Talk About Travel

Trip Tips and Deals

The Post's Travel Section Flight Crew will take your comments, questions, suspicions, warnings, gripes, sad tales and happy endings springing from the world of ... the world. Of course, the Flight Crew will be happy to answer your travel questions -- but the best thing about this forum, we insist, is that it lets travelers exchange information with other travelers who've been there, done that or otherwise have insights, ideas and information to share. Different members of the Crew will rotate through the captain's chair every week, but the one constant is you, our valued passengers.

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You may also browse an archive of previous live travel discussions.

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Cindy Loose: Welcome to travel chat. For parents sending kids back to school today, it seems like fall, and like we should be thinking about where to go on the long Thanksgiving weekend.

Those of you without school age kids or younger should be thinking---finally, the families are stuck at home, hotel rates and airfares will be dropping, let's go.

If we can help with ideas or planning, we'll be pleased to do so. If we can't, we hope other chatters can help. So send you questions, and answers, this way. At some point I'll award a 2007 desk calendar that each day features a destination from the book "1,000 Places to See Before you Die," which must be a pretty good book given it's popularity despite the dreadful, depressing title. If I say you've won, you must email your name and address to loosec@washpost.com.

I, Cindy Loose, am your host today, and am joined by editor K.C. Summers, Steve Hendrix, Gary Lee, Andrea Sachs and Carol Sottili.

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Flying to Canada this weekend: I am flying to Canada this weekend and wanted to ask what the restrictions are for bringing back liquid items such as maple syrup and liquor given the new restrictions. Thanks!

Cindy Loose: You can put liquids in your checked luggage, although I'd pack carefully---a broken bottle of maple syrup in your luggage would be unpleasant.

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Chicago, Ill: Hey crew! For the chatter last week inquiring about Air Asia. I flew them several times last year between Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Bangkok and Singapore. Here's a few pointers from my trip. Think Southwest on steriods but without the A, B & C seating. You can only go to the gate waiting area when they open it but you can mill around the airport shops past security until then. You will all of a sudden see people lining up in the holding area. GET IN LINE AS SOON AS YOU SEE THIS, otherwise, you'll probably end up in the middle seat or back of the plane. People will push to get in front of you. You will pay for any food or beverage on the plane. BUT the flights are cheap, cheap, cheap. The flight attendants are friendly and welcoming. You will get to your destination on time unless weather delays you. They have the fastest turnaround of any airline I've seen. They are proof that getting from point A to point B doesn't have to be expensive.

Andrea Sachs: Thanks for the frontline report. Much appreciated.

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Springfield, Va: First, my condolences to the family and friends from yesterday's crash. Obviously there is plenty of talk about how this might have happened, but I want to address something else. Even though the flight was a Comair flight, Delta has attempted to distance itself (through limited public statements (website, news releases)) etc., which I find a little insulting. Everyone on that plane bought a "Delta" ticket and Delta was all over the interior and exterior of the plane. I just think there should have been more of a hands on approach. Why wasn't the Delta CEO in Lexington?

Cindy Loose: I think the CEO of Delta, as you indicate in your comments, probably didn't want to be associated with bad things.

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Washington, D.C.: I would like to take my sister to the Hershey Hotel and Spa for a "milestone" birthday. I read Cindy's review (from 5 years ago) and it sounded wonderful, but I have also read more recent reviews which made the experience sound "not so wonderful" and not worth the expense. We would be going during the week in late October or November so I don't expect there to be many families there since Hersheypark will be closed. Any input from recent visitors would be appreciated.

Cindy Loose: As you mention, my trip to the spa at the Hotel Hershey there was five years ago. Has anyone out there gone more recently?

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Denver, Colo: Thinking of going to Rio this year for Thanksgiving. We were considering going with Gate1, but their hotel options are mostly along Copacabana beach, which I understand is kind of an iffy area. Do you have any advice on Rio in terms of places to stay? Are we better off trying to stay around Ipanema? Thanks.

Gary Lee: You're lucky to be headed to Rio. I would not totally rule out Cococabana. The area along the beach is nice and fairly well policed, at least in my experience. I have stayed in decent places away from the beach in Coco and they were fine and pretty safe, too. It's mostly a matter of how well you look out for danger.

Still, it's true that if you're seriously worried about crime, you're probably slightly better off in Ipanema.

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Washington, DC: Observation and Question: Drove back from Ohio yesterday,

seems like there are tons of RVs on the road, more than I've

seen other summers! My question -- what do other readers

set their cruise controls to when taking a long drive? I

generally go 79mph in the boonies, and 74mph if near any

development (and within the limit in city type areas). I was

passing people, and being passed, but I wonder what the

norm is.

Steve Hendrix: What a good question. I set my cruze con at exactly 9.75 miles above the speed limit, under the venerable theory that they won't bust you until you tip 10 miles over. (I even had a Penn State Patroler flatly tell me that recently). If conditions, um, require me to go any faster, I do it off cruise control.

That's interesting about the RV sightings. We have two contrary trends at work here: a continuing boom in RV-ing and soaring gas prices. Looks like the RV trends is winningo out. Why am I not surprised?

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Alexandria, Va.: While I generally enjoy Joel Achenbach's humor, I have to say that I thought that it was a mistake to run his story in the Travel section as the feature story. It was just painful to read about his missteps, and I would rather have seen a truly informative article in its place.

KC Summers: Thanks for your feedback. Travel articles can take many forms, and we like to provide a variety of them -- including humor. It seemed like a good choice for an August issue. Everyone may not approve of Joel's travel methodology (no big surprise there) but we thought it was fun to read about his travails. Anyone else have thoughts on this?

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Hollywood, Md: My husband and I are driving from southern Maryland to Tucson toward the end of the year (say sometime between November and January), returning about a month later. We want to maximize our time in the Southwest. But can you or readers suggest the best route(s), plus things to see/places to go along the way that won't be too meandering? Many thanks for your suggestions.

Cindy Loose: We're hoping someone else can tell Hollywood about driving from her to Tucson. Only thing I can say is that while you're in the neighborhood consider checking out Bandolier National Park, and the Taos area.

Any roadtrippers have ideas of routes and such?

