Ask The Post

K.C. Summers

This Week: K.C. Summers , editor of the Travel section, was online Wednesday, June 12 at Noon ET to field your questions about The Post's coverage of destinations, deals and the latest tips for travelers.

Read more in Travel .

The transcript follows.

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K.C. Summers: Hi everyone, thanks for tuning in. Let's get right to it.

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Washington, D.C.: A friend of mine who lives in Denver and I are trying to get to Croatia this summer. Any idea on whether it will be possible to get a plane ticket for under $1000?

K.C. Summers: Summer travel to Europe is impossible right now, and the bargains are few. Also, Croatia's not easy to get to from the U.S. in the best of times. You might consider flying to a European gateway like London or Dublin and flying a budget airline from there to Croatia. Aer Lingus now flies from Dublin to Dubrovnik, and Easyjet goes to Split. Check out this Web site: Attitude Travel

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New York, N.Y.: Hi K.C., First, keep up the great work on Travel. Loved the recent piece on Namibia...when a piece like that runs from a far away place, is that a case of you trying to find someone in Namibia to write it, or does the local approach you? Too bad he missed Shiloh!

K.C. Summers: Thanks, NY. All I can think of when I hear the name Shiloh is that great Phyllis Reynolds Naylor book about the beagle... In this case, it was perfect timing: We wanted to do a piece on this country that is suddenly in the spotlight, and the writer, based in South Africa, approached us with a pitch. For other far-away places, we'll either travel there ourselves, or track down a stringer or freelancer to go get the story.

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Buyout blues: I read in The Post in the last week that a bunch of senior writers are taking some kind of early retirement plan. How many are out the door? Are the (presumably) young and cheap replacements gonna be any good?

K.C. Summers: Okay, a little off-topic... First of all, no one on the Travel staff has taken the buyout (actually we're a pretty youthful bunch in Travel, excluding yours truly). About 70 newsroom employees decided to take advantage of the early retirement offer. We'll be filling many of the slots from within, so yes, the replacements will be of high quality.

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Silver Spring, Md.: I've noticed that most of the articles in the Travel section are staff-written. Do you strongly prefer to use writers from The Washington Post, or are you open to freelance submissions?

K.C. Summers: We're open to freelance submissions (see above) but I have to say that because we receive so many, the chances of getting accepted are pretty small. We do read all stories that are submitted to us, though. My best advice for getting accepted is to read the section to familiarize yourself with the types of stories we run and the sorts of approaches we like to take. Good luck!

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Blogosphere, BL: The Post seems to be adding several dozen new blogs a day. What's the screening process? Does anyone not get a blog?

K.C. Summers: You should direct those questions to the editor of washingtonpost.com, Jim Brady. I know the blogs draw a lot of traffic to the Web site and that they try to cover a wide range of subjects, but I'm sure the site is very picky.

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Alexandria, Va.: I heard recently that Southwest Airlines had requested gates at Washington's Dulles airport. Has that been officially approved? And if so, when would that go into effect? Thanks!

K.C. Summers: Yes, it's approved; Southwest will take over the gates of the late lamented Independence Air, and that's great news for those of us Virginians who hate that drive out to BWI. Service is supposed to start in the fall and it'll be something like 10 flights a day to start with.

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Washington, D.C.: Hi K.C. (if I may call you that)-

I recently took a trip that involved a USAirways flight that was re-routed on my outbound leg. That also involved changing my car rental, which meant a significant increase in the cost of that rental. Do airlines ever reimburse flyers for such increases?

Thanks!

K.C. Summers: Hi Wash. Well, you can ask. Seems like customer complaints against the airlines are at an all-time high (based on the feedback we get from readers), but they will sometimes respond favorably if you state your complaint calmly and tell them what kind of compensation you're looking for. I wouldn't expect much, though.

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Arlington, Va.: Hi K.C., First, hats off to Elliot Hannon for the terrific piece on Namibia two Sundays ago! Great article, great writer.

My question: How many fans are expected to flood into Germany for the World Cup this month? Are flight prices sky high or are there any last-minute deals floating around? Also, how worried should I be about violence?

Thanks so much for taking my question.

K.C. Summers: Another Namibia fan! Glad you liked the piece. As for the World Cup, yes, definitely sky-high prices, and no deals floating around that we're aware of. Re crime, we report in this week's Coming and Going column that the largest security risk for travelers isn't terrorism but petty crime and violence by crazed soccer fans and neo-Nazis. The U.K. has banned 3,000 known soccer hooligans from traveling to Germany during the games, but the risk management company iJet warns that violence is still possible around England's matches, and around Baden-Baden, the training site for the English team.

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Hoboken, N.J.: How did the folks on your staff end up there? Did they work in other sections of the newspaper before landing what seem to be the very fun jobs of travel writers?

