Ask Wendy

Gail, thanks so much for the tips! Yes, I was a little worried about the reliability of RyanAir and EasyJet.

Thanks again and happy travels!

George

Hello George,

I live in Paris and am flight to Venice this weekend with Air France. In general, if you book in advance, it is a much better option and not very different in price when you consider the extra charges you have with RyanAir and EasyJet.

You should also be aware that RyanAir does not fly into a Paris airport (Orly or Charles de Gaulle) and flies in/out of Beauvais which is more inconvenient to get to/from. There is a shuttle service that can take you to/from Beauvais and you should find these details on the RyanAir site.

I have tried EasyJet a number of times and have always been disappointed/delayed and more. The last time I took it, I was delayed for 4 hours and the last time my partner flew with EasyJet, his flight was cancelled and had to stay an extra night in Geneva.

Before booking one of the others, check the prices with Air France and you may be pleasantly surprised ! I fly in Europe at least twice per month and almost only travel with them.

Enjoy your travels !!

My wife and I are planning a trip to NYC in Sept for 1 week. We are from the midwest and flying into Newark on Sept 7th. Not even sure of the best way to get from airport to the hotel.
Can you suggest a travel planner in NY that is reasonably priced and has reasonably priced plans/ideas, as we are on a budget?
We have a hotel in Manhattan, but need help with theaters/shows, museums, shopping, places to see, etc., because I know a week is not enough to 'see' NYC.
Do we really on the concirege at the hotel? Not sure where to start.
Thank you in advance, Blaine

Hi Wendy,

What's the best way to get from Paris to Rome by air? Looks like Easyjet and Ryanair? Which is your preference? I found the Terravision bus transfer for Rome, but is there something similar for Paris?

Thanks!

George

YARTS bus service has a great deal of $15 from Mammoth Mountain at 7am to Yosemite Valley in 256 miles and 4 hours of super scenic driving /riding over the Tioga Road -Hwy 120,,,then leaves Yosemite Valley on the VIA co bus out of Merced for the return to Mammoth Mountain on the east side for another $15 !! Not available yet in other direction, but should be,,,

Love the magazine and your posts!
I am taking my 16 year old daughter from Houston to Cairo over the Christmas break. I am looking for the best fare in business class, obviously with the least stops. I can use miles through Amex or Continental or purchase with $. Any suggestions? We are flexible but are looking at 12/21 outbound and returning 12/31. Thanks!
Suzy

Just wanted to say I love the Perrin Postcard..

Thanks

Why do you not rate Carnival Cruise Lines (nor have I ever seen an article in CNT)?

Steve

Could you please help me get in touch with Spirit Airlines' corporate office. They have proved to me that their "$9" membership is a complete scam. The only people who I could reach were out of India and provided no solutions just "Sorry mam, it can't be done". I purchased this membership for one year and was automatically charged a second year because "I didn't cancel online". They told me to cancel online so I wouldn't be charged next Spring. I did as I was told and come to find out that not only am I paying for a second year, but that I can no longer get any benefits because I canceled online per their instruction. Please help!

My son, daughter-in-law and 4 grands are going to London this July and do not have hotel arrangements as yet. Any suggestions how they can find realatively inexpensive hotels, B&B's, flats, etc. in the city or close. They need 3 rooms for 3 nights.

I read of a resturant which has great views of the Eiffel Tower rather than actually eating at the Eiffel Tower resturant. Can you help me a name and location?

Dear Wendy:
My son (25) and I are going to Turkey for a two-week vacation this July. We would like to stay at a resort in the Bodrum area or on the Mediterranean coast. I enjoy relaxing, swimming, and participating in a few activities, while my son likes to relax but also wants to have some fun. Can't wait to hear from you!
-Nese Denny-Brown
P.S. I'm a loyal CN reader. I always enjoy your tips and advice!! Thank you.

Wendy: I've reserved a cabin on Regent's transatlantic cruise next spring. Regent provides everything we wish for in a cruise BUT it is expensive. Other lines such as Celebrity and Norwegan, after adding on the extras, are approx. 50% less for a similar cruise. I like a smaller ship but in your opinion is it worth the extra bucks - we are retired and have to budget our travel dollars wisely.

We are off to go on TransSiberian Train in St. Petersburg
Sept.21/10 with Sundowners of Australia and ending up
in Beijing Oct 11/10 - would love to go to Shanghai to
see Expo there for a couple of days and then fly back to
Vancouver, BC from where we start via Frankfurt. Two
questions, cheaper to get an open-jaw around the world
flight??? We do not have enough airmiles, so will have to
pay. Also any idea on how to see Expo in an affordable
manner , i.e. with group or organized tour?? We could
also be leaving out of Seattle, Wa. and returning back to
Seattle, could be more reasonable than Vancouver, BC
Thanks for any advice you can offer, Cheers Gisele

Wendy, Thought that I saw an article in CN that gave a name for someone you recommend to help find low cost First/ Business class tickets. I am going to Argentina from Charlotte ,NC. in mid july and cannot bear the thought of going coach ( I am a big guy).
Love the mag.
MD

Hi Wendy! Thanks to you, my husband and I have always had terrific and memorable vacations. This summer we're off to Vancouver and Whistler.
Question--we have 7 days total for our vacation--we want to start in Whistler so we are in Vancouver the day of our flight to go home. So, how many days in Whistler? Vancouver? Is it worth it to spend the night on Victoria Island or is a day trip sufficient?
So options include: Whistler-4 days, Vancouver-3
OR--Whistler-3, Vancouver-3 and Victoria-1
What would you suggest? Also, any additional suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for responding!

Have no clue where we would like to go for 25th anniversary in June 2010. Thought about going on an Alaskan cruise. I live in San Diego County. Do you know of any cruise travel specialists that can work with a budget at the last minute.

I am looking for the least expensive airfare from Pittsbutgh to London(Heathrow). Leaving Pittsburgh on August 21 and returning on September6. Unfortunately my departue date is pretty exact although my return date is somewhat felxible.The lowest fare I have found is $1066 per person. Thanks for any help.

I recently requested my (high end) travel agent to book us a trip to India on the "Palace on Wheels". The travel agent strongly advised against the booking because of the high number of complaintrs they were getting. Do you have any insight on this?

What cities in europe near south of france or north of italy are typically the easiest to book travel via mileage awards?

