Aspen for All Seasons

To call it an ordinary Friday would be only a slight exaggeration. The parking lot next to the Hotel San José is jammed with hot rod gearheads and tattooed girls enjoying their first--okay, second--beers of the day as rush hour commuters rubberneck the custom cars parked on both sides of South Congress Avenue. Among the rebuilt rides are guitar legend Jimmie Vaughan's lime-gold '63 Buick Riviera and a purple '57 Cadillac that is the pride and joy of Continental Club impresario Steve Wertheimer. Inside the Continental, which was born the same year as its current owner's Caddy, the Blues Specialists ("over 200 years of combined blues-playing experience") lug their instruments onto the red-velvet stage for happy hour, after which honky-tonkers Dale Watson and Jesse Dayton will play the hotel parking lot, followed by rockabilly bombshell Marti Brom and yodeler Wayne "the Train" Hancock back at the club. At 2 a.m., many revelers will move to Magnolia Café South, where a short stack of bigger-than-your-head gingerbread pancakes gives all that tequila and Shiner Bock beer a cozy place to spend the night. This particular bustle comes as part of the third Annual Lonestar Rod & Kustom Round Up, but the thing is, there's always something going on in Austin, which is not just the capital of Texas and self-proclaimed Live Music Capital of the World, but a capital of American cool. A week prior to the car show, the town was commandeered by the four-night, 1,100-band South by Southwest music fest. Tomorrow, 15,000 men and women will run the Capitol 10K. Next weekend is Spamarama, the 26th annual celebration of processed pork. In between, it will be First Thursday once again: On the first Thursday of every month, there is the traditional art-gallery stroll, as well as a half-dozen bands playing various clubs, a drum circle, and the chance to play musical chairs with the local Roller Derby queens. Dancers from the Red Light Burlesque serve as crossing guards--traffic on South Congress can be brutal. In fact, traffic is a nightmare everywhere. When I moved to Austin in 1990, after four years in Chicago and a year in New York City, it took five minutes to get to anyplace worth going, and you could find a parking space (for free!) within a block or two of any club. Austin was the scruffy college town of Richard Linklater's film Slacker--artsy, intellectual, and cheap, with a bit of cowboy culture on the side, a downtown full of empty buildings left over from the busted oil boom, and more hills and green space than anyone had a right to expect. For decades, Austin was where every misfit from Houston, Dallas, and Amarillo came to be themselves. Imagine their surprise when Whit and Ashley from back home moved in next door, with their dot-com jobs, matching SUVs, and lust for P.F. Chang's. Austin in 2004 reflects Dubya, Michael Dell, and Lance Armstrong as much as Linklater, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Willie Nelson. It's more of a real city, but also more like other cities. You pay to park downtown (if you can even find an empty lot), and the two University of Texas-area cafés in Slacker have been supplanted by a Starbucks and a Diesel shop. "Keep Austin Weird" has become an unofficial slogan--as unofficial as a slogan can be, anyway, once the city council has shoehorned the phrase into an economic white paper (under "Cultural Vitality"). It's an unwritten rule that once you've paid rent in Austin for, oh, a month, you can start complaining about how much better everything was when you first got here. But even those who gripe about the city's evolution happily patronize restaurants, shops, and coffeehouses that wouldn't otherwise exist. No one ever leaves, and we're constantly reminded how good we have it by friends from out of town. "I should move here," is the typical refrain, usually uttered by someone from New York or L.A. over a plate of migas (eggs scrambled with salsa, corn tortillas, cheese, and, if you get 'em at El Sol y La Luna, chorizo) or breakfast tacos (my favorites are from Guero's: one stuffed with egg, potato, and cheese, another with refried beans and bacon). Then they marvel at how cheap the bill is. Local institution Tamale House still offers a two-item taco for 85¢, to the delight of broke students and unemployed musicians. People come to Austin not so much to see the sights as to live the life--coat their arteries in Tex-Mex and barbecue, hear a bunch of bands, spend too much money at Waterloo Records, and maybe take a dip in Barton Springs. In a city with few traditional attractions, you can't beat the naturally fed swimmer's paradise--plus adjacent Zilker Park and the Town Lake hike-and-bike trail. In summer, late in the day, take the trail east along the south shore, past the statue of Stevie Ray Vaughan, and you'll be right on time for the phenomenon that everybody simply calls "the bats." North America's largest colony of Mexican free-tailed fangers--1.5 million of 'em--lives under the Congress Avenue Bridge. If it's not quite sundown, pick up a Día de los Muertos figurine among the handcrafted Mexican and South American tchotchkes at Tesoros or stop in for a margarita at Manuel's, which also has half-price happy hour appetizers and some of the best mole in town. Then join the throng on, around, or underneath the bridge to see the black cloud swarm off into the night. Not far from the bridge is Threadgill's World Headquarters, a top-notch southern restaurant known for its meat loaf, chicken-fried steak, and garlic cheese grits. It's also something of a museum to Austin history and music. Back in the day, owner Eddie Wilson ran the Armadillo World Headquarters, which was just a block away (the space is now an office building, natch). It was the epicenter of the Austin scene, associated primarily with bluesmen and cosmic cowboys, but everybody from Gram Parsons to the Kinks to the Clash played there. Ironically, TWHQ isn't even the original--that one, simply called Threadgill's, was the home to some of Janis Joplin's first performances in the early '60s, and it's still going strong on the north side of town. Although Threadgill's has the heritage and atmosphere, I prefer the chicken-fried steak at Hoover's Cooking. Better cut of meat, tastier breading, and they also dish out divine sweet-potato biscuits and above-average barbecue. For the truly authentic Texas-barbecue experience, however, one must leave town. Hard-core gourmands who believe that sauce is an insult to good meat trek 75 miles to Cooper's in Llano (for the pork chop) or 29 miles to Kreuz Market in Lockhart (no sides, no sauce, no forks). Everyone else drives 15 miles to the Salt Lick, the de