Got a travel-related question, comment, suspicion, warning, gripe, sad tale or happy ending? The Post Travel Section Flight Crew is at your service.

On the itinerary this week: it's all about cruising. Find out about short-hop cruise options, and book yourself a seat at the captain's table in the dining room.

All other travel topics are open as well. If you have insights, ideas or information to add to the discussion, just press the call button above your seat and we'll get to you as soon as we can. Different members of the Crew will rotate through the captain's chair every week, but the one constant is you, our valued passengers.

We know you have a choice in online travel forums, and speaking for the entire Flight Crew, we want to thank you for flying with us.

A transcript follows.

You may also browse an archive of previous live travel discussions. For daily dispatches, check out Travel Log, the Travel section's new blog.

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Christina Talcott: Welcome to another edition of Travel Talk! In honor of our Cruise 2008 issue yesterday, I'll be at the helm today, while Scott's at the bar mixing drinks with tiny umbrellas and Carol's arranging shore excursions, armed with a clipboard. But we're not just here to answer cruise-related questions today; ask us anything travel-related, and if we can't answer it, we're expecting all of you to chime in with your own advice and experiences.

Today I blogged about a wonderful customer service experience I had last weekend at a rental car counter in Boston. When I got to the car rental office, I discovered my reservation had been mysteriously cancelled, but the good-natured and resourceful Hertz agent helped me re-book on the spot, digging up discounts left and right and starting a great trip off right. I'm curious to hear any similar experiences you might have had on your travels, of someone who helped you turn lemons into lemonade on the road. My favorite response wins a Travel tote bag.

Ready? Let's go!

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Bethesda: I'm traveling to Rome, Italy next week on US Airways and continuing on to Bari, Italy on Air Italia. On my return, I am traveling from Rome to Paris, and Paris to Dulles (Air France). I would like to do all carry on luggage. In all of these airports, can I have 2 pieces? I hit trouble last year in London when I learned I could only have 1 carry on in Heathrow. Thanks!

Christina Talcott: Glad you asked! I just checked out the rules, and you should know that, while Heathrow now allows you to have two carry-on items going through security, Alitalia only allows you one carry-on, and the size limit is pretty strict: 5 kgs., length: 55 cm, height: 25 cm, depth: 35 cm (11 lbs., 21.5" long, 10" high, 13.5" wide). Air France and US Airways allow you two carry-ons, one with the dimensions above, one smaller "personal item" (purse, camera bag, etc.). My recommendation: If you need to travel with two bags, fly to Rome with your regulation-size carry-on and one personal item. When you get to Rome, the Alitalia agents may ask you to check a bag, so you could either check your carry-on or your personal item, making sure you keep your valuables with you in the cabin. On the way back, you should be fine with carrying two bags on Air France. NB: Keep an eye on news about French strikes that could interrupt travel in the next day or so, and give yourself plenty of time for snags.

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Bethesda, MD: Hey Crew! I'd like to take a cruise on the Mississippi River but the only cruise line I can find for that route is the Majestic America Line. While they were mentioned in your list of cruise lines yesterday, you didn't mention that the company is up for sale and not scheduling any trips beyond this year. Any suggestions on another Mississippi cruise or is being up for sale meaningless in the cruise industry?

Thanks!

Carol Sottili: Majestic America is for sale, and no cruises are scheduled past next month. Another line to look at is Riverbarge (www.riverbarge.com), which operates cruises on the Mississippi.

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Chevy Chase, MD: Are there any cruise ships which have BALCONIES on these short cruises?

Thank you.

Scott Vogel: Yes, all of the ships mentioned in our "Quick Trips" story have balconies: the Norwegian Sky, the Carnival Fascination and Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas.

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Boston, Ma: I've seen two travel log posts about your car rental in Boston. But what I'm really curious about is the hotwire reservation that disappeared. Did you get it refunded?

washingtonpost.com: Monday Rave: Rental Car Save (Travel Log)

Christina Talcott: I'm waiting to hear back about the refund - they said it would take 7 to 10 days to investigate it. I'll post an update when I know more. I'm very curious about that, too!

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Alexandria, VA: I am flying out of National at 8:00 on Thursday night. What is the best place at the airport to get some dinner before my flight?

Christina Talcott: We'll post a list of restaurants at National, including ever-popular Legal Sea Foods, cute Cibo Bistro & Wine Bar and reliable TGI Friday's. If you're flying out of Terminal C, you have the best options (Gordon Biersch, Five Guys) inside Security. Anyone have a favorite at DCA?

