Should you buy your airline ticket now or wait because the price may drop? Is there a better coach seat on your overnight flight than the one you've been assigned? How long will it take to walk from your hotel or cruise-ship dock to the sights and restaurants on your itinerary?

You can get answers to these questions and many more via the 16 magic travel sites listed in my Perrin Report column in Condé Nast Traveler's November issue. Here's a snippet:

AirfareWatchdog.com
The real live human-being fare wonks behind AirfareWatchdog find low fares that automated airfare search engines may miss. The result: a list that includes unadvertised sales and promo-code fares (AirfareWatchdog tells you which codes to use). Sign up for e-mail alerts for low fares from your home airport, as well as "to a city" alerts that list fares from various airports to your destination. Say you want to fly from Houston to Kona, Hawaii. The Houston-Kona fare might be $800, whereas the Dallas-Kona one might be $350. If you'd signed up to see all the fares to Kona, you'd know to combine the Dallas-Kona fare with a cheap Houston-Dallas ticket.

AutoSlash.com
Seeking the best price for a car rental? It's tough if you haven't got time to check back every so often to see if rates have dropped or to sort through all the rental-car discount coupons you get in the mail (often from airline loyalty programs). Luckily, Auto­Slash does this for you. It searches for the lowest rates, using all manner of publicly available discounts in its search (you needn't know any promo codes; it enters them for you), and once you've booked, keeps repricing your rental automatically. If the rate drops, it alerts you so you can rebook at the lower price.

Read the full list, then click "Leave a comment" below and tell me: What's your favorite magic tool for planning and booking travel?

There I am on the widow's walk atop the light tower on East Brother Island. What I loved most: Guests can access the tower whenever they like, day or night.

Tens of thousands of cars drive past it every day, yet nobody knows it's there. Which is why it qualifies as a "secret every smart traveler should know." It's an historic-landmark lighthouse inn known as East Brother Light Station, on an island in the northern reaches of San Francisco Bay, and it was a highlight of my trip to the Bay Area last month.

I'd never heard of it before my husband, Tim, surprised me with an overnight getaway there. He drove us to an obscure ramshackle marina on the Bay where a small boat picked us up and ferried us over to the island. If you subscribe to The Perrin Postcard (our free monthly newsletter; subscribe here), you already know that I recommend East Brother Light Station — a non-profit owned by the Coast Guard — as an unforgettable and child-free romantic escape, but you haven't seen the reasons why, so I thought I'd share a few photos.

Tim had booked the inn's San Francisco Room, so named because it looks onto the city's skyline 30 miles away, past the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. This was the view from our room at dusk:

And this was our room:

More photos after the jump.

"What will be YOUR first words in space?"

Watch more from the Richard Branson interview:
What will be Richard Branson's First Words in Space?
If Richard Branson Were to Launch Virgin Time Travel...
Branson Says He'll "Seriously Consider" Launching a Fourth Airline Alliance
Branson Wants Virgin America to Fly to the Caribbean
Bigger Isn't Always Better, Says Richard Branson
Is it Possible to Own Airlines and Save the Environment at the Same Time?
Imagine There's No Carbon Footprint
Richard Branson Plans to Make Planes Go at Rocket Speed
Can Airlines That Cut Service and Amenities Survive?

"In 2025 you launch Virgin Time Travel. Where in time would you travel to...and what historical figures would be at your launch party?"  -- Jason Klein

Jason, congrats, you're the final runner-up in the "Dream Up Your Best Question for Richard Branson" Contest.  Watch the video to find out where in time the daredevil billionaire would travel to and which historical figure he has always wanted to meet.

Tomorrow we'll announce the contest winner, who has won two free roundtrip tickets on Virgin America anywhere the airline flies.

Watch more from the Richard Branson interview:
What will be Richard Branson's First Words in Space?
If Richard Branson Were to Launch Virgin Time Travel...
Branson Says He'll "Seriously Consider" Launching a Fourth Airline Alliance
Branson Wants Virgin America to Fly to the Caribbean
Bigger Isn't Always Better, Says Richard Branson
Is it Possible to Own Airlines and Save the Environment at the Same Time?
Imagine There's No Carbon Footprint
Richard Branson Plans to Make Planes Go at Rocket Speed
Can Airlines That Cut Service and Amenities Survive?

"While I appreciate your independent streak, why hasn't Virgin Atlantic pulled the trigger and joined one of the big three airline alliances...or, better yet, why haven't you spearheaded a fourth alliance (think Etihad Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Alaska Airlines, El Al, and cherrypicking some incumbent alliance airlines)." — Beaubo

I'm not the only one who liked this question, submitted to the "Dream Up Your Best Question for Richard Branson" Contest by reader "Beaubo." Sir Richard liked it too. Watch the video to hear his answer, in which he explains why Virgin Atlantic has avoided international alliances up till now ("We believe it's much better that airlines compete") but also promises that he'll "seriously consider" creating a new alliance and thanks Beaubo very much for the idea.

Since I happen to know who Beaubo is, I'm going to blow his cover. It's Steve Belkin, mileage junkie and founder of Competitours. (Beaubo's the handle he uses on FlyerTalk.) Congrats, Steve, on achieving runner-up status in our contest and asking a question that Branson says he'll "follow up on."