Wendy,
I am looking for a beach house/villa, for a family week around the winter holidays for a group of 8 adults. We have all traveled widely and have already been to most of these places, so are not looking for a tour. I have thought about Costa Rica, Fiji,Tahiti, the islands of Thailand, etc. We like privacy, luxury, beachfront,warm water, good food, some staff, activity, local culture. Price is not a big issue. We would fly from San Francisco.

I am curious to hear your thoughts.
thanks
Diana

wendy, have any recommendations for a cool hotel in Milan for 2 nights beginning of August? would love to try to keep it under $350USD per night. Two adults. Thanks! Sharon

Dear Wendy,
Thank you so much for all the work you put into your blog. I have learned so much! I have seen a few posts about single travelers, and I was wondering if you had any tips for beating the single supplements or if you knew any travel agents who specialize in single travelers? I love to cruise, but hate paying for two when it's just me. Someone who had his/her ear to the ground when it came to deals regarding single supplements or who had a leg-up when it came to booking those few precious single cabins offered by some of the larger lines? That would be ideal! Thank you so much in advance, and again, I appreciate all the work you put into your blog!
--Grey

Hi Wendy,
My husband and I are hoping to visit Rome in November to celebrate our 20th anniversary. To pull this off we will need to book award tickets. As luck would have it, I read your article "HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOU MILES". In your article tip no. 5 appears to address my situation: We have 52,000 United miles, and 85,000 American Express reward miles, which can be transfered to a number of different airlines. Air Canada, a United partner and a member of the AMEX reward program has award seats available on a code-shared flight (from SFO to Munich on United and then from Munich to Rome on Air Canada, and the same on the return flight). Toal miles required for 2 - 120,000 (must combine to come up with the required number of miles). United offers no award tickets for our timeframe. After reading your article I was under the impression that I could somehow transfer or use my United miles to Air Canada, but an agent at Air Canada tells me no. Is there a way to effectively combine my miles/points in both programs to book via Air Canada? Thank you for your help!

Cindy

Wendy--first off--I love your blog, posts, comments, etc.! I wish I had your job! The information you provide is invaluable as my family travels often (8-12 times/yr) My husband and I are planning an anniversary trip in October (just the 2 of us) and contemplating a Mediterranean cruise with SilverSea. The time frame we can travel is very limited as we have 5 children all with very active lives, sports, etc. We just returned from a family cruise on Celebrity, which was my husband's 1st cruise and definitely not his cup of tea. He prefers a smaller, less crowded trip and the excursions were a nightmare! That being said, would you recommend private tours versus ship shore excursions or are the higher end ship excursions more organized? Any good suggestions for private companies in Corsica, Barcelona, Portofino or Monte Carlo? Also his concern is that it will be all "older" people. (We are in our 40s.) Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

My husband and I are looking to book a trip to the Rivera Maya in Nov 2010 for our 10th anniversary. Will be departing from SLC and staying 7 nights. We are interested in an all-inclusive property. Our #1 need is a beautiful beach with good snorkeling steps from the room/resort. After that, good food and drinks with nice oceanfront rooms. Adults only or family friendly- doesn't make a big difference for us. Do you have any suggestions for properties?

Thank you,
Deborah Bennett

Hi Wendy,

I normally book all my travel through various websites myself. However I am having extreme difficulty booking a RTW fare. It seems that I will have to go though a broker but who can I trust?

Thanks in advance!
Prudence

We need the name of a local guide in Israel for October8- 7am to 8 pm in Ashdod, Israel
Oct 9 & 10 and in Haifa for 7am to 8PM.
We do not want to use a company called Viator.

Wendy, as an avid traveler I have come to view the Perrin Post as somewhat as a bible for my travels. A couple of things....

First: PLEASE,PLEASE,PLEASE visit my fine art photographic web site at:
www.richardbluesteinphotos.com
(Would live to do some travel photography for you)....

Next: Leaving for Budapest, Poland & Israel for the month of May. Anywhere in previous posts where I can find info on some of the 'hidden gems' in these areas.....

Love the Perrin Post......

Richard B

In your Conde Nast article dated April 2010 you mentioned Gary Leff and gave his website as BookYourAward.com I have tried to sign up but to no avail, can you help? Thanks, Max Ritsema.

I tried accessing the voyageprive site with the link you provided but it kept asking for a friends email so I couldn't register. what do I do?

Wendy,
My husband and I will be celebrating our 20th anniversary and first trip overseas together. We are thinking a Med Cruise, my mother was born in Tunis and I would like to see that, also Egypt, Israel Greece. We have never cruised and would like we think med-small ship. We have miles for British Airways and would like to spend 4-5pp. We would be going out of SFO.
Also we are flexible on when we go. What would be better months for this travel, for us not too hot.
Thank you
Kathy Craig

Wendy, I sure hope you and your readers will be able to provide good suggestions!

I'm sick and tired to the Holiday craze and I want to ESCAPE!!! So we have the start of a plan: My Mom, my brother, his wife and I have decided to go to Vienna for New Year! We were hoping to get tickets to the Wiener Philarmonic New Year concert, but we did not win the lottery dray for those...

We still want to go ahead with our plan but have a few questions.
- Do you have any suggestions for a more accessible concert hall that would offer an interesting New Year's concert?
- Is Vienna going to be so cold that we can't really do anything at that time of year?
- How far would we have to go to ski?
- Is renting a car a good idea that time of year?

We look forward to any and all suggestions!!
MC

Hello!

My fiance and I are skipping the elaborate wedding for a $25k trip around the world!!!

My question is this:

Do we look for travel agents for EACH country/region of the world? Or do we look for ONE agent that can help us with ALL countries/regions we want to go to?

We are looking to go to Iceland, Amsterdam, Paris, Venice, Rome, Barcelona, Japan, and some uber-cool tropical location (Bora Bora? Maldives?) to cap off our romantic trip.

We're also foodies...so some culinary adventures are preferred too. We'd love to hear your thoughts or advice on what we should do. We welcome recommendations too! Love the 130 top specialists list!!!

Thanks!

Help Wendy:

I am trying to find a private car company that will take my husband and I from Puerto Vallarta to San Miguel de Allende. Once we are ready to leave Allende(we plan to stay there for 3-4 days) we need to go from Allende to Guadalajara. I just can not get any information for arranging these car trips.

We are not leaving for Mexico until May and the rest of our month trip is complete, it is just this part that can make or break our trip. Thanks for any help you can give us.

