10 Tips for Surviving Holiday Travel

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Follow these 10 tips, and you'll be ready to face the unpredictable challenges of traveling during the holiday season.

1. Pack for security.
Ignore the TSA's baggage rules at your peril. Not only could you lose precious time as you scramble to make your plane, but you could also be forced to pitch your favorite perfume or that expensive bottle of wine.

2. Keep your gifts unwrapped.
If you’re bringing presents, be sure to leave them unwrapped until you arrive at your destination. That’s because TSA screeners may need to inspect the contents before clearing your checked or carry-on bag.

3. Lose the pounds on your luggage.
Packing light won’t just help you avoid straining your shoulders; it’s also a good way to keep you from draining your pocketbook. Most airlines allow you to check two pieces of baggage of up to 50 pounds each.

4. Leave yourself enough time.
Be sure to build enough time into your schedule if you plan to check your luggage: Airline rules require you to complete check-in, depending on your airport, no less than 30 to 45 minutes before departure. As a general guideline, you’ll want to be at the airport at least one hour before departure for domestic flights, and at least two hours for international flights.

5. Print your boarding passes on the Web.
One good way to save time at the airport is to bypass the ticket counter entirely. Check in on the Web and you’ll be able to select or improve your seating assignment and avoid waiting in line. Even if you’re checking bags, you can still print your boarding pass online and take care of your luggage by using either an airport kiosk or curbside check-in.

6. Avoid delays.
If you’re connecting in a city that’s being socked by a snowstorm, you have more control: Call your airline and see if you can be rebooked on a different flight. Also, when you’re buying your tickets, it’s a good idea to travel early in the day. Not only are you less likely to face delays, but you’ll have more options for fixing the situation if something goes awry.

7. Stay in the know.
Don’t wait until you get to the airport to find out that your plane’s been delayed. Check your flight status on the airline’s Web site several hours before you’re scheduled to depart. Being aware of potential problems early gives you time to make alternate arrangements.

8. Scout out airport eats and diversions.
Airports make some people cranky under the best of circumstances, and I’m not just talking about the under-5 set. It’s a smart idea to check your airport’s Web site to figure out if there’s anywhere good to eat near your gate.

9. Check the weather forecast.
Even if your flight takes off without a hitch, you don’t want to be caught unaware by stormy skies later in your trip. And if you’re going somewhere unfamiliar for the holidays, it’s helpful to know whether you should pack sunglasses or a scarf.

10. Know where you're going.
Finally, don’t spend so much time worrying about getting onto your flight that you don’t think about what happens once you’re off it. If someone’s picking you up, make sure you have a plan for meeting up; if you’re renting a car, have your confirmation number handy.

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5 reasons to travel during the holidays

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Here's a holiday travel forecast you probably won't read anywhere else: look for lower prices on everything from airfares to hotel room rates, smaller crowds and a more pleasant overall experience.

1. Behold, a president bearing gifts
Regardless of who wins the presidential election in November, travelers can probably expect a change for the better. Practically speaking, it could mean lower fuel prices (after all, both candidates say they want to lessen our dependence on foreign oil) and a higher dollar (both candidates have pledged to control spending and jumpstart the economy).

2. A more civil flying experience
Air travelers are adjusting to the historic airline cuts by flying less. So it's unlikely that flights will be more crowded than ever. In fact, it's possible that more air travelers will forfeit their trip than the airlines expected, which could translate into smaller crowds at the airports and possibly even lower fares. There's some evidence this is already happening.

3. Some cruise prices are sinking
The cost of a Caribbean cruise is falling to levels not seen since 2001, according to Sharon Emerson, a Seattle travel agent and blogger. Why the slide? She speculates that there are overcapacity issues -- too many berths, not enough cruisers -- or that it's just the slow season in the islands. Either way, there are deals to be had.