K.C. Summers: Yes, we've all paid our dues and worked in other sections of the paper for years and years. Staff writer Cindy Loose is an old Metro section pro; Gary Lee reported from Moscow and Berlin and also worked as a National reporter; John Deiner and I were editors in the Style section, and I started out on Weekend; Andrea Sachs has had stints on the Sports and Foreign desks; Carol Sottili toiled long nights in Sports. I think Steve Hendrix is only reporter on the staff who came to us from the outside, and he was a longtime freelancer for us before we hired him. We do have fun, but we also work very hard!

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Clifton, Va.: Hi K.C., My husband and I will celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary next year and we would like to go to Italy. We will have about 10 days and would like to have some time near the water...how does one begin a process like this??? Thanks.

K.C. Summers: You've got some time so I'd start by clipping travel articles from newspapers and magazines about the places you'd like to go. Definitely check our free archives, where you can access Travel stories for the past five or six years (from the Post home page, click Arts and Living, then Travel; then scroll down to Travel Archive.) All of our stories have practical boxes with information on hotels, restaurants, tours, etc, with prices and contact info, so they're a wealth of information. It can be fun to go to a good travel bookstore and just get inspired by what's on the shelves (Candida's in D.C. is great for this).

If you'd rather use a tour operator, spend some time online to see what's out there (check with the Better Business Bureau for a pattern of complaints before forking over any dough). And don't forget travel agents -- if you find a good one, they're well worth the money and can be very helpful, especially with complicated itineraries.

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Bowie, Md.: K.C., I'd like to get away to the Caribbean this summer, but after seeing Al Gore's movie I'm leery of hurricane season. Are the storms getting worse? Will getting washed out of a vacation become more common?

K.C. Summers: You're smart to be concerned about this. I just saw the Gore movie too and it seriously made me reconsider my summer plans! But there are a lot of bargains to the Caribbean in summer, so it's hard to resist. One option is to buy travel insurance (read the fine print to make sure your policy covers hurricanes). Another is to choose your island wisely. For example the so-called ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao (which we wrote about last week -- check our archives) are much less prone to hurricanes because of their southern location. The Bahamas, on the other hand, are hit frequently. So do some research first.

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Unleaded City: With gas prices on the up up up, any tips for those of us who want to drive to getaway spots this summer? Are there places close by that don't feel like they're close by?

K.C. Summers: Boy are there ever. We recently launched a new series, Trips on a Tank, that highlights regional trips you can take on one tank of gas or less. Check our archives for some great ideas, including Oxford, Md., on the Eastern Shore; Petersburg, Va., a Civil War town south of Richmond with a great historical park and revitalized downtown; and Berkeley Springs, W.Va., where you can soak in the same spa as George Washington. We are really lucky in D.C. to have such a great variety of day trips nearby.

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Arlington, Va.: Always wondered why the travel section wasn't a little more hardhitting, as it seems there are plenty of travel scams to investigate. Is your section a refuge for people who see themselves as travelers, not journalists? It seems odd to me. Thanks.

K.C. Summers: We most definitely see ourselves as journalists and we take great pride in the many articles we run investigating travel scams and questionable products. It's our mission to alert readers to travel rip-offs and misleading claims. Our weekly consumer column, Coming and Going, is a refuge for aggrieved consumers and keeps close tabs on the airlines and big booking sites. We put travel Web sites to the test regularly, making sure they do what they claim to do. Our deals column sifts through dozens of alleged bargains every week, doing the math to make sure that those fantastic deals you see advertised are indeed bargains.

We also know that our readers crave advice and inspiration about places to go, so we try to provide a mix of consumer and destination pieces. But our consumer focus is also obvious in our destination stories -- you won't find fluffy articles about five-star hotels in our pages.

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Norfolk, Va.: I'm hoping to visit Paris for 2 weeks with my family sometime in the next year. Could you recommend any good sources for locating short-term rental apartments there? Do you have any favorite neighborhoods you could suggest too? Thanks for your help.

K.C. Summers: One of our recent articles on Paris recommended using Craigslist for short-term rentals, so you could give that a try. Apparently the Paris site is pretty strong. We also vetted a couple of agencies in a piece we did last winter devoted to just that subject -- I'll try to dig up a link to that and post it.

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Alexandria, Va.: Hi K.C.,

Any plans for a Travel blog soon?

K.C. Summers: As a matter of fact we've been talking to the Web site about that. We'd love to do it, as it seems that our weekly online chat isn't enough sometimes to get the news out. So stay tuned.

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Washington, D.C.: With so many traveling with medications, AARP put together this tip sheet to prepare in advance for safe and healthy trips. We hope you can share this with your readers.

THINK AHEAD WHEN TRAVELING WITH YOUR MEDICATIONS

Washington DC-Memorial Day marks the beginning of a busy travel season. It's not the delayed flight or back-up on the interstate that can spoil your vacation-but not carefully considering your medications when traveling. Swimsuit, sun screen, and medications-check!

In a study of AARP members, 3 out of 4 (72per cent) have taken a trip at least 50 miles or more from their home involving an overnight stay.

