Jun 15, 2007
Crave an affordable villa-rental in France's Provence? Go to Colorado!
For many years, one of the best sources of villa vacations in Provence was a company called Provence West, Ltd., located in the unlikely city of Evergreen, Colorado. It was run by Linda Posson, who made a point of actually seeing each of the some eighty-odd French villas that she rented for two to four weeks at a time to adventurous American vacationers. Linda Posson has now transferred ownership of Provence West, Ltd., to a Coloradan couple of equally impressive experience in their knowledge of the French rental market. Provided only that you request dates after the month of August, they can provide delightful villa rentals for as little as $1,550 to $1,950 a week per villa capable of housing from two to six (sometimes even eight) persons. You contact Provence West by phoning 303/674-3726 or by logging on to www.provencewest.com.
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Labels: accommodations, france
Psssst! Those student specials for American travel packages aren't always confined to students
The giant worldwide student travel operator called STA recently offered seven nights of hotel accommodations in Hawaii as well as round-trip airfare there from the West Coast, for an amazing $449 per person. That served to remind me that STA offers weekly travel specials on its web site that are among the best in the business. Simply log on to www.statravel.com, then click on "Deals & Discounts," and you'll almost always find an extraordinary pick-of-the-week, as they call it -- and rumors abound that you don't always have to be a student to take advantage of it.
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Wonders never cease! Were you aware you could use Priceline to obtain cut-rate hotel rooms in Europe?
A tip from a reader, commenting on one of our blog posts, is so important that I'm repeating it here. She claims that high-class hotel rooms in cities like London, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, and more, can be obtained by bidding as little as $100 a room on www.priceline.com, the famous opaque search engine. And she suggests that you make the attempt before settling for a cheaper "private homestay" (and after using www.biddingfortravel.com and www.betterbidding.com to obtain guidelines for your Priceline bid).
Obviously, Priceline won't work for those popular high season dates when hotels are heavily booked in major European cities -- the hotels offer discounted rates to Priceline only when they're in trouble. And on those much-in-demand dates, you'll still need to search out a "private homestay" (room in a resident's apartment or home in London, etc.) if you're to enjoy affordable rates.
But who would have dreamed that Priceline could be used for European hotel rooms? Since the vast percentage of travelers is probably unaware of that possibility, you might want to try our reader's advice.
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Obviously, Priceline won't work for those popular high season dates when hotels are heavily booked in major European cities -- the hotels offer discounted rates to Priceline only when they're in trouble. And on those much-in-demand dates, you'll still need to search out a "private homestay" (room in a resident's apartment or home in London, etc.) if you're to enjoy affordable rates.
But who would have dreamed that Priceline could be used for European hotel rooms? Since the vast percentage of travelers is probably unaware of that possibility, you might want to try our reader's advice.
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A stay at the Clay is an exciting (and cheap) way to enjoy Miami Beach
If I were asked to name the single best hotel bargain in America, I'd probably refer to a charming, "roaring twenties" pile once inhabited by the likes of Al Capone and Desi Arnaz in South Miami Beach, Florida. It's called the Clay Hotel; its nicely furnished private rooms have phones, TV and air conditioning, and yet they rent this summer for only $56 a night per double room with shared bath and $80 per double room with private bath. The hotel also has dormitory-like hostel facilities for young or unpretentious travelers that are among the best of their kind and cost only $23 to $28 per person per night. And yet the Clay is within an easy walk of the beach, a quick stroll from the Lincoln Road pedestrian mall and restaurant row and all the rest of the sizzling scene in South Beach. Call 800/379-2529 or log on to www.clayhotel.com.
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Labels: accommodations, budget, miami
Schedule your trans-Atlantic crossing for the early autumn and you'll save big
In the world of low-cost airfares to northern Europe, a company called 1-800-FlyEurope is making quite a name for itself. It is owned by the well-known AutoEurope (www.autoeurope.com) operating out of Portland, Maine, and its prices for airfares are quite stunning. While peak summer flights aren't especially favorable, departures taking place just after Labor Day in September are already as low as $571 round-trip between New York and London (on American Airlines, no less, a morning departure from New York), including not simply the standard fuel surcharge of $140 but all government taxes and fees -- that $571 is the final price you'll pay. The same from Los Angeles to London for September evening departures is as little as $707 round-trip, again including fuel surcharge and taxes. There are good rates to Paris as well, and you can learn more about these and other specials by calling 1-800/flyeurope, or logging on to www.1800flyeurope.com.