Tina

Hi Wendy,

Enjoy your wealth of knowledge and appreciate you sharing with the weary traveling public (main reason to keep my subscription to Conde Nast Traveler current).

My wife and I are flying into Bordeaux, want to go to Avignon, Aix En Provence and return home from Marseille. We are spending a total of 13 nights on this trip.
Is it a mistake not to rent a car? Seems like the rail system is an easier and cheaper way to go. We have been to Europe 10 times and I generally avoid driving because I do not read/speak the language and hear horror stories (some in your magazine) about the potential hazards of renting a car. Would love some feedback.

We have been very successful winging it on our own. We were able to get business class seats using AAdvantage miles and try to purchase hotel packages from Luxury Link.

Thanks

Hi Wendy,
My husband has just been notified that he will be losing his position the end of March 2010 and will be picked up by a new company the beginning of May 2010. We can travel out of all New York City airports. We are thinking of getting away for about 10 days in April 2010 either to Eastern Europe or Brazil or Peru.

The real question is: What web sites are best for finding a last minute getaway? Should we explore a package deals? We would like 4 star or better accomodations. Thanks so much.

Hi,
We are planning a trip to Sicily (Oct. or Nov.). Could you recommend a travel specialist for the island. We would like private drivers and tour guides. I always enjoy reading your columns and you have never steered us wrong! Thanks!

Hola Erica,

Greetings from Madrid-Spain

I will be happy to help you with your touring while in Barcelona or any travel related aspect of your trip to Spain.

We are based in the country and are specialist in travel to Spain. We do have the best available guides being most of them English speaking. Guides are a truly improtant factor while traveling as they are the ones that make the stones speak.

Please feel free to email me at any time so that I can arrange this and other things you may need for your coming trip. You may enjoy visiting our website www.madeforspain.com You can find our contact details there too.

Spain is great for faimly travel so I am sure everyone in your family will have a great time! Virginia

Could you give me the name of one or two reputable tour companies for 1/2 day and full day tours of Barcelona with my family (2 adults, 14 yo and 10 yo)? We would like someone who speaks English well and who can make the tour fun for the kids as well as the adults.

Thanks.

Hi, I am trying to book a luxury villa for a 40th birthday treat. we have small children. wnated to go to tenerife but can't find any villas available!! needs to be over the easter hols - around 3-17 april 2010. please help!!!

hi wendy,
im searching for my flights to athens for this september. ive been checking on a regular basis and the price has been right around $1200 give or take. in the last couple days its went up about $100.
is 6 months out too early to book for europe? should i wait it out to see if better prices come available? i get all nervous when they say "3 tickets left" at this price on the search engines. is this really a ploy to get us to book soon? thanks for any info. btw im flying out of cmh
-j

Hi Wendy,

My husband and I are traveling to London from Boston, March 24 - 30th, 2010. Staying at The Cumberland, across from Marble Arch. Will be there for my birthday. I will be on my own the first two days, Thursday and Friday, as he will be in business meetings. Any recommendations for sites to do alone? We will be site-seeing together Sat, Sunday, Monday and a half day Tuesday, before returning home. Can you recommend the must see for: pub, city park, shopping, play or musical, restaurant for birthday, afternoon tea, and museum? Thx very much!

Wendy

Hi Wendy,
My family (including 2 small kids) and I are heading to Spain in late April. While my wife and I have been before, we are looking for more intimate, real, cultural experiences that can give the kids a good sense of the people and places here, eg: flamenco lessons in the Albaicin of Granada, dinner with a host family. I noticed you recommended Made for Spain as your top agent for this kind of thing. Are you aware of/have any thoughts on the agents at Madrid and Beyond?
On another note: Is there a place to view the answers to some of the above posts or do you keep that private? I'm curious about some of the things others have asked ;-)
Thanks!
Matt

I enjoy your articles Wendy. Thank you for contributing to my travels.

You posted a link in March 2010 issue about Etiquette 101 (cnntraveler.com/etiquette) however this link does not exist. Can you please help?

Jill

Hi Wendy,
I will be traveling to Berlin,Prague, and Budapest next month.
Can you recommend a personal tour guide for Berlin?
We will be in Berlin from Friday afternoon 4/9 to Monday 4/12/ afternoon. Any recommendations for making the best use of our time?
Restaurant recommendations?
Do you think we should fly or take the train to Prague? What about a private driver? There are 4 adults. Any recommendations?
Thanks

I will be 60 March 17, 2011 and would like to be on a 4 day cruise with my family on that day. We have 6 adult children (plus 4 spouses)and 5 grandchildren ages 12-2 yrs. I am sure other family & friends will be coming also. Won't know how many until I get an idea of the cost. Most of us would fly out of St.Louis. What is the best way to go about booking a cruise? My husband & I have been on several cruise have always used our local travel agent but I am not sure I can get the best price with her. Also I am concerned about cost of drinks and soda on the cruise. Do the prices vary much between cruis lines. I've heard $40 to $20 for just soda. For a family of 5 just soda sounds expensive. Any help would be very apperciated. thank you! Jacque

Hi Wendy,
I've been a long time reader of your blog. And very much enjoy all the insight you give to traveling.
I love traveling and this fall I'm planning on going to Greece. Its my dream trip. I've been putting it off every year in exchange for more
economical trips to the Caribbean. But I can't wait any longer I'm taking the plunge! =) So the planning has begun!
I had a few questions hoping you can answer or at least point me in the right direction. Im in the process of finding flights out to Athens.
I live in Columbus, Ohio. The best flight along with price that I've found is a Air Canada flight from cmh to toronto then on to Athens getting in early enough
to hop on a aegean flight straight to Santorini and saving Athens for the latter part of the trip. However my husband and I both have Delta skymiles that we just depleted for a trip to utah.
But should we go with a delta flight thats going to cost us $300 more with a longer travel time just to have the miles? I'm torn and really dont know what to do. Is it worth accumulating the miles?
Hopefully you can answer that for me and maybe give me some pointers and comparison on the two flights...better inflight options or bigger seating etc. On a recent delta flight from salt lake city to atlanta
we had tv's in the headrest with live tv and that really helped make the time go faster. I'm sure the international flight to Athens would have this feature too right? Now would the aircanada flight have this?
I've realized sometimes paying a little more to have better amenities making travel easier is well worth it.
Thanks for any insight!
-Jill

oh any great deals on hotels in santorini?

Wendy -

I am also going to be traveling to Prague, Budapest, Vienna, and Paris and would like to know what travel companies to use in each of these cities. We would like to make the most of the three days in each city.