According to AARP Board Member Dr. Byron Thames, who provides occupational health consulting for companies that send many employees overseas, such as Lockheed Martin and Seimens Westinghouse, "Medications are a lifeline for many travelers. But safely transporting them is most often last on peoples' packing lists." Dr. Thames has some simple tips for traveling safely with medications:

Carry on-getting separated from your luggage can be a drag, but it can turn into a matter of life or death when critical medications are in that lost suitcase. Pack your medicine in a carry-on bag.

Carry an extra week's supply of your medications in the event your travel arrangements change.

Keep your medication in the original containers. This will make it easier for customs officials to inspect. And if you have a medical emergency, it is easier to determine what medications you have been taking.

If you take narcotic prescription drugs or travel with needles, ask your doctor to provide you with a letter explaining the reason why you have those drugs and paraphernalia. This is especially helpful with customs officials.

Some countries have different regulations about the types of medicines that can be brought in. Some over-the-counter drugs may be considered a controlled substance in other countries, e.g. medicines containing the painkiller codeine. Contact the appropriate embassy before you travel to check whether your medication is acceptable.

If your medicine needs to be stored and kept cool, it may be useful to take a small insulated container (lunch-pack) with you.

Keep a list or record of all the medications you take and the condition it treats in the event you need medical attention while away from home.

Travel with your prescription script just in case your medicine gets lost or stolen and you need to replace it. Have your doctor include the brand and generic version.

AARP has a "Personal Medication Record" form, a handy reference for you to list all the medicines, including prescription, over-the-counter drugs, and dietary supplements that you take. It will help you keep track of what you're taking, the reason for use, the form the medication is in, the dose, how much to take and when, and any special directions. You can order a free record from AARP at 1-888-OUR-AARP. You can also download a copy or make an online record at www.aarp.org/usingmeds

AARP Media Relations

K.C. Summers: Happy to post this -- there are some good tips here.

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washingtonpost.com: Flat Sweet Flat , ( Post, Oct. 16, 2006 )

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Washington, D.C.: I'd like to try my hand at travel writing. Got any "must read" books on the topic?

K.C. Summers: Can't really recommend any books. My best advice is like Nike's, just do it. But first, study articles that you admire and try to figure out what makes them successful. Then make sure you have a theme, an angle, beyond "my trip to X." Try for an original approach and don't forget humor and conflict. Put people in your stories and use quotes. There's my short course.

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Annandale, Va.: There's been some back and forth--both in the travel letters section on the regular Monday chats--between families interested in travel and those interested in travel without kids (or more to the point, interested in travelling without any reminder that humans are not born directly into adulthood).

As the Travel editor, where do you come down on this issue, which seemed to spring from the article on taking a child to Paris? I'm in the middle--as a parent, I can't imagine spending the money to take a pre-schooler to Paris, but I'm not prepared to take a family vacation without my family, either.

An aside: The best family vacation we've had together was taking a 2 1/2 year old on a trip to Iowa. Lots of neat museums and other sites that aren't overcrowded, and significantly fewer people who seem to think that children are the spawn of the devil.

K.C. Summers: Well, we try to have a range of articles for all types of travelers -- parents, childless, adventure, luxury, old, frugal, etc. And it seems pretty obvious to me that if you're not interested in a given story, DON'T READ IT. Look for another one that interests you. One reader commented that even though she didn't have kids, she saved the Paris piece because it had great suggestions for cool stuff to do -- with or without kids.

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Washington, D.C.: My sister really wants to visit London - hopefully sometime later this year. What's the best time to go (i.e cheapest) but a season when we won't get rained on the whole time. Also, are there suburb cities that are cheaper to stay in so we can cab into London?

K.C. Summers: Not summer, but you knew that, right? The weather's always kind of iffy in London -- I spent the coldest July of my life there two summers ago -- but I think late spring is pretty safe bet. I'm a huge fan of traveling in the off season, and you can get some get some great sales then, plus the crowds are less. Just take a raincoat.

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Poor Studentville: I just got accepted into a summer program in London and now I need to get there cheap. I know all the usual Web sites to find cheap tix, but how do I know when to buy for the best deal? In the last few days fares (including taxes) have hovered around $900 (way more than I expected to pay). This morning I found a fare for $800. Should I buy now? Wait and see if fares drop further? Any general tips for the best times to buy airfare online? I've got a few days wiggle room and am even willing to fly out of NY or into another English city if it'll save me some cash. Do airlines have secret student deals perhaps? Any advice to help me through this draconian system would be much obliged.

K.C. Summers: Summer travel to Europe is really impossible -- a theme of this chat! If you've got to get there in summer, I would snap up that $800 fare. Fares are not going to drop anytime this summer.

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K.C. Summers: We're out of time -- I'm so sorry I couldn't get to all your questions. I invite everyone to sign on to our regular Travel section chat, Mondays at 2 p.m. -- the whole section is usually on board then and we can blast through a lot more questions. Thanks for this great discussion!

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Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.