Dec 14, 2007
You really should know about those public bicycles in Paris, and suggest the same to your own municipal authorities
Paris is the latest European city to amass a fleet of largely-free bicycles (they are free the first half-hour, and then cost a nominal sum) that any member of the public may grab for anytime use. The city has installed some 20,000 bikes at some 1,500 stations around town, and all a tourist needs in order to rent one is an American Express credit card to mainly guarantee the condition of the bike (AmEx cards are thus far the only American-issued cards accepted at those bike stations).
Other cities have tried a similar idea with middling success -- Vienna's version featured vehicles that were deliberately cheap and uncomfortable to discourage theft. Stockholm's system, launched a year ago with the participation of Clear Channel Communications (the multinational ad firm), now has about 1,000 bikes circulating town, rented for small fees by rental cards, but the system may be sunk by rampant vandalism.
The French project, called Velib (www.velib.paris.fr; French language only), began in Lyon and is also sponsored by a company (JC Decaux) that profits from advertising on the bikes. You buy a membership at ATM-like kiosks for 1 euro. The first half-hour of use is free, and rates are about €1 per half-hour after that, and you can drop your bike off anywhere else 24/7 in town where there's a station.
They're designed as an alternative to taxis and other gas-guzzlers. Interestingly, because the system has been established with the full support of the city, the rental cards can also be pre-loaded with funds and used on traditional modes of public transportation as well.
Having access to reliable wheels may be useful for tourists who run afoul of those famous French transportation strikes, but there is an inherent risk to grabbing these free cycles: They don't come with helmets. Still, they are a major advance in the quality of life, and should be considered by your own city. How about it?
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Other cities have tried a similar idea with middling success -- Vienna's version featured vehicles that were deliberately cheap and uncomfortable to discourage theft. Stockholm's system, launched a year ago with the participation of Clear Channel Communications (the multinational ad firm), now has about 1,000 bikes circulating town, rented for small fees by rental cards, but the system may be sunk by rampant vandalism.
The French project, called Velib (www.velib.paris.fr; French language only), began in Lyon and is also sponsored by a company (JC Decaux) that profits from advertising on the bikes. You buy a membership at ATM-like kiosks for 1 euro. The first half-hour of use is free, and rates are about €1 per half-hour after that, and you can drop your bike off anywhere else 24/7 in town where there's a station.
They're designed as an alternative to taxis and other gas-guzzlers. Interestingly, because the system has been established with the full support of the city, the rental cards can also be pre-loaded with funds and used on traditional modes of public transportation as well.
Having access to reliable wheels may be useful for tourists who run afoul of those famous French transportation strikes, but there is an inherent risk to grabbing these free cycles: They don't come with helmets. Still, they are a major advance in the quality of life, and should be considered by your own city. How about it?
Write and read comments about this post.
Cruises of Hawaii on any ship other than the two belonging to Norwegian America Line, may soon become more difficult to enjoy
In order to give a near-monopoly to the Norwegian America Line (a subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line) in sailing among the Hawaiian Islands (Norwegian promised to hire American crew, and to abide by American labor laws), Congress provided that non-American cruiselines could visit Hawaii only if they stopped, at some point of the itinerary, in a non-American destination (which is difficult, indeed).
Some foreign ship lines complied with that requirement by scheduling an absurd overnight side trip to Fanning Island in the Pacific, after first sailing to Hawaii. More of them decided to stop in Ensenada, Mexico, just south of San Diego, in the course of the cruise. Typically, a cruiseline would set off from Los Angeles, stop briefly in Ensenada (even if for less than an hour, and sometimes in the middle of the night), then make the long crossing to Hawaii, then cruise the Hawaiian Islands.
On a separate cruise starting from Hawaii, they would sail back to North America, stop briefly in Ensenada, and then return to Los Angeles. Many of our readers may have been attracted by these nine-day cruises to Hawaii involving a brief (almost unnoticed) stop in Ensenada on one leg of the cruise.
But that's about to become more difficult. Norwegian America Line has complained bitterly about these one-hour stops in Ensenada, and the authorities have agreed to put an end to such artificial compliance. From now on, they have announced, the Ensenada stop must be the real thing, of at least a day's duration, disgorging passengers onto the shore to imbibe the pleasures of Ensenada.
So if you're scheduled for an Ensenada-stopping cruise to Hawaii, you might think again. Because of the need for a real stopover in Ensenada, you will need to spend most of your remaining time simply at sea, and relatively little of it in Hawaii. Which means that an all-Hawaii cruise by Norwegian America line (with U.S. crew members) may be your only realistic option.
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Some foreign ship lines complied with that requirement by scheduling an absurd overnight side trip to Fanning Island in the Pacific, after first sailing to Hawaii. More of them decided to stop in Ensenada, Mexico, just south of San Diego, in the course of the cruise. Typically, a cruiseline would set off from Los Angeles, stop briefly in Ensenada (even if for less than an hour, and sometimes in the middle of the night), then make the long crossing to Hawaii, then cruise the Hawaiian Islands.
On a separate cruise starting from Hawaii, they would sail back to North America, stop briefly in Ensenada, and then return to Los Angeles. Many of our readers may have been attracted by these nine-day cruises to Hawaii involving a brief (almost unnoticed) stop in Ensenada on one leg of the cruise.
But that's about to become more difficult. Norwegian America Line has complained bitterly about these one-hour stops in Ensenada, and the authorities have agreed to put an end to such artificial compliance. From now on, they have announced, the Ensenada stop must be the real thing, of at least a day's duration, disgorging passengers onto the shore to imbibe the pleasures of Ensenada.
So if you're scheduled for an Ensenada-stopping cruise to Hawaii, you might think again. Because of the need for a real stopover in Ensenada, you will need to spend most of your remaining time simply at sea, and relatively little of it in Hawaii. Which means that an all-Hawaii cruise by Norwegian America line (with U.S. crew members) may be your only realistic option.
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Labels: cruises, hawaii, red tape
The New York Times has just published the most outrageous essay in recent history of travel journalism
The article I'm referring to filled the entire first page of last weekend's New York Times travel section, and then spread out over part of seven more pages. Its headline read: "The 53 Places to Go in 2008." But instead of citing culture, history, natural wonders, political interest, or interaction with people, as the primary reason for its 53 geographical choices, it clearly implied that the arrival of upscale deluxe hotels was the main reason for visiting most of its nominees.
In no fewer than 34 of the 43 destinations listed in its printed travel section (the other 10 appeared online), luxury living was singled out as the obvious draw of the destination. The words "luxury," "upscale," "high end," "Ritz-Carlton," "lavish," "well-heeled," "ultra-exclusive," "high ticket," "chic," "upper class," "posh," "opulent," and the like, appear either repeatedly ("luxury" and "luxurious" are big favorites) or at least once in the great majority of write-ups; and the more noble goals of travel, a learning experience that expands understanding, are mainly dismissed in favor of the pleasures of discos and designer hotels.
If you, like many, are not interested in ultra-costly hotels, is there anything for you to read in the travel section of The New York Times? Precious little. I wonder whether any major editor of the Times scans those pages or is even faintly aware of what that section has become. As someone with a regard for travel, who looks upon travel as a precious birthright of our generation, I want to protest against what a new team of mindless poseurs have done to the once-esteemed travel pages of our leading newspaper.
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- St. Lucia? You go there because "big-name resorts with $1,000 rooms are on the way."
- Verbier, in Switzerland? It "will get decidedly more upper class" when Richard Branson's latest chalet-hotel opens, charging "as little as £35,250 a week, well over $70,000."
- Courchevel in the French Alps? Developers are upping the ante with "rustic-chic apartments starting at ... $1.95 million."
In no fewer than 34 of the 43 destinations listed in its printed travel section (the other 10 appeared online), luxury living was singled out as the obvious draw of the destination. The words "luxury," "upscale," "high end," "Ritz-Carlton," "lavish," "well-heeled," "ultra-exclusive," "high ticket," "chic," "upper class," "posh," "opulent," and the like, appear either repeatedly ("luxury" and "luxurious" are big favorites) or at least once in the great majority of write-ups; and the more noble goals of travel, a learning experience that expands understanding, are mainly dismissed in favor of the pleasures of discos and designer hotels.