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Croatia: So my trip is in just two weeks and I'm counting down the days - Have any of you visited Makarska? I've heard it's got the best beach on the Adriatic. Also, is it possible to do Hvar as a day trip from Split (or even another city)? We'll be renting a car and don't want to bother with the car on the ferry. Thanks!

KC Summers: One thing we can always count on in this chat and that's our weekly Croatia question(s)! Popular destination. We haven't checked out Makarska, so let's see if anyone out there can help. Re doing Hvar as a day trip from Split, I wouldn't recommend doing it as a day trip. It's really easy to put the car on the ferry, so I'd stay a couple of days at least to get a chance to slip into the slower rhythm of the island.

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Washington, DC: My fiance and I are planning our honeymoon, and people have told us that all-inclusive trips are the best value. However, we were also told that part of the price of an all-inclusive is for unlimited alcohol.

For non-drinkers like us, are there all-inclusive packages out there that do not include alcohol (and thus, are cheaper)? If so, where can I find them?

Carol Sottili: Most all-inclusive resorts include booze in the price. I don't know that they are a good value for those who don't drink. There are a few places that offer a meal plan without booze, but they tend to be the mom-and-pop inns/hotels. An exception is Atlantis in the Bahamas, which offers a meal plan without drinks.

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Arlington, Va: Hi Flight Crew-- I'm on my way to Japan later this week and just wanted to know if anyone had any last minute tips and/or things to see, eat, etc. I loved the budget article you guys did on Tokyo a few weeks ago... I'll be in Tokyo for 6 days and Kyoto and Osaka for 6 days. Any suggestions/ideas a little bit off the beaten path would be great. Thanks!

Gary Lee: It's on the beaten trek but the fish market in Tokyo is a lot of fun. You have to get there by around 4 am to catch the best action; by seven the buyers and sellers are eating sushi breakfasts in one of the surrounding restaurants.

Anyone else have tips for Japan?

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Sterling, Va.: My wife and I will be travelling to Budapest for a little over a week in March. I'm not too familiar with that part of Europe, what would you all recommend that we can't miss? We'd certainly like to take day trips to get out of the city to other areas of Hungary, and were thinking of a day or two in Bratislava as well.

KC Summers: We had a great, fun Budapest story by Jackie Spinner last spring, I'll see if we can come up with a link.

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Silver Spring, Md: Hi there. I've recently come across www.vrbo.com and was really impressed with the accomodations being offered and the prices. Is there anything that should stop me, or even make me wary, of using this site to find a place to stay? Thanks!

Gary Lee: It's stronger in some regions (continental Europe) than others, but in general I think this is one of the best sites out there for affordablle vacation rentals. No reason I can think of not to trust what you see.

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Del Ray, Va: Hi there, I'm wondering if the Argentina expert is in today? I have several questions in case anyone can help. Is September or May a better time to visit? I know it will be cold in Patagonia in either month. Potential itinerary is Buenos Aires, Bariloche, and either Calafate or Ushuaia. Any recommendatios between the two? And, is it better to use a travel agent for this trip, or try to do it myself, as I usually do? Thanks!!!

Cindy Loose: As far as weather goes, May and Sept. will be pretty similar in Buenos Aires--ranging from high 40s to mid 60s-- and average rainfall is also about the same.

Sorry, I'm not familiar with Calafate or Ushuaia---any one out there who can compare the two?

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Baltimore, Md: For the Tucson-bound: I suggest a loop. Take the northern route in November (I-81 to I-40 through TN, AR, OK, TX, NM, and into AZ). Both I-81 and I-40 allow you to jump off and explore Route 11, the Blue Ridge Parkway or the "mother road" Route 66 at points. Then returning, stay south and take I-10 all the way to the east coast, or I-20 in TX through Dallas, through LA, MS, GA, etc. Have fun!

Cindy Loose: Thanks.

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Chicago, Ill: Hi, all, love your chats! I have had a lifelong dream of taking a safari to Africa. I've read all the WaPo articles on safaris I could find, but the operators listed seem to be more directed to ultra-luxury private tours of West Africa. I'm more interested in a small-group tour of South Africa (Krueger plus Botswana, perhaps).

I'm reluctant to call a travel agent because I fear they'll just sign me up with any old tour operator rather than admit they don't really know about safaris. And I've looked at tons of tour websites but I don't want to book directly over the internet because that just seems shady.

Please help!

Andrea Sachs: Safaris are pricey, but they won't leave you bankrupt. At some public parks, you can camp out or stay in simple accommodations and drive around in your own vehicle. However, you'll have a more thorough experience at a private lodge, whose price includes daily wildlife drives and talks, meals and lodging (plus the drivers know where to scout for animals). Often at the lodges, the jeeps only fit five to seven people, so you won't be traveling en masse.

I found the South African tourism folks to be extremely helpful with ideas; their Web site also has a list of tour operators that includes those catering to smaller groups (see www.safrica.info). (Remember, though, often smaller groups are more expensive than larger ones.) I have also had good luck with 2Afrika (www.2afrika.com), whose owner Ken is from South Africa. The New Jersey company even has safari specials, plus loads of first-hand information.

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Bethesda, Md: Good morning Flight Crew, I am thinking about a European cruise next year and I have a couple of questions. We would be flying into Rome and going from there. Is there a best time of the year to go? I want to go in May for my birthday but can be flexible if needed. I was told not to go in summer because of the heat and crowds. Also, who would I get a better deal from a travel agent or booking directly with the cruise line? Do I have to book soon if I want to go in May? (The cruise line is saying I should book now) Thanks for your help and I love your chats!!

Carol Sottili: May is a nice month on the Med. It can get a little cool in evening, but not very. Rain is usually not an issue. As for travel agent vs. cruise line: The cruise lines, just like the airlines, are trying to get consumers to book directly through them. That said, they still cut deals with travel agents in order to get their product sold. So you need to shop it around. A good site to see what travel agents are offering is www.cruisecompete.com. As for booking soon, depends. If you want a specific cabin that may be in short supply, yes. If not, no.

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Brisbane, Queenslan, Australia: We are looking a 2 week road trip from Baltimore, Carlise PA, Des Moines, Buffalo, Boston.

Q1 Is it doable.(In Australia we drive 1,000km for a party on Saturday night).

Q2 How much would the weather vary?

