A Journey of One’s Own – Uncommon Advice for the Independent Woman Traveler – by Thalia Zepatos, Second Edition, The Eighth Mountain Press, 624 SE 29 Ave, Portland, OR 97214. Phone 503-233-3936; Fax 503-233-0774.
Traveling
Solo
–
Advice and Ideas for More Than 250 Great Vacations –
by Eleanor Berman, second Edition, 327 pages, $16.95.
Published by The Globe Pequot Press
Travel Alone & Love It - A Flight Attendant's Guide to Solo Travel -- by Sharon B. Wingler (E-mail: jetwriter7@aol.com). Distributed by IPG, 800-888-4741, www.ipgbook.com. $14.95. Also available in bookstores or at Amazon.com. ISBN 1-886094-35-7. Or, visit her web site at www.TravelAloneAndLoveIt.com.
SoloDining.com newsletter -- Marya Charles Alexander, Carlsbad, CA, publishes tips for solo diners. Each online issue includes articles related with dining alone, such as a list of single-friendly restaurants. Visit www.SoloDining.com.
Unbelievably
Good Deals and Great Adventures That You Absolutely Can’t Get Unless You’re
Over 50
– by Joan Rattner Heilman, 14th Edition, Contemporary Books, Inc.
Feel Nifty After 50 - Top Tips to Help Women Grow Young - by Jo Peddicord, 2nd Edition. Published by Golden Aspen Publishing (phone 800-639-9664), PO Box 370333, Denver, CO 80237-0333. 174 pages, $14.95, ISBN 0-9654434-2-6.
SeniorFaresm Bargain Report – by Jens Jurgen, special 8-page analysis and comparison chart of 7 major airlines' senior coupon booklets and other senior fares. (This report has been currently discontinued since all major US airlines stopped selling the senior coupon booklets and discontinued the 10% discount on airfares for seniors 62+ in July 2002. Most airlines match Southwest Airlines' senior fares - see below - on competing routes.)
Southwest Airlines - Southwest airlines now connects many areas of U.S. (often with connections) and has generally low fares if you do not mind stopovers or connections (and lack of meals onboard). The reason it deserves a mention here is because it offers the best flexible special fares for seniors, age 65 plus. Its senior fares are as low as infant fares, can be booked up to one hour prior to departure, and, best of all, they are fully refundable. These fares are especially good in emergency when you do not have enough time to book in advance. Unfortunately, they do not offer the same discount for a traveling companion. You may check the senior fare rates from www.southwestairlines.com, but these fares cannot be booked at their web site. Call 800-I-FLY-SWA and ask for senior fares.
Retirement on a Shoestring - by John Howells, 4th Edition, 288 pages, published by Globe Pequot. $15.95, ISBN 0-7627-1031-4. It helps seniors find the best affordable retirement locations at home or abroad. It also writes about RV or mobile home traveling, a wonderful mode of traveling.
Foiling
Pickpockets & Bag Snatchers and Other Travel Related Crimes or Scams –
by Jens Jurgen, special 24-page reprint (available for $5 for a copy or $8
for 2 copies) from its bi-monthly newsletter, Travel Companionssm,
published by Travel Companion Exchange, PO Box 833, Amityville, NY 11701.
Subscription for the newsletter is $48/yr.
The
World’s Most Dangerous Places – The hard-core adventurer’s guide to getting in, getting around
and getting out of the world’s most dangerous places – by Robert Young
Pelton and Coskun Aral, Fielding Worldwide, Inc.
U. S. State Department - Overseas Citizens Services of U.S. State Dept issues U.S. Consular Information Sheets giving lots of good information about foreign countries, such as entry requirements, medical facilities and especially on whether a country has a particular crime problem - if there is a risk of bandits or other armed robberies, etc. www.state.gov. Or call 202-647-5225 from a touch-tone phone.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - As an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, located in Atlanta (Georgia), CDC promotes health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability. For travelers it collects and publishes information on epidemics and other health cautions throughout the world. This is a must-visit site especially if you are planning to travel to underdeveloped countries or some countries where certain epidemics are prevalent. www.cdc.gov
We provide links to some travel suppliers we use to book our own travel with, and had good experiences:
[Hotels] [Car Rentals] [Rail Passes in Europe]
Priceline.com has served us very well for the last 3 years for hotels and car rentals. We do not highly recommend priceline.com for airline tickets due to harsh restrictions and uncertainties involved, unless you are totally aware of them first. Once your bid for hotel night(s) is accepted, your credit card is charged immediately - unlike when making a reservation with a hotel directly. You cannot select a specific hotel, but can only specify the area of your choice and the star rating of hotels you would like to stay.