If you, like many, are not interested in ultra-costly hotels, is there anything for you to read in the travel section of The New York Times? Precious little. I wonder whether any major editor of the Times scans those pages or is even faintly aware of what that section has become. As someone with a regard for travel, who looks upon travel as a precious birthright of our generation, I want to protest against what a new team of mindless poseurs have done to the once-esteemed travel pages of our leading newspaper.
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Book a guesthouse from London Bed & Breakfast Agency, and you'll pay as little $50 per person per night
Tipped off by a reader's response to one of my posts, I've now made the acquaintance of a superb website for finding inexpensive rooms in private London homes, many of them extremely well located. It strikes me as one of the best organized and easily-used services of this sort. London Bed & Breakfast Agency (www.londonbb.com) provides lodgings in a range of private homes and guesthouses for rates that run as follows: in category "C" houses, £25 ($50) per person per night; in category "B" houses, £28 ($56) per person per night; in category "B+," £33 ($66) per person per night; in category "A" houses, £47 ($94) per person per night.
It's obvious that a sizable number of rooms in private homes are now being offered in Britain's capital, responding to the crisis in costs caused by the sharp rise in the value of the British pound (£1 now equals at least $2.05 -- and more than that when you add commissions tacked on by the money-changers). Spend a few moments with www.londonbb.com, and you'll find the solution to that problem, provided you're willing to stay in category "C" homes. Many of them have posted photographs of their rooms and facilities, and look quite suitable.
It's reassuring to find a website for B&Bs that doesn't greatly favor its upscale properties and pass off the less expensive ones as oddities, gives equal treatment to the "C" category option, and provides a highly descriptive write-up of each one -- accompanied in many cases by a descriptive photograph.
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It's obvious that a sizable number of rooms in private homes are now being offered in Britain's capital, responding to the crisis in costs caused by the sharp rise in the value of the British pound (£1 now equals at least $2.05 -- and more than that when you add commissions tacked on by the money-changers). Spend a few moments with www.londonbb.com, and you'll find the solution to that problem, provided you're willing to stay in category "C" homes. Many of them have posted photographs of their rooms and facilities, and look quite suitable.
It's reassuring to find a website for B&Bs that doesn't greatly favor its upscale properties and pass off the less expensive ones as oddities, gives equal treatment to the "C" category option, and provides a highly descriptive write-up of each one -- accompanied in many cases by a descriptive photograph.
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Labels: accommodations, london
Dec 13, 2007
Guess how the European airlines have responded to the new, lightning-fast train service between London and Paris? By slashing airfares!
Now that the Chunnel train's runtime is down to around two hours and 15 minutes between Paris and London, shaving off another 20 minutes from its previous record, the airlines that fly the same route know the wolf is at their door. With the opening of a glorious new train terminal, St. Pancras (www.stpancras.com), anyone who wishes to travel to Paris must only board a train in central London and be delivered comfortably to central Paris a little over two hours later. Increasingly, there's little point in travelers struggling through the typical hassles of airline travel by commuting to the airport terminals, slogging through security checks, waiting around for possibly delayed flights, being strapped into uncomfortable airline seating, and so on.
So the airlines have done what the cross-Channel ferry companies did a decade ago when the tunnel first opened: They've slashed prices. Now, travelers may find that when they compare rates on the Eurostar Channel Tunnel train versus the major airlines, what the airlines are charging may offset the grief of dealing with the airports.
I did some price checking. At www.eurostar.com, a one-way train seat from London to Paris during a weekday next week would cost £155 (about $325) for a flexible ticket. If I had purchased my seat months in advance, I could have had access to a $170 one-way ticket, which wouldn't have been flexible in case I needed to change my plans. RailEurope (www.raileurope.com), which also sells seats on Eurostar, would charge me $77 one-way to Paris for a train leaving at 5:35am; for the rest of the day, rates were more like $126 each way.
Compare those prices to the airlines. British Airways (www.britishairways.com) is charging $360 round-trip -- which is what Eurostar charges for a one-way non-flexible ticket. So, essentially, the airlines are twice the value of the train right now. Air France's (www.airfrance.com) deals were better still; it charges $105 each way for flights between Heathrow and Charles de Gaulle airport in France. So you could come and go to Paris on Air France for less than the price of a one-way ticket on the train. (Just make sure you remember that it will cost you to get to and from the airports.)
Of course, Eurostar doesn't just go to London and Paris. Through the Chunnel from England, it also reaches Brussels, Lille, and Disneyland Paris. So if you plan to go to any of those stations, you'll likely find equally competitive prices (except for Disneyland, which doesn't have its own airport that competes with the trains).
Get ready for even more competition in the future, because rail planners have just announced their intentions to connect Heathrow Airport in London with the high-speed Eurostar line -- a direct attack against the airlines.
Write and read comments about this post.
So the airlines have done what the cross-Channel ferry companies did a decade ago when the tunnel first opened: They've slashed prices. Now, travelers may find that when they compare rates on the Eurostar Channel Tunnel train versus the major airlines, what the airlines are charging may offset the grief of dealing with the airports.
I did some price checking. At www.eurostar.com, a one-way train seat from London to Paris during a weekday next week would cost £155 (about $325) for a flexible ticket. If I had purchased my seat months in advance, I could have had access to a $170 one-way ticket, which wouldn't have been flexible in case I needed to change my plans. RailEurope (www.raileurope.com), which also sells seats on Eurostar, would charge me $77 one-way to Paris for a train leaving at 5:35am; for the rest of the day, rates were more like $126 each way.
Compare those prices to the airlines. British Airways (www.britishairways.com) is charging $360 round-trip -- which is what Eurostar charges for a one-way non-flexible ticket. So, essentially, the airlines are twice the value of the train right now. Air France's (www.airfrance.com) deals were better still; it charges $105 each way for flights between Heathrow and Charles de Gaulle airport in France. So you could come and go to Paris on Air France for less than the price of a one-way ticket on the train. (Just make sure you remember that it will cost you to get to and from the airports.)
Of course, Eurostar doesn't just go to London and Paris. Through the Chunnel from England, it also reaches Brussels, Lille, and Disneyland Paris. So if you plan to go to any of those stations, you'll likely find equally competitive prices (except for Disneyland, which doesn't have its own airport that competes with the trains).
Get ready for even more competition in the future, because rail planners have just announced their intentions to connect Heathrow Airport in London with the high-speed Eurostar line -- a direct attack against the airlines.
Write and read comments about this post.
A new telephone device for travel may possibly be more useful (gulp!) than Skype!
Skype (www.skype.com) is an excellent piece of software that allows for free phone calls made through your computer. It's free to download. However, calls are only free if your recipient is also on Skype; if you want to call a regular phone, the fees start kicking in.
So now there's a new gadget called MagicJack. Basically, MagicJack (www.magicjack.com), which is smaller than a deck of playing cards, turns your computer or laptop into a phone jack. It's a small unit that you insert into one of your USB ports. You can then plug a regular phone into that and start dialing. For a $40 fee for a year ($20 for each additional year that you wish to subscribe), you get this phone jack and the right to make free calls in the US and Canada, plus free international calls back to the US and Canada. It doesn't use your standard phone line; you just have to be connected to high-speed Internet for it to work. MagicJack also comes with voicemail and an American phone number through which you can receive free phone calls (Skype makes you pay extra for those things).
A few other companies have introduced similar products (Vonage's V-Phone is one of them), but those have come with the requirement to not only purchase the device, but also to pay a monthly subscription fee starting around $15. That makes MagicJack, with its once-annual fee of $40, period, the better deal. It also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, which few new electronic inventions do, so you can send it back if it doesn't work.
I haven't used MagicJack myself yet, and so I can't vouch for it yet. It seems to me that not all hotel phones have jacks that are the same size as the phones we use at home, so a user of MagicJack might need to also pack a lightweight phone handset or earpiece for use on the road. Also, all new electronics gadgets go through a period during which their kinks are worked out. Still, $40 a year for a device that provides unlimited calls on the road as well as back at home seems like a very good deal to me. Are there any readers of this blog who have experimented with MagicJack and would like to share a report?
Write and read comments about this post.
