Sunday, March 4, 2007

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

Washington: San Francisco City Guides runs more than 30 free walking tours. Do other cities have similar programs?

You bet. Here's a sampling:

· Berlin. The New Berlin Free Tour (011-49-30-252-93-460, http://www.newberlintours.com/) spends 3 1/2 hours exploring the German capital's top sites, such as Brandenburg Gate.

· Tokyo. The Tokyo City Guide Club leads two-hour tours of the city, stopping at Meiji Shrine, Omotesando and Harajuku. Info: 011-81-90-111-01-684, http://tcgc.5.pro.tok2.com/english.

· New York. Manhattan has a slew of free tours. For example, the Central Park Conservancy Walking Tour Program (212-310-6600, http://www.centralparknyc.org/thingstodo/walkingtours) organizes 10 park tours, including "The Castle and Its Kingdom."

· Chicago. Every Saturday, Hostelling International Chicago leads tours of downtown. The tour lasts an hour and a half, but you can stick around longer to ask the guide for sightseeing tips. Info: 312-360-0300, http://www.hichicago.org/.