May | June 2006 Volume 80 Issue 3 |
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Travel Tips & Trends Road trip ideas Consider a different sort of road trip this year. AAA/CAA Exclusive Getaways from ATI provide a wide selection of destinations that showcase some of the best of America. These brief vacations are focused around our great cities and the diversity of culture and accomplishment they display. Your choice of hotels and attractions or sightseeing allows you to experience the museums, excursions and entertainment of interest to you at a price your budget will like. The “Windy City Getaway” to Chicago includes a City Pass, allowing you to visit your choice of several famous attractions with just one ticket. You'll see Chicago from the sky to the sea at the Adler Planetarium and the Shedd Aquarium. The great Museum of Science & Industry, the Field Museum and the Art Institute are also available to you. At many locations, City Pass holders bypass the entrance lines, so you won't spend your vacation time waiting in lines. Music fans may enjoy New York's “Soul In The City Getaway” that includes attending a Sunday gospel choir service in Harlem, or participate in the rebirth of New Orleans through the “All That Jazz Getaway.” Combine the excitement of Las Vegas with the grandeur of the Grand Canyon with the “Strip to the Rim Getaway.” An up-close and personal visit to Boston through the “Colonial Beginnings Getaway” vividly brings home America 's past. The JFK presidential library and a walk on The Freedom Trail, where the struggle for independence began, showcase the great contributions of this patriotic city. Getaway packages are available to many other cities around the nation.
Where are you thinking of going? Each month thousands of AAA members visit the AAA Colorado website, www.aaa.com, to route and map travel, and search for hotel rooms, car rentals and flights. Here are the top five destinations researched in March:
1. Denver Bolder Boulder Race third largest in country The Celestial Seasonings Bolder Boulder 10K Road Run, which attracts nearly 50,000 participants, is the third largest road race in the United States and ninth largest in the world. Runners come from around the globe to Boulder and there is prize money for teams, individuals and wheelchair athletes. Total purse value is more than $160,000. The Memorial Day event is celebrating its 28th year in 2006. It is as big a draw for spectators as for runners—an estimated 20,000 fans line the course, while more than 75,000 flow through the stadium to watch the activities and professional team races. “This may simply be the best mass participation race in the United States,” says Runners World magazine. For more information, call 303-444-RACE or click on www.bolderboulder.com.
With a little preparation, flying alone to meet a family friend or relative can be a thrilling and educational experience for children. It's also a lot safer than some parents think. Airline rules vary, but generally a child must be at least five years old to take a direct flight alone, and eight to take a connecting flight. It's important to remember that your child will never really be alone. Cabin crew will keep an eye on him or her inflight, and children ages 8–11 who need to meet a connecting flight will be escorted there by airline personnel. At check-in you will fill out an “unaccompanied minor” form, naming the person who has your permission to pick up your child at the final destination. This person will have his or her ID checked by airline staff before the child is handed over. If there is an unforeseen delay or rerouting, child travelers will never be abandoned by the airline in a strange airport. The airline will take responsibility for escorting them to another plane, or arranging safe accommodation if necessary—and you will be contacted. To avoid the possibility of overnight delays, airlines typically do not allow an unaccompanied child to travel on the last flight of the day. Make sure you talk beforehand about the experience of flying. Tell your child that the plane will sometimes make noises, such as when landing gear goes up and down; that the flaps on the wing open and close; and that sometimes the trip will feel bumpy. These things can be terrifying to a child who is not aware that it is normal. As a courtesy to other passengers and air crew, don't forget to talk about behavior during the flight—staying seated, being quiet and not playing with the seat recline or kicking the seats in front. If you know your child is likely to misbehave if not constantly supervised, reconsider the idea of a solo trip. Finally, make sure your young traveler has plenty of snacks, a favorite book, toy or quiet game, a small amount of cash and a calling card and phone numbers in case they are needed. With these things taken care of, a child's first solo flight will be a lot less traumatic for the ones who worry most about it—the parents!
Every year, AAA takes a comprehensive look at more than 200 vehicles and then judges them according to many criteria, including ride, performance, braking, handling, passenger and cargo space, value and fuel economy. AAA has now selected its top cars for 2006 in 13 categories, including “Cool Car” of the year. To read the full reviews for each of the vehicles selected, visit the “On the Road” section of www.aaa.com/publicaffairs. To help consumers narrow their automotive search, AAA has created AAA Automaker, an exclusive application that allows users to research hundreds of vehicles with a few clicks, compare vehicles side-by-side, build their own vehicles and save their research. Using the most comprehensive vehicle data, AAA Automaker helps users make an educated decision about the best vehicle for their lifestyle and budget. To find Automaker go to www.aaa/com and click on Automotive.
