Sunday, January 14, 2007

During our weekly online chat (most Mondays at 2 p.m.), you ask and we answer your travel questions -- mostly. Here's one we couldn't get to last week.

I plan to visit York or Cardiff in the United Kingdom. Is there a Web site I can use to find hotels there? How difficult is it to see parts of Yorkshire and Wales without a car? What sights shouldn't I miss?

You will find all your lodging needs at VisitBritain's Web site ( http://www.visitbritain.com), which lists inspected accommodations throughout the United Kingdom. In Cardiff, for example, dozens of options pop up, such as the Macdonald Holland House (rates from $116 per night), a new luxury hotel, and the Cardiff Backpacker Hostel, where dorm rooms start at $20, including breakfast.Y

ou can leave your driver's license at home: The U.K. rail system links major cities to small villages in the countryside or along the coast. In addition, in the more remote areas, the train stations are often at the edge of town, an easy bus ride or walk to the city center. To explore the Yorkshire area, take the scenic York-to-Scarborough line. For routes, check http://www.traveline.org.uk.I

n the walled city of York, put on your to-do list the National Railway Museum and the Jorvik Viking Center, a re-created Viking community. Save time for a quaff in a pub or teahouse. In Cardiff, check out the Cardiff Castle, the revitalized waterfront area and the Millennium Centre, an entertainment venue with theater, restaurants, shopping and more. Also take a day to journey out to the Brecon Beacons National Park, accessible by train, then hiking boots.-

- Andrea Sachs