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NORTH POTOMAC, MD: Thank you for taking my question. I have heard of a "rule" to determine what type of compensation one should receive for a delayed or missed flight that is due to an airline problem (ie if your arrival home is delayed for 4 hours you should receive this much money if the delay is not weather or mechanical in nature). I know you have discussed this before but cannot find the subject when I search the discussion archives. Can you tell me the name of this "rule" and what it says. Also, does this apply to foreign travel on a domestic airline?

Carol Sottili: There are no federal requirements re: compensation for delayed/missed flights. Compensation is required only when you are bumped from a flight. You need to read the airline's "contract of carriage" - the legal document attached to the ticket - for details on the policies, which vary considerably. You can usually find these by going to the airline's Web site and doing a search.

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Customer service experience: Last spring, the first leg of our very early flight was canceled due to weather. I immediately, without much hope, called the airline to rebook. The rep was so great - she was able to book us through a different airport (Atlanta), leaving only slightly later that morning and arriving only a few hours late in Florida. Sounds great, doesn't it? Oh, maybe I should mention that when we arrived at the airport, we were told that by "booked" the representative had neglected to mention it meant "on standby" to Atlanta, but she had helpfully booked us on a flight to Atlanta that left TWO DAYS later, which would have made it difficult to catch that day's flight from Atlanta that she had also booked us on. We ended up having to cancel our flights and fly on a different airline, after spending the entire day at the airport on standby. But it sure would have been easier if the rep hadn't lied to us on the phone in the first place about what "booked" means.

Christina Talcott: Ooh, that sounds like the worst kind of customer service - when someone seems like they're helpful but, in fact, are completely UNhelpful.

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washingtonpost.com: Reagan National Airport restaurants

Christina Talcott: Here's that list of DCA dining options.

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Washington, DC: I am looking at taking an around the world trip next fall (Sept-Oct 2009). I am looking at flying from DC to Vladivostok and then training across Russia and through Europe before flying back to DC. Total trip length of around 6-7 weeks.

Two Questions:

1. How do I go about finding decent plane tickets for this? One problem is that the only international flight into Vladivostok is on a four-day/week Korean Air Flight out of Seoul (ICN). (There is also the summer only air bridge from Anchorage to Kamchatka-Vladivostok, but one travel agent was not sure if that would be running next year and not to depend on it for a major trip like this.) I have tried pricing multi-city trips from the US East Coast to ICN and then from various European Cities (FRA, CDG, etc.) back to the starting point. The flights across the Pacific come up fairly reasonably (where they are priced individuall) at $1200-$1500. However, the flights back to the US are running over $4000. Way too much for my budget.

2. Thoughts on taking the Trans-Siberian Westbound (Train # 1 "Rossiya" and other trains - stopover dependent)? How far in advance should I obtain the tickets through the Russian Agency (who will also help with visas)? I am looking at traveling 1st Class (SV) over second (kupe), if this makes a difference in your answer. I picked this route over the Trans-Mongolian or Trans-Manchurian out of Beijing in part to see the Amur River Valley.

Thanks.

Christina Talcott: This is way out of my area of expertise, but chances are at least one chatter might know the answers. Anyone?

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Alexandria: Hi - We're planning ten days in the Thailand and are thinking of spending a few days in Bangkok and either heading north to Chaing Mai or south to explore further. We're not so interested in beaches, but really enjoyed Cindy's elephant story last year. What do you recommend? Thank you!

washingtonpost.com: Where the Deer and the Elephants Play (Post Travel Section, Oct 21, 2007)

Christina Talcott: Another question for the peanut gallery.

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Arlington, VA: Any predictions on trends in airfares with falling oil prices, and falling demand for tickets if consumer confidence is low? Should we wait to buy tickets for Christmas and Spring Break, or buy early?

Carol Sottili: No one is predicting that flight prices will go down, especially around the holidays. I'm looking at a round-trip fare of $734 to get my daughter home for Thanksgiving. There are fewer flights to choose from, especially around the holidays, so load factors (the number of people on flights) are still high. Sales do pop up, but they're usually very short-lived, so you need to act fast when you see a good fare. Sales at Christmas are less likely than spring break because the latter is not date specific. Look into flying on Christmas Day - it's sometimes cheaper.