rigueur place to take out-of-towners. At home, I use its citrusy sauce on everything from pork chops to turkey sandwiches, and the German-style sausage is my favorite in the state. Go family style: Adults pay $14 for all-you-can-eat ribs, brisket, and sausage with beans, coleslaw, bread, and potato salad. No place embodies the tension between Austin new and old more than South Congress Avenue. It wasn't long ago that the neighborhood was best known for the New West porno theater and the local streetwalkers--as former State Senator Drew Nixon learned the hard way after offering $35 to an undercover policewoman. When someone tried to dub the burgeoning neighborhood SoCo, Austin American-Statesman wiseacre John Kelso, a fierce protector of the local boho/Bubba spirit, suggested NoMoHo instead. That one didn't take. SoCo did. Last year Factory People, a designer-clothing store, claimed the space that had been occupied by Just Guns since the '40s. But the street still lives up to the sign on the marquee of the Austin Motel: so close yet so far out. At Allens Boots, you can get $1,800 alligators, $50 Ropers, or, if you really want to look like a misfit, a pair decorated with a blue Dallas Cowboys star. Uncommon Objects promises to have "the thing you didn't know you wanted," which for me was a curvy little wood-and-black-vinyl chair. The Yard Dog gallery specializes in southern folk artists, such as 93-year-old Alabaman Jimmy Lee Sudduth, who often works with mud, berries, and soot. Austin's nighttime claim to fame is 6th Street, where the drinks are strong, the cover bands are generic, and the college girls dress just like the women handing out strip-club coupons. A sprinkle of cool bars (Casino El Camino) and venues (the Parish) don't quite make up for the frat-house vibe, or the fact that there's a Hard Rock Café and a Coyote Ugly. The true heart of Austin music lies elsewhere and includes the Continental, the Broken Spoke (Austin's classic sawdust-on-the-floor country dance hall), and the four-block stretch of mostly punk-rock venues (Emo's, Beerland, Room 710) on Red River that the Austin Chronicle's Christopher Gray aptly described as "the Sunset Strip to Sixth's Bourbon Street." Red River is home to hipster hangout Club DeVille, a good place for a quiet drink or a discreet make-out session. And if you don't feel like boozing on an empty stomach, pop over to the Roaring Fork at the InterContinental Hotel for the best eating deal in town: Every item on the bar menu is $6, including a giant burger and pork green-chile stew with buttered tortillas. Off of 11th Street, the red-granite Capitol, which is actually 14 feet taller than Washington, D.C.'s--would Texas have it any other way?--dominates the skyline in tandem with the Texas Tower. Infamous because of Charles Whitman's 1966 shooting spree and also the site of several student suicides, the tower's 28th-floor observation deck was closed for many years, leaving the building with no public purpose other than to glow orange when the Longhorns won. It's now open for tours again, unless another sort of orange--Homeland Security's terror-alert code--is in effect. The University of Texas campus area is also where you'll find the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library, which is ripe with history (Lady Bird's audiotaped diary and Nellie Connally's notes from the JFK assassination) and humor. Specifically, a motion-activated animatronic exhibit in which the 36th president--outfitted in a farm shirt, cowboy hat, and Roper boots--drawls out his folksy wisdom, taken from tapes of his speeches. Unless you've got tickets for a Horns game, the campus doesn't have much else that's worth a look. Most students live in private housing, which means the Guadalupe Street retail strip (mispronounced "guad-uh-loop," incidentally, but better known as the Drag) is just a place for them to get a smoothie or caffeine fix between lectures. Two doors down from Blue Velvet, one of the city's better vintage-clothing stores, Baja Fresh stands out among the fast-food chains by having the good sense to preserve (in the face of public pressure) a 1993 mural by songwriter Daniel Johnston; the building formerly housed the Sound Exchange record store. An even bigger corporate concession may end up being made at South Austin's Taco Xpress, where Argentine taco queen Maria Corbalan--a.k.a. Loco Maria--has grown her business from a gift shop to a convenience store to a cooking trailer to a full-fledged, wildly popular restaurant with an outdoor patio. Developers want to replace it and the mobile-home park next door with a Walgreen's but, to smooth the way, are promising to, y'know, keep Austin weird by building Maria new digs on the same block. Meanwhile, a few blocks up the street an old supermarket is set to become the latest location of the Alamo Drafthouse, which some believe will eventually be forced out by the rising rents in a downtown neighborhood--the Warehouse District, centered around 4th and Colorado--of faux pubs and martini bars it helped create. The Alamo is more than your average beer-and-movie palace, with eclectic programming and special events featuring the likes of Quentin Tarantino (who curates an annual festival) and Ain't It Cool film geek Harry Knowles (whose Butt-Numb-A-Thon premiered both The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and The Passion of the Christ weeks before theatrical release). Was I complaining again? If all this change means one thing--besides higher rents all around--it's that there'll be plenty of opportunity for folks to bemoan the loss of the "original" Alamo Drafthouse or the "old" Taco Xpress. Then again, most people don't even realize that Antone's, currently on 5th Street in the Warehouse District, wasn't always in that spot. Founded in 1975, Austin's most legendary club was the launching pad for Jimmie Vaughan's Fabulous Thunderbirds and his brother Stevie Ray, as well as an obligatory stop for every blues and rock-and-roll great you can think of, from John Lee Hooker to U2. But the "Home of the Blues" has actually had four homes. Antone's is what it is not because of a particular address, but because of the music and because of owner Clifford Antone's lifelong dedication, even during troubled times (he recently served two-and-a-half years for money laundering and conspiracy to distribute marijuana). Austin may change physically, and "Keep Austin Weird" has already been reduced to something you can buy on a tie-dyed T-shirt at a hotel gift shop. But as long as people like Antone, the Continental's Wertheimer, Threadgill's Wilson, and Taco Xpress's Corbalan keep on doing what they do, the city's spirit will never die.