Thanks

Larry

Steve Hendrix: Gosh, Briz, you do that loop in two days if you really wanted, much less two weeks, given your Western Australia training. Seriously, except for the Des Moines thrust, you're talking about a relatively limited northeastern corridor itinerary. (400 miles north from Balto to Boston, about the same west to Buffalo, ). Adding Des Moines gives you 2,000 mile side trip. But apportion your time a bit and you'll have no problem.

The weather? Depends on time of year, of course, but it will be pretty uniform for the eastern leg of your loop, at least, although colder in Buffalo (Ask someone about the "Lake Effect" when you get there).

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Washington, DC: Please disregard earlier question on eye drops. TSA has updated their web site and says up to 4 fl oz. allowed.

Other question - Do you advise arriving at Reagan National more than 2 hours in advance of domestic flight departure time this Friday? I'm checking baggage. Thanks.

Cindy Loose: Yes, rules changing so quickly on the liquid stuff that it's good to look for the latest news.

As to the two hour thing----two hours for a domestic flight will usually do it at Reagan, but it does depend somewhat on where you're going and what time of day. To be safe, ask the airline for specifics.

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re: Cruise Control: Driving a Honda Civic (non-hybrid), I experiment the speeding conditions to maximize the car's gas usage - especially for long trips. My standard MO for long trips is to set my cruise control to the Speed Limit minus 5. This way, I'm less likely to use my brakes to slow down, and big bonus, I usually get 45 miles to the gallon!

Steve Hendrix: Yeah but, like, you're going SLOWER than you have to.

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Driving in France: Hubby and I are vacationing for two weeks in Provence. Using Aix as our base (renting an apartment there) and planning day-trips from there. We had -planned- on renting a car, as we'd heard that the region was quite drivable. After reading Joel Achenbach's Road Trip article yesterday, now I'm a bit leary!

So, are we crazy for what we're planning to do?

Anything I should know about renting a car in France? Both of us drive stick on a daily basis - no problem there. We have lots of maps, too. How much is the extra insurance they always try to sell you in the US, and is it worth it in France? (We always decline it in the US.)

KC Summers: You're not crazy. Remember, that was Joel. And his big beef with French road trips was not the roads or the signage or anything like that, but the lack of easily accessible roadside motels (he really had a hard time finding them, even with directions), his own bad taste in motels (which he admitted upfront) and, of course, his own lack of planning, which he also freely admitted. So, go for it!

Re extra insurance, check with your credit card company before you rent. Some high-end cards do protect you on international rentals.

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washingtonpost.com: Hungary: May I Please Have Some More? , (March 20, 2005)

KC Summers: For the Budapest bound. Thanks Kim!

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Washington, D.C.: You had an article on Sunday about dining in Portland, Maine. We plan to spend our anniversary there early next month. Which restaurant would you recommend for our anniversary dinner?

Cindy Loose: Hard one, but my first try would be to see if Fore Street has a reservation in the smaller of it's two rooms. (The big room feel more like a first date kinda place, kinda noisy and fun as opposed to romantic, but the food is great and the "other" room in the place is more mellow.) If they won't guarantee where the table will be--and they are so popular it might be tough to get a reseration on short notice on a weekend--then I'd try 555--but check out their menu first. I loved the ambiance, but the menu is limited.

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Re: Budapest: For day trips you can head to Szentendre, which is a cute little town along the Danube. There is a local train that goes there - it only takes about 45 minutes to get there, but you can easily spend the day walking around if the weather is nice. Check out the Kovacs Margit Muzeum in Szentendre - great ceramic art. Another good day trip is to Esztergom, in the Danube bend north of Budapest. It's a little further away, but still manageable in a day. In Budapest you should check out the Muvesz coffee shop, just across the street from the Opera House. Great pastries and ambience - even with the unfriendly waitresses!

KC Summers: Ah, great advice for our Budapest traveler. Thanks much.

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Silver Spring, Md: Hi-- the attempts to prohibit any carryons on airplanes (with the explanation that passengers could listen to the onboard music/videos instead of bringing reading material), made me wonder why airplanes do not provide closed captioning, or regular captioning on their movies and videos? Isn't that required under the ADA? Some movie theaters have closed captioning.

Otherwise, the movies and videos are not very accessible to deaf and hearing-impaired passengers. The earphones or earjacks do not work with hearing aids.

Thanks!

Steve Hendrix: What an excellent observation. It would be easy to execute, as most DVDs come with subtitles pre-loaded. Maybe they'd get too many complaints from others if they put subtitles on those tiny screens. (One side effect: It would make it harder for people to ignore the movie. I just flew internationally and gave both movies a pass: Fun With Dick and Jane and RV. But I still found myself following the action for long stretches even without headphones. Having subtitles would REALLY suck me in).

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If I'm nice...: and provide help, can I get in the running for the book?

for Hollywood- for Nov-Jan driving, you'll probably want to go south, not north, to avoid ice/snow. Think US 64 to KY, then south via Arkansas & Texas. Stop in Amarillo and eat 72 oz steak, and try 10,000 waves Japanese spa outside of Santa Fe.

for Japan- day trips from Tokyo- Kamakura- centruries old temples/shrines; Mt Fuji via rail and lake trip. If you expect to travel by rail alot, consider Japan rail pass- you have to buy before you leave. Also electroics district and plastic food district in Tokyo- good walking tours. Check Amazon for other books on walking tours.

In the running?

Cindy Loose: Sure, you want it, send me your address.

Thanks for the advice.

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Philadelphia, Pa.: I know there are codes somewhere, so that when booking a flight the person booking the flight already knows my preferences for seating. What is the code for "seat next to the fattest person on the flight" and how do I get the code removed?

KC Summers: Now, now.

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S. Rockville, Md: Re: RVing this summer: While I may get less than stellar gas mileage on the road, I get to sleep in a familiar bed every night, where it's cheaper than all but the most inexpensive hotel rooms, I'm not continually packing and unpacking on an extended road trip, I can cook meals or make sandwiches if I don't want to go out for eat to spend all that money on meals out for the family, I don't have to worry about carrying on liquids because I'm my own TSA agent. You can stick to the airports, the airlines and their high prices; I'll stick to the highways and campgrounds

Steve Hendrix: I see the appeal, Rockville.

