REAL DEALS
Seattle Air/Hotel, From $340
This bargain three-night getaway checks you in to a stylish hotel at Pike Place Market. So what if it's a little rainy?
Alternatively, Auto Driveaway uses drivers to deliver vehicles but is really meant for long-distance trips. You need to be at least 23 years old with a clean driving record. (They'll check before pairing you with a car that needs to be transported.) The company covers the first tank of gas; a $350 deposit is refunded upon delivery of the car. Since your trip is only about 500 miles, the best the San Diego branch could offer was two to three days (619/337-3600). It's not quite the road trip you imagined, but it would basically be a free car rental.
Good luck! —Amy Chen
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Livingston, Tex.: We are taking a cruise from Dover on July 13, 2008 and are spending a few days in London prior to the trip. What is the best way to get from London to Dover? Could a one-way car rental be a better way to go? Also, we are debarking the ship in Dover and will fly home from Amsterdam after spending a few days there. What is the best way to get to Amsterdam from Dover with perhaps a stop in Brussels? We like the idea of train travel but when I look at a timetable I'm having a hard time finding a Dover-Brussels-Amsterdam itinerary. Please help!
Thank you,
Linda
Budget Travel editors: Off the bat, I think your best options are to take a train from London to Dover (depart London's Charing Cross station). You can find schedules and details online. The trip's only about an hour and forty minutes. I'd buy a round trip London-Dover ticket, because the fastest and cheapest way to get to Amsterdam is via a low-cost airline flying out of London. You can research and book low-cost carrier fares online at Kayak.com. Bon voyage! —Laura MacNeil
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Pottstown, Pa.: Where is the best place to convert US $ to Euros? A bank? ATM in Europe?
Budget Travel editors: ATMs are the way to go. Your bank will charge either a flat fee (usually between $2-$5) and/or a foreign transaction fee (1 to 3 percent). There may be an extra few bucks to pay in ATM charges, but all of this is still a better deal than the high commission you'd pay at a bank to exchange money. Before leaving for your trip, make sure you get your bank's policies on international withdrawals and ensure your card will work (some countries have extra digits in their pin codes, which can be problematic). You'll also want to ask about using your debit card as a credit card overseas, an option that may turn out to be cheaper. Finally, it's a good idea to alert your bank to the fact that you'll be traveling so the card won't be flagged for suspicious activity. —Naomi Lindt
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Pinehurst, N.C.: What are some reliable travel websites for handicapped travelers, especially those who wheelchair bound or use supplemental oxygen?
Budget Travel editors: I reached out to Laurel Van Horn, the research director of Open Doors Organization, a Chicago-based nonprofit that studies travel by people with disabilities.