European travel has changed more in the past seven years than it did in all the decades after World War II. Eurail passes and traveler's checks are no longer your best friends when no-frills airlines can fly you pretty much anywhere out of London for less than $60, more focused railpasses allow you to customize your trip and pay less, and a visit to an ATM machine is quicker and cheaper than using cumbersome travelers checks. Experienced travelers are getting tired of the Great Capitals and pricey hotels heading instead for the smaller regions to rent a villa or stay on a working farm in Tuscany, the Dordogne, Andalusia, or western Ireland. To lure us back to the cities, destinations like Paris, London, Rome, and Madrid are modernizing their museums and offering passes for free transportation and discounted sightseeing. With the current troubles plunging transatlantic airfares to historic lows--roundtrip airfares from the East Coast are currently as low as $178--this brave new Europe is just begging to be explored. And with the recent slew of more liberal trip cancellation policies put in place by airlines and tour companies faced with war-wary travelers, your reservations are ironically more secure and flexible than ever before--though that varies, and I'll take questions on insurance and cancellation policies as well. But mostly, I look forward to answering questions on travel in Europe and sharing some hard-won secrets and strategies to help you navigate the new European travel scene. Reid will be answered your questions Tuesday, June 8, at noon EST. Reid Bramblett holds the somewhat dubious distinction of having authored both The Complete Idiot's Travel Guide to Europe and Europe for Dummies. His love affair with Europe began at age 11 when his family moved to Rome and proceeded to spend much of the next two years exploring Europe in a hippie-orange VW campervan. Reid experienced a budget continent of campgrounds and picnics with the locals, though mostly he remembers having to sleep in the VW's moldy pop-top. After a brief stint as an editorial assistant at a travel publisher, began writing European guidebooks for Frommer's, Dorling Kindersley's Eyewitness, Idiot's, and For Dummies. He joined the Budget Travel editorial staff in 2002. He champions such underdog Irish causes as real ales, traditional Celtic music, Irish cheeses, hurling (that's a Gaelic sport, not what happens after too many whiskeys), pub grub, and tramping around bogs and wind-bitten downs in search of ancient tombs. _______________________ Reid Bramblett: Here I am--a bit late, sorry. Let the questions begin! _______________________ Milwaukee, WI: Will there be any Olympics events in Torino, Italy this year? Reid Bramblett: Nope. The Turin Winter Olympics will take place in February of 2006. The official Website is torino2006.org/. _______________________ New York, NY: Got your June issue. Great stuff! The maps for no-frills airlines were incredibly useful, but only covered flights from London and a few other major cities, and my summer plans don't happen to include London. How can I research other no-frills airlines all across Europe? Reid Bramblett: Frustratingly, there aren't many one-stop-shopping resources that survey the entire, ever-changing field of no-frills airlines in Europe. That's why, as it says in the article, I created nofrillsair.com/, which at least links directly to all the current ones flying (and lists their major hubs and destinations) and explains the pluses and minuses to using them, as well as linking to a few sites that offer fare-searches of selected no-frills. For those of you who haven't yet heard of this revolution in European travel, more than 40 of these no-frills airlines---ow-cost carriers like southwest or jetBlue here at home---ave popped up in Europe over the past decade to make criss-crossing the continent cheaper and faster than the train. One-way tickets average $45 or so, including taxes, and rarely top $100, unless you buy last-minute. (In the interests of full disclosure: hofrillsair.com/ is not affiliated with MSNBC.com or Budget Travel magazine; it's just something I did in my spare time.) _______________________ Frankfort, KY: Am thinking of a fly, drive and B&B trip to Ireland. Is this advisable for a first timer or should I look at escorted tours? Do you have recommendations for such trips on the Isle? Thanks. Reid Bramblett: Forget the tour. That Irish fly-drive-B&B package is one of the best deals in travel anywhere in the world. I've done it myself, and it works a dream: you get roundtrip airfare, a rental car for seven days, and vouchers for six nights in countryside B&Bs--you pick them yourself form a catalogue of hundreds all across the country, including Northern Ireland. And prices start as low as $499 in winter (I thin they're $599 right now; and in years past have dipped to a flabbergasting $399). Course that's out of NYC, but you can get cheap fares from other East Coast gateways (though I don't think there are direct flights to Ireland from Frankfort, KY yet :) You can arrange this packages through the travel section of hreland.com/ or from hietours.com/. _______________________ Fountain Valley, CA: Reid, my husband and I are traveling to Southend-on-Sea, England, in August where his family is located. We will be in Great Britain for a month. We would like to visit Ireland and want to know what is the least expensive way to go about it. We are open to suggestions (fly, drive, coach, etc.). I'd like to check out my family backgroud in Tipperary & maybe sight see the West of Ireland. Any suggestions? Reid Bramblett: Great chance to use those no-frills airlines I was just talking about. Since Southend-on-Sea is just outside London, when you're ready to nip over to Ireland, make your way back into the big city and catch a Ryanair flight (ryanair.ie/) from Stansted Airport into Kerry, Ireland (which is on the west coast, and not at all a long way to Tipperary...get it?). I just looked up the going rate for that