So now there's a new gadget called MagicJack. Basically, MagicJack (www.magicjack.com), which is smaller than a deck of playing cards, turns your computer or laptop into a phone jack. It's a small unit that you insert into one of your USB ports. You can then plug a regular phone into that and start dialing. For a $40 fee for a year ($20 for each additional year that you wish to subscribe), you get this phone jack and the right to make free calls in the US and Canada, plus free international calls back to the US and Canada. It doesn't use your standard phone line; you just have to be connected to high-speed Internet for it to work. MagicJack also comes with voicemail and an American phone number through which you can receive free phone calls (Skype makes you pay extra for those things).
A few other companies have introduced similar products (Vonage's V-Phone is one of them), but those have come with the requirement to not only purchase the device, but also to pay a monthly subscription fee starting around $15. That makes MagicJack, with its once-annual fee of $40, period, the better deal. It also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, which few new electronic inventions do, so you can send it back if it doesn't work.
I haven't used MagicJack myself yet, and so I can't vouch for it yet. It seems to me that not all hotel phones have jacks that are the same size as the phones we use at home, so a user of MagicJack might need to also pack a lightweight phone handset or earpiece for use on the road. Also, all new electronics gadgets go through a period during which their kinks are worked out. Still, $40 a year for a device that provides unlimited calls on the road as well as back at home seems like a very good deal to me. Are there any readers of this blog who have experimented with MagicJack and would like to share a report?
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: tools
In winter, vacation packages help counteract the high price of the Euro with rates as low as $599 for a week in Paris -- airfare and hotel included
How bad is it in Europe? Plenty bad. Even modest, budget-class, two-star hotels in Europe's major cities now average between €80 and €130 for a double room without bath -- which doesn't sound that bad, until you do the math using the current punishing cash exchange rate of $1.52 to the euro. Then you realize that each night's lodging will cost you between $122 and $198. Take the average of that and over a one-week trip, lodging alone will add up to a shocking $1,120 for the most cost-conscious of travelers.
Enter the packagers, companies that purchase airfares in bulk and make arrangements with hotels (and, in some cases, car rental agencies) across Europe to obtain plane tickets and rooms at cut rates, then bundle them together to sell to the public at far less than an individual traveler would pay for the same travel a la carte. Vacation packages are not tours. While a few throw in airport transfers and occasionally a half-day bus tour of the city as part of the package, your time is otherwise your own. You are not part of a group, nor do you have a guide leading you around.
The current titan of the package business is Go-Today.com (tel. 800/227-3235; www.go-today.com), which currently offers (for stays in January and February) such deals as $599 for six nights in Paris, $549 for a week in London, and $959 to spend nine nights in Italy split between Rome, Florence, and Venice and including the rail travel between the cities.
(These prices are all per person based on double occupancy and cover at least airfare from New York or Boston and lodging for the number of nights specified. Departures from other cities add anywhere from $50 to $200; air taxes and fees typically add between $40 and $160.)
Other time-tested generalist vacation packagers offering deals to many European countries include Virgin Vacations (www.virgin-vacations.com), which offers six nights in Prague from $649, and Gate1 Travel (tel. 800/682-3333; www.gate1travel.com), which has six nights in Amsterdam from $699. Two companies offer packages to many European countries but are particularly strong on Italy: Central Holidays (tel. 800/539-7098; www.centralholidays.com) with four nights in Tuscany and a car from $561, and TourCrafters (tel. 800/621-2259; www.tourcrafters.com) with a car and six nights in Sicily from $929.
Then there are the regional or country-specific specialists. They are competitive with Go-Today and its ilk on straight air-hotel packages to the major cities, but where they really shine is in packages that include not only airfare and lodging but also a rental car for exploring the rest of the countries in which they specialize. Sceptre Tours (tel. 800/221-0924; www.sceptretours.com) covers Ireland and Scotland but is most famous for its Emerald Ireland package: airfare, one night in an arrival hotel, five nights in your choice of B&Bs, and a rental car, for $699 from New York, Boston or Washington, D.C., $764 from Chicago or Houston, $831 from Los Angeles, San Francisco or Denver.
A few more regional specialists to add to your shopping list: The Sophisticated Traveler (tel. 815/301-3482; www.s-traveler.com) does Eastern Europe, especially Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Austria; five nights in Krakow starts at $823. Pacha Tours (tel. 800/722-4288; www.pachatours.com) is a Turkey specialist; one week in Istanbul starts at $745. Eastern Tours (tel. 800/339-6967; www.traveltorussia.com) does Russia; a winter week split between Moscow and St. Petersburg, with sightseeing tours, costs from $999.
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Enter the packagers, companies that purchase airfares in bulk and make arrangements with hotels (and, in some cases, car rental agencies) across Europe to obtain plane tickets and rooms at cut rates, then bundle them together to sell to the public at far less than an individual traveler would pay for the same travel a la carte. Vacation packages are not tours. While a few throw in airport transfers and occasionally a half-day bus tour of the city as part of the package, your time is otherwise your own. You are not part of a group, nor do you have a guide leading you around.
The current titan of the package business is Go-Today.com (tel. 800/227-3235; www.go-today.com), which currently offers (for stays in January and February) such deals as $599 for six nights in Paris, $549 for a week in London, and $959 to spend nine nights in Italy split between Rome, Florence, and Venice and including the rail travel between the cities.
(These prices are all per person based on double occupancy and cover at least airfare from New York or Boston and lodging for the number of nights specified. Departures from other cities add anywhere from $50 to $200; air taxes and fees typically add between $40 and $160.)
Other time-tested generalist vacation packagers offering deals to many European countries include Virgin Vacations (www.virgin-vacations.com), which offers six nights in Prague from $649, and Gate1 Travel (tel. 800/682-3333; www.gate1travel.com), which has six nights in Amsterdam from $699. Two companies offer packages to many European countries but are particularly strong on Italy: Central Holidays (tel. 800/539-7098; www.centralholidays.com) with four nights in Tuscany and a car from $561, and TourCrafters (tel. 800/621-2259; www.tourcrafters.com) with a car and six nights in Sicily from $929.
Then there are the regional or country-specific specialists. They are competitive with Go-Today and its ilk on straight air-hotel packages to the major cities, but where they really shine is in packages that include not only airfare and lodging but also a rental car for exploring the rest of the countries in which they specialize. Sceptre Tours (tel. 800/221-0924; www.sceptretours.com) covers Ireland and Scotland but is most famous for its Emerald Ireland package: airfare, one night in an arrival hotel, five nights in your choice of B&Bs, and a rental car, for $699 from New York, Boston or Washington, D.C., $764 from Chicago or Houston, $831 from Los Angeles, San Francisco or Denver.
A few more regional specialists to add to your shopping list: The Sophisticated Traveler (tel. 815/301-3482; www.s-traveler.com) does Eastern Europe, especially Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Austria; five nights in Krakow starts at $823. Pacha Tours (tel. 800/722-4288; www.pachatours.com) is a Turkey specialist; one week in Istanbul starts at $745. Eastern Tours (tel. 800/339-6967; www.traveltorussia.com) does Russia; a winter week split between Moscow and St. Petersburg, with sightseeing tours, costs from $999.
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Labels: deals, eastern europe, western europe
Since many of us travelers will be driving out of town in the weeks ahead (holiday time!), it's important to review the rules for minimizing fuel cost
With gasoline prices continuing their plodding climb toward the stratosphere, I find it once again useful to remind readers of the basic steps they can take to improve the fuel economy of their vehicles. Plenty of us will soon be climbing into our vehicles to make long-distance trips to see family over the holidays or to celebrate New Year's Day. Here's what we can do, short of trading in our cars for more efficient models, to make sure we're burning as little gas as possible.
1. Make sure your engine is clean. According to the American Automobile Association (www.aaa.com), dirty spark plugs can reduce fuel economy by 30 percent, and if your oxygen sensor isn't working correctly, it cuts efficiency by another 40 percent, causing you to waste extra gas you didn't even know you were burning. Don't neglect the air filter, either, since a clogged filter makes the engine work harder than it has to.
2. Have a mechanic lower your idling speed. Many cars have their idle speeds set too high, so their owners end up burning extra gas every time they wait for a red light. Also, some mechanics say that idling for one minute burns more fuel than restarting your car, so if you're going to be waiting somewhere for a while, turn off your engine while you're there.