Tune in Monday, when we'll reveal the final runner-up, and Tuesday, when we'll announce the contest winner!

Watch more from the Richard Branson interview:
What will be Richard Branson's First Words in Space?
If Richard Branson Were to Launch Virgin Time Travel...
Branson Says He'll "Seriously Consider" Launching a Fourth Airline Alliance
Branson Wants Virgin America to Fly to the Caribbean
Bigger Isn't Always Better, Says Richard Branson
Is it Possible to Own Airlines and Save the Environment at the Same Time?
Imagine There's No Carbon Footprint
Richard Branson Plans to Make Planes Go at Rocket Speed
Can Airlines That Cut Service and Amenities Survive?

"Which destinations that Virgin America does not currently fly to are you most interested in adding to the route map?" -- Jennifer Loynd

Given the airline's appeal to Conde Nast Traveler readers--they've voted it their favorite domestic airline two years in a row--of course I had to ask Richard Branson this question, which was submitted by Jennifer Loynd to our "Dream Up Your Best Question for Richard Branson" Contest. Last week Virgin America announced it is adding two cities in Mexico--Cancun and Cabo--to its route map. Click on the video to find out what other destinations, both domestic and international, are on Branson's and Virgin America CEO David Cush's wish list. Like Branson, I'm hoping for the Caribbean; we need more airline competition there!

Where would YOU like the airline to fly next? Tell me in the comment space below; I'm sure Virgin America is listening.

Watch more from the Richard Branson interview:
What will be Richard Branson's First Words in Space?
If Richard Branson Were to Launch Virgin Time Travel...
Branson Says He'll "Seriously Consider" Launching a Fourth Airline Alliance
Branson Wants Virgin America to Fly to the Caribbean
Bigger Isn't Always Better, Says Richard Branson
Is it Possible to Own Airlines and Save the Environment at the Same Time?
Imagine There's No Carbon Footprint
Richard Branson Plans to Make Planes Go at Rocket Speed
Can Airlines That Cut Service and Amenities Survive?

"Do you think it is possible to scale up the size of your airline to that of United and maintain the service (both facilities and personal) that you currently offer?" -- Vivek Khera

That question, submitted to our "Dream Up Your Best Question for Richard Branson" Contest, has earned Vivek Khera runner-up status as well as a videotaped answer from Branson and Virgin America CEO David Cush.

Despite all the hoopla about Virgin America's rapid expansion--the airline is adding five new destinations by the end of 2010 and increasing its fleet by two-thirds by the end of 2011--Branson and Cush don't want it to grow too big. "Will we ever be the size of United? That's really not the goal," says Cush. But they also believe that growth does not have to destroy a company's culture and that the mistakes that the legacy airlines have made are entirely avoidable.

Check out the video, then check back tomorrow to find out our next runner-up question and answer.

Watch more from the Richard Branson interview:
What will be Richard Branson's First Words in Space?
If Richard Branson Were to Launch Virgin Time Travel...
Branson Says He'll "Seriously Consider" Launching a Fourth Airline Alliance
Branson Wants Virgin America to Fly to the Caribbean
Bigger Isn't Always Better, Says Richard Branson
Is it Possible to Own Airlines and Save the Environment at the Same Time?
Imagine There's No Carbon Footprint
Richard Branson Plans to Make Planes Go at Rocket Speed
Can Airlines That Cut Service and Amenities Survive?

Dear Sir Richard: How do you personally reconcile your commitment to owning airlines with your commitment to battling peak oil and climate change? What made you decide long-haul air travel is still worth it, even after your environmentalist awakening?" -- Greg Lindsay

That's a great question, Greg, and it's earned you a runner-up spot in our "Dream Up Your Best Question for Richard Branson" Contest. Watch the videotaped answer -- from both Virgin owner Branson and Virgin America CEO David Cush -- and tell me if it satisfies you. My favorite part, personally, is David's take on why long-haul air travel is worth it:

"Less travel is very dangerous. Travel is about bringing together cultures and bringing together people to have a greater understanding, and I think we can see in the world today what happens when there is a lack of understanding between cultures."

Sir Richard seems able to own airlines without suffering any moral dilemma, and he foresees a day when we'll be able to fly without any moral dilemma: "If you're powering your planes on clean fuel, then people will be able to travel in the future without any guilt feeling whatsoever."

I'd love to hear from readers: Do you think it's possible to own airlines and save the world at the same time?

Watch more from the Richard Branson interview:
What will be Richard Branson's First Words in Space?
If Richard Branson Were to Launch Virgin Time Travel...
Branson Says He'll "Seriously Consider" Launching a Fourth Airline Alliance
Branson Wants Virgin America to Fly to the Caribbean
Bigger Isn't Always Better, Says Richard Branson
Is it Possible to Own Airlines and Save the Environment at the Same Time?
Imagine There's No Carbon Footprint
Richard Branson Plans to Make Planes Go at Rocket Speed
Can Airlines That Cut Service and Amenities Survive?