flight in August, and it's a mere $32, including all taxes. (See? Aren't no-frills airlines great?) Once you're there, rent a car to get around (Ireland is a countryside well worth exploring by car, even if you do have to drive on the left). In addition to shopping the rates at the hertz and Avis and such, make sure you check out the car rental consolidator hutoeurope.com/, which usually beats their rates, as well as Ireland's home-grown alternative Dan Dooley (handooley.com/). _______________________ Kelowna, British Columbia: Hi Reid, a few years ago we rented a car and traveled all over Spain for a month. How realistic is it to rent a car in, say Copenhagen, and then travel to multiple countries for 6-8 weeks? Would it have to be returned to Copenhagen or could it be dropped off in another country? Thanks for your help. Reid Bramblett: Course it's possible! Dropping a rental car off in other countries, of course, incurs a fee--in general, the further away from home you strand your noble rented steed, the higher the drop-off fee. However, if you're going for 6-8 weeks, forget the rental. What you want is a short-term lease. You get: A brand-new car direct from the factory (seriously; sometimes those bits of protective plastic wrap are still clinging to the side mirrors) FULL insurance automatically (none of that messy mucking about with CDW or TP or LDW or any other acronym the rental companies throw at you to pump up the cost) A far, far, far, cheaper rate than on a rental for a similar period of time (actually, you're buying the car under an automatic buy-back agreement with the company, so you get excellent terms) That new-car smell _______________________ Las Vegas, NV: What is your best budget suggestion regarding lodging for two adults traveling with two children in Europe? We usually find that we exceed the "fire code" maximum of three occupants per room and are relegated to two rooms or one very expensive "family room." Any suggestions? Reid Bramblett: You're a bit out of luck. In Europe, it's nothing to do with fire codes; it's all about the head count. While in the US you are free to cram as many people into your room as you can safely sneak past the front desk--since you're paying a single rate per room--in Europe you always pay per occupant. That means if you have two people in that room you pay for two, if you squeeze in four on cots and whatnot, you pay for four. (The usual mark-up is that each additional body in the room cost an additional 30 to 35 percent on top of the regular double room rate.) Frustrating. About the only concession is that many hotels will give traveling families a break and charge less for the little-uns than for an adult---hough how much less is all down to the hotel's own policy and the kid's ages. really young kids can sometimes get in free (though a nominal crib charge is usually incurred), or those under a certain age (usually pegged somewhere between 11 and 15) can stay in the parents room for a discounted additional rate---ay 10 to 20 percent, rather than that 30 to 35 percent. _______________________ Stamford, CT: My husband and I would like to take a tour to Italy this October and see Rome, Venice and Florence. I would like to book a tour online but I'm not really aware of which online travel agencies are reputable. I've seen two websites, Travelwizard and Vacations to Go. What can you tell me about these and do you have any other suggestions?! Reid Bramblett: First of all, you really don't need a tour in Italy. It's very easy to get around--especially between those three major cities--and English is widely spoken, so there's little need to tie your vacation to a tour bus and be shunted around at the whims of a guide getting the same canned commentary they've been dishing out for 50 years. That said, a few of the best tour operators out there---nes that, hopefully, will give you a bit more interesting of a tour---re Donna Franca (honnafranca.com/) and the Italiatour branch of Alitalia Airlines (htaliatour.com/). Intrepid Travel (hntrepidtravel.com/) now covers Europe with its innovative tours designed to get very small groups (8-12 people) up close to the culture of the destination. If you are willing to try going it alone as I suggested, but still want a bit or structure or help getting the cut rates on hotel and airfare a tour would get you, try a vacation packager (which books you your airfare and hotels, but leaves the daily schedule up to you to fill). The best values are with ht-today.com/ and htrovacations.com/. _______________________ St Agatha, Ontario: We will be going to Athens in August for the Olympics. Should we wait until mid-July to book accomodations when all the tour operators will dump their blocks of rooms and pricing will be much lower? Reid Bramblett: Each Olympics affects its destination differently, so there's no way to predict, but my gut reaction is: you haven't already booked??? Do it now! You're gambling on not as many people showing up as the local infrastructure expects, which very well may work out--or you may end up paying a premium to stay a two-hour train ride form the city. Take the safe route on this one. _______________________ San Clemente, CA: Is it possible to rent a small RV in Europe to travel from one country to another? Are there books about camping in Europe with an RV? Reid Bramblett: A pop-top VW campervan (sleeps two below, one or two smaller chaps up in the pop-top tent) rents for around $50 to $65 per day in winter, which rises to $100 to $130 in the height of summer. A larger, more familiar "RV" sleeping four to five people will run you around $60 to $100 in low season, $110 to $180 in high season. European roads are narrow and winding, and gas incredibly expensive, so never rent anything longer than six meters (about 20 feet). Also, read the fine print: there's usually a ridiculous "service fee" of $100 to $175 or so added to the overall price, and they usually require CDW insurance (another $30 per day or so). Make sure taxes (VAT) are included