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Washington, DC: I was glad to see the piece on Vancouver 2010 this weekend since we've been talking about trying to attend some events at the Games. We'd be looking to to the trip on a budget, if that is at all possible for the Olympics. Our interests are actually in some of the obscure sports, so the event ticket prices will be reasonable (no opening ceremony, hockey gold medal game, etc). Travel costs? Not so much. It looks like if we target a 3-4 day window for events to see it would be reasonable to travel into Seattle (somewhere we'd like to visit anyway) and then drive or take the train up to Vancouver, so lodging is the only concern. Do you think it would be worthwhile to look into the acommodations/ticket packages that are supposed to be posted this week? I'm guessing that the prices won't exactly be competitive, but would at least guarantee somewhere to stay relatively close to the action. Thoughts?

washingtonpost.com: Coming and Going: The Road to Vancouver (Post Travel Section, Oct 5)

Scott Vogel: It's definitely worthwhile to inspect CoSport's hospitality packages, although, like you, I tend to think that these will be not be of the bargain sort. Simultaneously, I'd suggest contacting some hotels now, particularly those not on the beaten path, and getting some rate quotes. You might be surprised. For further information on these, visit the Destination 2010 Web site, at www.2010destinationplanner.com. According to the site, hotel information should be available in "early October", although not much is there now.

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Arlington, VA: A few years ago, we were on a train from Genoa to Nice when we were stranded by the inevitable railroad strike. The line was going to provide us with busses, but after an hour, my companion and I hooked up to get a cab to Nice. The driver gave us a price that he thought it would be and we got in with my companions chatting about we were about to be cheated. When we arrived at Nice, the fare was quite a bit less than the estimate and the driver refused to accept a penny more than the actual price. We got out pleased with a great sense of shame.

Christina Talcott: Glad to hear it was a good experience. I hope you weren't taking about getting cheated in front of the driver!

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Columbia, MD: Oh, and best travel experience-- getting to the Dead Sea with three friends in Jordan. We took the "long way to the Dead Sea", taking a bus (we were the only girls, and obviously the only tourists), when a local pointed us to a place that was completely isolated and wouldn't cost $20 to get in. We had a fabulous time, paid a buck to shower off, and enjoyed tea with the owner of the shower. The man who pointed us in that direction = awesome. And he recieved nothing out of it.

Christina Talcott: That sounds amazing.

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Germantown, MD: For round-the-world airfares, try airtreks.com. They specialize in international multi-stop journeys. They helped me with my multi-stop trip to India a few months ago.

Christina Talcott: Great, thanks for the tip! Another resource is bootsnall.com's section on RTW (Round the World) Travel's planning tools - something to check out.

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Arlington, VA: Re: Thailand. With just 10 days in Thailand and no interest in the beach I would definitely say head north to Chiang Mai for a few days and then maybe Chiang Rai to visit the Princess Mother's Swiss villa and her gorgeous gardens at Doi Tung. I would say 3 or 4 days Bangkok (take a day trip to Ayutthaya one of those days), then maybe 3 or 4 days in Chiang Mai and surrounding areas. You could see the elephants at one of the preserves/camps around there. Then a couple of days in Chiang Rai and the "Golden Triangle".

Christina Talcott: Great, thanks for the tips!

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Silver Spring, Md: On our second day in Austria, I left our Rick Steves guide book, the only one we brought, on the train. We were staying at a hotel in Salzburg recemmended by Rick Steves. When we asked the propritor if she could point us to a English language bookstore where we could buy another guide book, she did one better and offered us her copy of Steves' book. Her generosity saved us precious time and much hassle on our vacation

Christina Talcott: Boy, that was sweet of her.

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Gaithersburg, MD: A group of my friends and I have been trying to plan a cruise to Bermuda for a while now. We are finally thinking Summer '09, is this a good time to get decent fares out of Baltimore? We were thinking it would be cheaper if we cut out the flights, but the prices still seem to be pretty high.

Carol Sottili: Cruises out of Baltimore are usually more expensive than similar cruises out of other busier ports, probably because there is less competition. And summer is usually the most expensive time to go because the kids are out of school. Fall is much cheaper.

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Bethesda, MD: Hello,

We're flying to Chicago for Christmas -- we should go ahead and get tickets now, rather than wait, correct?

Carol Sottili: Yes, if you need to travel on specific dates/times, buy now.

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Washington, D.C.: Curious about your description of Olympic ticketing for Vancouver in Sunday's section. Everything I've seen says that what you described applies to Canadian citizens only. Is there a ticketing application process for Americans that I'm missing? Any web links you could give me?