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Hamburg?: I have a 4 hour layover in Hamburg between flights (on different airlines) and will have to clear customs, get my bags and recheck them. Do any of you have any experience w/ the Hamburg airport - will this be enough time?

Also, I'll be back in Hamburg by 3pm the day before my flight back to the US - any recommendations for the afternoon / evening?

Thanks.

Gary Lee: Assuming your flights are on time, four hours should be enough for all that. It's not a huge airport and is pretty easy to get around in.

I am not sure these days what's currently hot for evenings in Hamburg but one of the nicest pasttimes in good weather during the day is to take a walk around the Alster, the small lake in the middle of the city

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Airlines to Denver: Flight Crew!

I'm having difficulty finding direct flights from DCA to Denver. Do any airlines fly directly there? If not, I found a somewhat reasonable fare for Frontier Airlines, but have never flown them before. Have you had good or bad experiences with them?

Thanks!

Gary Lee: I have flown Frontier from DCA to Denver. It was a very positive experience, mostly because the staff were unusally friendly and professional.

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US Airways Customer, Not Necessarily Again: Some time ago, there was a US Airways executive who did one of these chats who promised there would be an update on the website reservations. They acknowledge that often when one gets to the point where one makes an onsite reservation, the site dies. This then forces you, after you've done most of the work yourself, to pay an extra $10 to make the reservation you want by phone. I have also argued that US Air has no incentive to update this system as they get extra $10 charges from the system dying, and we customers are getting the short end of this.

I recently had to make a reservation by phone and now am upset with the return flight. I thought I asked for a return flight on "Sunday" and I thought I heard the person with a thick accent state I had a reservation to return on "Sunday". When I arrived at the airport on Sunday, I was told my reservation was for Monday.

I now have another suggestion for US Air: when you print the trip information when someone flies, please also print out the return information. That will give us time to make any corrections at the beginning of our trip. As you know, I then had to pay another $100 to change my schedule, despite my belief that the mistake was made on the part of a US Air employee. Again, though, was is the incentive for US Air to improve the system when they gain financially from their mistakes? If they book us on the right flight, we have to pay to correct their mistake.

What then happened really surprised me. They actually said my being a "preferred" customer was working against me as the system automatically places me on a wait list for first class. Because of this, they had trouble re-booking my flight. After watching three employees huddle for about 15 minutes, they announced they rebooked me for a flight that left several hours after the flight I thought I was going to leave on.

After I entered the terminal, I asked at the gate if there was room on the plane I thought I was going to fly on. They stated there was, but since I had already checked my bags through, they couldn't change my flight. So, I had to wait for the later flight (which was overbooked, which ironically wound up costing US Air money to give out free roundtrips to people willing to fly later.) What really surprised me was when I arrived, I found my bags had gone on the earlier flight, which had had room for me. I could have been saved the inconvenience of waiting and US Air could have saved money from overbooking if their systems worked properly and the gate could have been told to allow me to fly on the earlier flight as it already had my bags.

In sum, my question, not that anyone knows at this time: when is US Airways going to get its act together and have a properly working communications system?

Carol Sottili: Ouch. What a comedy of errors. In US Airways' defense, I don't think it has a corner on this market. Every airline has its fair share of horror stories. But most recent government stats show that US Airways has more complaints than most - 1.64 per 100,000 passenger flights in June 2006.

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Japan tips: Maybe everyone already knows these, but: you'll have to take off your shoes when you go inside, so bring slip-on walking shoes; and bring a handkerchief or bandanna to use for drying your hands in public restrooms.

Gary Lee: Much thanks.

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Bel Air, Md: My mom has been to the Hotel Hershey spa a few times over the last 2-3 years and has given it rare reviews, FWIW.

My question - my brother works for the State department and is currently living in Nepal. I might have an opportunity next year to go over and stay with them for two weeks or so. The cost of the flight is a bit prohibitive for me and I'm wondering if it would be worth it. Part of me thinks it would be fascinating - I've never been outside the US - but another part of me thinks it would be nicer to spend that money on a more traditional overseas destination, like Europe. Any adivce?

Cindy Loose: Thanks re Hershey.

As to Nepal versus Europe----I think you need to do a little online shopping for hotels and such and do a guesstimate of how much it would cost you to visit Europe on your own. Then figure out how much it would cost you to not just get to Nepal, but to do some things while you're there that make the trip more than a trip to see bro's living room.

If there is a major price difference, then you may decide to go with the cheaper option. If Europe in fact isn't much cheaper--taht would be my guess once you figure in what you've save on hotels, meals, transfers from the airport assuming your bro will pick you up etc.-- then go to Nepal if A. you can afford the airfare and still have money left over for travel within the country and B. have your brother's assurance that he can take time out to show you around. There's nothing like seeing a place with someone close who knows their way around.

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Richmond, Va: One note about VRBO.com: They mostly don't accept credit card, which can make transactions difficult. We recently booked a vacation home in Provence on VRBO.com, and the owner required us to wire the Euros to her in two installments. We found that, for some reson, some of the local banks were not adept at wiring foreign money, and also, there was approximately a $40 fee for each wire.

Gary Lee: Good point. Which gives me the opportunity to add that before booking you should do the requisite research about the property; asking for references of folks who have stayed there is always a good idea.

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Fairfax, Va: We're on our way to Rome in a couple of weeks and have a tight connection in Munich. Before we leave, I'd like to review a terminal map with gate locations --I've heard that there are two separate terminals. Most website links show the transportation routes around the airport. Where can I find a link to a Munich airport terminal map with gate numbers and locations?

Andrea Sachs: I looked all over the Web and could not find a Munich airport map for you (the airport's site did not have detailed maps). My best idea is to contact your airline, since many airline magazines have terminal maps in their inflight magazines, plus the agents should have this info at their fingertips (though gates can change at any moment). Or, if you can wait, ask upon boarding --since you'll have at least six hours to plot out your terminal route.

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Hershey Spa: I was there and stayed at the Hotel Hershey in November of last year. It is a very nice stately hotel. The rooms are wonderful with very comfortable beds and turn down service with hershey kisses left on your bed. The spa treatments are very nice, and the atsmophere is very relaxing. I will say that I have better facials at other spa's, but I would definatley go for the overall experience and relaxation.