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Jun 14, 2007
For the sake of your sanity, avoid those overly-popular ports in the Caribbean
I recently returned from a trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands, stunned as always by their awesome beauty but astonished by the impact that the cruise industry is now having on these tiny islets. With dozens of giant, 2,000- and 3,000-passenger cruiseships now sailing each week in winter, there are days when a little town like Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas receives as many as five ships in port at the same time, spilling 10,000 to 12,000 passengers (and more) onto a delicate infrastructure. Nowadays, in my view, the smart seagoing American simply has to select those cruiseships that go to the smaller, more exotic, lesser-known islands that do not receive multiple visitations each day.
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You can fight back against those benighted types
You may be receiving in the mail various fund-raising appeals from the National Parks Conservation Association (www.npca.org). This venerable nonprofit has over 85 years of advocacy under its belt, defending a parks system that is one of America's foremost treasures -- for environmentalists as much as vacationers. The NPCA rightly warns that much of the remarkable legacy of our national parks is under attack by drastic, insistent under funding as well as by campaigns to open more and more of this precious resource to polluting, terrain-destroying vehicles, oil and gas drilling, excessive logging, and road building. We should all heed this organization's urgent message, and contribute to the cost of its work.
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Labels: parks
Get a suit made in Hoi An (a reason for visiting Vietnam)
If you've thinking about Vietnam and studying the tours there, you've probably seen a two-night or three-night stay assigned to the port city of Hoi An, on the South China Sea. And why is everybody going there? Why is the little-known Hoi An often scheduled for the same length of stay as Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City (the former Saigon)?
It's to permit the American tourist to buy a custom-made suit, or dress, or anything else that can be copied from the pages of Vogue or GQ. Though the picturesque Hoi An has numerous attractions dating from the medieval era (Buddhist temples and shrines, much else), it also boasts nearly 100 tailor shops for the overnight manufacture of custom-made suits, dresses, coats, and shoes, for less than a tenth of what you'd spend in the western world (US$75 for a custom-made suit). Like so many other secondary Asian cities, its decision to specialize in one activity has created a shopping mecca that overwhelms the size of similar industries in the great Asian capitals. You can go there independently, or you book an air-and-land-package from companies like General Tours (look up its offerings in Google).
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It's to permit the American tourist to buy a custom-made suit, or dress, or anything else that can be copied from the pages of Vogue or GQ. Though the picturesque Hoi An has numerous attractions dating from the medieval era (Buddhist temples and shrines, much else), it also boasts nearly 100 tailor shops for the overnight manufacture of custom-made suits, dresses, coats, and shoes, for less than a tenth of what you'd spend in the western world (US$75 for a custom-made suit). Like so many other secondary Asian cities, its decision to specialize in one activity has created a shopping mecca that overwhelms the size of similar industries in the great Asian capitals. You can go there independently, or you book an air-and-land-package from companies like General Tours (look up its offerings in Google).
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The vacation home rental is the way to go, and there's a new source of these spacious, comfortable, inexpensive homes
The trend towards renting a vacation home rather than a hotel on visits to popular tourist sites is obviously gaining momentum. I recently discussed on my Sunday program that Vacation Rental by Owner (www.vrbo.com) a website for renting homes directly from the owner had become one of the 50 top internet addresses. Now, a site performing a similar function, called www.greatrentals.com, is doing much the same thing. Replete with photographs of the homes, and lengthy descriptions of everything in them, it permits users to bypass national and even local real estate brokers in renting a vacation home at rock-bottom rates. Large families, or even groups of couples traveling together, enjoy remarkable values from these electronic services.
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Labels: accommodations
Travel humor from the nation's capitol
A Keystone Cops Comedy, or maybe a Marx Brothers Movie, are about the only images that can do justice to the Bush administration’s recent handling of the passport rules. You’ll recall the proud announcement of several months ago, that Americans flying back and forth to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean would henceforth have to possess U.S. passports. Terrorists would be thwarted, security insured.