3. Be a milder driver. Don't slam the pedals when the light turns green, but instead, let your engine gently ease into speeding up and slowing down. That method burns less gas.
4. Inflate your tires. According to the AAA, tires that are even 4 to 5 psi below their suggested inflation pressure (check your tires' manufacturer to see what yours' is) can weaken gas mileage by 10 percent. The AAA says that one out of every four cars on the road today has at least one tire that's on the low-pressure side.
5. Your car is not a storage unit. It's a machine, and the heavier it is, the more gas it needs to move. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, mileage rates are calculated on the assumption that cars carry a total of three hundred pounds of passengers and cargo. The Department of Energy estimates that every 100 pounds of extra weight reduces fuel economy by as much as 2 percent.
6. Pick the right oil. By using one that has a heavier weight than what your carmaker calls for, you can weaken mileage by 2 percent.
7. Tighten your gas cap. Gasoline can evaporate out of a loose cap, costing you money.
8. Keep your car aerodynamic. The AAA thinks that carrying around something like a rooftop cargo bin, which resists smooth air flow, can cut another 5 percent off economy.
9. Park in the empty section of the parking lot. Why? Because if you find a tight space that makes you fine-tune your car's position with forward-and-reverse movements, you will burn more fuel than you would by taking a space that allows you to pull in and pull out without alterations.
10. Don't speed, since firing your engine makes it burn more fuel. The posted speed limits, in addition to helping foster a safe and civilized driving environment, are also good for the stress levels of your engine.
By the way, these rules are lifted from a previous issue of the now-discontinued Arthur Frommer's Smart Shopping magazine. It was a darn good magazine that had the misfortune to be launched just when the general magazine publishing industry went into a nose-dive; we'll re-launch it some day.
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1. Make sure your engine is clean. According to the American Automobile Association (www.aaa.com), dirty spark plugs can reduce fuel economy by 30 percent, and if your oxygen sensor isn't working correctly, it cuts efficiency by another 40 percent, causing you to waste extra gas you didn't even know you were burning. Don't neglect the air filter, either, since a clogged filter makes the engine work harder than it has to.
2. Have a mechanic lower your idling speed. Many cars have their idle speeds set too high, so their owners end up burning extra gas every time they wait for a red light. Also, some mechanics say that idling for one minute burns more fuel than restarting your car, so if you're going to be waiting somewhere for a while, turn off your engine while you're there.
3. Be a milder driver. Don't slam the pedals when the light turns green, but instead, let your engine gently ease into speeding up and slowing down. That method burns less gas.
4. Inflate your tires. According to the AAA, tires that are even 4 to 5 psi below their suggested inflation pressure (check your tires' manufacturer to see what yours' is) can weaken gas mileage by 10 percent. The AAA says that one out of every four cars on the road today has at least one tire that's on the low-pressure side.
5. Your car is not a storage unit. It's a machine, and the heavier it is, the more gas it needs to move. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, mileage rates are calculated on the assumption that cars carry a total of three hundred pounds of passengers and cargo. The Department of Energy estimates that every 100 pounds of extra weight reduces fuel economy by as much as 2 percent.
6. Pick the right oil. By using one that has a heavier weight than what your carmaker calls for, you can weaken mileage by 2 percent.
7. Tighten your gas cap. Gasoline can evaporate out of a loose cap, costing you money.
8. Keep your car aerodynamic. The AAA thinks that carrying around something like a rooftop cargo bin, which resists smooth air flow, can cut another 5 percent off economy.
9. Park in the empty section of the parking lot. Why? Because if you find a tight space that makes you fine-tune your car's position with forward-and-reverse movements, you will burn more fuel than you would by taking a space that allows you to pull in and pull out without alterations.
10. Don't speed, since firing your engine makes it burn more fuel. The posted speed limits, in addition to helping foster a safe and civilized driving environment, are also good for the stress levels of your engine.
By the way, these rules are lifted from a previous issue of the now-discontinued Arthur Frommer's Smart Shopping magazine. It was a darn good magazine that had the misfortune to be launched just when the general magazine publishing industry went into a nose-dive; we'll re-launch it some day.
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Labels: roadtrip
Dec 12, 2007
As we think about our travel choices for 2008, we might keep in mind the excellent advice of a frequent responder to this blog
Way back in May of this year, a frequent contributor (by way of responses) to this blog -- Donna Cuervo -- reacted to a question I had posed as to what we, as travelers, could do about the sharp decline of the U.S. dollar against the Euro and the British Pound. (The dollar has since fallen even further). Her response is now hard to find among the hundreds of items in our table of contents, and may have been missed by many of our other readers.
Donna's comments made such sensible points about choosing alternate destinations where the dollar was still strong, that they should be repeated and re-emphasized. As we think about our travels in 2008, we might want to consider Donna's response to the question: "What do we do now?"
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Donna's comments made such sensible points about choosing alternate destinations where the dollar was still strong, that they should be repeated and re-emphasized. As we think about our travels in 2008, we might want to consider Donna's response to the question: "What do we do now?"
What we do is wait it out by exploring travel possibilities in other parts of the world where the dollar is still strong.
I am writing this from Buenos Aires where I am spending two months in a luxury duplex apartment in an upscale area for less than $30 per day. I have floor-to-ceiling windows with a wraparound terrace with views in several directions, 24-hour security, maid service, two bathrooms, a beautiful gym and pool on the premises, cable TV, fine audio equipment, internet, etc. I couldn't even buy a pizza and beer meal in Europe for that money these days.
If all the Americans decided to spend their travel dollars where they could get some value, I'm sure European hotel keepers would offer some promotional rates to get our business back. In November I stayed at the lovely little Hotel Gavarni in Paris for ten days at a $1=1€ rate, and it was a decent value -- a very charming single with shower in Passy for well under $100 ... While Americans are not the only ones filling hotels in Europe, we are a big part of the clientele, so it would be nice to see more promotional rates like these. When the dollar is strong we are generous with tips and spend freely, so it would be nice to see them offer us some good deals when we need them, but that won't happen if people continue to pay ridiculous prices.
Meanwhile I'm eating very well in Buenos Aires in upscale restaurants for prices in the teens and 20s for full meals with wine and other drinks. I'm sitting in the best seats at the theatre, opera, ballet and concerts for prices far below what I would pay for the balcony in Europe ... The exchange rate in Europe will probably come around again eventually. In the meantime, there are many opportunities to discover places where the dollar still goes far and you can have an equally good time.
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Labels: tips from readers
How you can snare a place on the Sierra Club's most popular volunteer vacations
Friday, December 14, is the first day that the Sierra Club's 90-odd volunteer vacations (or service trips) will be announced for 2008. These once-in-a-lifetime journeys include opportunities for participants to help scientists, researchers, and rangers at parks around the world -- they're as much immersive educational experiences as they are vacations on which you can make a difference. Friday is the day you'll get a jump on all the other tourists and cherry-pick spaces in the best options.
Other organizations are also rolling out their 2008 schedules now, and booking early is the key to snagging the most interesting deals. Here's a sampling of some of the choicest tours that are sure to go first. (All rates include equipment and overnight accommodations at 3- and 4-star hotels; they are the lowest prices available at this time, but they may rise in the very peak of summer or according to availability.)
First, of course, are the outstanding programs of The Sierra Club (www.sierraclub.org, and click on "get outdoors"). Almost all these prestigious outings cost from $500- 600 for a week, including food and rustic accommodation. Some run for 10 days for slightly more money.
Finally, GORP (www.gorp.com), like Bike Tours Direct, is a place where many different small tour operators gather together to market and sell their tours:
Other organizations are also rolling out their 2008 schedules now, and booking early is the key to snagging the most interesting deals. Here's a sampling of some of the choicest tours that are sure to go first. (All rates include equipment and overnight accommodations at 3- and 4-star hotels; they are the lowest prices available at this time, but they may rise in the very peak of summer or according to availability.)
First, of course, are the outstanding programs of The Sierra Club (www.sierraclub.org, and click on "get outdoors"). Almost all these prestigious outings cost from $500- 600 for a week, including food and rustic accommodation. Some run for 10 days for slightly more money.
- The Club reports that the "Service in Mesa Verde National Park" trip in September, on which participants help park archaeologists with restoration, is particularly popular.