Cindy Loose: Thanks re Hershey

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Lancaster, Pa: For the chatter asking about the Hotel Hershey and the Chocolate Spa, I haven't stayed at the hotel, but I was at the spa earlier this summer and it was WONDERFUL. Best spa day I've ever had. Now, it is kind of pricey, but in my opinion, it was definitely worth the splurge.

Cindy Loose: More Hershey reviews......

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Glover Park, Washington, DC: Flight Crew, Thanks for all the great articles and chats every week! Y'all really keep us informed and excited about new places.

My husband and I decided to brave hurricane season and step out in New Orleans for our anniversary in late September.

It's a five day trip and we're staying in the French Quarter. Our plan is to wander around, eat and ...be merry.

I've never been and it's been 20 years since the hubby's last visit.

Is there anything in particular we can expect? Is crime any more of a concern than it is here in DC?

Any peanuts been there recently?

Steve Hendrix: I wrote an overview of the tourist situation in January, GP, that we'll try to link to. I visited again last June, and while more stuff was open, more progress had been made in the tourists zones, I have to say I think the city overall had a gloomier feel on my second visit than my first. You should go, and you'll find plenty of tourists diversions running at full speed. But New Orleans is hurtin' bad overall. We are not getting this right.

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washingtonpost.com: Is New Orleans Ready for Tourists? , (Jan. 29, 2006)

Steve Hendrix: Here's a look at New Orleans tourism from early this year. As I said above, the tourist zones are improved over this snapshot, but the overall city is stalled. Or worse.

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Washington, DC: Is it possible (in the practical sense) to get individual tourist visas to Libya?

Steve Hendrix: I look into this recently and it was not practically possible to bag a solo tourist visa for Libya. Who knows what you might pull off by working your secret inside angles, but they've opened it up mainly for those working through tour operators.

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What the?: Submitting early - so I was on a United flight last night out of BWI, and one of the last passengers to board was a woman carrying food and a soft drink that she'd clearly just bought at the terminal restaurant. She happily walked down the aisle with a big red 16 oz Coca-Cola cup leading the way. Am I missing something or is that now okay again?

Carol Sottili: No, it's not OK. She slipped through. Here's what happened earlier this month in a similar situation:

LOS ANGELES - An airliner bound for New York was delayed nearly an hour Friday after the crew discovered some passengers had carried on drinks purchased at the airport, and the pilot requested the plane be rechecked by security screeners.

American Airlines Flight 40 was scheduled to leave for John F. Kennedy International Airport at 11 a.m. and was being boarded when the drinks were discovered.

"The passengers were deplaned at the captain's request," said Nancy Castles, a spokeswoman for Los Angeles International Airport. "The liquids were surrendered or tossed or discarded. They conducted a security check of the plane, and the passengers were allowed to come back."

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Atlanta, Ga: To last week's American-in-London: A must weekend trip is to Chester, a gorgeous walled medieval city near Wales. Take the train up on Saturday a.m., back on Sunday p.m.. Be sure to take the walking tour around the city's walls. It's one of our favorite places in the UK. The Chester Grosvenor is an elegant hotel inside the old walls (but pricey); cheaper to stay just outside the walls at a more regular hotel.

Andrea Sachs: Thanks for the great suggestions!

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Bakersfield, Calif: I have been to Mexico many times but I have never rented a car there. Could you please give me the Flight Crew definitive advice for supplemental insurance? And any, besides the obvious, archaeological sites or other interesting places someone might visit when driving around the Yucatan for a week? Thanks a lot

Cindy Loose: I've driven in Mexico many times without a problem, although I do avoid driving at night. So that's number one--to avoid problems try to get where you need to be before dark.

As to insurance---it's expensive, but it's risky not to get it because if you're in an accident and someone is injured, they take all drivers to the police station and if you don't have proof of insurance, you're held at the jail until everything is sorted out. That hasn't prevented me from driving in Mexico without proof that my company and my own insurance company covers rental cars, but I'm figuring if worst comes to worst my editors back here will go to great efforts to get me out of jail. So, if the prospect of hitting someone then sitting in jail waiting until it's all sorted out, then go for the insurance.

In the Yucatan, Tulum is less than an hours from Cancun--it's a Mayan ruin on the ocean. Go another hour or so and you'll reach Coba, a ruin in a more jungle environment. Then of course Chichzen Itza---I might be off on the spelling--is a major ruin but a bit out of the way if you're flying into Cancun.

If you do go to Tulum, consider some of the small hotels in the so-called hotel zone. (go to www.washingtonpost.com, click travel, which will take you into a free trave archive, hit mexico, and look for my story about the hotels there.) There's a very nice hotel right next to Coba where you could spend a night--it's not near anything but Coba. Forget the name but my story should mention it and it's a Club Med property--but not like what you expect of Club Med at all.

If you go to Chichzen Itza, see if you can find the hotel that was built for the origial archeologists. It's been yearssince I was there so I can't remember the name,but it's practically on the grounds ofthe ruins and is very charming.

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Bariloche...: ...the town itself is a little overrun and boring and touristy. Drive about an hour to Villa la Angostura and stay at one of the lovely inns on the lake, stroll through the town, etc.

Cindy Loose: Thanks.

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Portland, Maine dining: Another great place to eat in Portland is Mim's on Commercial Street or Natasha's on Exchange Street. They are "sister" restaurants - Mim's is a bistro and Natasha's has a more Asian inspired menu - the coconut shrimp is to die for!!! They are both delicious, although a little pricey. Both offer outside seating.

Cindy Loose: Thanks. I've also heard great things about the Back Bay Grill. Unfortunately I didn't have enough meals to try every recommended place.

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Upper Marlboro, Md.: For the Tucson travelers, you might want to include a visit to Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas panhandle. It's absolutely gorgeous and the West Texas A&M College in the town of Canyon has a great museum. Just be aware that if you're on the January side of things, you could easily get some snow/ice in the panhandle.

Cindy Loose: Thanks.

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Dreamland: A question for you dreamers: How much would you save before taking off for a year and travelling the globe? Where would you go?