But no one thought of hiring additional people to process the many millions of passport applications that travelers would be forced to make. The result: chaos at the Passport Offices and a twelve-week backlog -- that’s twelve full weeks -- in the issuance of passports. Last week, the Department of State was forced to announce a reprieve (see official announcement on its website): from now until September 30, people will be permitted to board flights to Canada, etc., without a passport but with a receipt showing that they have applied for a passport, whether or not it’s been issued. And the receipts are obtainable via printouts from the Internet.
It gets worse. At the same time that they are literally drowning in passport applications (see the claim in red on State's passport application page), the Department of Homeland Security has even more recently announced that as of January 1, 2008, persons walking or driving back and forth by car to Canada or Mexico will also need passports. (Those multitudes in Detroit who each day drive into Windsor, Canada, those hundreds of thousands who each month walk over into Niagara Falls, Canada, will need passports). Meantime, no one knows how to quickly issue tens of millions of additional passports to loyal patriots only.
Stay tuned.
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But no one thought of hiring additional people to process the many millions of passport applications that travelers would be forced to make. The result: chaos at the Passport Offices and a twelve-week backlog -- that’s twelve full weeks -- in the issuance of passports. Last week, the Department of State was forced to announce a reprieve (see official announcement on its website): from now until September 30, people will be permitted to board flights to Canada, etc., without a passport but with a receipt showing that they have applied for a passport, whether or not it’s been issued. And the receipts are obtainable via printouts from the Internet.
It gets worse. At the same time that they are literally drowning in passport applications (see the claim in red on State's passport application page), the Department of Homeland Security has even more recently announced that as of January 1, 2008, persons walking or driving back and forth by car to Canada or Mexico will also need passports. (Those multitudes in Detroit who each day drive into Windsor, Canada, those hundreds of thousands who each month walk over into Niagara Falls, Canada, will need passports). Meantime, no one knows how to quickly issue tens of millions of additional passports to loyal patriots only.
Stay tuned.
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Labels: passports
Jun 13, 2007
Tired of those tense family get-togethers? Spend Thanksgiving in Europe!
An odd development in autumn travel, coming up, is the curious popularity of trips to Europe over Thanksgiving. Though you'd think most Americans would prefer to stay home at that special time, an increasing number are seizing on cut-rate trans-Atlantic airfares and low-season hotel packages to European capitals for such starting dates as November 19, 20, 21, and so forth. A chief source is Gate 1 Travel with offers like $499 from the east coast for six days in London over the Thanksgiving dates, including trans-Atlantic airfare and hotels; $599 for air and four nights in Budapest on the same dates; $569 for four nights in Paris with air thrown in; $599 for air and four nights in Rome; $599 for air and four nights in Prague; and so on. For a complete listing, log on to www.gate1travel.com (and click on "Thanksgiving Specials"), or phone 800/682-3333.
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The right kind of world-minded person will enjoy a summer vacation with like-minded people at an unpretentious resort center in New Hampshire
The World Fellowship Center of New Hampshire is a non-profit summer vacation camp that deserves publicity. Nearly 60 years old, it is both inexpensive and serious, devoted to seminars and classes on important issues in world affairs and personal growth. Weekly programs take place from late June to mid-September of each year, in a stunning setting on 453 scres of forested trails and mile-long pond, with many options for afternoon recreation following a morning of discussion. The charge for lodging and all meals can run as low as $305 a week per person, but usually averages $414 per adult, and if you'd care to enjoy the company of vital people seeking to better understand the big issues, you'd be well advised to register soon. You can get further information from www.worldfellowship.org.
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Labels: education, new hampshire
Think Nicaragua -- and especially the Corn Islands -- for your next tropical vacation
If you've been everywhere in the Caribbean, seen every island from tiny St. Kitts to big Jamaica, every nation from Belize to Costa Rica, you have one largely unvisited place still to visit: Nicaragua. For a unique beach vacation in Nicaragua, log on to www.toursnicaragua.com, and scroll down to a section dealing with beach holidays, which tells about the peaceful Corn Islands of sand and clear, bathtub-warm waters off Nicaragua's Caribbean coast. On the Corn Islands, you are told, there are no fancy resorts, no perfume shops, supermarkets, golf courses or hordes of people lining up for all-you-can-eat buffets. You are a visitor among the people of the island. You share the pace of their life. And doesn't that sound simply marvelous?