Thanks.

washingtonpost.com: Coming and Going: The Road to Vancouver (Post Travel Section, Oct 5)

Scott Vogel: Yes, go to www.cosport.com and select your country from the drop-down list. It will take you to a page giving information on how Americans can request tickets.

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Vladivostok trans-Siberian railway etc: Isn't this a textbook example of where a travel agent is called for?

Christina Talcott: Good point! If you don't know of local agents, you could consider Tripology.com or Zicasso.com, which match travelers with travel agents.

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Re: Thailand : I went to Thailand for 10 days a few years ago. If I could do it again I would spend LESS time in Bangkok. We were there for 3 days at the front end and 2 days on the back end. I would spend more time in Chaing Mai. It was such a different Thailand than Bangkok... cleaner, less crowded, nicer people. I can't say enough wonderful things about Chang Mai. We rented a car in Chaing Mai and explored the country side. As two sisters in their late 20s we felt safe in Chaing Mai where we didn't in Bangkok.

Christina Talcott: Interesting. It's always good to hear reports about safety on the road.

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Anonymous: If Alexandria has no interest in beaches, I would probably suggest heading north, to Chiang Mai, or even further, to someplace like Chiang Rai or Mae Hong Son (all easily accessible by plane), and get more of a break after crowded, albeit very interesting, Bangkok.

Christina Talcott: More votes for Chiang Mai.

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Lemonade: I guess this counts, though it was United's own screwup that had to be fixed. I was flying to LA last year on a business trip. I had a coach ticket on United, and had used miles to upgrade to Business Class (it was a 3-cabin plane, so I couldn't upgrade to First), so I could work more comfortably on the long flight. But somehow, even though I had checked in online AND checked a bag at the counter, by the time I tried to board at the gate, I was told that the computer had "lost" my reservation and they had given my seat to someone else. While I hyperventilated for a few minutes, a gate agent clicked away at his computer and -- voila! -- put me in First Class. So, kudos to him for that, though it still was a remarkable mistake that could have been a real nightmare.

Christina Talcott: Wow, that's a crazy mistake to have happen, especially with all the overbooking these days.

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NoVA Mom: My kids and I were leaving in the afternoon of December 23rd to fly overseas to meet hubby/dad who had been working there for several months. Even though we had had the reservations for months, something made me check the reservation online that morning. Was I surprised to see that our airline, Continental, had rescheduled us for the following day on a much worse routing which would not get us to our destination until the wee hours of Christmas Day! I called Continental and the customer service representative spent over an hour on the phone with me trying to re-book me on a flight that would get us there on the 23rd as planned. Things were also complicated by bad weather in D.C. which was causing delayed and cancelled flights. She kept coming back to the phone to reassure me that I had not been forgotten and that she was still working on my booking. I ended up having to drive to Newark, but we caught our flight and arrived on schedule. Needless to say, I did e-mail Continental with the details giving kudos to this helpful customer service rep.

Christina Talcott: Sometimes finding someone willing to work through a problem can make all the difference. Thanks!

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Arlington, VA: for the ten days in Thailand, aside from a few days in Bangkok, definitely consider going up north to Chiang Mai. Doi Suthep and Doi Inthanon are very picturesque. Inthanon is the highest point in Thailand and offers great views of the surrounding forest and countryside. Suthep is crowned by a complex of temples and overlooks Chiang Mai. To reach Suthep, you have to climb 309 ornate steps, so be prepared for a slight workout. If going south, be aware that Thailand is in the midst of dealing with an insurgency led by its Muslim minority, who wish to break away from Thailand. There are attacks on Thai government and police on a near daily basis. Places like Phuket are not a problem, but further south, you need to be careful.

Christina Talcott: Another reason to head north from Bangkok.

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Penny counting grad student gets help: Bear with me here - it's a story of lots of people helping me out. Back in the early nineties when I was a penny counting grad student I wanted to go to a conference in Fiosele without breaking the bank. I asked around and heard that one can stay at convents in Italy very cheaply. I went to the Oratory in Oxford and asked them about this and they gave me some perspective convents. My father's Italian colleague called around and set it up for me. On the plane, I got chatting with an Englishman who explained to me that I could get a bus from the airport in Florence to right in front of the convent. He also clued me in on how to get the bus tickets/tokens from a tobacconist. I got off the bus, walked in to convent and had one of the Monty-Pythonesque situations trying to communicate with the nuns. Eventually I managed to explain myself in French to an elderly nun and everything got sorted out.

Oh yes - the conference was wonderful.