4. Smaller crowds overseas too
The fall and holidays were already a great time to take an overseas vacation -- it's a slow time of year, and most of the rest of the world has never heard of Thanksgiving -- but this year it could be even better. "There will be a lot less traffic to international destinations," predicts Michael Stone, a travel consultant with Gestation, Inc., in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

5. Cheaper hotel rooms? You got it!
John Boyd, the founder of MeetingWave, an online networking service for business executives, believes hotel room availability and pricing should improve as occupancy rates slide later this year. "Both corporations and individuals are cutting back on travel," he says. "They should find better deals at domestic travel destinations such as Las Vegas, Miami and New York." But what about the holidays, when hotels are typically sold out? They'll still be full, but the chances of finding a last-minute deal through a site that sells distressed room inventory, like Hotwire.com or Priceline.com, will probably be better than it's been in years.

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Columbus Day Travel?

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Columbus Day celebrates the arrival of a great explorer, and the resulting three-day weekend encourages many to get out and do a little exploration on their own. With fall foliage ablaze, good hiking weather, and one last chance for a mini-vaca before the holidays start, who wouldn't want to? And that's the problem. Because of high demand, getaways tend to be more expensive around Columbus Day than any other fall weekend, and many of the best deals come with blackout dates.

Nevertheless, don't let the idea of a challenge dampen your prospects. While more difficult than normal, my search for deals yielded some good results in city and country destinations across the U.S. Here are a few strategies for fitting the upcoming long weekend into a $500 budget.

Online Agencies
For just about every major holiday, big online agencies compile deals and are some of the best places to start looking. For example, Orbitz has a list of low-priced flights (including taxes and fees) departing on October 10 and returning on October 13.

Expedia's promo is less extensive, but has a handful of good destinations with a 25 percent discount on air and hotel (or just hotel). Since Columbus Day is fast approaching, also check for "Last Second Deals" on lastminute.com, where you can book air-and-hotel or air-and-car packages at a discount a week or two in advance.

B&B Websites
Although city escapes are ideal for some, others want to spend Columbus Day in the woods, enjoying quintessential fall festivities like foliage viewing, or even cozying up in front of a fireplace. Not surprisingly, the best way to find affordable country escapes is to look for deals at small inns and B&Bs. BedandBreakfast.com lists a host of special promotions for fall foliage. While many black out Columbus Day, others provide decent savings.

Individual Destinations
Another good way to find Columbus Day deals is to check with individual destinations, ski resorts (which often have tremendous fall foliage), and parks and wildlife areas. This year, some of the best offers are in Ogunquit, Maine.

Share Your Plans
What are you doing for Columbus Day weekend? Taking a leaf-peeping trip? Relaxing at home? Please share your tips and experiences with other travelers by posting a comment below.

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Making Train Travel Safer?

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Amtrak passengers will have to submit to random screening of carry-on bags in a major new security push that will include officers with automatic weapons and bomb-sniffing dogs patrolling platforms and trains, the railroad announced earlier this year.

The initiative is a significant shift for Amtrak. Unlike the airlines, it has had relatively little visible increase in security since the 2001 terrorist attacks, a distinction that has enabled it to attract passengers eager to avoid airport hassles. Amtrak officials insist their new procedures won't hold up the flow of passengers.

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10 Most Beautiful Golf Courses

What makes a golf course a true classic? For some, it's the scenic beauty a course affords—jaw-dropping expanses of verdant nirvana. Others favor the strategic value presented by each hole, and for that matter, each shot. Finally, there is history: the chance to walk on the fabled fairways where champions fought, and tournaments were decided.

1. Pacific Dunes
Tom Doak was given a spectacular palette to work with at Pacific Dunes. The track is perched one hundred feet above an untrammeled Pacific coast beach, and hewn from giant sand dunes and thick fields of gorse, transplanted from Scotland. Though links-like in appearance, Pacific Dunes is much more than meets the eye.

2. Bethpage Black
One of five courses at Bethpage State Park, the Black's narrow fairways, high rough, strategically placed bunkers and small greens all combine to make it a incredibly daunting experience. "You don't have water hazards," said John Olenoski, "just really good contouring. And that's enough." Tillinghast was responsible for many fine layouts, including Winged Foot and Baltusrol.