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Labels: nicaragua
During at least one summer in your life, you've got to attend Chautauqua
Chautauqua in upstate New York is a summer (June 25 to August 24, in 2007) vacation destination so popular that it always sells out long before its opening date -- you'll need to book almost immediately. Essentially, Chautauqua invented the "learning vacation" more than a century and a quarter ago. The core of its program is a body of some 400 classes in every conceivable subject ranging over a nine-week period. For as long as you wish to stay, at extremely moderate rates ($15 a day for daytime admission, not including room and meals), you enjoy a verdant campus with golf, boating and swimming, as well as lectures delivered by nationally recognized names ranging from Nobel laureates to Supreme Court justices to (this year) the Governor of New York State. You also have access to reasonably-priced concerts, films and plays, at an extra charge for evening events. If you'd like to know more about Chautauqua, log on to www.ciweb.org.
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Labels: chautauqua, education
When your favorite airline turns you down on the use of frequent flyer mileage, turn to their alliance partners
A potent travel secret: when one of the four major U.S. air carriers -- Delta, United, American or Northwest -- turns down your request to use the frequent flyer mileage you've earned on that carrier (because of "blackout periods," "exhaustion of space," a half-dozen other phony reasons) -- you can often use the same mileage on flights of one of its alliance partners. All four belong to groups whose other members honor one another's mileage. American Airlines' One World Alliance is with Aer Lingus, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Lan Chile and Qantas; and every one of those pledges to honor AA's frequent flyer mileage. Delta's Sky Team consists of Aeromexico, Air France, Alitalia, Czech Airlines and Korean, all honoring Delta's miles. Northwest has partners that honor its miles: Continental, KLM, Alaska Airlines, Horizon and U.S. Air. United's is the Star Alliance with Air Canada, British Midlands, Lufthansa, Mexicana, ANA, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, Varig, SAS, Singapore, Thai, and Asiana. Although miles from one carrier can't be combined with miles from another, they can be used on carriers other than the one on which they were earned. And thus, a turndown by the airlines operating your program shouldn't end the quest; simply call the others.
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Labels: airlines
Jun 12, 2007
What's the top tourist attraction in America?
A caller to my Sunday program recently put the above question to me. In answering, I chose as the single top attraction those provocative small playhouses operated in such dynamic theater cities as New York, Minneapolis and Seattle; they alone can justify almost any trip. The tiny "off Broadway" and "off-off-Broadway" stages -- where little-known playwrights present their works -- have been the major means by which controversial new ideas and concerns -- apartheid in South Africa (the plays of Athol Fugard); civil rights in the U.S. (James Baldwin's Blues for Mr. Charlie, LeRoi Jones' Dutchman), feminism in western nations (plays by Caryl Churchill, The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler); the AIDS crisis and acceptance of homosexuals (Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart); the plight of the young black woman (Ntozake Shange's For Colored Girls...), many others -- have broken out of academia and into the popular consciousness. They have changed America. It is disappointing to find tourists flocking to the too-often mindless musicals of the Broadway stage and neglecting to patronize the smaller theaters of New York where profound new issues are being raised.
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How can you meet dynamic, spirited, local residents when you travel?
I get a lot of questions about meeting local residents in the course of vacation travels. How do you that? One brief suggestion is to visit a major museum on that day or two per week when local residents take advantage of evening hours (when they're off work) to come visit the collection. As an example, the awesome Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is heavily attended on Friday and Saturday nights by lively, culturally-active New Yorkers of all ages, and conversations can be struck up in front of a Velasquez or Degas. The same at Los Angeles' remarkable Getty Museum (now the key attraction of that city) and dozens of other U.S. museums during their periodic evening hours, and also at London's National Gallery. In Britain, a visit to bulletin boards in the University of London area off Great Russell Street will also reveal all kinds of free lectures attended by dynamic residents of London who are more receptive, in that setting, than in any other, to impromptu conversations.
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Labels: locals, london, los angeles, new york city
Iceland, anyone?
Can a trip to Iceland be enjoyed on a budget? It's difficult, unless you buy one of the promotional air-and-land packages offered by Icelandair and designed to put you aboard their planes to Europe. Many people, in fact, break up a trip to Europe by flying on Icelandair and enjoying a three-night stopover in Reykjavík en route to a European capital. You stay at the charming but rather worn old Loftleidir Hotel the only hotel in Reykjavík with its own mineral water swimming pool. On your first day you tour Reykjavík. Your second day you journey to stunning waterfalls and lava fields. The third day, you stop en route to the airport at Iceland's famous Blue Lagoon for its geothermic hot springs. And to do all this, you access www.icelandairholidays.com.
