Travel Montana, P.O. Box 200533, 301 S. Park St., Helena, MT 59620 (tel. 800/847-4868 or 406/841-2870; TDD 406/841-2702; www.visitmt.com), provides information about Big Sky country and specific locales in Montana. It puts out two well-designed vacation planning kits -- one for summer and one for winter -- that include maps and the Montana Vacation Planner. The planner includes contacts with agencies that can provide information and travel services, such as airlines and rental-car agencies; it also has listings, by town, of places to stay and eat, with charts specifying price ranges and such amenities as hot tubs and access for travelers with disabilities. Travel Montana will also send you separate guides to some of Montana's more popular sports activities: snowmobiling, fishing, and skiing; as well as site-specific guides for each of six travel regions: Glacier Country in the northwest, Gold West Country in the southwest, Russell Country in north-central Montana, Yellowstone Country in south-central Montana, Missouri River Country in the northeast, and Custer Country in the southeast.
For additional information about attractions, facilities, and services at specific Montana destinations -- national parks, cities, or towns -- contact the Montana Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 1730, Helena, MT 59624 (tel. 406/442-2405 or 443-7888; www.montanachamber.com), for the address and phone number of the nearest chamber office.
Online Traveler's Toolbox
Veteran travelers usually carry some essential items to make their trips easier. Following is a selection of handy online tools to bookmark and use.
- Airplane Food (www.airlinemeals.net)
- Airplane Seating (www.seatguru.com; www.airlinequality.com)
- Foreign Languages for Travelers (www.travlang.com)
- Maps (www.mapquest.com)
- Time and Date (www.timeanddate.com)
- Travel Warnings (http://travel.state.gov, www.fco.gov.uk/travel, www.voyage.gc.ca, www.dfat.gov.au)
- Universal Currency Converter (www.xe.com/ucc)
- Visa ATM Locator (www.visa.com), MasterCard ATM Locator (www.mastercard.com)
- Weather (www.intellicast.com; www.weather.com)
- Other tourism websites: Montana (www.visitmt.com); Wyoming (www.wyomingtourism.org); National Park Service (www.nps.gov)
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