3. Pinehurst #2
No lesser authority than Bobby Jones called the Pinehurst Resort "the St. Andrews of America," and #2 is Pinehurst's crowning glory. The sand hills area of North Carolina purportedly reminded Donald Ross of his Scottish home. Though he would design over four hundred courses in his lifetime, Pinehurst was his first love.

4. Pebble Beach
Thanks to years of televised final round coverage of the AT&T Pro-Am and a smattering of U.S. Open Championships - not to mention countless coffee table tomes - the links of Pebble Beach are indelibly stamped on the collective golf consciousness. "Not all eighteen holes are truly great," said Damian Pascuzzo, "but the stretch from four through ten and then sixteen through eighteen are amazing. One seldom gets a chance to play golf in that kind of setting."

5. TPC Sawgrass
One of Pete and Alice Dye's most recognizable designs, TPC Sawgrass near Jacksonville, Florida was the first course built to accommodate spectators. "You think of Sawgrass, you think of the seventeenth (island) hole," said John Olenoski. "Everyone wants a shot at it." "TPC is of great architectural significance," added Damian Pascuzzo. "It's a very man-made environment, and started a whole new design trend."

6. Harbour Town
Another Pete Dye Classic, Harbour Town is the course that made Hilton Head Island a golf mecca. "Mr. Dye took a flat site and made a course that is full of interest, by leaving great old live oaks in strategic spots, by creating interesting bunkers and hazard edges, and by giving the course a set of tiny greens that demand precise iron play," said Tom Doak. "Harbour Town proved that resort golfers prefer interesting features to long and challenging courses ... a lesson that I took to heart."

7. Whistling Straits (Straits Course)
Step to the tee at the Straits course and you may think that you've arrived at a storied links course on the west coast of Ireland. Unfolding along the shores of Lake Michigan in Kohler, Wisconsin, Pete's Dye's Whistling Straits is a truly "dyeabolical" layout, with upwards of five hundred bunkers. It's become an instant classic, having already hosted the 2004 PGA Championship, and is slated to host the U.S. Senior Open in 2007.

8. Broadmoor (East)
The opulent Broadmoor Resort rests at the base of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado Springs, and is celebrated for its three tracks - especially the East course, designed by Donald Ross in 1918. "Broadmoor East offers sweeping views of the Rockies," said John Fought. "It's a treat to play with its mix of holes, and will be even better when it is restored to its original Donald Ross vintage."

9. Wildhorse
Situated in Nebraska's Sand Hills region, Wildhorse mirrors the wild, dune-ridden links land of the Scottish coast - without the ocean. "Wildhorse rivals the quality of the courses at Bandon Dunes, though on a somewhat smaller scale," said Bill Coore. "It's a pure dunes land experience."

10. Black Mesa Golf Club
Black Mesa rests on a rugged piece of land north of Santa Fe. "Black Mesa features the kind of scenery you might find in an old western movie," said Tom Doak. "It's a difficult test of golf for good players, but everyone will enjoy the fact that they've kept it affordable and accessible. I think it's the best course in New Mexico."

Get free gift cards to the following golf resorts:

Broadmore in Colorado

Sea Island in Georgia

Kohler in Wisconsin

Doral in Florida

Kiawah Island in South Carolina

Pebble Beach in California

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10 best hotels in the United States

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1. The Peninsula, Chicago
A sophisticated 339-room luxury hotel overlooking North Michigan Avenue in the heart of the premier shopping district. State-of-the-art guest accommodations, plus elaborate and recently renovated rooftop spa and fitness club with an 83-foot indoor pool and outdoor sun deck.

2. The Peninsula, Beverly Hills
A 193-room residential-style hotel near Rodeo Drive and Century City. Newly renovated rooftop cabana-lined pool and lavish health/fitness spa, plus elegant Belvedere restaurant.

3. St. Regis, New York
Sumptuously restored 229-room Beaux-Arts landmark hotel in the Midtown Fifth Avenue shopping district. Dining options include Adour restaurant by legendary three-star chef Alain Ducasse. Fitness/spa facilities.