- Most of the Sierra Club's 2008 Costa Rica trips are already sold out, but to meet demand, the group just added an additional "Family Fun in Paradise" trip from July 7 to 16 ($2,135 for 10 days). Naturally, this departure is expected to book up quickly, too.
- A spokesman for the Sierra Club also reports that its Alaska "sampler" trips sell fast, but at this point, there's still space. Those ramble Alaska by van and spend nights camping and in lodges, with plenty of of hiking in between. Some trips include glacier walks, kayaking, and bear watching. For summer 2008, the trips are: "Glaciers, Grizzlies and Ghost Towns (May 18-28) and "Spring Fever: Discover Denali and Beyond" (May 25-31).
- Turkish South Coast by Boat and Bike: seven nights, guided, from Marmaris (a short ferry ride from Rhodes, Greece) to Fethiye, sleeping each night on a classic Turkish boat, €980 including meals
- Danube Bike Path: seven nights, self-guided from Passau, Germany to Vienna, Austria, alongside the Danube river. €515
- Medieval Villages of Catalonia, Spain: six nights, self-guided from Girona to the Dali Museum at Figueres, along the established Baix Emporda Cycle Network, €790 (or guided for €1,190)
Finally, GORP (www.gorp.com), like Bike Tours Direct, is a place where many different small tour operators gather together to market and sell their tours:
- Kids in Kayaks Family Holidays: seven nights, easy-level sea kayaking among the flat seas of Croatia's Elafiti Islands near Dubrovnik, $920
- Kayaking the Okeefenokee Swamp in Georgia: six nights, $975
Labels: cycling, outdoor, parks, volunteer
Occasionally (but not always), a number of new trans-Atlantic airlines will undercut the rates of the longer-established carriers
In my constant quest for cheap methods of visiting Europe, I think it's important to mention the several new, cut-rate trans-Atlantic airlines. These will often emerge from the various airfare search engines as your least-expensive means of flying to Europe, and it's important you realize they are all respectable, reliable companies that should definitely be considered. One of them -- EuroFly (www.euroflyusa.com) -- has now been flying the Atlantic to Italy for several years, and doing quite well at it. They offer something no other major airline (including Alitalia) does: non-stop flights from New York to Palermo, Bologna, and Naples (in addition to Rome and Milan).
Two other fast-growing airlines are giving Lufthansa stiff competition on flights to Germany. One, Germany's LTU (www.ltu.com), has plenty of direct flights from New York to its hub in Düsseldorf, as well as to many other German cities (plus Vienna and Zurich). It also offers seasonal flights from dozens of other U.S. and Canadian cities. A sampling of its roundtrip fares this winter, for travel though Dec. 15 and again Dec. 27-Mar 20, finds it charging--for flights in into Düsseldorf, Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich -- a spectacular $299 from New York, $378 from Miami or Ft. Myers. For flights to Hamburg, Dresden, Stuttgart, Nuremberg, or Leipzig: $399 from New York, $428 from Miami or Ft. Myers.
Another Geman upstart, Condor (www.condor.de), will fly you to Frankfurt from Orlando, Las Vegas, or Vancouver (plus, interestingly, such out of the way airports as Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Halifax) starting at $139 each way.
The new Scottish carrier, FlyGlobeSpan (www.flyglobespan.com), connects Orlando with Glasgow or Belfast, and Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver with various U.K. cities, including London, Manchester, and Glasgow. Current one-way fares are along the lines of $140 Toronto to Belfast and $259 Orlando to Glasgow.
The Canadian no-frills airline, Zoom (www.flyzoom.com), is currently selling flights from Toronto to Paris or London for $198 roundtrip. Though most of its departures are from Canada (and into the U.K.), it also flies during some months from New York to London and Orlando to Belfast.
Since most of these airlines are newcomers to the game, they are still testing out new routes, which mean they often introduce tantalizing connections one summer only to retire them come fall. For example, earlier this year, FlyGlobeSpan was offering huge discounts on direct flights from Florida to the little-known city of Knock, in Western Ireland, but (reportedly due to problems with the Irish airport) has sadly taken those flights off the schedule.
These are merely alternatives, and not necessarily always budget options. While these scrappy newcomers to the trans-Atlantic market do frequently discount their fares far below those of their flag-carrier rivals, at other times you're as likely to find the prices equal to, or even higher, than those available from more traditional carriers.
So shop around before buying -- but be sure that at least one of your shopping stops is at the sites for these alternative airlines.
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Two other fast-growing airlines are giving Lufthansa stiff competition on flights to Germany. One, Germany's LTU (www.ltu.com), has plenty of direct flights from New York to its hub in Düsseldorf, as well as to many other German cities (plus Vienna and Zurich). It also offers seasonal flights from dozens of other U.S. and Canadian cities. A sampling of its roundtrip fares this winter, for travel though Dec. 15 and again Dec. 27-Mar 20, finds it charging--for flights in into Düsseldorf, Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich -- a spectacular $299 from New York, $378 from Miami or Ft. Myers. For flights to Hamburg, Dresden, Stuttgart, Nuremberg, or Leipzig: $399 from New York, $428 from Miami or Ft. Myers.
Another Geman upstart, Condor (www.condor.de), will fly you to Frankfurt from Orlando, Las Vegas, or Vancouver (plus, interestingly, such out of the way airports as Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Halifax) starting at $139 each way.
The new Scottish carrier, FlyGlobeSpan (www.flyglobespan.com), connects Orlando with Glasgow or Belfast, and Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver with various U.K. cities, including London, Manchester, and Glasgow. Current one-way fares are along the lines of $140 Toronto to Belfast and $259 Orlando to Glasgow.
The Canadian no-frills airline, Zoom (www.flyzoom.com), is currently selling flights from Toronto to Paris or London for $198 roundtrip. Though most of its departures are from Canada (and into the U.K.), it also flies during some months from New York to London and Orlando to Belfast.
Since most of these airlines are newcomers to the game, they are still testing out new routes, which mean they often introduce tantalizing connections one summer only to retire them come fall. For example, earlier this year, FlyGlobeSpan was offering huge discounts on direct flights from Florida to the little-known city of Knock, in Western Ireland, but (reportedly due to problems with the Irish airport) has sadly taken those flights off the schedule.
These are merely alternatives, and not necessarily always budget options. While these scrappy newcomers to the trans-Atlantic market do frequently discount their fares far below those of their flag-carrier rivals, at other times you're as likely to find the prices equal to, or even higher, than those available from more traditional carriers.
So shop around before buying -- but be sure that at least one of your shopping stops is at the sites for these alternative airlines.
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For thoses websites that warn travelers about cruiseship cabins, I'll set aside my usual ire about user-generated content
I am usually an ardent critic of user-generated websites supplying opinions from amateur travelers based on exactly one visit to one hotel on their trip to a foreign or unfamiliar city. I am not only put off by the amateur basis of those opinions, but by the ease with which opinions can be fabricated by biased supporters or competitors.
But a user-generated message which points out that Cabin E-902 on Cruiseship ABC is located next to the motors or underneath a dance floor -- that's something else. Such an opinion isn't the kind that is often fabricated, and it's unaffected by the amateur status of the source. Which brings me to information about cabins on cruiseships:
When it comes time to book your cruise cabin, you should never assume that every stateroom in the same category will have the same proportions. No, as with homes and apartments, cruise ship cabins can vary slightly even within the same price category. Someone in the cabin right next door to yours -- the one with the larger balcony, and the bigger bathroom -- could be paying the same that you are. The difference between them and you is that they came into the booking process armed with information about which cabin number was the better deal.
Where do you get such information? Not from the cruise lines, which publish maps of their ships that are not to scale and would rather you didn't know which cabins are worth less than others. Not from travel agents, who deal with so many ships and price categories that they are unlikely to be able to tell you which cabins are best on any given ship. Instead, you turn to the Internet, where passionate cruise lovers post their findings for the benefit of everyone.
The people posting on the message boards I'll cite below are very specific about which cabin numbers are the best value for the price charged in their category -- which have slightly more space, or slightly biggest balconies for their class, and so on. It's always a smart idea to check here before paying for a stateroom that could end up being less of a value than one just ten feet away. Head to Cruise Critic (www.cruisecritic.com) and CruiseMates (www.cruisemates.com), and search first by the name of the ship you'd like to take. If you don't find any advice directly pertaining to your proposed ship, take a moment to post a request for information. Cruise ship fans are a vocal bunch, and you'll be surprised how many come out of the woodwork to aid your request. Other valuable message boards can be found at CruiseReviews.com (www.cruisereviews.com).
