Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.  Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime. 

~Mark Twain

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.  

~St. Augustine

Travel Advice

More Ways to Find Cheap Hotel Accommodations
For a short time, Priceline is posting recent successful bid prices for hotels, while Quikbook has added an "opaque"booking feature. So, how do you find good deals? Ed Perkins explains.

Private Sale Sites Give Consumers More Travel Deal Options
Private sale websites evoke experiences more than products, stock up with limited-time offers, and project the image of a gated community. But are the deals for real? Ed Perkins takes a close look.

Best Cruises to Get (or Stay) Fit
Five pieces of chicken, three servings of rice, and two peach cobblers later, you might want a state-of-the-art gym on hand. Thanks to these cruises, you have the option of doing more than just laying in the sun, with gyms, yoga classes, rock walls, and more.

Jackpot! Sin City for Under $200
The Deal Detective helps you win big with some cheap vacation packages to Las Vegas. Plus, hit the jackpot with two free tickets to a major show.

Mass Cancellations: The New Norm in Bad Weather
Ed Perkins explains why we can expect more cancellations in the future, and how to mitigate the inconvenience, frustration, and possibility of being left without a flight.

Affordable Spring Skiing Vacations Across the Country
Inspired by the Olympics and the athletes' athleticism? Now is the perfect time to find deals at ski resorts across the country. The Olympics may be over, but ski season isn't.

Our Guide to Flying on the Cheap to Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America, and More
From across the border to across the Atlantic, low-cost airlines keep adding routes, giving you plentiful options and lower prices. Heading abroad? We'll show you how to get there on a budget.

Another Reason to Buy Travel Insurance
Last week, a big Canadian tour operator collapsed, reminding travelers about why trip protection exists. Ed Perkins provides his rules for purchasing travel insurance.

The Most Popular Travel Apps for Smartphones
It's no secret smartphones are handy travel tools with all the apps providing everything from restaurant reviews to maps. But Ed Perkins has one caution for iPhone users.

Credit Card Benefits -- Denied!
Kat's husband has a SkyMiles credit card, but Delta and American Express are denying him a standard cardholder benefit. Tim Winship reads the fine print.

Feature Article

There is no shortage of travel resources on the internet. There are two enormous sites dedicated to flight and auto bookings at www.expedia.net and www.travelocity.net. For purposes of exploring the cheapest way to fly from point A to point B, these two options are the best. They will show every flight available, with no bias toward advertisers or major airlines. They will also take a regional approach, and give you the cheapest flight to your destination from all locations in metro areas that have multiple airports. You can retrieve flight information to Boston, for example from San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose - all airports within a fifty mile radius of one another and easily reached via public transit.

You can also book car reservations through these sites, if you are so inclined. Occasionally the auto rental agencies will have bargain rates for online rentals. Both Travelocity and Expedia have hotel packages to match up with your flight destination but those are basically promotional deals and have little to do with enhancing your travel experience.

IF you are interested in some online feedback on hotels and attractions in various locations, www.tripadvisor.com is a good resource. The site has its share of advertising for hotels and other services, but it also has a rating system based on consumer feedback. For San Francisco, the site has a list of the 234 most popular hotels in the city, based on published reviews and opinions submitted by people who have used their site. There is also information on tourist attractions and public transportation for vacation destinations,

You can search the site by destination and retrieve a list of hotels ranked by popularity, by price and by availability. They also provide a list of attractions and dining options, also ranked by popularity and including pricing information. There is a section for maps and an area for forums that will contain commentary on your chosen destination.

Prominent on the page are advertisements for other websites that offer travel packages and deals. There are clickable sections for discount hotels and listings of travel packages that are not advertisers on the site. It's a thorough resource and very informative about destinations and attractions as well as how to get there and where to stay.