Thank you,

Doris

Wendy -

I could use some advice on our trip from Alexander, Egypt to the Valley of the Kings. Our ship arrives in Alexander at 12pm and departs from Port Said the next day at 8pm. We have a day and a half to get to the Valley of the Kings and then to Port Said. Can you please let me know what travel Company to use so that we can make our boat and see the Valley of the Kings?

I tried Viator and they could not help.

Thank you,

Doris

URGENT

Dear Wendy,

My fiance and I are getting married on the 18th March and our Honeymoon destination is CHILE!

We are understandably very concerned as we've just heard that there was another earthquake measuring 6.8!

I read your column following the first earthquake and felt reassured, but on this latest news I am uncertain it is a good idea to travel there.

We intended to fly to Santiago and then to the wine district for two days, Easter Island, the Atacama Desert and the Torres del Paine National Park.

I've spoken to out travel agent who is with Santiago Adventures and he's assured us it will be fine but I really want a second opinion. I'm worried they just don't want to lose their commission. I know that sounds terrible but it's my HONEYMOON at the end of the day!

Please HELP!!!

Warmest regards,

Viginia

Hi wendy;
I am planning to go to London for easter break.
do you tink it is a time where I can explore & enjoy london or is it gonna be non-lively and boring because of easter break & schhol holidays?
thanks for your assistance in advance

Wendy,

I am in the course of planning a trip to St. Petersburg, Russia. Someone gave me a copy of your article that you published in Conde Nast in March, 2007 on Moscow and St Petersburg. I understand that a guide is almost a necessity to see St. Petersburg in order to see and get in to a lot of the sights and beat the long line-ups. You made reference to a St. Petersburg guide in your article by the name of Yelena Kirpitchnicova. Do you know which company she works for or have any contact information for her?

Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. I have found some guides that look plausible just doing internet searches, but it is a little difficult to know who is good and can be trusted.

Thanks for your assistance.

If a book a tour in Kusadasi , arriving by cruise ship, how do I handle the visa which I assume is required in Turkey. I will be there May 2010

I am trying to plan a surprise girlfriends getaway weekend. I know which dates we need to travel on but am very open as to where we go. Do you know of a website where you put in just the dates you want to travel on and your departure city, and then find the cheapest places to travel to on those dates? I have searched for a site like this but have not been able to find it. I read on a travel website that you could do this at momondo.com , but when I tried the site I could not figure out how to access a search like this.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Besides "8 perfect Days" Russia: Moscow & St. Petersburg , are there any other articles that you have written pertaining to these two cities. I am looking for a guide/tour(hotel too) in both cities (3 days each)in June, 2010. Is there anyone you would recommend
Thanks

If you know of women who would love to swim but hate being seen in a swimsuit, could you please recommend the ebay category "clothing" and have them search the words:
Swimwear that offers some cellulite coverage?

It's a new concept, made in the U.S.A., and developed by someone who used to live on the waters of K-Bay (Kane'ohe Bay).

In the spirit of aloha, mahalo nui loa--

Wendy:

Should I purchase my rt ticket Phx to London (for July travel) now or wait? I usually purchase summer European flights in Feb/March, but fares unusually high ($1350). Thoughts?

Thanks!

Kim

Wendy:
My question regards how to pay for hotels in Cozumel without incurring either the poor exchange rates or 3% fees charged by credit cards (I did see your post recommending Capital One, which we don't have). Would it be feasible for us to purchase Traveler's Cheques (do they have those anymore?) and then change them for Mexican Currency to pay for our hotel rooms while in Cozumel?
Is there a good way to do this, or should I give up and deal with what our credit card company offers?
Thanks!!
Amy

Hi! I love following your blog and articles. I want to take my SO to a tour of Mid-evil castles for his 40th birthday (we are both REALLY into Mid-evil history!) and I would like to take him on a vacation of European (perhaps Ireland or Scotland?) castles. I see there are tons of vacations out there, but what I would really like is to stay in locations where the people are also into the history of the place... is there something like this out there? If there are people who are knowledgeable about weapons, textiles, transportation, and daily life that would make it even better!

Thanks!
nd

Hi Wendy,
Need some advice on Saint Maarten. which side of the island to stay on? How wheelchair friendly is it for someone that is active (scuba diver, good swimmer etc) but still not able to get up and walk so can't do a full flight of stairs etc.

Thank you.

Hi Wendy,
I travel to France every couple years or so and wondered if you knew of any US credit cards that have the embedded chip needed to use at certain gas pumps and to check out the Velib bikes in Paris?
Thanks,
Carolyn

Hello Wendy
I'm planning to spend my Honeymoon in Thailand. I was looking for a resort in a paradisiac white sand / clear blue sea - which was not crowded like most beaches there are. Could you suggest hotels / beaches for us? We are fine with paying a little more for our "peace" - but nothing over 650 dollars a night.

Travel Dates: December 21st to 25th, 2010.
Thanks!

do you have any travel agent or company recommendations for single women travelling alone?

Wendy,

My son has applied to study abroad in Madrid next Sept. 2010-May. 2011. My wife and I are planning to travel there, probably during the Thanksgiving week and in March, 2011. We will leave on Nov. 18 and will return on Nov. 27. Please advise us on the general weather conditions at that time, and also on where to stay, dine, and visit.

Wendy,
A couple of years back you introduced me to
NoteWorthy for my travels in England. They are a wonderful group. I hope you can again help me. My wife wants to go sking on her birthday. She was born in August. I believe that that means we would need
be in Chile or Argentina or maybe New Zealand. Can
you recommend an agent or two who might be able to help me?

Hi Wendy: My wife and I are traveling to Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Xian and a few smaller cities in March. Can you recommend stores that sell vinyl records in any of these cities? I am interested in Chinese pressings of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Dave Clark Five and other "British Invasion" groups from the 60's. Thanks in advance for your help. Tomm

Hello Wendy,

I am interested in renting an apartment-hotel/flat in Brussels for 7 to 10 days the first part of June 2010. I am having some trouble locating nicer flat / apartment-hotel. I am a single father who will be traveling with my 17 year old daughter (who will want to take in the history) and my 14 year old son a9who will want internet access and a TV to take in the World Cup).