CruiseDeckplans.com (www.cruisedeckplans.com) posts piles of maps of ships, along with some scoops about which cabins are preferable to others, but if you'd like nitty-gritty information about which cabin numbers are best, you'll have to pay a $12 lifetime membership to CruiseStateroom.com (www.cruisestateroom.com), its sister site. (Depending on how much extra value the information allows you to eke out of your cabin booking, you may find that expense worth it.)
Condé Nast Traveler, which normally revels in over-the-top luxury travel, recently published a list of excellent cabin values in a special issue that was mailed to subscribers. The resulting original article, which is so useful that it has been appropriated without credit by innumerable webmasters, can be found for free here on the magazine's online home, Concierge.com.
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But a user-generated message which points out that Cabin E-902 on Cruiseship ABC is located next to the motors or underneath a dance floor -- that's something else. Such an opinion isn't the kind that is often fabricated, and it's unaffected by the amateur status of the source. Which brings me to information about cabins on cruiseships:
When it comes time to book your cruise cabin, you should never assume that every stateroom in the same category will have the same proportions. No, as with homes and apartments, cruise ship cabins can vary slightly even within the same price category. Someone in the cabin right next door to yours -- the one with the larger balcony, and the bigger bathroom -- could be paying the same that you are. The difference between them and you is that they came into the booking process armed with information about which cabin number was the better deal.
Where do you get such information? Not from the cruise lines, which publish maps of their ships that are not to scale and would rather you didn't know which cabins are worth less than others. Not from travel agents, who deal with so many ships and price categories that they are unlikely to be able to tell you which cabins are best on any given ship. Instead, you turn to the Internet, where passionate cruise lovers post their findings for the benefit of everyone.
The people posting on the message boards I'll cite below are very specific about which cabin numbers are the best value for the price charged in their category -- which have slightly more space, or slightly biggest balconies for their class, and so on. It's always a smart idea to check here before paying for a stateroom that could end up being less of a value than one just ten feet away. Head to Cruise Critic (www.cruisecritic.com) and CruiseMates (www.cruisemates.com), and search first by the name of the ship you'd like to take. If you don't find any advice directly pertaining to your proposed ship, take a moment to post a request for information. Cruise ship fans are a vocal bunch, and you'll be surprised how many come out of the woodwork to aid your request. Other valuable message boards can be found at CruiseReviews.com (www.cruisereviews.com).
CruiseDeckplans.com (www.cruisedeckplans.com) posts piles of maps of ships, along with some scoops about which cabins are preferable to others, but if you'd like nitty-gritty information about which cabin numbers are best, you'll have to pay a $12 lifetime membership to CruiseStateroom.com (www.cruisestateroom.com), its sister site. (Depending on how much extra value the information allows you to eke out of your cabin booking, you may find that expense worth it.)
Condé Nast Traveler, which normally revels in over-the-top luxury travel, recently published a list of excellent cabin values in a special issue that was mailed to subscribers. The resulting original article, which is so useful that it has been appropriated without credit by innumerable webmasters, can be found for free here on the magazine's online home, Concierge.com.
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Labels: websites
Dec 11, 2007
Even the premium cruiseships have sailings they can't fully sell
Here's your chance to sail on one of those caviar-serving ships, sleeping on 300-count Egyptian cotton sheets, with cocktails for free whenever you want, and either enjoying or avoiding the company of an über-wealthy clientele. If you'll go to VacationsToGo (www.vacationstogo.com), and then to "Caribbean," you'll discover that the big vacationstogo discount website is selling cabins aboard the elegant Silver Wind, of Silversea Cruises, one of those 296-passenger, yacht-like vessels (all suites), for less than $300-a-day on its March 1, seven-day sailing of the Caribbean from Barbados, and for only slightly more than $300-a-day on its March 26 and April 3 seven-day sailings from San Juan, representing whopping 49% and 53% discounts off normal brochure rates for that ship. Though these prices aren't dirt cheap, they are moderate for a ship that normally charges nearly $600 to more than $700 a day per person for its luxurious attentions.
I can't guarantee that these offers will still be up there by the time you get to the VacationsToGo website -- and they obviously won't be there if the executives of Silversea learn that I'm pushing their their precious berths to the hoi polloi, but it's an example of how sharp-eyed value-seekers can sometimes find surprising reductions.
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I can't guarantee that these offers will still be up there by the time you get to the VacationsToGo website -- and they obviously won't be there if the executives of Silversea learn that I'm pushing their their precious berths to the hoi polloi, but it's an example of how sharp-eyed value-seekers can sometimes find surprising reductions.
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If you want a review of the key characteristics of nearly every nation, look for the satirical world atlas published by "The Onion"
A coffee table book called Our Dumb World: The Onion's Atlas of the Planet Earth, 73rd Edition heads my own list of holiday gifts to friends. It's screamingly funny, a mock travel reference book with a lot of misinformation, but through mockery it makes important points, which is what satire does. And believe it or not, it teaches you a lot about the geography of the world, in its negative analysis of scores of countries, including ours.Our Dumb World is priced at $27.99, but Amazon.com sells it for $16.79, and that's a real value.
Runners-up as thoughtful holiday gifts? I find that if friends are planning a trip to a specific destination, they will enjoy a novel or history relating to that destination, even if it's a second-hand paperback edition of a book published many years ago -- the fact that you took the trouble to write to a mail-order source of such books will be appreciated. Examples? If they are thinking about a trip to Australia, buy them Robert Hughes' classic, The Fatal Shore, a history of that continent that reads like a novel and can't be put down once you read the first paragraph; it's also the perfect, 1,200-page tome for enduring that 15-hour flight from Los Angeles to Sydney. Friends going to Europe for the first time? Go to the children's section of any major bookstore and you'll probably find a fresh hardcover edition of David Macaulay's Cathedral, explaining why and how the Gothic cathedrals of key European cities were designed as they were. It will make all the difference in your friends' understanding of that key sight of a European tour.
A guidebook doesn't make a bad gift, either.
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Labels: gifts
Royal Caribbean Cruises sends a warning to dealers of questionable travel agent I.D. cards
The major current controversy in the travel trade press (the newspapers and newsletters mailed to travel professionals) is about the alleged "card mills" that charge $400 and up for an I.D. identifying the bearer as a travel agent. Some of these card-issuing companies also engage in what is called multi-level marketing -- which gives a commission (and promises the sky) to a card purchaser who persuades other people to purchase I.D.'s. from them.
The traditional travel agents are obviously frantic about such "card mills," and last month the giant Royal Caribbean Cruises named several specific companies whose cards they would no longer honor for travel agent discounts. One of the alleged offenders prominently mentioned in the travel press is a company called YTB, which has apparently issued many thousands of such cards -- and YTB has now been cut off by Royal Caribbean Cruises. YTB, in turn, has fought back, claiming it is an honest operator of a chain of largely-home-based travel agents who receive genuine instruction, work hard to sell trips and tours, and do not simply buy I.D. cards.
Several other major travel suppliers have endorsed Royal Caribbean's stand and lambasted the so-called "card mills." Yet surprisingly, Carnival Cruises -- sensing an opportunity -- has refused to take similar action against several card-issuing companies that have, apparently, produced passengers for Carnival.
And so it goes. My warning remains as before. Travel suppliers (cruiselines, airlines, hotel chains, tour operators) aren't fools. They are able to identify those people who are genuine travel agents and those who have simply purchased an I.D. Much more than the card is now required to qualify you for travel discounts. And companies that simply take $400 or $500 from you for an I.D., without operating a genuine, disciplined course of instruction or chain of retail agencies, are scam artists. Dealing with them, you are simply exchanging $400 or $500 for a worthless piece of cardboard.
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The traditional travel agents are obviously frantic about such "card mills," and last month the giant Royal Caribbean Cruises named several specific companies whose cards they would no longer honor for travel agent discounts. One of the alleged offenders prominently mentioned in the travel press is a company called YTB, which has apparently issued many thousands of such cards -- and YTB has now been cut off by Royal Caribbean Cruises. YTB, in turn, has fought back, claiming it is an honest operator of a chain of largely-home-based travel agents who receive genuine instruction, work hard to sell trips and tours, and do not simply buy I.D. cards.