You'll find an interesting approach at www.vacationidea.com. Choose from a menu of concepts: beach vacations, weekenders, health spas, romantic getaways, family destinations, golf vacations, low cost choices, etc. The site will give you options in your chosen category that are both near and far, with a range of prices. At www.vacationplanning.net, you can click on any of the fifty states on a map of the U.S.A. Your choice will provide you with a list of popular tourist destinations for the state. Click on a destination within the state, and you'll get details on the location, popular attractions there and links to more local information such as the local chamber of commerce or tourism bureau.

If you do an online search on a destination you've chosen, you'll get lots of sites from local promotional organizations and even governmental sites, such as the Costa Rica Visitors Bureau. There are also United States regional sites to assist in planning touring vacations to some of the countries most scenic or historical areas. After all, there's no rule you have to confine your vacation to a single state.

One of the better ones is http://www.abbington.com/ which is dedicated to planning a vacation in New England. It is a nicely done site, addressing the vacation opportunities for the various seasons in the region. There is a section dedicated to the winter sports, the fall foliage, and a great page for children's attractions at their New England for Kids Page: http://www.abbington.com/kids.html.

These are a few quality selections; the internet is a rich resource for planning vacations. If you opt for a travel package however, be sure to check with the BBB and sources in the travel industry on the reliability of the firm you've chosen.

About The Author:
Madison Lockwood is a customer relations associate for http://ApolloHosting.com, http://www.apollohosting.com. As a small business consultant, she helps prospective clients understand how a website may benefit them both personally and professionally. Apollo Hosting provides website hosting, ecommerce hosting, & vps hosting to a wide range of customers.

Travel Tidbits

Choice Tables: Museum Restaurants: Where Art and Haute Cuisine Meet in Paris
From bold experiments to understated havens of cool, new restaurants have sprung up in cultural institutions all over the city.

Student Rates Available to Nonstudents
Even if your college days are a distant memory, it?s possible to travel on a student discount over spring break this year.

Frugal Traveler: Q&A: Shirley Tafoya, President of Travelzoo North America
Ms. Tafoya talks about what makes Travelzoo tick, how it refreshes its inventory of deals and why subscribers trust it.

United Tastes: Tacos in the Morning? That?s the Routine in Austin, Tex.
When it comes to breakfast tacos, which are stuffed with fillings like eggs and bacon, Austin, Tex., trumps all other American cities.

New York Is Finally Taking Its Coffee Seriously
Dozens of new cafes and coffee bars treat coffee making like an art, or at least a high form of craft.

Surfacing: In Mexico City, New Life on an Old Street
In Mexico City?s historic district, Calle Regina?s mezcalerías and bars are luring visitors after dark.

On the Road: Airplane Exit-Row Seats, Once a Perk, Now for Sale
Selling exit-row seats to all comers raise questions about whether all buyers are suitable to perform emergency evacuation procedures.

Personal Journeys: Visiting the Remote Tribal Lands of the Dogon in Central Mali
A growing number of Western tourists are traveling to West Africa to experience the rituals of daily life in the Dogon cliffside villages.

Visiting Tuscany Without the Crowds
With few tourists, the dead of winter is the time to visit Tuscany, when the landscape is bright green, locals fill the cafes, and the cuisine is at its best.

Weekend in Palm Beach, Fla.
This tiny island, north of Fort Lauderdale, boasts dreamy estates and wide, uncrowded beaches.

Bites: Restaurant Review: Whiskey Soda Lounge in Portland, Ore.
This stand-alone bar-restaurant does double duty as a boozy waiting room for Pok Pok?s patrons.

Check In, Check Out: Hotel Review: Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas
This 61-story hotel is huge, but thanks to thoughtful design, it also feels luxurious and, at times, even cozy.

Paddleboarding in Hawaii: Who Cares About Surf
Paddleboarding while upright means venturing far and wide without having to hunt for waves.

The Falcon: A Jazz Haven in a Hudson Valley Hamlet
Away from Manhattan?s urban frenzy, one man?s hospitality has created an intimate stage for top-tier musicians.

Frugal Traveler: Snow Boots to Sockless, Briefly
The Frugal Traveler finds a cheap flight to Miami and spends one day escaping New York City?s frigid slush.