Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rodgers Travel
(
&
800/825-1775;
www.
rodgerstravel.com); the
African American
Association of Innkeepers Interna-
tional
(
&
877/422-5777;
www.african
americaninns.com); and
Henderson
Travel & Tours
(
&
800/327-2309
or
301/650-5700; www.hendersontravel.
com), which has specialized in trips to
Africa since 1957. For more information,
check out the following collections and
guides:
Go Girl: The Black Woman's
Guide to Travel & Adventure
(Eighth
Mountain Press), a compilation of travel
essays by writers including Jill Nelson and
Audre Lorde;
The African American
Travel Guide
by Wayne Robinson (Hunter
Publishing; www.hunterpublishing.com);
Steppin' Out
by Carla Labat (Avalon);
Travel and Enjoy Magazine
(
&
866/
266-6211;
www.travelandenjoy.com); and
Pathfinders Magazine
(
&
877/977-
PATH;
www.pathfinderstravel.com),
which includes articles on everything
from Rio de Janeiro to Ghana as well as
information on upcoming ski, diving,
golf, and tennis trips.
STUDENT TRAVEL
If you're a student traveling internation-
ally, you'd be wise to arm yourself with an
International Student Identity Card
(ISIC),
which offers substantial savings on
rail passes, plane tickets, and entrance fees.
It also provides you with basic health and
life insurance and a 24-hour help line.
The card is available from
STA Travel
(
&
800/781-4040
in North America;
www.sta.com or www.statravel.com; or
www.statravel.co.uk in the U.K.), the
biggest student travel agency in the world.
If you're no longer a student but are still
under 26, you can get an
International
Youth Travel Card (IYTC)
from the
same people, that entitles you to some
discounts (but not on museum admis-
sions).
Travel CUTS
(
&
800/667-2887
or 416/614-2887; www.travelcuts.com)
offers similar services for both Canadians
and U.S. residents. Irish students may
prefer to turn to
USIT
(
&
01/602-1600;
www.usitnow.ie), an Ireland-based spe-
cialist in student, youth, and independ-
ent travel.
8 Planning Your Trip Online
SURFING FOR AIRFARE
The most popular online travel agencies
are
Travelocity
(
www.travelocity.com
or
www.travelocity.co.uk);
Expedia
(
www.
expedia.com
, www.expedia.co.uk, or www.
expedia.ca); and
Orbitz
(www.orbitz.com).
In addition, most airlines now offer
online-only fares that even their phone
agents know nothing about.
Other helpful websites for booking air-
line tickets online include:
• www.biddingfortravel.com
• www.cheapflights.com
• www.hotwire.com
• www.kayak.com
• www.lastminutetravel.com
• www.opodo.co.uk
• www.priceline.com
• www.sidestep.com
• www.site59.com
• www.smartertravel.com
SURFING FOR HOTELS
In addition to
Travelocity, Expedia, Orb-
itz, Priceline,
and
Hotwire
(see above),
the following websites will help you with
booking hotel rooms online:
• www.hotels.com
• www.quickbook.com
• www.travelaxe.net
• www.travelweb.com
• www.tripadvisor.com
It's a good idea to
get a confirmation
number
and
make a printout
of any
online booking transaction.
Accommodations in Eastern Europe
run the gamut from opulent to awful. See
individual country chapters for specific
information.