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Labels: iceland
Though it has recovered a bit from its dire economic crisis, Argentina has remained a tourist bargain
It's been more than four years since the Argentinian peso crashed against most other currencies, making a tourist mecca out of the city of Buenos Aires. Drawn by tales of $4 steaks and $1 tango lessons, visitors from all over the world have poured into the elegant Argentinian capital and bought up everything in sight. During that period, the peso has sold as low as 3.18 to the U.S. dollar, as compared with a rate of one to the dollar that prevailed prior to the financial crisis.
From all reports, the Argentinian economy has recovered greatly from its worst low, though the peso still sells at almost exactly three to one U.S. dollar. To what extent does the tourist continue to enjoy advantages there? A friend of mine provided this recent report:
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From all reports, the Argentinian economy has recovered greatly from its worst low, though the peso still sells at almost exactly three to one U.S. dollar. To what extent does the tourist continue to enjoy advantages there? A friend of mine provided this recent report:
"We flew in from Buenos Aires this morning, and the trip was extraordinary. The city is awesome despite chaotic traffic, and extremely inexpensive. Examples? We had dinner at the most high-end, exclusive parrilla (steak restaurant) in town for about $25 a person, another very elegant modern-style nouvelle Argentine restaurant for $15, and several very good meals at more run-of-the-mill places for less than $10. Other examples: A room at an elegant, tango-themed boutique hotel went for $74; bottles of fine wines for as little as $3; high-quality leather wallets for $4-$6; great suede shoes for $20; and a drop-dead gorgeous, butter-soft leather jacket -- I mean, I've never seen anything like it in the U.S. -- for $110, probably a quarter or less of what such a thing would cost here. Cab rides, antiques, and many other things also amazingly cheap. I'm so very glad I finally got down there ... We also took a side trip to a gorgeous UNESCO World Heritage colonial city in Uruguay called La Colonia, where the cheap prices were even more impressive in many ways."
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Labels: buenos aires
Jun 11, 2007
Where can a group vacation cheaply? Try the Yucatan
People write that they are a group of friends, let's say five couples, all wanting to vacation together for 5 to 7 days in some tropical location that will offer something for everyone -- scuba-diving, jungle treks, serious culture -- and at a cost of no more than $900 per person, including air. Where to go? Think: Mexico and the Yucatán Peninsula. You can find all sorts of inexpensive home rentals able to accommodate ten, and some of them come with a cook who can reduce the pressure of shopping and preparing meals. The Yucatán also offers a remarkably diverse number of attractions and activities. Remember also to rent a car.
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Labels: groups, mexico, yucatan
Prepare now to attend Oxford summer school next summer
Because all the most interesting courses are now sold out, it's really too late to apply for what may be the finest learning vacation in all of travel, a program known as the Oxford Experience, a week spent on the campus of Britain's famous university an hour and a half from London. But make a note to send in your request almost immediately after the beginning of next year for the 2008 summer session, which always sells out by the end of March (it covers any of the five weeks from July 1 through the first week of August in 2008). Here's an adventure of the mind for adults from all over the world, who attend Oxford without tests, examinations or grades, living in the ancient Christ Church College and taking meals in a 15th century Gothic dining hall, while they pursue courses like "The Public and Private Lives of British Prime Ministers," or the "Tyranny of Henry VIII, to name just two. The total cost averages 980 british pounds, around $1900, for tuition, a single room, and all meals. If you're at all interested, go to Google on January 1, 2008, and type in the words "The Oxford Experience."
(I should also point out that Oxford operates a separate program called the Oxford University Summer School for Adults, primarily intended for British residents but also open to Americans. This one is a great deal more serious than the Oxford Experience; it requires preparatory readings, a 1,500 word essay before classes begin, and a 1,000 word essay at the end of the week, in addition to dealing with far more serious subjects of philosophy and history. The cost is £ 850, about $1,700 for a fully-inclusive week.)