Several other major travel suppliers have endorsed Royal Caribbean's stand and lambasted the so-called "card mills." Yet surprisingly, Carnival Cruises -- sensing an opportunity -- has refused to take similar action against several card-issuing companies that have, apparently, produced passengers for Carnival.
And so it goes. My warning remains as before. Travel suppliers (cruiselines, airlines, hotel chains, tour operators) aren't fools. They are able to identify those people who are genuine travel agents and those who have simply purchased an I.D. Much more than the card is now required to qualify you for travel discounts. And companies that simply take $400 or $500 from you for an I.D., without operating a genuine, disciplined course of instruction or chain of retail agencies, are scam artists. Dealing with them, you are simply exchanging $400 or $500 for a worthless piece of cardboard.
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It's official. Starting January 31, you'll need "proof of citizenship" to cross the border by land or ship, and then an actual passport by summer 2008
The cruiselines and the U.S. border merchants fought ceaselessly to put off the requirement, and for a while they succeeded. But time has run out, and the advocates of sensible travel movements stand defeated. In an official announcement, the Department of Homeland Security has announced that as of January 31, 2008, persons 19 and older entering the U.S. by land or cruiseship will have to present "proof of citizenship" at the border, consisting of a government-issued I.D., such as a driver's license, and evidence of U.S. birth or naturalization (usually, an embossed birth certificate). Persons under 19 can simply present the birth certificate.
Or, in place of the above items, you can show a passport. (You already must show a passport if you are arriving internationally by air -- from anywhere.)
And then in "summer" (at a date not yet announced), an actual passport will be required for land and sea crossings. The battle has ended, the fight is over, and the lines at the passport offices will be humongous. Your best course is to start the application process this December, for after January 1, a deluge (of passport applications) will make the process long and hard.
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Or, in place of the above items, you can show a passport. (You already must show a passport if you are arriving internationally by air -- from anywhere.)
And then in "summer" (at a date not yet announced), an actual passport will be required for land and sea crossings. The battle has ended, the fight is over, and the lines at the passport offices will be humongous. Your best course is to start the application process this December, for after January 1, a deluge (of passport applications) will make the process long and hard.
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Dec 10, 2007
In terms of its practical benefits, a website called FlightStats.com has become one of the most important in travel
Because of the hub-and-spoke system used by most airlines, the great majority of our flights require a connection to reach our destination. You change planes in Minneapolis, let's say, to reach Billings, Montana. You have an hour in which to walk from the gate of one plane to another, often in a different and far-away terminal.
Now let's assume that the flight you've chosen to Minneapolis has a record of arriving 40 minutes late at least 50% of the time. Or that the "median delay" is 40 minutes, leaving you (and your luggage) unable to reach the other terminal in time. How wise is it to take the flight to Minneapolis in order to make a one-hour connection to Billings? Wouldn't it be smart to book a flight whose arrival is more reliable, even if that flight is not at the most convenient time?
Before scheduling a flight that involves a connection, it has now become a prudent step to check the on-time record of that flight. FlightStats (www.flightstats.com) does just that. And though none of us enjoys complicating our lives, the conditions of air traffic in America require this extra bit of caution. In a country whose airlines all want to leave at the same popular times of day, requiring far more take offs than the airport or the air controllers can handle, delays are rampant.
We shouldn't book these habitually-late flights if by doing so, we lessen our chances of making a connection. FlightStats tells you what's likely to happen.
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Now let's assume that the flight you've chosen to Minneapolis has a record of arriving 40 minutes late at least 50% of the time. Or that the "median delay" is 40 minutes, leaving you (and your luggage) unable to reach the other terminal in time. How wise is it to take the flight to Minneapolis in order to make a one-hour connection to Billings? Wouldn't it be smart to book a flight whose arrival is more reliable, even if that flight is not at the most convenient time?
Before scheduling a flight that involves a connection, it has now become a prudent step to check the on-time record of that flight. FlightStats (www.flightstats.com) does just that. And though none of us enjoys complicating our lives, the conditions of air traffic in America require this extra bit of caution. In a country whose airlines all want to leave at the same popular times of day, requiring far more take offs than the airport or the air controllers can handle, delays are rampant.
We shouldn't book these habitually-late flights if by doing so, we lessen our chances of making a connection. FlightStats tells you what's likely to happen.
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The small-group adventure tour is gaining popularity as a means of visiting exotic or lightly-visited destinations
A great many adventurous Americans are eager to visit exotic or lightly-touristed destinations (Cambodia or Vietnam, Honduras or El Salvador, Morocco or Tunisia, Romania or Mongolia), but in the company of a guide who can assist and protect them, and without joining a group of 45 others on the standard escorted motor coach tour. For that intensely-independent but cautious individual, a new category of travel known as "small-group adventure tours" is gaining popularity.
Four tour companies, all of them foreign-owned, are leaders in the field: Adventure Center of Emeryville, California (www.adventurecenter.com), G.A.P. Adventures of Toronto (www.gapadventures.com), Intrepid Travel of Australia (www.intrepidtravel.com), and Djoser Tours of the Netherlands (www.djoserusa.com). All of them maintain offices in the United States, and attract a great many Americans to their tours.
The word "adventure" in the category title does not refer to life-risking feats like rock-climbing, whitewater rafting, hang-gliding, and the like. Although those sports are occasionally offered by the four companies, they find "adventure" in most instances by simply sending their tour groups to exotic and lightly-visited countries in Africa, Central and South America, eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia.
And there are several other uniform characteristics to the programs operated by the four "small-group" specialists. They limit their groups in all but a few instances to no more than 12 persons, and usually average around 10. They never make use of large motor coaches for transporting their people from place to place; rather, they use either small vans or, more often, simply public transportation. After participants gather at breakfast to discuss the day's activities, the small group usually boards a streetcar or a public bus to reach the attraction they wish to view, enjoying an encounter with the authentic life of the community.
Usually, too, the four "small group" companies do not provide air transportation to the location of the tour; they expect their participants to make these arrangements on their own, and simply to congregate in the kick-off city on the first day of the tour.
For lodgings, these small groups almost always make use of locally-owned facilities (inns, guesthouses, and private homes); they eschew hotels, even of the rather basic variety. And because they are dealing with persons outside normal business channels, they often ask tour participants to bring an additional $200 to $400 in cash with them, to be paid on the spot to local businesses unused to issuing invoices.
In other words, the four specialists in "small-group adventures" seek to provide contact with the authentic life of the destination. And in so doing, they offer prices that radically differ from the usual levels. Adventure Center charges $990 (not including airfare) for an 8-day tour of Morocco starting in Casablanca and ending in Marrakech. It charges $1,118 (not including airfare) for a 15 day tour of the "Inca Highlands" of Peru, starting and ending in Lima. G.A.P. Adventures charges $595 (not including airfare or $200 local cash payment) for a 15-day "El Salvador & Guatemala Loop." It charges $1,095 (not including airfare or $400 local cash payment) for a 32-day "Central American Journey" from Mexico City to Costa Rica. Intrepid Travel charges $1,865 (not including airfare) for a 21-day tour of China and Hong Kong. Djoser Travel charges $2,205 (this time including airfare from New York and other cities) for a 14-night tour of Costa Rica.
I think the "small-group adventure tour" is the perfect solution for independent-minded travelers who want to visit unusual destinations, but feel the cautious need for a guide. Each of the four companies I've named has enjoyed heavy bookings and enhanced reputations in recent years. Though G.A.P. Adventures recently suffered a setback when it moved outside its normal activities (flush with cash, it bought the MS Explorer several years ago, and operated cruises of Antarctica until last month, when the ship apparently hit an iceberg and sank), its other programs have proceeded with no unusual number of mishaps.
Go to the websites of the four "small-group adventure" companies, and you may be impressed.
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Four tour companies, all of them foreign-owned, are leaders in the field: Adventure Center of Emeryville, California (www.adventurecenter.com), G.A.P. Adventures of Toronto (www.gapadventures.com), Intrepid Travel of Australia (www.intrepidtravel.com), and Djoser Tours of the Netherlands (www.djoserusa.com). All of them maintain offices in the United States, and attract a great many Americans to their tours.