Category Car EPA Miles Per Gallon* Under $15,000 Mazda 3 25/35 $15,000 – $20,000 Honda Accord Sedan 26/34 $20,000 – $25,000 Dodge Charger 19/27 $25,000 – $30,000 Toyota Avalon 22/31 $30,000 – $35,000 BMW 3 Series 20/30 $35,000 – $40,000 Volvo S80 21/30 $40,000 – $50,000 Infiniti M35/M45 17/25 $50,000 + Jaguar XJ8L 18/27 SUV under $30,000 Ford Escape Hybrid 33/29 SUV $30,000 + Mercedes-Benz M-Class 16/20 Minivan Honda Odyssey 18/28 Pickup Truck Honda Ridgeline 16/21 “Cool Car” Chevrolet Corvette Z06 16/26 *Actual mileage may vary based on individual driving habits and road conditions. Best of both worlds — Rail ‘n Drive in Europe Europe's trains can't be beat for convenience, ease and speed. But sometimes you need a car to see the countryside, mountains, vineyards and other out-of-the-way places. The Rail ‘n Drive pass gives visitors the best of both with several days each of rail and rental car. More days of either or both can be added, but they must be booked in the United States before departing for Europe . To make it even easier to switch between trains and cars, many rail stations have car rental counters at or near the station. Rail ‘n Drive passes are available for Britain , France , Germany , Italy , Spain , Denmark , Finland , Norway , and Sweden . In addition, a Rail ‘n Drive pass can be combined with a Eurailpass for 17 countries or Eurail Selectpass for three, four or five bordering countries.
Colorado 's newest byway The hallmarks of a great road include spectacular scenery, great picnic spots, friendly small towns and fascinating side trip options by car, bike or foot. The Collegiate Peaks Byway, just two-and-a-half hours southwest of Denver , has all those elements and was designated an official byway by the Colorado Division of Transportation in November 2005. Located in south central Colorado , and passing through the colorful historic towns of Buena Vista and Salida, the 57-mile Collegiate Peaks Byway is flanked on the west by 15 towering 14,000-foot mountains of the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area. On the east side of the route is the Arkansas River , famous for its commercial whitewater rafting. At its midpoint, the byway passes in the shadow of Mount Antero , the highest shoulders of which are the only place in the state to find aquamarine, the alluring ice blue-green State Gemstone. “While you can easily drive the whole route in just about an hour,” said Keith Baker, chairman of the Chaffee County Visitor's Bureau, “the real beauty of the byway will be discovered by those who take time to pause to raft or fish the Arkansas, explore our uncrowded hiking and biking trails, stretch their legs and get a bite to eat in our quaint small towns, or even stop for a soak in one of our three public natural hot springs.” For those planning longer tours of Colorado , the Collegiate Peaks Byway is a natural connector to two other spectacular state byways: Top of the Rockies and West Elk Loop. A grand tour incorporating all three byways features some of the state's most exceptional scenic, historic, cultural, recreational and natural resources including other less-traveled small town treasures such as Red Cliff, Minturn, Leadville, Marble, Redstone and Gunnison-Crested Butte.
Consolidators help you save on air fares Everyone loves a bargain, especially when it comes to international airline tickets. While you may think the lowest fares are found on the internet, good travel agents have more methods available to find the lowest fares for their clients. One of these is the use of carefully selected air consolidators. What is a consolidator? It's a travel company that wholesales international airfares to travel agencies. These companies have contracts with selected airlines, which allow them to sell discounted airfares below the publicly available prices. Airlines know they won't sell every seat on the plane at their published fares, so they sell a portion of their inventory at wholesale rates in order to fill their planes. These are not charter flights. With a consolidator ticket, you fly on major airlines on the best available schedule. You'll have a confirmed seat assignment, the same as other passengers, and in most cases you can receive frequent flyer credits. In short, you'll have all the conveniences of a published-fare ticket at a significant savings. Consolidators also offer discounts up to 70% on select business class tickets. You might be surprised at how affordable it can be to upgrade to business class. Finding the best values in travel Today's traveler is subjected to a bewildering array of ads and promotions all claiming to deliver the absolute lowest prices. In the face of all these confusing claims and wild promises, here are three proven strategies to help you get the most out of your vacation dollars. • Rent a vacation cottage or apartment. This can help you save in two ways: the per-night cost of a rental is often less than many hotels, and the ability to cook your own meals and “dine in” will reduce the number of pricey meals eaten in restaurants. As an added bonus, rental properties are much roomier than hotels. Deal with a reputable firm, and know exactly where your rental is located. Apartments in high-demand cities like Rome or Paris can tend toward pricey while rural locations may entail the added expense of a rental car. • Travel during the off-season. This can offer substantial savings on airfares and hotels, and you'll wrestle with fewer crowds at popular attractions. The savings come at a price, though. The weather during the off-season typically won't be as pleasant, and it's possible that some attractions may be closed or operating on reduced schedules. • Travel on an escorted tour. The larger tour operators wield incredible buying power, negotiating better pricing which they pass along to their customers. Tour operators can also be experts on destinations and offer “insider” experiences you might be hard-pressed to duplicate on your own.
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