in touch with us if they had any concerns, and to continue as usual. Since we are based here we are able to see firsthand that the situation is incredibly calm and peaceful, so unless that changes our advice to our guests and other travelers is just to enjoy themselves and continue on as usual. It is worth, of course, having someone on the ground keeping an eye on things...we would advise our guests if we ever felt there was a need to leave the country. If you don't have a tour operator in Thailand then just check in online or watch the news to make sure the mood hasn't changed, but so far we don't anticipate any problems. Q: What can travelers with upcoming trips do to be sure that the situation is safe and that their plans are intact? A: Like I said, keep watching the news and making sure the situation hasn't escalated and check in with your tour operator in Thailand to see if they are comfortable with you still traveling...all of our tours are running as scheduled, and we are keeping in close contact with all our guests here now and those planning on arriving in the next couple of months. Q: Has the coup affected local services and infrastructure? A: The day after the coup, government offices and banks were closed and there was a declared holiday, but since then everything has been back up and running as usual. I ran errands yesterday and I didn't see anything out of the ordinary except a few more military on corners than we're used to. Q: What long-term impact do you think the coup will have on Thailand's tourism industry? A: I of course understand people's trepidation at coming to a country that is going through this political change, but I hope that people realize it is not affecting tourism, and tourism is an incredibly important aspect of the Thai economy. Though I'm sure there will be an effect on tourism here, none of our guests have cancelled their plans to come to Thailand and Southeast Asia; they have told us that as long as we feel the situation is safe they will continue as planned. I think because we are based here, we are able to give them realistic views of the situation, and they know that if there were a problem we are on the ground here and can help them however they need. I recognize that not everyone has that comfort, so I am sure that for a few months this will hurt the tourism industry, but Thailand is a fabulous country with amazing sites and people so I have no doubt it will continue to be a "must see." For more information, check the website of the U.S. Embassy in Thailand, http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/, and closely monitor news sources.

As of Tuesday, September 26, the U.S. government has partially lifted the ban against liquids and will allow passengers to take onboard drinks and items purchased in secure airport areas as well as travel-size toiletry containers of three ounces (90 ml) or less that are stored in a "quart-size, clear plastic, zip-top bag." Britain's Department of Transport announced last Friday that it has modified the tight restrictions placed on hand luggage after August's foiled plot to bomb trans-Atlantic flights with liquid explosives. Now travelers can carry on one bag up to about 22 inches by 18 inches by 10 inches (more than twice the size allowed before), and musicians can take larger instruments onboard. As for liquids, only essentials like medications and small amounts of baby formula are still permitted. Bottom line? Check for the latest updates before you fly. The TSA lists prohibited and allowable carry items on its Web site here: tsa.gov. And most airline Web sites also provide a link to the latest TSA rules on their sites.