The word "adventure" in the category title does not refer to life-risking feats like rock-climbing, whitewater rafting, hang-gliding, and the like. Although those sports are occasionally offered by the four companies, they find "adventure" in most instances by simply sending their tour groups to exotic and lightly-visited countries in Africa, Central and South America, eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia.
And there are several other uniform characteristics to the programs operated by the four "small-group" specialists. They limit their groups in all but a few instances to no more than 12 persons, and usually average around 10. They never make use of large motor coaches for transporting their people from place to place; rather, they use either small vans or, more often, simply public transportation. After participants gather at breakfast to discuss the day's activities, the small group usually boards a streetcar or a public bus to reach the attraction they wish to view, enjoying an encounter with the authentic life of the community.
Usually, too, the four "small group" companies do not provide air transportation to the location of the tour; they expect their participants to make these arrangements on their own, and simply to congregate in the kick-off city on the first day of the tour.
For lodgings, these small groups almost always make use of locally-owned facilities (inns, guesthouses, and private homes); they eschew hotels, even of the rather basic variety. And because they are dealing with persons outside normal business channels, they often ask tour participants to bring an additional $200 to $400 in cash with them, to be paid on the spot to local businesses unused to issuing invoices.
In other words, the four specialists in "small-group adventures" seek to provide contact with the authentic life of the destination. And in so doing, they offer prices that radically differ from the usual levels. Adventure Center charges $990 (not including airfare) for an 8-day tour of Morocco starting in Casablanca and ending in Marrakech. It charges $1,118 (not including airfare) for a 15 day tour of the "Inca Highlands" of Peru, starting and ending in Lima. G.A.P. Adventures charges $595 (not including airfare or $200 local cash payment) for a 15-day "El Salvador & Guatemala Loop." It charges $1,095 (not including airfare or $400 local cash payment) for a 32-day "Central American Journey" from Mexico City to Costa Rica. Intrepid Travel charges $1,865 (not including airfare) for a 21-day tour of China and Hong Kong. Djoser Travel charges $2,205 (this time including airfare from New York and other cities) for a 14-night tour of Costa Rica.
I think the "small-group adventure tour" is the perfect solution for independent-minded travelers who want to visit unusual destinations, but feel the cautious need for a guide. Each of the four companies I've named has enjoyed heavy bookings and enhanced reputations in recent years. Though G.A.P. Adventures recently suffered a setback when it moved outside its normal activities (flush with cash, it bought the MS Explorer several years ago, and operated cruises of Antarctica until last month, when the ship apparently hit an iceberg and sank), its other programs have proceeded with no unusual number of mishaps.
Go to the websites of the four "small-group adventure" companies, and you may be impressed.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: tour companies, websites
April is when most Caribbean and Florida-based cruiseships will make "re-positioning" cruises across the Atlantic for as little as $60 a day. Book now
It's in April that cruiseships wind up their winter in the tropics and make a long crossing of the south Atlantic to Europe -- all to start a spring/summer program of cruising in the Mediterranean and North or Baltic Seas. Although they generally begin such crossings with several stops in the Caribbean, and end up visiting several European ports before finally discharging their passengers, they otherwise spend many days simply at sea. That substantial time without a port stop is considered boring by most members of the public, and the cruiselines must therefore slash their rates dramatically to coax passengers aboard these "re-positioning cruises."
Currently, at least 16 ships are scheduled to sail in April, 2008, from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, New York or Galveston, to commence two-week (and longer) sailings to Europe at prices well under $110 a day for the most part -- and sometimes as low as $60 a day. (Other ships will be sailing to Europe directly from various Caribbean or South American ports). These are among the great travel bargains, and if you're a quiet, contemplative type who looks forward to crossing vast distances of the south Atlantic, you'll want to consider booking a re-positioning cruise, which include:
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Currently, at least 16 ships are scheduled to sail in April, 2008, from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, New York or Galveston, to commence two-week (and longer) sailings to Europe at prices well under $110 a day for the most part -- and sometimes as low as $60 a day. (Other ships will be sailing to Europe directly from various Caribbean or South American ports). These are among the great travel bargains, and if you're a quiet, contemplative type who looks forward to crossing vast distances of the south Atlantic, you'll want to consider booking a re-positioning cruise, which include:
- April 5, 2008, from New York, a 16-day sailing by Holland America's Noordam to Europe, for as little as $1,699 per person.
- April 9, 2008, from Miami, a 16-day sailing of the Azamara Journey (a very upscale ship) to Europe for as little as $1,749 per person.
- April 11, 2008, a 13-day sailing from Fort Lauderdale of Celebrity Cruises' Constellation to Europe, for as little as $1,399 per person.
- April 12, 2008, a 14-day sailing from Fort Lauderdale of Royal Caribbean's Navigatorto Europe, for as little as $1,009 per person.
- April 12, 2008, a 16-day sailing from Fort Lauderdale of Costa Cruises' Costa Mediterranea to Europe, for as little as $1,499 per person.
- April 12, 2008, a 20-day sailing from Fort Lauderdale of Princess Cruises' Grand Princess to Europe, for as little as $1,699 per person.
- April 12, 2008, a 14-day sailing from Miami of the rather upscale Azamara Quest to Europe, for as little as $1,549 per person.
- April 13, 2008, a 17-day sailing from Fort Lauderdale of Costa Cruises' Costa Fortuna to Europe, for as little as $1,199 per person (an especial bargain).
- April 14, 2008, a 16-day sailing from Fort Lauderdale of Princess Cruises' Emerald Princess to Europe, for as little as $1,499 per person.
- April 14, 2008, a 12-day sailing from Miami of Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas to Europe, for as little as $919 per person.
- April 19, 2008, a 15-day sailing from New York of Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Gem to Europe, for as little as $1,249 per person.
- April 20, 2008, a 15-day sailing from Miami of Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Jewelto Europe, for as little as a remarkable $749 per person.
- April 26, 2008, a 14-day sailing from Miami of Carnival Cruises' Carnival Freedom to Europe, for as little as $2,599 per person.
- April 27, 2008, a 13-day sailing from Galveston of Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas to Europe, for as little as $799 per person.
- April 28, 2008, a 23-day sailing from Fort Lauderdale of Princess Cruises' Royal Princess to Europe, for as little as $2,799 per person.
- April 28, 2008, a 14-day sailing from Miami of Celebrity Cruises' Century to Europe, for as little as $1,029 per person.
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Why don't U.S. hotels copy European ones and take one easy step to save on energy costs?
In nearly every European hotel, the key to your room is a plastic card with magnetic stripe that not only unlocks your hotel room door but then permits you to turn on the room lights. You first stick the card into a slot to open the door, and then stick it into another slot inside the room to permit lights to be turned on. Unless you stick the card into the second slot, and leave it in, you are unable to turn on your room lights.
Later, when you leave the room and need to take the key with you, you remove the card from the slot into which it has been placed. That immediately turns off every light in the hotel room. In Europe, in other words, it is impossible to leave your room without turning off the lights! And instead of lights remaining on in millions of hotel rooms -- as they often are in America -- they have to be turned off when the room is not used.
Why hasn't this energy-saving device been adopted by American hotels? It would save not simply a small amount of electric energy, but a massive amount -- the energy consumed by leaving the lights on in literally millions of hotel rooms for lengthy periods of the day. I wish a U.S. hotel executive would explain why the U.S. hotel industry has not adopted the sensible European system. Do any of our readers know why? Please advise.
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Later, when you leave the room and need to take the key with you, you remove the card from the slot into which it has been placed. That immediately turns off every light in the hotel room. In Europe, in other words, it is impossible to leave your room without turning off the lights! And instead of lights remaining on in millions of hotel rooms -- as they often are in America -- they have to be turned off when the room is not used.
Why hasn't this energy-saving device been adopted by American hotels? It would save not simply a small amount of electric energy, but a massive amount -- the energy consumed by leaving the lights on in literally millions of hotel rooms for lengthy periods of the day. I wish a U.S. hotel executive would explain why the U.S. hotel industry has not adopted the sensible European system. Do any of our readers know why? Please advise.
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Labels: accommodations, tips
Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the