Steve Hendrix: Good question. I wrote a big piece about long-term travelers a few years ago (of the one-year-plus variety), after interviewing dozens of them around the world. As a loose rule of them, they seemed to work by a $10,000-a-year rule, INCLUDING air fare. That was back in 1998. Here's an excerpt:

According to several Travelers, the general rule of thumb is to budget about $10,000 a year. That comes out to about $25 a day, with a few hundred left over for your initial one-way ticket to Bangkok or Lima. Once you've surrendered yourself to the Travelers' sensibilities--you're no longer fazed by toilets with no seats or hotel rooms with no locks--you can live easily on $25 a day. In most developing countries, outside of the big cities, you'll spend half or less on accommodations, $3 to $9 for meals and few centavos for a beer. In many places you'll spend even less, allowing you to build reserves for that $20 cross-country bus ticket or the $50 four-day trek into the jungle.

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Vienna, Va: Can you recommend a portable/chargeable battery for surviving long flights (Australia). Last time I was there I figured United would have power ports under the seats like most airlines (American cough, cough). I ended up having to sit through both flights with limited ipod use. I now have an ipod backup battery, but I need one for a portable dvd player. I wanted to bring my dvd player, but the battery lifespan is only 2 hours. This would make it more bothersome to lug around for only 1 movies worth of battery life. Any battery recommendations that will help me on the long flight for the dvd player.

Cindy Loose: I don't know how to get more hours from the DVD and IPOD. Anyone else?

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Geography brush-up: Brisbane is in eastern, not western, Australia. But you probably knew that, really.

Steve Hendrix: Oops. Thanks. Of course I did. Heh heh.

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Washington, DC: Do you know of any way to get good information about security delays at the London airports (particularly Gatwick?). We're planning a trip at the end of the month that would have have us change planes there for Europe, and then stop in London a few days on the way back - I'm trying to decide if the security delays are bad enough to make us change our plans. (although the fact that the British papers don't seem to be writing about problems would indicate things have smoothed out somewhat.)

Carol Sottili: Gatwick hasn't been as bad as Heathrow, and things have settled down. I would go forward with the trip. Even when everything is going well, you never know when you're going to be delayed because of weather, etc. You can't stop traveling!

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North Carolina: My wife and I are headed to Montreal for a Th-Sun getaway in late October. She's going back to school, and it's probably the last chance we'll get to go anywhere fun together until she graduates. We're staying in Old Montreal, in a small hotel above a very nice French restaurant. Any recommendations of things to do? We don't have a lot of time (2.5 days total, probably) and want to get the most out of it.

KC Summers: Great getaway. I wouldn't overplan this one, as the best thing to do in Montreal is just wander around the old city and soak up the atmosphere. Lots of sidewalk cafes, great little restaurants, galleries, etc. The shopping is great downtown, on rue Sherbrooke and Blvd. St. Laurent (that's where I got my treasured 'Psycho' shower curtain). Having said that, don't be completely aimless -- go see the beautiful Notre Dame cathedral and spend some time in the Museum of Fine Arts, a very nice museum. And check out the views from the Parc du Mont Royal (Montreal, get it?).

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Makarska Q: Mak. is reputed to have long, nice, pebbly beaches, as opposed to jagged rocky beaches that are more common in croatia. Should make for some nice driving up and down the coast, too.

I agree, Hvar is too much for a day trip, but Brac isn't, or the other small island just offshore from Split.

To take car on ferry, you have to queue up for quite a while--the only caveat.

KC Summers: True, it can be tedious, I just meant it wasn't difficult. Good advice on Brac.

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Philadelphia, Pa.: Not there is probably anything one could ever do about it, but is there a way for passengers to tell if a plane is on the wrong runway? I was told once that the numbers on runways, like 27 and 9, mean something. What do these numbers mean?

While I am at it, what does it mean when the flight attendants say things like "1L" and "2R". Is that a way of informing that their section of the plane is set to go, or what?

Steve Hendrix: Pilots? Weigh in please.

Far as I know, runways are known by the numbers painted there-on. I.e., that 29 means you're on runway Two Nine (or Two Niner, if you're really an ATC jock).

Those "1Ls" and "2Rs" you hear are the flight attendants checking off the ready status of various cabin doors, left and right. I think.

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Arlington, Va: Going to Hong Kong next month, and we're thinking of hitting Bali or Thailand for a weekend trip. (Any preference?) I'm worried about spending 2 weeks in Hong Kong, though. Is there enough to see there? What day trips would you suggest, assuming we want to get back to our hotel each night? Thanks!

Cindy Loose: Two weeks in Hong Kong is a pretty long time by my frantic-type style, but it is an interesting place so I don't pity you're being there for two weeks.

For a day trip, take the ferry to Macau. It's known for gambling, but even if that doesn't interest you, you can avoid the casinos and check out the squares with Portuguese architecture, some nice parks, even go outside the city and check out the beaches.

Bali versus Thailand---tough choice. In a way you can't go wrong, so start by checking out prices to see if the price differential might be a deciding factor. On the one hand, I'd be more inclined to do Thailand because there is a more to do--more arts, culture, city stuff, country stuff etc. But if you imagine yourself simply lying on a wonderful beach, I guess Bali might do all you need it to do. Personally, I wouldn't be hitting the nightclubs in Bali. Overall I'd vote Thailand, but that's a personal opinion.

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Aix etc.: As a 30-year-old solo-traveling, not particularly adventurous female, I spent a month driving around the south of France and found it incredibly easy. Except for making first-night hotel reservations in Nice and buying a guide book, I didn't plan ahead. I rented a cell phone at the airport and would call ahead to the next place I wanted to go, for a reservation for that or the next night. I stayed off the beaten track, paid $120 for a $800 room at the Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat, paid $30 for a room above a bar in some small antiques mecca, Thanksigivinged with the American Club of Monaco, didn't run into any Americans except that (it was November), and the driving itself was a breeze. It helped that I was fluent in French, but wasn't necessary...

KC Summers: There you go, Worried Road Trip Person. It can be done, and in a very un-Joel-like way!

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B-more to Tucson: We moved from South Carolina to Phoenix last year. The southern route (I-10 and I-20)is B-O-R-I-N-G. Unless you consider 900 miles of trailers and abandoned oil rigs in Texas to be interesting. If you do take the southern route back, the only really cool detour is New Orleans, and maybe Dallas.