Christina Talcott: Haha, that's great. Sometimes the universe just cooperates.

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Cherry Hill: Hi - My husband and I are bringing our daughter to the UK this December; she'll be three months old. We've applied for her passport but are concerned about the flights. We've purchased her 'seat' - which is a cot in front of our seats on BA. I would like to have her strapped into one of our safety belts during takeoff and landing, at the very least - do I need to purchase this, or does British Air supply them? And finally, I'm breastfeeding - will I be allowed to do so during takeoff/landing? I've heard this should soothe her and is a good idea. Thanks for any help you can provide.

Carol Sottili: Here's what British Airways says: "For aircraft take-off and landing and in times of turbulence, infants have to be seated on their parent's lap using the infant seat belts we provide."

Go to www.britishairways.com/travel/child for more details.

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Travel Help: I was heading to the Hartford airport, a little late, and stopped to get gas for the rental car. The pump overflowed, spilling gasoline all over me, my clothes, and my shoes. I arrived at the Budget car return two minutes later, reeking of gasoline and rather frazzled, since my flight was leaving really soon. The agent pushed me into the bathroom with a roll of paper towels, told me to clean myself up, rinse my clothes in the sink and handed me a couple of garbage bags. When I emerged a few minutes later in dry clothes, she snagged one of the maintenance guys to drive me straight to the airport, with my dripping clothes wrapped up in my carryon. (Of course, this was before 9/11.) But I made my flight, salvaged my clothes, and have never forgotten her quick thinking and kind intervention.

Christina Talcott: Wow, I bet clean clothes never felt better!

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Washington, DC: On the flip side of your Hertz experience we had reserved a car through them in Detroit last weekend and then did not have a car for us. We had reserved a full size car (5 people plus luggage), but they had nothing available in a full or standard (which would have fit us with a little less room to spare). It took an HOUR at the desk while we politely pleaded our case. No yelling, no raised voices, just asking questions to the agent about what she could do for us. "We have a Focus available." I'd prefer not to sit on somebody's lap, thank you. "I will put in a 'wait order' for a full size and the computer will let me know when one is available". How long will that take? "Could be 5 minutes, might be an hour, I can't tell you." Huh? "I can give you an SUV, but the rate will be double." How about you just give us the SUV for the rate we reserved since the screw up was on your part? We finally got a "premium" full size sedan as we were literally walking out of the door to cross the access road and try another agency. She made it seem like Hertz was doing us a favor by "letting us have a significantly better car at a discount rate." Honestly, why do places even bother to take reservations any more? I've had the same experience at almost every rental agency I've used. Avis was the only place where somebody actually said, "I'm sorry, but it looks like we overbooked for your car class. Here, we can give you the next size up for no extra charge." But that was only one time; I've had the same treatment from them as well in the past.

Christina Talcott: Sounds frustrating! Guess I lucked out that there were extra cars available that night.

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Gaithersburg, MD: Long story short... Four of us arrive in the Cinque Terre with B and B reservations during the busiest weekend of the year. The B and B owner can't find our reservation. We have no idea what to do, and we go get some dinner. As we are dining, our waiter overhears us and tells us that he has a friend who has two rooms that may be available. We ask him to call his friend and when he comes back to tell us that the friend has the two rooms, I start to hypothesize that we are about to get ripped off like we have never been ripped off before.

After dinner, we walk up to the Post Office, where Maria meets us and takes us to her B&B. She shows us our rooms, two large, magnificient rooms overlooking a grove of lemon trees. I will never forget how wonderful the room smelled. I braced for the price, and she said that it would be 50 Euro per room per night. At the time, that worked out to about $40 per room per night.

Needless to say, we went back to the restaurant the following night and left an enormous tip for Volerio!

Christina Talcott: Sounds fabulous!

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Washington, DC: In searching through some old files, I found some AIRSCRIP certificates worth approximately $50.00. It appears that they are the result of an airlines antitrust litigation payout in perhaps 1995? My question is: are they still usable? (There is no expiration date referenced.) The instructions refer to use on a number of carriers including American, Continental, Delta, TransWorld, United and US Air.

Carol Sottili: I believe they have expired, but does anyone out there have a definite answer?

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Bethesda, MD: Ok, I want to go snorkel somewhere, can be anywhere in the Caribbean since it will be a relatively short trip. Where do I go? Only other requisite is that it must require a passport, so no Florida. Thanks!

