You Ask, We Answer: Your Favorite Questions

What can I do in Miami? In Montreal? In Barcelona?

Don't waste time huddled in your hotel room with guidebooks when you could be out exploring. Go to the library and check out travel books ahead of time. Log onto Trip Advisor ( http://www.tripadvisor.com/) for readers' recommendations and pans of hotels, restaurants, attractions and entertainment venues in cities worldwide. This popular site also allows you to post questions to folks who live in or have visited your destination.

For restaurant reviews , pore over the Zagat Survey ( http://www.zagat.com/) or Chowhound ( http://www.chowhound.com/), or buy a Zagat guidebook for the city you're visiting. Also peruse that region's newspapers, alternative newsweeklies and magazines, such as Montreal's Hour magazine ( http://www.hour.ca/) or any Time Out title ( http://www.timeout.com/). Finally, consult the city's tourism office for info or brochures on attractions, events and even the odd discount.

Can I take my eyedrops on airplanes?

The Transportation Security Administration's rules, last updated in September, allow liquids and gels through airport security if they're packed in a three-ounce or smaller container, then placed in one quart-size, zip-top clear plastic bag. The only exceptions are baby formula and breast milk, prescription and over-the-counter medicines, essential liquids for disabled passengers and other medical-related gel or liquid items. (Eyedrops must follow the three-ounce bottle rule.)

If you're carrying any of these exempt products and they exceed the three-ounce limit, pack them in a separate plastic bag and declare them to TSA officials at the checkpoint for extra inspection. For medications, remember to keep them in their original packaging and include the prescription.

As long as makeup and food fit the size parameters, you can tote them in your carry-on in that zip-top bag. That includes snacks from home, such as yogurt and Jell-O. However, half-empty containers larger than three ounces are banned, even if they squish to three ounces -- so leave the rolled tube of toothpaste at home.

The rules apply mainly to pre-security items. Once you're in the secured area, you can buy toiletries, drinks and eats, and carry them onboard. For duty-free purchases, if you are making a connection and have to reenter airport security, make sure you understand the policies beforehand.

For more information on the TSA rules, go to http://www.tsa.gov/.

How do I find a travel agent?

Cast a broad net by asking friends, neighbors and colleagues if they've had a good experience with a particular agency or agent. If that doesn't work, check the Web site ( http://www.travelsense.org/) of the American Association of Travel Agents. You can search by Zip code or city for agents near you, but it might be more important to search by specialty -- say, Italy or skiing -- and not worry about location. Once you identify a company, ask questions to see if they really know the place you want to visit, either through personal experience or by sending numerous clients there.

As for knowing if an agency is reputable: ASTA membership is a first line of defense, since the trade group will remove agencies with egregious problems. Also check with the Better Business Bureau ( http://www.bbb.com/) to see if complaints have been reported.