Cindy Loose: Lots of driving options....Thanks.

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Bethesda, Md: Hi, I just wanted to let you know that I quit my job in June to travel. The first month, I went to Colorado and drove 4500 miles (alone and with no schedule or reservations) across CO, NM, AZ, UT, ID, WY visiting National Parks and little towns. It was such a wonderful experience discovering the vast spaces, mountains, lakes, local foods, and wonderful people. Before I had been sitting in an office looking at a computer all day thinking about all I couldn't do, and it was great to finally do it. Now I don't want to go back to sitting at a desk at all! Next will be possibly more miles on the road, plans are for Northwest and Northeast. By the way, I did the trip during the peak of the gas prices (and I am not a rich person) and every moment of the drive was so worth it I never cringed when I had to fill the tank! I just wanted to say go out and explore if that is what you want to do, and definitely go out and explore the West - my favorite was Colorado.

Steve Hendrix: Cool. What was your budget?

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Santa Fe, NM: RE: Rio....Stay at the Cococabana Palace.

Wonderful historic hotel, first rate plus a knockout restaurant...worth every penny.

Gary Lee: Thanks for the suggestion. If it's one of the options Gate1 offers and within your budget, I agree that you should go for the Coco Palace.

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Washington, DC: wanted to say afraid to fly to England and bless them, MAXJET gave me a full refund.

Cindy Loose: Bless em....

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RE: Nepal v. Europe: Having been to both, I would encourage the person to beg borrow or steal the fare to get to Nepal. Even if he does go anywhere but Katmandu, it'll be the trip of a lifetime. Its exotic, tourist friendly and the people are great.

Cindy Loose: I'm with you, but hate to encourage theft.

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Washington, DC: My friend and I want to abandon the toddlers to their papas

and go to a spa for a weekend. We had thought Canyon

Ranch for the "life changing" programs, but in the end can't

justify $2800 for three nights. Is there something similar

but a little cheaper within long weekend driving distance

here?

Andrea Sachs: Some spas, like Hershey, come to mind right away (maybe because I too want to soak in a bath of chocolate milk). Spafinder.com, though, has a great search engine that brings up all kinds of mid-Atlantic ideas, from day spas to medi-spa. One way to keep prices down it to visit a day spa (and get a daily pass), but overnight a hotel with lower rates. Cindy, for example, did that at Nemacolin. You might also want to look at spa packages, such as the one offered at the Seaview Resort and Spa in Galloway, N.J.

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Washington, DC: Hi travel gurus,

I'm considering a trip to Rwanda to hike and trek mountain

gorillas. How safe would say Rwanda is these days? I've

consulted the State Dept.'s website, but wanted to know if

any of you had any good info.

Many thanks!

Cindy Loose: We know less than the State Department, I'm afraid, but I'd be comfortable with their advice. They tend to be on the cautious side, but you can evaluate what they say knowing things aren't maybe quite as scarey as they might say.

Anyone else with firsthand Rawanda experience?

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Washington, DC: Hello Flight Crew,

I'm flying this weekend for the first time after the new security restrictions. I've had no luck getting an answer from TSA, so I'm hoping you can provide some guidance. Is a small bottle of eyedrops (under 4 fl. ounces) allowed through security? TSA lists these as banned substances in the makeup section on their Web site. Also, is it necessary to arrive at Reagan National more than 2 hours prior to flight departure for a domestic flight? Thank you.

Steve Hendrix: God knows, WDC. We understand the new rules to be 4 oz or less. Here's what I would do: pack one little bottle in your carry-on and hope for the best (go ahead and slip into the hardest to find compartment of your bag). But pack another little bottle into your checked bag, in place where you grab it quickly at the carousel and drop salvation into your dying, drying eyes.

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Arlington Va: Is there some way of check out the historical patterns of traffic on a particular route? My husband and I are debating whether a particular trip is just bound to be slow on a given weekend, or if the problem is leaving midmorning rather than the crack of dawn.

Cindy Loose: Not that we know of. A good idea for a service, though. If you have a particular route in mind in the Eastern U.S., we might know something about its patterns.

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Baltimore, Md: I'm looking for a place for a large family gathering next summer--20 or so people, mostly adults. Looking for a location within an hour or two of Washington area airports. We're considering a large beach house, but also would like ideas of resorts, etc. that would have more amenities--especially a pool. I'd appreciate any suggestions.

Carol Sottili: There's no ocean beach within an hour or two of our airports. Closest is probably Rehoboth, and that's closer to three hours from here. Resorts that could fit the bill, depending on which airport you use, whether you have kids in the group, etc., include Coolfont, Wintergreen, Massanutten, Lansdowne, Nemocolin and Hyatt Cambridge. Any one out there have other ideas? Also, you could rent a house on the beach that either has its own pool or is in a community with a pool. In Rehoboth, try www.century21mann.com for rentals. In Ocean City, try www.shorepro.com or www.cbvacations.com for suggestions.

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Washington, D.C.: Hey guys

We are two late 30s independent-minded people traveling to Prague and Budapest for 9 days in late Sept. Vienna was not originally on our itinenerary, but now looks like a convenient spot to break up a long train ride between them. Considering our short trip, how many days and nights do you think we should dedicate to each location? We are more interested in eccentric and eclectic than mainstream. Thanks.

Gary Lee: Four days in Prague, four in Budapest, one in Vienna. The latter, in my view, is pretty but VERY mainstream.

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Cleveland, Ohio: Thoughts and prayers with the families of yesterday's tragic victims.

Every time I board a plane these days, both the pilot and first officer look to be about 22 years old. I don't mean to suggest that younger pilots can't be just as professional and competent as more veteran ones, but I wonder whether my observations are just my observations or whether there's really a serious shortage of experienced crew on commercial airlines.

Cindy Loose: With the pressure on wages and with cuts made by struggling airlines, I wouldn't be surprised if the average pilot age has been creeping downward. Then again, it would be my guess that the legacy carriers would likely have a higher average age than the discount carriers, who are new, and who pay less.

But I don't really have any research to prove my suspicions.