in the quote, sauce they can run as high as 19 percent! Rentals in Germany tend to be the cheapest, though you can drive it anywhere (check first about any Eastern European countries, and British rentals often tack on a fee for taking it to the continent). I've got loads more on this subject at htyondhotels.net/. For good rates, look at htropeanrvtours.com/ and httinc.com/. _______________________ Warren, NJ: We will be visiting Florence, Italy for one day on July 6, 2004. Could you please advise me how to purchase tickets in advance prior to departure from the U.S. for the Pitti Palace and the Uffizzi in order to avoid long lines at these museums? Thank you. Reid Bramblett: Definitely book ahead; that time of year, the line for the Uffizi can last two hours or more--no foolin'. You can book both the Uffizi and the Pitti (and the Accademia, which houses Michelangelo's David--anther long line) at firenzemusei.it/ or by calling 011-30-055-294-883. It's more than worth the 1.55 euro fee. _______________________ Anonymous: What is the best time of day generally to get a good meal at a reasonable price and what inexpensive wines are looking good for having with a meal in France? Reid Bramblett: Sorry for the delay there. Computer problems. In answer to your question: Lunch. Bistros, brasseries, and cheap restaurants will offer inexpensive prix-fixees (set-price) menus. Even the holy temples of cuisine like Alain Ducasse will be far, far cheaper at lunch than at dinner (you'll fork over $260, sure, but in relative terms that beats the pants off the $600 price tag at dinner). _______________________ Kent, OH: My friends and I are trying to plan a week-long trip to Europe, specifically to Paris. Since we're all college students, money is tight. We know that we can stay in hostels, but what are some other easy ways for us to save a little cash and still have a great time? Reid Bramblett: Get the cards. The Carte Musees et Monuments (hntermusses.com/---hough that site can be buggy), gets you into 70 of Paris's top sights, museums, and monuments. (Only notable exceptions: the Eiffel Tower, Montparnasse Tower, and Marmottan Museum.) Even if you use it only to visit the Louvre and the Pompidou, you've already saved $3 off individual admission charges. Plus, it allows you to skip all the long admission lines and just waltz right in, flashing the card to a security guard. The other card is for getting around cheaply on the Metro, but it's a bit tricky, since Paris doesn't want you to know it exists. The tourism officials flog the Paris Visite card relentless to tourists, but that's astoundingly overpriced. They won't even tell you that there's such as thing as the "Carte Orange" (it doesn't even appear in the English-language version of the official transport website), which is a weekly metro pass that costs 14.50 Euros and covers the central transport zones 1 and 2-p--enty for most Parisian trips, though if you plan to travel to the outskirts of town a lot, you might plump 19.40 Euro for one good through zone 3. You can buy it at any Metro station-j--st don't let them try and sell you that Paris Visite! _______________________ Chicago, IL: Hi Reid, I will be studying abroad in France, Belgium and England in July. I need to find my own way from Brussels to Oxford, England. What is the most economical and scenic route? I am considering ferries -- what do you think? Reid Bramblett: The ferry will be scenic, but it's gonna take you a minimum of 12 to 14 hours total (train from Brussels to Oostende; ferry across the Channel; train to London; change train stations London; train to Oxford; often long waits in between each step). Sure, it'll be scenic, but time-consuming and not all that cheap. Your other option is the Eurostar through the Chunnel (hurostar.com/ or haileurope.com/)--you'll be dumped in London and still have to get to Oxford, but at least the Brussels-to-London bit is a lickety-split 2 hours 40 minutes, and costs $100 to $150 (depends on what kind of fare you qualify for). Less scenic, but it does leave you far, far more time to enjoy the scenery on either end of your trip! _______________________ Los Angeles, CA: Your article on renting a villa has me seriously considering it! I'm used to package vacations to Europe though - is it possible to do a package including a villa rental and airfare or will I have to book everything separately? Reid Bramblett: Congrats! You should have a blast. though some third-party agencies who handle villa rentals can also arrange your airfare (or will work with a travel agent on your behalf to book it), in my experience they simply can't beat the prices you could get doing 20 minutes of research online yourself. Hit the major airline sites (not just the US ones, but the major European ones as well, like Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, etc), run your travel dates through Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity Then, armed with this "top price," really get down to business. Read out daily Savings Sleuth blog to find airfare sales. Check out the rates using met search engines like hheapflights.com/, hidestep.com/ (a browser plug-in; only works on PCs) and hixo.com/. Contact a consolidator like h800flyeurope.com/ ---they can usually sell you a ticket on the same airline for less than the airline can! There re some other tricks; my site hraveltools.net/ will walk you through the 11 Steps to Finding Cheaper Airfares. Happy hunting! _______________________ Denver, CO: I know that it's always cheaper to travel off-season, but if I really must go to Italy during the peak season (June 2005) because of a family wedding, when is the best time to shop for deals? Very early or last minute? Any suggestions? Reid Bramblett: When in June is an issue, because High Season rates for airfares usually kick in officially on June 15 (high season hotel rates, sadly, kick in soon after Easter!), so if you can fly out before then, you can save a couple hundred dollars right there. Don't ever buy more than three months out. Before then, airlines are only charging Hail Mary rates---he highest ones possible in the hopes that someone will bite. Between three months out and six weeks out, the price will get whittled down by the marketplace, consolidators will start releasing batches of tickets at cut rates, and sales will crop up as empty seats start needing to get filled. See my last answer for some airfare hunting techniques. Have a great time, and my congrats to the happy couple. _______________________ Reid Bramblett: Well, that's it! An hour's up. There were dozens and dozens of questions I couldn't get to, and to you folks: I apologize. But we do this "live chat" thing every week on different destinations, so tune in again and we'll do our best to help you plan the vacation of a lifetime. _______________________