To maximize savings and the chances of getting the best rates, you may want to read our 16-page special report on priceline before starting your bidding process. Available for $5 per copy from TCE.
We also found that the travelaxe.com searches various web sites (such as expedia, hotels.com, etc.) to compare hotel prices for many cities in the U.S. It does not search all hotel booking sites, but it is quite useful to get some idea as to the room rates in a specific city at a certain time period. However, the best results from travelaxe.com were still much higher than the low rates we have enjoyed for years from priceline.com.
Priceline and other booking sites may charge some fees.
Auto Europe is a reputable worldwide car rental firm, not only for Europe. Auto Europe works as a broker for many car rental companies, such as Hertz, Avis, EuropCar, etc. We have had only good results with Auto Europe for years. It is also a consolidator for international air tickets and some other travel services.
Priceline.com has also given us good rates for car rentals in the US & Canada. You must understand all restrictions before start bidding on priceline.com. Once your bid is accepted, your credit card is charged immediately - unlike when making a reservation with a car rental company directly. If you return the car earlier than the scheduled date or time, no refund is given for the unused time.
Rail Europe sells most rail passes for train travel in Europe. Most passes are sold only to North American residents. Passes allow the holder unlimited train trips during the designated period on most trains (some special trains may require additional fees). Passes let you hop on and off the trains without buying tickets for each ride.
Some passes have senior or youth versions, and also offer discounts for 2 or more people traveling together.
TCE's newsletter publishes the rates of all versions of European rail passes annually.
Alternative
Travel Directory –
The Complete Guide to Work, Study, Travel Overseas – by Dr. Clayton A. Hubbs, Transitions Abroad Publishing, Inc., PO Box
1300, Amherst, MA 01004-1300.
Thrifty
Traveling
–
Your Step-By-Step Guide to Bargain Travel In The U.S., Canada, And Worldwide –
by
Mary VanMeer, ThriftyTraveling.com, PO Box 8168, Clearwater, FL 34618. Phone
800-532-5731
Traveler’s Tool Kit – How To Travel Absolutely Anywhere! – by Rob Sangster, Manasha Ridge Press, PO Box 43059, Birmingham, AL 35243. 2nd Edition, 528 pages, $16.95. ISBN 0-897323-00-9.
Traveling
Europe’s Trains - by Jay Brunhouse, Pelican Publishing Co.
Travel With Others Without Wishing They'd Stayed Home - by Nadine Nardi Davidson, Prince Publishing, 11718 Barrington Ct. #514, Los Angeles, CA 90049. 245 pages, $16.95, ISBN 0-9658194-3-4. Available at bookstores or by calling 888-837-2665, or order at www.upperaccess.com/catalog.htm
Special Report on Priceline.com - by Jens Jurgen, special 16-page report on bidding strategies for Priceline's air tickets, car rentals, and hotel rooms. There are some unhappy Priceline customers who do not really understand how Priceline works. This special report, a collection of articles from Travel Companions newsletter's past issues, helps travelers understand pros and cons (benefits and compromises) of Priceline's offers; in what situations travelers should stay clear out of it; how to bid fairly successfully; etc. (Available for $5 for a copy or $8 for 2 copies), published by Travel Companion Exchange, PO Box 833, Amityville, NY 11701.) Jens appreciates other travelers' feedback on Priceline. Please email your comments on Priceline to tce@travelcompanions.com.
Daily Deals for Your City or Area - Visit www.digitalcity.com to get special fares, cyber deals and other bargains available from local airports, including weekend fare bargains and short-lived fare sales, etc.
Domestic Airfare Comparisons - Visit www.itasoftware.com to search for and compare the 'lowest' domestic airfares. It also shows some senior fares.
Useful Web Site for Real Travelers - Visit www.budgettravel.msnbc.com, edited by the world's best known travel guru, Arthur Frommer, and his daughter Pauline. It features useful daily travel news items and updates as well as a vast archive of articles on virtually every travel topic. One can also search for and order reprints of all articles that have appeared in Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel magazine over the years.
More Travel News and Tips - Visit www.frommers.com, edited by the authors and editors of the many famous Frommer travel guides.