Do you have any suggestions? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Ian

Wendy,
May I suggest that you consider a PERRIN REPORT on home exchange?
I did my first in 1992, taking my two young children to Washington DC for a week of sightseeing. I knew that spending all day at the museums and monuments and then coming back to a cramped hotel room was going to be miserable for all of us. We did a home exchange, everyone had their own room with TV, the house had a pool, a pool table and of course a kitchen so we could snack when we wanted without an expensive and inconvenient trip down to a hotel coffee shop.
I was so sold, I started my own club, and now HomeExchange.com is the largest in the world, with over 32,000 listings worldwide, and hundreds being added every week. But even if I wasn’t the President, I would be doing home exchanges every year, like I still do now. In the last two years we’ve done exchanges with members in France, Tuscany, Calgary, Puerto Vallarta, Washington DC, Berkeley and Chicago, with more opportunities than we have time for. Journalists have described it as being the way to “vacation like there’s no recession”, and for good reason. Except for getting there, a home exchange vacation anywhere in the world doesn’t have to cost any more than staying at home.
Check out the site and see the opportunities available www.HomeExchange.com.
Our members range from young couples to retired, but with homes suitable for families with children making up about 50%.
Try an exchange incognito, or let me know and I can give you some tips or help you get organized (without setting you up with a ringer), or introduce you to some of our members for interviews. Try it, you’ll like it. I think your readers will too.
Hope to hear from you,
Ed Kushins
President, HomeExchange.com
Ed@HomeExchange.com
310.345.3562

hi Wendy --

I desparate. I'm trying to move to Hawaii with a tiny 13-year-old dog. Our vet does not recommend flying her in the hold.

While I've traveled to Europe for multi-month work assignments with her in cabin, not a single commercial airline that I can find will fly her to Hawaii in cabin. (We've done all the quarentine paperwork for her under Hawaii's direct release program.)

I am working with two jet brokers, trying to find a single seat on a private charter. (A full private jet charter is not an option financially). I can't find anything on a boat. I'm willing to consider anything.

I can leave any day from Feb 15 - March 31. I can fly to any city to connect with a charter. But still I can't find anything.

Do you have any ideas? Know of anything else I can try? Know of anyone I can contact? Please Wendy, I'm desparate.

Thanks, Kelly

What would you recommend to do on Feb. 7 at
Puerto Limon, Costa Rica other than a ship cruise

Where would you recommend a mother and 17 year old daughter go in europe the first weeek in March. we will be traveling from Washington. We have emliminated Egypt and are now focusing on Europe or maybe Russia

I am taking my daughters (16 and 18 yo) on RCCL "Splendour of the Seas" cruise April 1-10, 2010. We begin in Barcelona and end in Venice. I need specific advice for a hotel Saturday, April 10 in Venice that will accommodate 3 in one room, and located (?) near the train station.

We need to take a train to Milan-Malpensa Airport on April 11, spend the night and catch our flight home on Monday, April 12. Are the trains all the same? Should we stay near the airport?

Do you recommend shipping luggage home from Venice to make things easier?

I have never traveled outside the US and appreciate any advice you have. I read your Jan. blog about Med Cruises and found it very informative. Thanks!

Apropos credit cards abroad, American credit card companies are apparently resisting adopting the European credit card verification methods for charging at commercial establishments and atm's. We are hoping to travel to Europe soon. Will we have problems using our American credit cards anywhere in Europe because of a requirement for pin numbers or other info not used for credit cards in the U.S.?

any news regarding haiti? i can't find anything about cities other than PaP. i'm trying to find out how petit goave is. they are right on the faultline according to one map. thanks for any info.

Leaving Jan. 23 for a cruise with my two adult daughters. Looking to hop a cab to beaches in Tortola and Samana, DR where we can rent a beach chair (important), swim/sun. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Pam

We are booked on a 5 day cruise out of Tampa in Janaury 2010. My husband selected Royal Carribean's dine anytime instead of choosing early or late seatinge. It is my husband, myseld and our 11 year old son travelling. What is your opinion of the dine anytime versus regular seating? I am concerned that they service won't be as good because we might be seated at all different tables.

I desparately need some advice on suggestions for a celebratory trip for my parents (accompanied by me and my husband, my two sisters and my 11 and 13 -year old children) to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on February 8. We could travel from DCA, IAD, or BWI. I was thinking cruise but totally not sure. My parents are in tehir early 70s, but my mom uses a walker and has some toruble getting around (can't walk long distances). We are thinking warm -- given how cold it has been here. It has to be fabulous, giventeh occassion. My mom used to be a travel agent, so they are well-travelled. I want to make this special and could use your help!

Thanks,
Kelley (daughter at risk given the clock is ticking)

Hi Wendy,

I am planning a trip to the Galapagos in late April or May. There are 4 adults traveling (2 cabins). I am looking for a nice, budget friendly cruise for 8ish days. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 passengers. There are too many options and the ones I have heard of seem pretty expensive. Would appreciate any help you might have!

Wendy
I am trying to determine in advance if certain sites in a port of call that I may want to visit on my own are within walking distance of the dock where the ship will be staying. How do I find out the actual locations of where the ship will be docked in the ports of call on my cruise trip?

Buongiorno Janice
A trip to Tuscany sounds fantastic - I would love to have the opportunity to guide you through the options that are available to you and introduce you to the amazing experiences that Tuscany has available to assist you in making this the most incredible Italian Experience ever..
Warmest Regards
Andrea

Dear Wendy,
Four people will be cruising out of Barcelona in February. Could you please give me the contacts for port excursions in Rome, Athens, and Izmir, Turkey.

Thank you
Louise Nunnink

Dear Wendy,

I know Pam of Nerd's Eye View (another travel blog) through BlogHer and she recommended I send my situation to you. I instinctively trust Pam, and she certainly appears to have sent me to a great resource. Thank you, first of all, for even blogging and having this space and forum. It is a gift in itself.

Here are my details re: what I want to ask about:

Where you think you want to go and why:

In December 2011, my husband and I will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniv. I am in charge of our celebration plans and so we're looking to fulfill our childhood fantasies spurred by too many hours watching Jacques Cousteau (we're both in our later 40s): I want us to go to the Galapagos.

Which airport you're leaving from: We'd be going from Cleveland probably to S. Florida to drop off three kids with their grandparents for the duration (I'm thinking 14 days will be about the maximum we could do, but there could be some flexibility with that). So...we would probably go to Ecuador from S. Florida somewhere.

When you're planning to travel: December 2011

Who is going with you: That guy I've been married to for 20 years (by that point - see how optimistic I am that we'll make it to 20!).