Today's gas crisis looks nothing like that of the 1970's, when inflation was a dirty word and pump lines stretched for blocks. The "I" word is hardly used (thanks to low interest rates), and gas stations are eerily vacant, with many avoiding stops at the pump for fear of emptying bank accounts. On Tuesday gas prices hit a 13-year high of $1.84/gallon. But, that's not the end of the bad news. Industry analysts say the cost could rise to as high as $3/gallon in the coming months, a time of year when half of America's households hit the road. How this dire situation will affect summer road trippers remains to be seen, but there are ways to enjoy a car trip and still manage to save. Turn to the web Once again, the Internet proves to be a great resource for budget-conscious travelers. GasPriceWatch.com, a consumer advocacy website that tells you where you'll find the best gas bargains. You just plug in the zip code of where you're headed and you get a search results page with stations and their locations and current gas prices. As of today, the most expensive gas per gallon in the country can be found in Bridgeport, CA ($2.69/gallon), and the least expensive in Clifton, NJ ($1.58/gallon). How does GasPriceWatch.com keep track of all these fluctuating numbers? They use a team of volunteer "spotters" who call in rates on a regular basis. Of course, this also works in your home town. Gaswars.com does the same thing, but also covers gas prices in other countries. Gasbuddy.com is another helpful site which provides links to local sites that track gas. Check all three and see which works best for your proposed route. If you want to figure out before you go just how much you'll spend on gas (perhaps to balance out how much you want to spend on lodging), AAA has a useful site called Fuel Cost Calculator which will estimate for you the fuel costs of a particular trip. You input your starting and ending destinations plus the type of car you have and it calculates how many gallons of fuel you'll need and how much they'll cost. While it doesn't clue you in on where to find the cheaper gas, like the sites above do, it is helpful for figuring out your budget in advance. Rules of the Road Whether you plan to rent a car or will be using your own set of wheels, there are some handy dandy tricks for maximizing fuel efficiency on the road:   Pack light--heavier cars drag, and use more fuel   Avoid high speeds--use the 55 Stay Alive rule for safety and gas efficiency   Use cruise control--stable speeds mean less gas used   Avoid jackrabbit starts and stops--they tend to gobble up gas   Use over-drive gears--they'll slow you down and you'll use less gas   Keep tires full--softer tires are harder on the car, and drive-up gas use "It's good to get minor tune-ups, where you check your car's belts and hoses, every 30,000 miles and a major tune-up every 60,000 miles," says David Kelly, a mechanic at Ron's Auto Repair in Jamaica Plain, MA. Another way to save on the inevitable wear and tear on your car is to stick, if possible, to well-maintained roads and car-only lanes. That may be hard to do as Congress' $275 billion highway bill, which mandates much needed improvements on our nation's most trafficked arteries, is still caught in legislative limbo. So, finding perfectly smooth roads may be a challenge. We suggest asking locals before you head out. And the big issue, of course, what to fill your tank with. "The best thing to do to save money on the road is to use "regular" gas. "Super" doesn't actually make your car run better, unless you're driving a Ferrari, in which case you probably won't be worried about the high price of gas," says Kelly. Little things add up on road trips Shopping at local grocery stores and packing your meals is a good way to save money (and time) when you consider the inflated fast-food prices at highway rest stops. Or, if you have to stop for a bite mid-drive, truck plazas are sure bets for decently priced meals. Many also offer cheap Internet access, if you can't live without checking your email. For a list of more authentic, and often inexpensive local restaurants, surf over to Roadfood, a highly useful site detailing local eats around the country. The early bird catches the discount Planning ahead and making reservations may be your best strategy for avoiding inflated summer rates on two important elements of your trip: hotels and (possibly) car rentals. Many spring rates are still in effect right now for bookings through summer, but prices are expected to rise this year as we get closer to summer. Analysts are predicting a very busy summer travel season and, as with all things in travel, prices are tied to availability. "If you wait until June, you may have a hard time getting a minivan or SUV," warns Ted Deutsch, a spokesman for the Cendant Car Rental Group, which owns Budget and Avis, agencies that just increased its prices by $5 for summer rentals beginning Jul. 1. This rate increase will bring prices back up to where they were last summer, and is part of the "seasonal cycle," says Deutsch. (While Avis' and Budget's rates will remain lower through June, a similar rate hike last summer had a domino effect with competitors, with