ROAD TRIPS
Drive, They Said
Anticipating that the post-9/11 trend toward road trips would do
nothing but grow, three Web sites have tailored special sections to
help motorists plan where to go, how to get there, what to see and
where to stay.
• Launched last week: a new feature at SeeAmerica.org called
Byways. Click on a state you want to visit, narrow it down with another
click and up pop maps, advice on what to see and do
and links to state tourism sites. Byways, created by the Travel
Industry Association and the U.S. Department of Transportation, includes
20 All American Roads and 75 National Scenic Byways.
• If you have no idea where to go but know how far you're willing to
drive, try a special feature at PlacesToStay.com. Click on
Vacation Ideas, then Quick Getaways, then the place you're leaving from.
The program will draw bull's-eye circles on a map showing you what's
within 50, 100, 150 and 200 miles. Choose a destination and
peruse local attractions and places to stay and eat.
• Twenty-six driving trips outlined by AAA are available, for
members only, at www.aaa.com. Click on Travel, then Drive Trips.
You can buy a package of hotels for the trip or just use AAA's itineraries
as planning tools. Some trips assume you will first fly to a region
to begin your drive.
TRAVEL TECH
Newspaper Fix
CoGo reported in March on a new service that allows travelers to print
out same-day versions of their favorite newspapers from kiosks in
hotels and airports in more than 100 countries. The service, PEPC
Worldwide, has competition. Another upstart called
NewspaperDirect also supplies same-day editions of more than 170
newspapers around the world, though they keep the kiosks out of sight.
Participating hotels, airlines and newsstands print out the newspapers on
their premises and then deliver them to your hotel room,
vacation house or cabin (cruise lines like Carnival and Holland
America receive the latest editions via satellite).
For about $3 to $5, NewspaperDirect provides a high-resolution,
black-and-white printout on 12-by-16-inch paper that faithfully
reproduces the edition you'd buy at home. A recent NewspaperDirect
version of The Post, for example, contained all the stories appearing in
that day's standard print edition and local ads and movie listings that
remind you of home. The individual publishers, however, decide what
content to include, and thus classified sections, Sunday magazines and
special supplements are sometimes missing.
The service is also available at several D.C. hotels and
newsstands.
Info: http://www.newspaperdirect.com/.
TRAVEL TICKER
Singapore is again safe to visit, the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control said last week. In other SARS-related news, the United States
approved the use of force to quarantine passengers from SARS-affected
countries who show symptoms of the respiratory disease . . . United
Airlines passengers at Reagan National Airport can now check in and
obtain boarding passes curbside. The service comes to BWI next month (it's
already available at Dulles). And by the end of June, all domestic
passengers not checking baggage will be able to check in online. Register
at www.united.com . . . Choosing an amusement park to
visit? The June issue of Consumer Reports has tips and ratings for wait
times, best rollercoasters, etc. . . . Passengers with disabilities
can get free information about traveling by air at 800-444-0120, http://www.unitedspinal.org/.
BARGAIN OF THE WEEK
Cruise for Two
Two cruise for the price of one on select Caribbean sailings of
the luxury Radisson Diamond. For details on this and other bargains, check
out our expanded What's the Deal? column on Page P3.
Reporting: Cindy Loose.
Help feed CoGo. Send travel news, road reports and juicy
tattles to: cogo@washpost.com. By fax: 202-912-3609. By mail: CoGo,
Washington Post Travel Section, 110 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C.
20071.