Readers ask about giving, taking off

A little of this, a little of that: answers to some of the questions I’ve received recently from readers.

Bon voyage: “Is there a universally appreciated gift for relatives or friends planning to travel overseas?” asks one reader.

Tickets to plays or performances at the places they plan to visit. Use the Internet to reach leading theaters in cities on their itinerary. But do so at least three weeks in advance of their departures so you can have the tickets mailed to you and can then give them to the travelers, saving them time and effort and guaranteeing their ability to obtain seats. Our daughters gave my wife and me theater tickets just before a recent trip, and the evening we later enjoyed was a highlight of the journey.

Airport advice: “We’re interested in seeing Southern California, including Disneyland, but are confused by the geography of the highways and several Los Angeles-area airports,” writes another reader.

An argument can be made that flying to or from Ontario International Airport, about 30 miles east of central Los Angeles, is usually smart. It’s served by several of the cut-rate airlines, including JetBlue, (800) 538-2583, www.jetblue.com; Southwest, (800) 435-9792, www.southwest.com; and America West, (800) 235-9292, www.americawest.com. Ontario also is right next to freeways taking you to Palm Springs (an hour away) and Anaheim (for Disneyland, about 35 minutes), and it’s only minutes from that giant mecca for discount shopping, Ontario Mills mall. The 45-minute trip to downtown Los Angeles is only marginally longer than the same drive from LAX.

No last-minute cruises: “Can you still pick up eleventh-hour cruise bargains by appearing at the pier on the day of departure with your suitcase, traveler’s checks and proof of citizenship? We’ve been told you can negotiate with the ship’s purser for still-unsold cabins,” writes another reader.

Can’t be done. Security regulations adopted after Sept. 11 require that the ship present a passenger list to the FBI two or three days before departure. Cruise lines no longer pick up last-minute passengers on the dock.

Specialized sites: “Are there Web sites for travelers with disabilities? For ascertaining other people’s reactions to particular hotels or locations? For traveling with pets?” ask several readers.

Yes to all three questions. For information on travelers with disabilities, try www.emerginghorizons.com, an online magazine. For collections of travelers’ comments on resort hotels and locations, try www.tripadvisor.com, www.virtualtourist.com or www.igougo.com. For traveling with pets, see www.petswelcome.com. For a comprehensive list of Web sites relating to 14 major categories of travel, see www.nettravel.com.

Fare sales: “Three weeks ago,” writes a reader from Tennessee, “I checked the airfares from Nashville to Denver, and there was a flight for $213 round trip. A week later I decided to book it, and the price had gone up to $375. Was I wrong to expect that the price might come down, that there might be a sale, as we approached the date of departure?”

It’s impossible to predict airfares, and with the airlines cutting capacity as sharply as they now are doing, it is possible that the number of last-minute sales might diminish. The lesson: If you see an inexpensive airfare, grab it. If you wait to book, you might lose out. On the other hand, if the airfare you’re quoted is high, it will usually pay (and can’t hurt) to wait for a possible later reduction.

Nordic countries: “Which is the least expensive of the three major Scandinavian nations?” asks a reader from New York.

Sweden, to which oil-rich Norwegians now travel to go shopping.