everyone hopping on the increase bandwagon.) Good planning also comes in the form of knowing where you're going, what you're doing, and doing your best at mapping out routes ahead of time. With a little advance research, you can find not only the fastest and most direct routes to your destination, but today's mapping software and resources can actually clue you in to where to expect, and avoid, construction delays. As the old expression goes, time is money, and who wants to sit in a hot car for hours? Also, setting out at off-peak times--i.e. no Friday afternoon departures, you're guaranteed to make better time. The upshot is that you'll spend less time in your time in the car, and actually enjoying your hard-earned vacation. "Alternative" ways to save It's true that the vast majority of Americans own their own cars, and that car rental agencies see most of their activity at their airport counters. But if you are planning to rent, it makes sense to consider renting a hybrid vehicle. While most major car rental agencies have yet to get on board the hybrid train and fill their lots with super-efficient Toyota Priuses (that get 50 miles to the gallon/600 to the tank), there are a few companies, like EV, the country's only environmental rental car company, that are making in-roads in weening the nation of its dependency on oil. EV, which only offers electric, natural gas or hybrid vehicles for rent, operates mainly in California but is branching out rapidly. EV average daily rental is $35, so what you might spend at EV, you most certainly save on gas. To rent with EV, call: 877-EV-RENTAL. Flying vs. driving With gas prices sky-rocketing, will it be cheaper to skip the road and simply fly to your destination this summer? In most cases, the answer is no. We picked a sample roundtrip going from New York City to West Palm Beach, FL and back (2,460 miles in all), and priced both the airfares and the fueling up costs. For mid-July, the lowest round-trip fare we could find $205 on AirTran. OK, not bad. When we looked at gas prices alone, the equation got very interesting. We discovered it would cost approximately $185 in gas assuming the average car on the roads gets about 24 miles to the gallon, with fuel at its current average of $1.84. So, if two people were sharing the trip, they'd save about $225. The difference is far less in a gas-guzzling SUV, of course, or for solo travelers. And the equation gets even more skewed when we consider cross-country travel. Thanks to a raft of near-continuous sales, it's become commonplace to fly coast to coast for approximately $200 plus tax. On such routes, flying clearly beats driving. But for the quintessential family road trip, driving remains the money saver. And hopefully with the tips in this article, you'll still be able to make that classic family vacation this year.

It's a piece of cake," said Grand Canyon National Park Ranger Pam Cox. Her face a giant smile, she was making a gung-ho try at bolstering our courage for the rigorous 9.6-mile hike we faced the next morning. Having descended to famed Phantom Ranch at the very bottom of the Arizona canyon the day before - the first leg of a three-day, five-star adventure on a tightwad's budget - we now had to climb back out again. The South Rim, our goal, towered high above. Way way above. Maybe for her it's no big deal, I thought. She's done it dozens of times. But what about all of us first-timers? Entering the canyon, we had taken the shorter (7.2-mile) but much steeper South Kaibab Trail, and my upper thighs still screamed in pain from the experience. Outbound, we planned to climb Bright Angel Trail, more than two miles longer but reputedly less demanding. Still, I was more than a little worried about whether my legs and lungs were up to the task, and I suspect so were many other hikers gathered for Cox's after-dinner chat under the stars. In the quiet, we could hear the mighty Colorado River spilling over the rapids just down the path. Obviously I made it to the top, or I wouldn't have written this story. And, no, it wasn't really a piece of cake; Cox (as we all suspected) had exaggerated. Though the trail begins with an easy and spectacularly scenic mile-long hike along the Colorado, the real ascent turned out to be a slow, sweaty, 6 1/2-hour slog (with half a dozen time-outs to recoup our strength). But despite causing aching muscles, the climb also proved to be an ego-boosting climax to an adventure of a lifetime, played out to one of the most beautiful backdrops in America. The descent to Phantom Ranch (or to Bright Angel campground) For anyone who relishes outdoor challenges, no self-guided adventure anywhere rates as more rewarding - or cheaper-than a rim-to-river (and back) hike in the Grand Canyon. Just think how many friends you can amaze by telling them: "I hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon." In her pep talk, Cox pointed out that five million people visit the Grand Canyon annually. But fewer than one percent ever get to the bottom, a mile below the rim, where the views - up close and intimate - appear even more awesome. This near wilderness can be reached only by raft, mule, or afoot. Raft and mule trips (I've done both) cost hundreds of dollars; hiking sets you back next to nothing. Better yet, going on foot turned out to be more satisfying because I did it on my own power. We hikers sort of turn up our noses at the mule-back softies. From the moment I stepped over the rim, the South Kaibab Trail treated me to nonstop views of multicolored rocks in fantastical shapes: soaring pinnacles, flat-topped buttes, sawtooth ridges, and sheer cliff walls. Though no geologist, even I could spot the dramatic change in rock formations as I descended deeper into the chasm. Far below, the racing Colorado, a vivid green, marked the day's goal. Though distracted by grand vistas, I watched where I walked. The trail clings to the edge of precipitous drop-offs as it zigzags in countless switchbacks down the face of a canyon wall. A stumble