Scott Vogel: Why not visit the island that consistently makes those ten-best places in the world to snorkel lists? That would be Bonaire. I can't vouch for the snorkeling there myself, but its offerings appear to be world-class. Chatters: Where else should we recommend?

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Washington, DC: Despite their bad reputation, I experienced good customer service with an airline, albeit not a US carrier. During a flight to Istanbul a few years ago, I had an extremely tight connection in Frankfurt. Not surprisingly, my luggage did not make that connection. I went to the Lufthansa office where there was someone ahead of me being helped by one person. But there were a whole bunch of other Lufthansa employees chatting away, not acknowledging me at all. I began having flashbacks to the year before, when my luggage had also missed a connection on the way to Southern Morocco and did not show up for three days. When my turn came, the Lufthansa guy looked at me, greeted me by name, said that my bag would be on the next flight from Frankfurt and delivered to my hotel that afternoon. And it was!

I will even add an extra shout out to the hotel. The next day we were going back to the airport to fly south. My friend left her passport at the front desk. Our taxi driver called the hotel and the manager put the passport in a cab which arrived at the airport just moments after we did.

I just noticed that my banner ad is for Lufthansa. Damn, you guys are good.

Christina Talcott: Wow, missing bags AND a forgotten passport? The more potential disasters make those kind gestures even sweeter, IMO.

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Washington DC: I am planning a trip to Edmonton to visit family next Summer. How soon is too soon to look for tickets? Right now, they are around $700 RT. This is a thin route but that still seems a bit high. Is this just the new pricing reality?

Carol Sottili: Since you have so much time before you need to go, start tracking the prices now at sites such as www.farecast.com. And sign up on the Web sites of airlines that serve Edmonton for sale notifications. When the price dips, buy quickly.

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Rockville, MD: Are there any short cruises out of Baltimore? I want to take a cruise-wary friend out on a shorter trip.

My honeymoon will be on a cruise soon--any suggestions to make it even more special?

Scott Vogel: I can't find anything leaving from Baltimore that's less than 6 days in length, unfortunately, although you might want to periodically check the Cruise Maryland site (www.cruisemaryland.com) to see if that changes.

Congrats on the honeymoon! Go to the Special Events section of your cruise line's web site asap. There are lots of things you can take care of in advance, from having your room decorated before you arrive, to special dinners, to lots of other packages. But don't let it go to the last minute...

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Re: Good Customer Service: Back in the day (about 10 years ago), when I was in college trying to line up a job for after graduation, I got stuck in Detroit due to bad weather in Cleveland. My destination (Houghton, via Marquette) had exactly 4 flights a day, and the first two for the next day were booked solid. I resigned myself to a 3:00p flight, but the airline employee (NWA) took pity and booked me on the first flight- When I asked about it being full, she said, "It's overbooked anyway, we'll just pay one more person to take a later flight."

Having no money, a hotel was not an option, so I got to spend the night in Concourse G. Northwest employees came around and gave me a pillow and blanket, and were as nice as they could be, all for a poor college kid!

Christina Talcott: Wow, that's great! Sounds like they all wanted to take care of you.

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Austrian Customer Service: A number of years ago, we were vacationing in the town of Hallstatt, Austria. The streets are too narrow for cars, so you have to park your car in a lot on the outskirts of town. When we tried to drive our minivan away after our visit, we found it wouldn't start. A parking attendant came over and said, "Ah, marder" (marmot). Apparently it was not uncommon for these critters to get under cars and this one had chewed through our distributor cables. The parking attendant called a friend who ran a gas station/repair shop and he brought over a bunch of replacement cables to try. We got the van running and followed him to his repair shop so he could check that the connections were good and that we wouldn't have any more problems. After all that, he refused to take any money. (We filled up the van there as some sort of "thank you"). Later on that trip, our front windshield was smashed by a teenager on a school trip to Vienna who was dropping water balloons from his hotel room onto the cars parked below. We had a lot of help from the locals to get it quickly replaced so we could drive home as planned. (BTW, both the teachers and the teen's parents were very apologetic and the parents promptly paid us for the windshield.)

Christina Talcott: Woah, marmots and water balloons? Are you sure you're not making this up? :-) We'll post a link to Cindy Loose's story about a van trip gone wrong in Italy that she wrote earlier this year.

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washingtonpost.com: Van Camping: Who Needs a Hotel? Well . . . (Post Travel Section, April 6)

Christina Talcott: Here's another van-trouble story...