OTHER DETAILS:

In the past he's liked big-time boats with bells and whistles, but we've already had The Talk in terms of me wanting adventure and NOT big glitzy stuff, in exchange for making sure we can have very good accommodations, very good food and drink and very good scuba for him. We are on the same page.

I've already started to look a bit and have read some good stuff about the Linblad/National Geographic Society expeditions but would love to hear more about that and about other options.

"Other options" might include other land excursions on S. America/C. America like Macchu Picchu or something, but that's very tangential at this point in planning.

We're facing three kids heading to college in the next few years so the sky is NOT the limit, but we do want to stretch a bit.

And that's a lot for starters!

Thank you again for offering this chance to ask such a professional questions and you have a great new year.

Hola Nicole,

I am reading your question only now.

Spain has deep roots as a Catholic country. Most of our national holidays are same as religious holidays. Nevertheless you can easily travel within our country during the Easter season. Holy Friday is a holiday and most places (museums and shops) will be closed although churches and restaurants will be open. I mean... still a lot to do and a lot to enjoy!

Please do come freely during our Semana Santa. Please do contact me for help on your trip. I am the Spain specialist on Wendy's list. I live in Spain and can easily help you enjoying the best trip to experience our country. Remember Spain is a truly romantic destaination. Please do contact me freely I will be looking forward to hearing from you!

Hi Wendy:
I found your website this morning when I was reading my traveler magazine. I am going on a Cruise on the 30th and I'm going to the Western Caribbean. We are visiting Panama, Costa Rica and Belize. I was wondering if you can recommend anyone to arrange for tours on all these cities. The Cruise has pre-arranged tours but I find them to be pricy. I hate paying high prices if there are other alternatives.
Please let me know

Have you ever been to Bhutan? We have wide range of itineraries for all kinds of travelers.......

We plan on spending a few days in Rome, then rent a car out of Civitavecchia, near the ship terminal, then go on to Florence and Northern Italy to attend a wedding. We'll return the car back to Civitavecchia and then embark on a 7 day cruise. Question is, there will be 4 of us with a lot of baggage. Most rental cars won't carry more than 2-3 bags. Do you know if there is a place we can store our bags until we return to the port of Civitavecchia? If so, will the lockers hold a large piece of luggage, and what would the charge be? I appreciate your help and enjoy reading Conte Naste and your tips.

We are hoping to visit Ireland in the Fall 2010 or Spring 2011. Wanted to ask if you have any suggestions on best way to become familiar with the local currency (Euro & British Pounds) in a reasonable short period of thime that one would feel comfortable paying cash for small purchases.

Thanks,
Jeff

Hi Wendy,

My mother is 70+ and still wants to see the world. Any advice or thoughts on senior tour groups that cater to the much older crowd? My mother is still ambulatory but long walks up or down steep narrow Italian village streets are out of the question. I'd like to start her out with some domestic trips with the group and then move on to European trips if she likes the tour group.

Ideally I'd like to find a group that won't just drop her at the "sights" but will help educate her about the different cultures she'll encounter. Also it should be fairly laid back with not an impossible schedule, not too structured with time for breaks.

And my checkbook would appreciate it if they don't have an outrageous single room fee.

Thanks so much!

We are going to St. Lucia coconut bay resort January 1st. Any tips on our week there?

Hi Wendy,
My wife and 15 year old are looking for a Carribean vacation where the son can learn to surf while we relax in a luxurious setting. Do you have any recommendations?
We all would appreciate any suggestions.
Thank you.

hi wendy,

we're hoping to take a romantic trip to spain the week before easter (3/27/10) -- perhaps driving a loop from madrid through andalucia and back. is this a bad idea for holy week? will everything be closed?

this is the only week we have to travel without our child -- is every catholic european country mostly closed too? other romantic city destinations?

many thanks,
nicole

Hi Wendy,
My wife and I enjoy reading everything you
write about but we now have a difficult question for you or your staff.We are seniors enjoy crusing,and have never had a bad cruise in over the 20 we have taken.we have been to Hawaii 3 times and would like now to cruise the Islands.
Having said that however we find the type of cruise we would like is one where we fly to Hawaii,take our cruise and fly back.
Now the difficult question.For the past three years we have been looking at the reviews and 99% of them give the two ships of the Noregean Cruise Lines that sail there very poor reviews.
Would you know if these poor reviews are justified
and should look at a different cruise line to satisfy our desire to cruise the islands?
Thanking you in advance for your help.

Rhoda and Sheldon Wagner

I stayed in suite 351 of the Jai Mahal Palace Hotel in Jaipur India ( A Taj Hotel) $450 plus taxes a night and got sick from the water in bathroom coming through rusty pipes. I have received a nasty letter from the Taj COO who admits they have known about the problem but is threatening me with a lawsuit if I bring it up in a blog etc. The Taj group has cosmetically dolled up a lot of these old palaces in India and are charging top dollar but these places have rotten, century old, plumbing and a crumbling infrastructure underneath the facade, that will make you sick. I know Conde Nast ranked the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur the world's best hotel but after dealing with the Taj management, I can assure you they are pulling the same scam there too. The plumbing is a century old. Buyer beware.Please pass this on. Taj palaces are a scam.

we are trying to plan a 20yr anniversary trip to Mexico or Hawaii with golfing and horse riding/shopping next spring. we have timeshares in HI already reservey at Waikola Hilton grand vacation. however, it seems planefare is over $1k plus baggage fees. that is ridiculous, any other suggestions besides HI or how to get there cheaper?

Wendy, I'll bet my problem is one many seasoned long time travelers face. I'll call it second time around. We want to go BACK to countries we have visited, but with different itineraries. For example, we want to visit Chile and Argentina again but have spent enough time in Santiago and Buenos Aires. Beyond custom tours or going on our own, are there any tour companies that specialize in "second time" travel?

Thanks
Linda

Dear Wendy,

I am a big fan of your column and I am writing to you for your expert advice. I am starting to look around for a place to go with my girlfriend to spend our honeymoon. Of course, we still have a lot of time because we haven’t even decided to get married but I believe I should be prepared when the time comes and early reservations are in order.