could be disastrous. Part of the fun of this trip is staying at Phantom Ranch, an oasis in the arid canyon depths. A historic national park lodge built in the 1920s, it stands in a shady cottonwood grove alongside Bright Angel Creek, a tumbling Colorado tributary. With Jack Hawes, an old college buddy from California, I planned two nights there, giving us a day to relax between the hike in and out. So how did we relax? We hiked the gentle trail that winds through the narrow, steep-walled gorge traced by Bright Angel Creek. At age 65, we both keep fit - I run five miles almost daily; he's a demon on an exercise bicycle - but we weren't taking chances. Canyon costs The hike itself costs nothing, and guidance and commentary from the National Park Rangers is of course similarly free. This, combined with the cheap rates at Phantom Ranch, makes this adventure affordable for almost anyone in decent shape. A friendly, low-key retreat, the lodge accommodates a maximum of 88 people-either in small stone-and-log cabins (48 guests) or in four ten-bunk dormitories (40 guests) - two dorms each for males and females. The cabins rent for $71 a night for two people, not a bad price considering their unique setting. But folks on the mule trips get most of them. The dorms, where we stowed our packs, are reserved for hikers. The $25.50-per-person rate includes bed linens and a towel. Each dorm boasts a hot shower, sink, and toilet. Not cheap enough? If you're willing to rough it, Bright Angel Campground (928/638-7875), adjacent to the ranch, caters to serious hikers able to tote tent, sleeping bag, food, and cooking gear. That's in addition to drinking water, energy bars and other trail snacks, toiletries, and extra clothing we dorm-bound hikers carried. The campground offers 33 sites, available to a maximum of 90 campers a night. The cost is $5 per person a night, plus a $10 permit for each site. To save money, pack food. We took the easier option and ate the ranch's group meals dished up at tables for 12. The dinner menu is limited to the same two choices. The steak dinner, served nightly at 5 p.m., is $27.75 per person; mule trippers get first choice. We tucked into the hiker's hearty stew, served at 6:30 p.m. and priced at a more modest $17.25, including green salad, corn bread, and chocolate cake. A breakfast of sausage, eggs, and pancakes is $14.50, and a bag lunch, full of high-energy snacks, $7.50. At the above prices for room and board, our two-night, three-day adventure totaled just $118 per person, not including modest taxes and a $3 Tecate beer at dinner. Entertainment was Cox's informative wildlife talks. One night, she described efforts to preserve the park's bat population; the next, we learned about the apparently successful effort to re-introduce California condors. On the trail Prehistoric peoples began carving the gentler Bright Angel Trail into the canyon walls. In the early 1900s, an entrepreneur claimed rights to it, charging a fee for its use. The National Park Service, ultimately successful in disputing the claim, built the South Kaibab Trail in 1925 to provide free public access into the canyon. Much of the route had to be blasted out of solid rock. On a sunny November morning, the temperature at the South Rim trail head (elevation 7,000 feet) was an invigorating 59 degrees F. Both of us wore shorts, light shirt, and wide-brimmed hat; jackets (in case of snow) stayed in our packs. In switchbacks below, we could see the early birds ahead of us. Soon enough, I realized the Kaibab was going to be a test. Full of rocks and staircase steep, it forced us to pick our way slowly. As we dropped steadily, the temperature grew warmer. Ahead, Phantom Ranch at 2,400 feet promised a balmy 77 degrees. Summer is the busiest hiking season, but Phantom temperatures can reach a scorching 110°, and heat exhaustion is a danger on the trail. Hiking weather is best in spring and fall. In winter, snow and ice are always possible at upper elevations. We carried strap-on cleats for our boots in case a surprise November storm hit. Fifty minutes into our descent, we encountered a mule train packing out some of Phantom's previous night's guests. Joked one young woman, "Next time, I'm hiking with you." In two hours, we caught our first distant glimpse of the Colorado. Near here, the trail edges briefly across a slender ridge, presenting dizzying drop-offs on either side. After four hours we reached the Colorado, crossing over a high suspension bridge to the ranch. Three rafts, docked briefly at Phantom's sandy beach, pushed off into the rapids and disappeared around a bend. At the Phantom's canteen, we downed a glass of cold lemonade, dropped packs in the bunkhouse and headed for the river to soak hot, tired feet. Already the setting sun cast curious shadows on the rock walls. As I watched, I reveled in our feat. We'd made it to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, weary but bedazzled by the views. Later, I'd worry about climbing back out. Now I was content. Getting ready Phoenix, the closest major airport to the Grand Canyon, is served by Southwest, America's largest budget airline. Distance from the airport to the South Rim is about 220 miles via I-17 north to Flagstaff and U.S. 180 on to the park. A check of the Internet shows Dollar (dollar.com, 800/800-3665) offering a weekly rate this summer of $144 for an economy car. Next lowest is Thrifty (thrifty.com, 800/847-4389) at $149. Grand Canyon National Park entrance fee is $20 per car, good for seven days. Plan on spending the night before and after your hike on the South Rim. Cabins for two begin at about $65 at Maswik and Bright Angel Lodges. The cafeteria at Maswik provides inexpensive meals. All South Rim and Phantom Ranch lodging reservations can be made through AmFac (303/297-2757, grandcanyonlodges.com). For peak-season summer hikes only, you may have to book Phantom Ranch bunk space 23 months in advance. An adventure like this is worth the wait. Grand Canyon information: 928/638-7888.