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Washington, D.C.: My best customer service story was on a public bus in Recife, Brazil. I had a destination in mind, but it was off the beaten path, and I didn't have a very clear idea of how to get there beyond "get on this bus." My Portuguese was shaky, and I was embarrassed to ask for help. But once the bus had left the pavement and entered a shantytown with red dirt streets, I knew I had gone further than I had intended. So I got off the bus, crossed the street to the stop on the other side, and waited.

After about 30 minutes, a bus came by - the same one that had dropped me off earlier. There aren't a lot of white girls running around that part of Recife, so the bus driver and ticket taker recognized me immediately. They asked me where I was going, and I haltingly, sheepishly tried to explain my intended plans. But by then it was late in the day, and all I wanted to do was find my way back to my hotel. The ticket taker plotted out a route for me, and when we got back into the city, the driver detoured by a a few blocks so I could catch another bus. They told me exactly which one to look for and where to get off, and as I left, they gave me a free transfer for the additional trip back.

All in all, not my finest travel moment, but those bus operators made it much, much better.

Christina Talcott: Sometimes you have to fess up when you've made a mistake. Glad they were so helpful!

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Washington DC: I'm going on a three day cruise (Friday afternoon - Monday morning) on the Carnival Imagination. Will there likely be a formal night on such a short trip?

Carol Sottili: Yes, there will be one formal night. But lots of people don't go formal. Most men wear suits, and women wear nice dresses/pant suits. But if you go the tux/evening gown route, you won't feel out of place.

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Anonymous: A few years ago, I was at a B and B outside Galway, Ireland, and, due to confusion over time changes, missed the bus into town, which I needed in order to catch another bus, to Dublin. I managed to hitch a ride into town with a nice couple, and then compounded my error by leaving the jacket in their car after the wife, who was driving, let her husband and I out in town. I walked to the bus station, feelng sorry for myself, and suddenly she drove up, apparently having heard me mention taking a bus. I got my jacket and made my bus. I didn't have a chance to get contact info to thank them again afterwards.

Christina Talcott: Wow, that's great! I've never been to Galway, but I've been in similar situations so many times...

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Lemons to lemonade...: In the first week of 2002, I had the chance to visit Miami to watch the Orange Bowl. My job at that point didn't offer any sort of vacation time, so I'd worked extra hours in the days leading up to offset the hit in pay I'd take for three days' absence. By the time I got from BWI to Atlanta and headed to the gate for my connecting flight, I was pretty groggy; I got to the point of entering the plane before I realized I was early -- a full departure too early. Turns out I very nearly ended up going to Tampa instead of Miami.

At the time, AirTran was offering a $35 upgrade to business class, pending seat availability at check-in. That in itself seemed like an awfully nice program... at 6'2", I figured I could use the extra room to catch a more satisfactory nap. When I asked about an upgrade, the desk agent (who had noticed me coming back up the jetway and figured I was fairly exhausted) bumped me up a class without even charging -- complimentary drink tickets and all.

It's stuck with me for the last five years that a low- to mid-level employee in an industry that'd been hit hard by terrorist activity scant months beforehand still went out of her way to make my trip a bit more pleasant for free, even when I literally had my wallet out and ready to pay.

Christina Talcott: Wow, that's some nice service.

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Bronx, NY: After reading Washington, DC's bad experience with Hertz, I have to report that I had the opposite experience this weekend in New Rochelle, New York. I had reserved a Focus, but there were none left, so I got the next size up for the price of the Focus, no haggling on my part. I think whether you get decent rental-car service is often a function of the clerk and how busy the location is. This was a suburban location with maybe 20 cars, not a major airport with hundreds, and it was Saturday afternoon.

But the best news was the price: $23.95 per day, plus taxes, with unlimited mileage. That's a quarter of what it would have cost me to pick up a car in New York City, and the mileage would have been limited as well. The office is at the commuter train station, so it's easy to get to from the city. I will definitely be going back to them in future!

Christina Talcott: Wow, a good-service story and travel advice. I never think to take a train out of town to pick up a car, but next time I might.

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Fairfax, VA: My family is planning a trip to Germany next summer to visit friends, and I've started looking at flight options. We plan to use frequent flyer miles for some of the tickets, but will have to purchase two seats. I guess it's been a long time since I flew anywhere, as I was surprised to see airfares ranging from the mid $800's to $1200 and up a seat from Dulles to Frankfurt or Munich. Is this pretty typically anymore, or might we do better to wait to book in hopes that fares might drop back a little? Or worse, should we book now in light of the possibility that fares will increase? Finally, any idea what the global economic meltdown might mean to the dollar's buying power overseas?