I have been looking around trying to find something that fits this description:
- An isolated small beach (preferably you have to take small boats to get there)
- A really small boutique hotel (no more than 15 rooms, less is better)
- Beautiful turquoise warm water (Caribbean or Pacific)
- Amazing service especially with great food and drinks (a world renowned chef with talents ranging from Basque French cuisine, japanese peasant food and great barbecues; and ever present cold beers, french wines and champagne - no all inclusive deals with huge buffets!!)
- And, most importantly, a bungalow over the sea with comfortable accommodations (huge bed, open big shower and big bathroom with balcony and a staircase to jump to the sea).

What we would like to do is spend a week (8 to 6 days) just swimming near our private bungalow, with no one around us, and having amazing food and drinks for breakfast, lunch and dinner with some special options like breakfast or dinner in our bungalow, in a small deserted beach and things like that.

I know this is not the most accurate of descriptions but I hope you get an idea of what I am looking for. We live in Colombia (Bogotá) so there’s an extra factor than needs to be taken into account since we would have to travel via the US in most cases and this will increase the price of our tickets. I have seen some very cool things in the internet, most of them in the Pacific (Polynesia) and a few in the Caribbean but they look too big for our taste (20 or 30 rooms), they do not seem to have great cuisine and frankly they do not look that awesome (most of them are Sofitel and Four Seasons kind of hotels that are not what I have in mind). There’s one that we have seen that pretty much fits our description and is nearby, it’s called Cayo Espanto in Belize (http://www.aprivateisland.com/ ) and I am pretty much decided for this one but would like to have your expert advice on this and other options you may know like this.

Of course, this kind of trip is something you don’t want to go cheap but any savings will come in handy. I am thinking of saving a bit with the plane tickets and finding something in the Caribbean instead of the Pacific cutting ticket prices almost in half or even more. I would rather spend this money in a great hotel with great rooms, food and drinks.

Thank you for your help and advice. Kind regards,

Juan Pablo Franco

Wendy,

You certainly seem the person to go to for such a request!

I might be asking for something thats too difficult to find or too pricey but Im hoping to give it a shot!

For my 40th birthday next April I would love to find a house, villa, etc to rent for 2 weeks to a month?? somewhere in Europe. Now here's the hard part...

It needs to sleep my wife and I, our 3 year old son, my two parents, and my wifes mom. But we would really like :

1) to be in a big enough NICE city that we are able to just walk out our front door and go shopping, eating, to a park, etc..without having to drive.

2) be in a big enough city that has an easy train setup so we can take 2-3 day trips to other big cities AND/OR other countries.

3) We would be getting a car so driving is an option too.

4) Ideally it would have a swimming pool for our 3 year old but I realize this might be impossible.

My initial thoughts are somewhere like Paris, Milan, Florence, somewhere in southern/Western Germany??, France would be nice, switzerland....Strasbourgh seems like a centrally located spot...As you can see Im trying to find a centrally located cool city that we can enjoy but also use as an easy home base for many other little trips.

I GREATLY appreciate any help you can give!!!!!

Thank you!!

Matt

We have accumulated hundreds of thousands of frequent flyer miles on United but whenever we call or check online to see if we can redeem them for a trip, we are always told "no seats available," especially for business class travel. Do you have any suggestions as to how we might be able successfully to use these miles? Thanks.

Hi Wendy,

We're flying into Salt Lake City on Sat. Jan 16 through the 23rd. Any advice for the most affordable way to get to Park city and back? So far, we're looking at $64 ea. one way! Also, we want to ski two or three days. We'll be staying at the Geo Holiday Club. It appears they don't offer discounts on tickets or a shuttle. Thank you for any advice you can give us.

Shelley and Don
ps. we're not picky about where we ski.

Hi Wendy-

My fiance and I are trying to plan our honeymoon for August 6-15, 2010. August is a really hard time to travel somewhere because of the weather (i.e. no Carribbean). We considered going to Bali or other islands in S.E. Asia, but we just don't know if it's a good idea to fly that far for just a 6 night stay (once you add in flight time) because of jet lag. We just want somewhere beachy and very private that is not somewhere we will go again. No sightseeing necessary, we just want to lounge. We'd be leaving from the Washington, DC area.

Would be very grateful for any ideas you have!

Anne

Hi Wendy,

My name Marv and I am in Petaluma, California. You and I attended the same Tweetup at Aqus Cafe this past year. I am considering a trip to Europe with my 17 year old daughter as kind of a last hurrah father-daughter trip before she starts her post high school life. I've traveled parts of Europe before for business but it's been nearly 20 years since I've been.

I'm thinking budget travel. Small hotels. Europass. A couple days here and a couple days there.

For a cultural background, my ancestry is Bavarian, Irish, English, Dutch and my daughter has Italian and Sweedwish in addition to the above.

Any advice for a 10 day trip?

-Marv

Hi Wendy,

Have you any info on the status of Scrub Island Resort, BVI? It sounds fabulous and have a great deal as an opening special; However, I have read that they have been plagued with financial and contractor difficulties. As I am planning to go there in late February I am concerned.

Thank you for your help.

Do you know any travel agencies with expertise in destination weddings? Thanks!

Do you know any travel agencies with expertise in destination weddings? Thanks!

Hi Wendy,

Great, helpful columns!

My question: how do I go about getting a visa for New Zealand & Australia?

About 13 years I went to those wonderful countries and had help from a travel agent. I vaguely remember her going on-line to get a visa.

Now, I'm about to go back to those countries, and am using your advice and google to make my arrangements. But I don't know where to go to get the visa (if it's still needed).

Thanks for any help you can give...and keep up the good work.

Warren

I recently signed up for the Perrin Post and think this is an outstanding tool for travel tips. I have been reading about South America and it sounds like somewhere my husband and I should visit. This past spring we traveled to France to Nice and Au Provence. South America seems very similar, and much more economical.

My husband and I are 56 years old, very active and live in Cleveland, Ohio. We would like to plan a 10 to 12 day trip this winter, but not sure what the best places to see would be. We love wine, shopping, good cuisine and nice hotels. We do not speak Spanish.

We would love to use your expertise in hopes of making the best of our trip!

Thank you in advance for your help!!!