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RE: Nepal: I'd go for Nepal -- I went to Korea earlier this year to visit a friend who was living there and knew I wanted to visit her because I had no desire to go to Korea. This was my only opportunity and reason to visit the country and I decided I'd much rather spend the money and visit a country I wasn't interested in than go somewhere I wanted to go. You'll still want to go to Europe whether or not you go to Nepal, so take advantage of this. You'll probably appreciate it more than you think. And it's pretty awesome to say you visited Nepal.

Cindy Loose: Okay, Nepal it is. Not only is Asia in general more exotic and thus in many ways more interesting than Europe, but having someone available to show you around--priceless.

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Re: historical traffic patterns: I've actually found my local AAA folks to be very knowledgeable about these things. In the good ol' days when I requested a TripTik from them, when I went to pick it up, they'd walk me through it, and the nice guy at the counter would say things like "they're still doing construction at this interchange, though, so your best bet is to take the bypass or to travel it mid-afternoon."

Cindy Loose: Hey, thanks. I was thinking AAA when I answered the question, but didn't know if they could actually be helpflu in that respect. Good to know they can be.

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Silver Spring, Md: Situation: Married mother of two with a budget of $2000 desperately needs a break this fall after spending the summer in cancer treatment. I will be traveling alone (husband has to watch the kids and friends lack funds and/or vacation time) and am an adventurous traveler who likes good food, hikes, and a healthy dose of culture. Not a fan of spas (always get bored) or beach vacations (ditto) and have a real fondness for prehistoric and ancient art, small museums, bird watching. Help!

KC Summers: Hi SS. First off, glad you're doing well -- it's wonderful that you're able to do this trip. Travel is the best therapy. Here's one idea: I know you said you hate spas, but I strongly recommend a place called Red Mountain Spa in southwest Utah. I'm not a spa person either, but I loved the emphasis on outdoor activities -- the spa stuff is really secondary to the hiking -- and the setting is absolutely gorgeous, in red rock country. Of course, at the end of a good strong hike the spa stuff starts looking pretty good. There are three levels of hikes, from walks to strenuous workouts. There's a spiritual emphasis that I found very rewarding, lots of yoga, etc. The rooms are nice, the food was incredibly good for a fitness type of place, and they serve wine at dinner. And it's relatively affordable, compared with similar places. I bet you would love it. www.redmountainspa.com.

And here's a bonus tip from Carol: If you want to emphasize the bird aspect, good birding trips are run by Wings (www.wingsbirds.com) and Field Guides (www.fieldguides.com).

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Washington, DC: Hi. I have two quick questions. First, I recall seeing in the Post a couple of months ago a url for a expedia/priceline-type site that specializes in luxury properties, but I neglected to write it down; can you refresh my memory?

Second, my son is obsessed with WWII and especially WWII aviation. I am thinking of a quick visit to England in the fall or spring; anything that you would recommend as a must-see?

Steve Hendrix: Duxford.

Duxford. Duxford. Duxford.

That's where you should go in England. The Imperial Museum Duxford is the place for WWII (and WWI) aviation history. It's between London and Cambridge (a bit close to latter) and has a huge collection of both RAF and U.S. war planes. I have an aviation nut friend who considers the place holy ground. Haven't been there myself.

One your first question, can you give any more guidance on what you saw? It's not ringing any bells. Was it an item aobut lux hotels? Or a mention in a longer piece?

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Re: Connecting at Munich: Munich is a very user friendly airport that tries to make connections easy. If you're on Star Alliance carriers, both of your flights will be in Terminal 2 and you should have no difficulty making the connection. If you have to go between Terminal 2 and Terminal 1, it may take a while, but as I mentioned, unlike FRA, Munich is well laid out and easy to follow. Good luck

Andrea Sachs: Great to hear. Thanks!

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Rockville, Md: With the popularity of poker, have you thought about doing a special section on playing poker in Atlantic City? Something along the lines of which casinos are better for the first-timer or the more experienced players, tournament schedules, the best way to get there, etc. I'm sure one of you would like to get this research assignment, right?

Steve Hendrix: I've specially trained to my face to reveal no emotion (plus I'm wearing mirrored sunglasses). But I LIKE that idea!

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Washington, D.C.: Loved the Angola article this weekend, this is the type of story that I enjoy--mostly because I get sent to places like Angola all the time for work and there's so little information out there on these places. I'm a bit confused though about how the author got into the country. I don't remember any specifics about flights, and she mentioned there is no tourist visa? I know tourists do go to Angola, so what kind of visa are they getting? Business?

KC Summers: Hmm, it's too late to track down the author now to find out, but if you're not in a rush, I'll ask her and post the info next week, okay? (We didn't do our usual Details box for this story, thinking it was more of an armchair travel piece and few would want practical info -- sorry about that.)

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washingtonpost.com: Not Your Mother's Spa , (Jan. 9, 2005)

KC Summers: Here's our story on Red Mountain Spa.

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Seattle, Wash: G'day. I'm heading off to Australia on Christmas Day for 3 weeks. Most of the latter part of the trip is planned (Tasmania, Adelaide and Melbourne), but I have from Dec 27-Jan 2 unplanned. I'm flying into Sydney, but I did New Year's Eve there three years ago, and don't really feel the need to do it again, or even to necessarily stay in the area.

I'd like ideas for someplace else either around Sydney or not too long of a flight away to spend my initial days down under. I'm more of a see scenery -- inland or coastal -- and look around guy than a plop and bake on the beach type, therefore I'm not drawn to most of the Queensland coast.

I'm traveling solo, and I'm not afraid of driving on the wrong side of the road, but I would like to watch the budget some. Any suggestions?

Cindy Loose: My first inclination is to say to take a trip from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island, but if you mind heat, it might be too hot for you at that particular time.

I'd be reluctant to add a whole nother region to the trip, and instead look for interesting spots near Adelaide or Melbourne. Both cities, last time I checked, had a greeter program---i.e. volunteers agree to meet with travelers and show them around their cities. I'd get in touch with those programs, and I'd not only use a greeter, but ask if they'd recommend places within driving distances of those cities that you should visit.

On my one trip to Australia, I packed in way too many locales. Avoid that mistake, but see the countryside near the cities you're visiting. (If you don't mind heat, check out Kangaroo Island for wildlife watching.)

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Cindy Loose: Thanks for joining us. Hope to see you next week.

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