Carol Sottili: If you can get a round-trip airfare, with taxes, of $800 for summer travel, buy it. If it's closer to $1,200, watch and wait. And, my mantra, strike when a sale hits. You cantrack fares at sites such as www.farecast.com. And sign up for sale notifications on the airline sites, and on the booking sites, including www.priceline.com, www.orbitz.com, www.travelocity.com and www.expedia.com. As for buying power, who knows where we'll be by next summer.

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Maryland: Received some great customer service in a small town in Normandy, France, from an extremely over-worked chef (he was the only chef and running about four or five crepe-making machines to feed a small restaurant that served only that.) When he discovered we were from the USA, he blew kisses, shouted how much he loved the US, and left his busy kitchen post to run out to our table. He gave us a foil-wrapped packet of still-warm crepes that were bigger than our heads. (We have photos of my husband, smiling broadly, holding one up before diving in!) He then ran back to the kitchen and returned with a jar of home-made caramel sauce for us as well. Bon Appetit!

Christina Talcott: Wow, how often do you hear good stories about French chefs?? And ones who like Americans, too??

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Germantown, MD: My favorite travel experience was when I was on my way to Disney in Orlando with my family. My mother, sister and I were driving from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando when our car started to overheat. We had the car towed to a repair shop, and the mechanic told my mother the engine was plastic and needed to be replaced.... needless to say we left asap and my mother temporarily fixed the engine with electrical tape and transmission fluid. We drove with the heat on for the next hour and a half to get to Orlando, and showed up several hours late for hour dinner reservation at Epcot (this was during the Christmas season). When we checked into our hotel, the Disney employee rebooked our reservations, and called a courtesy van to take us to our rooms. The van then waited for us to shower and change, and then drove us straight to Epcot. Everything else went wonderfully, but if it wasn't for the thoughtfulness of the Disney employees, the whole night would have been lost.

Christina Talcott: Plastic engine? How strange.

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Good service: Several years ago, my husband was in training in Houston while I was in Philadelphia. I had planned a weekend trip to see him. Well, I made a huge mistake in leaving for the airport and ended up getting to my gate just as the plane was pulling out. I tried to get another flight that night but there was nothing available on the carrier. My best option was to travel on the first flight the next morning. The problem was, I was afraid to take public transport to get to the airport so early in the morning. And the airport was closed after the last flight took off that night until the next morning (or at least, the area that I was in was closed.). Then, one of the employees of the airline came by and heard my plight. She said I could kind of hide in the corner and just lie down on the seats for the night. She said no one would bother me but the cleaning crew and I should just ignore them. She also gave me a first class bag with toiletry items. So, I spent the night in the empty airport, tucked away in the corner. I got up and took my flight and had a wonderful time in Houston. I am so grateful for that lady for being so kind to me and helping me out when she had nothing to gain.

Christina Talcott: Not many people would be happy about hiding in a corner of an airport... Glad it worked out!

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Washington, DC: I was in Thailand a few years ago and loved Chiang Mai! My only regret was that I didn't spend more time there. A few hours by bus will get you to the Lampang elephant conservation camp. An amazing place, I definitely recommend it. They have a vet clinic for injured elephants. They have a website if you google it. Have fun!

Christina Talcott: More Chiang Mai recommendations...

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Farmington Hills, MI: Caribbean question: Hello all--I'm trying to plan a trip in Dec. to celebrate the fact that my friend and I will be done with our fall classes. We are adults (30's, not 20's), so we don't need a big party atmosphere. It's so confusing--for every good review on Trip Advisor, someone else says no! We want five nights, possibly all-inclusive and Mexico or other Carribean (and not too expensive, as I save the $$$ for my trips to Europe). Any advice? How's cheapcarribean.com? THANKS!

Carol Sottili: Cheap Caribbean is one of the booking sites that bundle airfares/hotel. You may or may not save money by going that route - compare pricing before buying. Look at www.wheretostay.com for ideas on where to go. Mexico (Cancun region especially) is generally cheaper than Caribbean. Jamaica and Dominican Republic is cheaper than other Caribbean islands. I'd look at Aruba - it doesn't have many all-inclusives, but it's friendly and fun without being crazy.

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Christina Talcott: Another great chat, everyone! I'd like to send a tote bag to Anonymous whose hitchhiking experience in Galway nearly meant the loss of a jacket; send your address to talcottc@washpost.com. Thanks for joining us today, and talk to you next Monday!

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