Hi Wendy, my husband and I cannot decide where to go either. We live in Atlanta and would like to go somehwere in November or December (around 10 days) but be home for the holidays. Don't want to spend a fortune either, maybe somewhere in the US?
Thanks, Linda (a distant cousin)

Hi Wendy
You always have such great information so I am hoping you can help me now. I need to visit my mom in Sydney and also my sister in Provence in summer of 2010. I work in Education so have from June 8th thru August 25 off to travel. I Realize it is winter in Australia, but it is her birthday so have to make the trip. We depart out of Cleveland, Ohio and would like to go to Sydney first then back to France before returning home to the USA. Is there any way we can get a deal thru one airline, so as to collect airmiles as well as save money???? Would it be a good idea to look for a "round the world" ticket? Any suggestions for our family of 4 would be appreciated. Kids are ages 11 and 14 so probably will have to pay adult fees?
Thanks
Rhondda

Hi Wendy,

Do you know what the rule is with United Airlines about how many days prior to an international flight that they will release business class seats for booking with mileage plus miles? We have a cruise planned which requires us to fly roundtrip to Buenos Aires from San Francisco and United cannot tell me when they will release the seats for the international leg. They gave us mileage plus seats from San Francisco to Washington Dulles last April, but were unable to provide seats for Dulles to Buenos Aires and return. I check with them frequently, but to no avail. Final payment for the cruise is due mid-November and I will need to cancel the cruise if I cannot get the mileage plus seats we need.

I have made inquiries to their President's office and Customer Relations, but their answers were of no help. Their responses indicated they didn't even look up our reservation and Customer Relations stated they only deal with problems on flights aready taken and not future travel.

Thanks for you help.

Jan Goodenough
gmgoody@pacbell.net
707-538-9074

I am trying to get to Bali from Newark, New Jersey in late January and cannot find a flight under $4,000. I would like to use frequent flyer miles - can you help

Using Credit Cards Outside the United States. Can you tell me which credit cards offer the fewest additional fees when being used outside the United States? I was talking to a representative today from VISA who said that they would charge me an additional 3% on purchases and I had never heard that before.

Thanks.

Susan Gilpin

Wendy - I'm a loyal follower and especially love your coverage of exotic and adventure destinations.

My husband and I are considering a trip to Borneo in the spring. We're looking for a combination of nature/wildlife experience but high end enough so that the accommodations and food will be at the international level. Is this possible or is Borneo just not there yet? We're also looking to add a luxury beach resort stay at the end of the trip. Since we've been to Thailand many times, what are your thoughts on Malaysian resorts? Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Robin

Hi Wendy,
Can you recommend a travel agent to help us with renting a house in England next September? We have information from Suzanne Cohen but would like some more choices.
Thanks

Hello Wendy

I look forward to your articles in CNTraveler every month.
6 of us are taking a cruise to South America next March on Princess. The cruise starts in Santiago and ends in Rio de Janeiro.
We are planning on spending 2 nights in Rio, going to Iguazo Falls for 2 nights and ending up with 3 nights in Buenos Aires. We are looking for help with the trip to Iguazo plus suggestions for hotels in Rio and Buenos Aires.
Do you have any suggestions?

Wendy.
I am requesting tour information.

We have scheduled a Scandinavian cruise August 11 - 23, 2010 from London touring Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg (2 nights), Tallinn, and Gothenburg.

We will be departing Dallas / Ft. Worth airport to London. What is your recommendation when we should make air reservations? When would prices be better?

Where would the better hotels be located for seeing the important sights of London? Would public transportation be readily available from the hotel? We would like to spend 2 - 3 nights in London prior to the cruise.

On the cruise what are the must see sights?

Hello Wendy,

My husband and I are looking into a trip to Italy in 2010 in October. We would like to stay in the Tuscany area most of the time. Cosmos Travel had a great itinerary, but they are not doing it in 2010. So we may be on our own. We would like to stay in the Tuscany area most of the time & visit Lucca, Montecatini, San Gimiguano, Assisi, Siena, Florence & Rome.
I was also thining of starting our trip in Berlin (my husband was stationed there in 1968), then take a train or fly to Florence & visit the other cities and fly out of Rome.
If we did go to Berlin, would it be best to fly or take a train to Italy?
Should we look into a tour group while in Italy?
I have been doing research about taking a train or rental car in Italy - I'm not sure which is best.
thank you for any info.
Janice

Hello Wendy,
thanks for your great advice. I am sure you can help us with our decision. We need to fly from Philadelphia, Pa to London's Heathrow airport next September as part of a 31 day tour of Europe. We would like to travel business class, with full reclining seats, for at least the travel to London, but both if cost is reasonable. We have enough miles on USAir to purchase a 1-way upgrade but not roundtrip. What are our best choices to assure that we get the business class seats at the best cost? Risk the upgrade or just purchase for the full cost?
Thank you for any advice you can provide.
Patti

Wendy,

Can you think of any ideas for a 40th bday celebration? We are a group of friends who live 30 minutes outside of Manhattan. Two of our friends are turning 40 in January 2010. I was thinking Vegas! But everyone has small children and are strapped for cash after the holidays. So, any ideas for one night getaway for 6 or 8 couples?
Thanks!
Laura

We're going to NYC 12/15 thru 12/21. Any tips on where to stay less expensively than the usual hotels?

Thanks much.

We are looking at a South America Cruise in November or over the Christmas/New Year holiday. Both Silver Sea and Holland have Santiago to Buenos Aires or Rio options that look enticing (although Holland is more in our budget). . . Who do I call for help making a decision and booking?!?

Do you have any recommendations of travel specialists for special needs (wheelchair) travel?

Having trouble finding the right travel agent for a family trip to Barcelona in fall 2010, and I'm hoping you can point me in the right direction. We are four adults - A mother and father in their 70s and a brother and sister in their late-40s/early 50s - looking to spend around 6 nights in Barcelona. This is a bit harder to book than your typical trip because three of us are leaving from Minneapolis and one from NYC; we want to also hit Amsterdam for 2 nights, either on the way to or from Barcelona; and we ideally are looking for an apartment (although two hotel rooms would do). What we don't want are any kind of tours (we like doing our own thing) or ultra-expensive, lap-of-luxury accommodations. It seems we fall into that great middle between a trip that we can book by ourselves and those complex, tour-filled trips I see being pushed on so many travel agent websites. I've e-mailed a couple of travel agents and gotten either an unsatisfactory or no response, and I'm wondering where to turn. Hoping you can help.

Hello Wendy, I ALWAYS read your articles for conde nast traveler and greatly wish I had your job. Would love your advice: looking for a budget friendly trip in mid-november. Pretty much anywhere. Would prefer somewhere there is milder weather but IF the atmosphere is right, OK. Asia, Europe, Caribbean, South America. All inclusive or if it's better to rent a villa, etc. I have about 10-12 days. Thank you for the advice! Eleni