Know, go

January 23, 2005

Travels with Bailey sniff out hospitality that’s pet-friendly

My 3-year-old mutt, Bailey, was at a park when a pet psychic asked to give him a reading. Being a polite dog, Bailey consented. From the reading came three revelations:

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: ACCOMMODATIONS

Our reader recommendations

Each week in "Readers Recommend," the Travel section shares tips on hidden gems in the U.S. and abroad.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK

It's a snap: How to make digital cameras click for you

Is film dead? Well, perhaps not just yet, but the digital age has arrived, and it's time to embrace it.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: TRANSPORTATION

Contacts for the cruise contingent

Here is a listing of cruise lines and their vessels.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: PREPARATIONS

Lessons for the long haul

My friend Mike once shared with me this wisdom about traveling overseas: When you're done packing, take out half your clothes and put in twice as much cash.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: DESTINATIONS

Tourism offices in the States and U.S. territories

States and many U.S. territories have tourism offices to help visitors. If requesting travel literature, be as specific as possible.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: PREPARATIONS

The first book you'll want to get

If you're planning to go abroad in the next few months and you don't have a passport, here's my advice: Get it now.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: DECISIONS

Vacationers think outside the cabana

Three weeks after the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami destroyed parts of southern Asia, I-to-I, which offers service-oriented vacations and programs in more than 20 countries, fielded about 1,000 calls in its Denver office from people wanting to volunteer in the disaster-stricken areas.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: TRANSPORTATION

Airlines: Keep in touch

Following is a list of selected national and international airlines that offer flights out of major cities in the United States.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: ACCOMMODATIONS

When a hotel seems ho-hum, a few bold alternatives

Travelers with a sense of adventure — as well as those with shallow pockets — are embracing hotel alternatives as varied as castles and couches.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK

12 tips for bridging the cultural divide

A turning point in my travel life occurred Aug. 11, 1999, in the central Iranian town of Isfahan. A handful of Americans had been allowed into the country to witness the total eclipse of the sun.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK

How to get to Southland airports without a car

Frugal travelers who agonize over a $20 difference in airfares often think nothing of spending twice that to get to and from the airport.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: ACCOMMODATIONS

Connecting with hotels, motels

Major lodging companies' phone numbers and websites are listed below.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: DESTINATIONS

California tourist and visitor bureaus

This list of visitor offices was provided largely by the California Division of Tourism. It was edited for space.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: DESTINATIONS

A guide to national sites in California

Find out about scenic and historic sites as well as programs, fees and directions to California's national parks, monuments and recreation areas:

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: DELIBERATIONS

When it's time to pay, choose plastic over paper

Travelers contemplating a trip abroad probably know the bad news about the weakness of the U.S. dollar against many foreign currencies. The British pound, for which Americans paid $1.40 in 2002, now costs about $1.85, and the euro, which was even with the dollar as recently as July 2002, now costs about $1.30.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: TRANSPORTATION

Rail travel around the world continues to roll along

As has become the norm, rail travelers enter this year regretting some losses but happily anticipating some gains.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: DELIBERATIONS

Stretching the dollar across the Atlantic

Big BEN keeps telling time, the Eiffel Tower sparkles with colored lights every night, and Europe is still the most popular destination for Americans going abroad, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK

More locales ban smoking

The good news for nonsmokers: At least six states and hundreds of cities have followed California's lead and banned smoking in most public indoor areas, including restaurants and hotels.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK

As the number of fliers soars, expansion efforts are underway

You think airports are crowded now? Just wait.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: TRANSPORTATION

The $2 airfare is a foreign concept

Are you Internet-savvy, smart about geography and self-sufficient? Are you looking to go places? Oh — and are you really cheap?

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: DESTINATIONS

Foreign government tour offices

For tourist information on select foreign destinations, contact the government offices below. For a country not listed, call the United Nations at (212) 963-1234, dial 0 and ask for the country's U.N. mission or delegation.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: DECISIONS

Trips with the grandkids narrow the generation gap

Want great rates when you travel? Take Grandma or Grandpa along.

January 23, 2005

12 tips for bridging the cultural divide

Aturning point in my travel life occurred Aug. 11, 1999, in the central Iranian town of Isfahan. A handful of Americans had been allowed into the country to witness the total eclipse of the sun.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: TRANSPORTATION

Boomers, families driving RV trend

Three months ago, Monrovia residents Jim and Amy Emett bought a $142,000 Winnebago and took off for Prescott, Ariz., on a little shakedown tour. It wasn't a long trip, but they went far enough to learn a few things about their new toy.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK

The joy of living in the Travel Moment

Crunching through the brush of Zimbabwe's Zambezi National Park, I was jolted by a sound alien to my Angeleno ears — the loudness of stillness. Minus the usual din, I could pick out birdsong by the beak, rustling branches by the tree and an assortment of distant snorts whose owners were less clear. Every step I took behind a pack of elephants set off a grenade of exploding leaves and twigs in the dry bush.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: TRANSPORTATION

Selected car rental agencies here, abroad

Ace

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK

Making sure special needs are met

Susan Wheeler knows how much can go wrong if you take for granted that the travel industry understands the needs of people with disabilities.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK

Better deals using search sites?

When does a tool designed to make shopping online easier actually make it more complex? When one-stop shopping becomes "one-more-stop" shopping.

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: PREPARATIONS

Judi Dash: After trial and error, essentials for the bag

I was picnicking on an East Coast mountaintop awhile back when a passing hiker joked, "Avez-vous Grey Poupon?"

January 23, 2005

THE SOURCEBOOK: PREPARATIONS

Judi Dash: Pack it up and fly right: luggage tips for traveling by plane

Once upon a time you really could take it all with you. Airlines didn't weigh your luggage; if you could carry it, it was a carry-on.