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(I should also point out that Oxford operates a separate program called the Oxford University Summer School for Adults, primarily intended for British residents but also open to Americans. This one is a great deal more serious than the Oxford Experience; it requires preparatory readings, a 1,500 word essay before classes begin, and a 1,000 word essay at the end of the week, in addition to dealing with far more serious subjects of philosophy and history. The cost is £ 850, about $1,700 for a fully-inclusive week.)
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For their summer/fall trips to Europe, a lot of discerning travelers are choosing Croatia
Croatia is one of the hottest of current destinations. The former province of Yugoslavia has been free of violence for more than a decade. Its touristic highlight, which is Dubrovnik, has been restored to its precise pre-war appearance and is once again vital and enchanting, as are all the other resorts of the Adriatic coast, such as Split, Hvar, Sveti Stefan, and the picturesque offshore islands. Its capital, Zagreb, is humming with culture and cafe life. And because its prices are among the lowest in Europe, it is attracting the intelligent tourist. You might choose Croatia for the remaining months of 2007.
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Jun 10, 2007
Some rueful observations about a recent condo rental
Last winter, my wife and I became snowbirds for two weeks by renting a one-bedroom condo on the west coast of Florida. And although we had a wonderful time, we learned a few things about vacations condos.
We found out first that parts of the condo can break down. The loo fails to flush, the dishwasher goes dead, the ceiling fan breaks from its moorings and crashes down onto the dining room table. Unless the owner has given you the name and number of a maintenance person that you can instantly summon for repairs paid by the owner, you'll find the occasional mishap somewhat unsettling. And though there are reasons for renting directly from the condo owner, I felt relieved that we had made our own arrangements through a management company that retained 24-hour responsibility for repairs.
Remember too that vacation condos don't usually permit you to make long-distance phone calls. Nearly every owner who rents for short periods has disabled the phone to permit only local calls to be made on it. You'll need phone cards to make those out-of-town calls, and better yet you'll need to bring a cell phone.
Keep in mind that condo kitchens rarely have the utensils for elaborate cooking. Condo owners provide you with the minimum: a tiny skillet, no tea kettle at all, no vegetable peelers or other such devices. Ask in advance for proper utensils. If you're a heavy cook, you'll grit your teeth at having to purchase them for two weeks' use.
And finally, remember that some condos can look swell in the pictures, but are awkwardly located. In our case, the condo was exactly one mile from a big general store down the road. That meant that every morning, to pick up the newspaper, a bagel and a coffee, I had a reason to make a healthy two-mile walk. We visited other condos too far for easy walking and requiring a ten-minute drive to commerce.
Don't get me wrong; I loved our condo vacation. It was dreamlike to sip cocktails on our screened-in porch and watch the sun set over the beach and sea. We'll rent a winter condo again next year, but we'll take some of the precautions I've described.
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We found out first that parts of the condo can break down. The loo fails to flush, the dishwasher goes dead, the ceiling fan breaks from its moorings and crashes down onto the dining room table. Unless the owner has given you the name and number of a maintenance person that you can instantly summon for repairs paid by the owner, you'll find the occasional mishap somewhat unsettling. And though there are reasons for renting directly from the condo owner, I felt relieved that we had made our own arrangements through a management company that retained 24-hour responsibility for repairs.
Remember too that vacation condos don't usually permit you to make long-distance phone calls. Nearly every owner who rents for short periods has disabled the phone to permit only local calls to be made on it. You'll need phone cards to make those out-of-town calls, and better yet you'll need to bring a cell phone.
Keep in mind that condo kitchens rarely have the utensils for elaborate cooking. Condo owners provide you with the minimum: a tiny skillet, no tea kettle at all, no vegetable peelers or other such devices. Ask in advance for proper utensils. If you're a heavy cook, you'll grit your teeth at having to purchase them for two weeks' use.
And finally, remember that some condos can look swell in the pictures, but are awkwardly located. In our case, the condo was exactly one mile from a big general store down the road. That meant that every morning, to pick up the newspaper, a bagel and a coffee, I had a reason to make a healthy two-mile walk. We visited other condos too far for easy walking and requiring a ten-minute drive to commerce.
Don't get me wrong; I loved our condo vacation. It was dreamlike to sip cocktails on our screened-in porch and watch the sun set over the beach and sea. We'll rent a winter condo again next year, but we'll take some of the precautions I've described.
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Labels: accommodations, florida
Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