4. The Four Seasons, Chicago
Impeccably serviced 343-room world-class hotel occupying the middle floors of a downtown tower complex incorporating upscale Michigan Avenue shops. Gourmet Seasons restaurant, plus luxurious spa and health/fitness club with a 50-foot indoor skylighted pool.

5. The Four Seasons, New York
Stunning I.M. Pei-designed 52-story 368- room modern hotel between Madison and Park avenues. Fine French/Asian fusion restaurant under the direction of celebrity chef Jo묠Robuchon, plus health spa/fitness center.

6. Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco
Sophisticated 336-room hotel in an elegant neoclassical structure on Nob Hill. Health spa and fitness center with indoor pool, plus signature New French/Japanese dining room that ranks among the city's best.

7. Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles
Captivating 91-room Mission-style urban oasis secluded amid a tranquil 12-acre garden in the foothills of Bel-Air near Beverly Hills. Fitness center, in-room spa services, and heated outdoor pool, plus romantic restaurant.

8. The Lowell, New York City
Refined 70-room hotel (mostly suites) set along an elegant tree-lined street between Madison and Park avenues, close to many of the city's most notable museums, galleries, and shops. Supremely comfortable accommodations (many with fireplaces, some with terraces), a residential atmosphere, attentive service, and an ideal location.

9. Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco
Distinguished 158-room luxury hotel affording spectacular bay views from the top floors of a high-rise near some of the city's best shops and galleries.

10. The Peninsula, New York
Classically styled 239-room Midtown hotel near Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall in the heart of the Fifth Avenue shopping district. New panoramic Salon de Ning restaurant and lounge. Fabulous glass-enclosed rooftop spa/health club with indoor pool. Note: The spa is under renovation and is expected to reopen in October 2008.

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Top 10 Train Trips

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This list of top train trips around the globe will put you on the fast track to an “I-think-I-can” rail trip that we assure you not only can embark on, but absolutely should.

1. The Bergen Line
Northern Europe's highest railway, it passes through scenic fjord inlets, and past snow-capped mountains and glaciers, on a 300-plus mile journey between the culturally-rich city of Bergen in western Norway and its capital at Oslo.

2. The Blue Train
This veritable five-star hotel on wheels offers refined features and operates a handful of itineraries from Pretoria of which our favorite is the one-night excursion to Cape Town, stopping at an old diamond rush mining town along the way.

3. Denali Star Train
Passengers can chug along on a memorable 365-mile route of scenic unspoiled backcountry between Anchorage and Fairbanks, catching glimpses of towering Mt. McKinley and wildlife, from eagles soaring overhead to moose grazing in the distance.

4. Eastern & Oriental Express
The classy Eastern & Oriental Express offers several itineraries to major Southeast Asian cities in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Laos. Our favorite is the three-night journey between elegant Singapore and the bright lights of Bangkok.

5. The Ghan
Travel from the wine capital of historic Adelaide, brushing north past red sandstone cliffs, gorges, waterholes, and rock formations, keeping watch for wild camels, dingoes, brumbies and kangaroos along the way.

6. The Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express
Glides from Moscow, through the surprisingly beautiful Siberian tundra, to Vladivostok in 14 days. Passengers soak up benefits such as plasma screen TV’s and DVD/CD players; en suite bathrooms with power showers and underfloor heating; and dining delicacies.

7. Hiram Bingham Train
This luxury rail ushers travelers to and from the steps of the sacred site from Cusco six days a week, in sheer class – and in just 3.5 hours. Uncover stunning vistas of the surrounding landscape as you glide along through the lush Sacred Valley.

8. Napa Valley Wine Train
Savor a gourmet lunch in one of its lavishly restored 1915-1917 Pullman dining cars before hotfooting it to the wine-tasting car, where a choice of 100 wines compensates for the fact that you can’t disembark at the wineries you fancy along the route.

9. TER Méditerranée
Straddles the French Riviera coastline as it rolls from the port city of Marseille (accessible from Paris in just 3 hours by TGV train) to Ventimiglia, Italy, stopping at the Riviera capital of Nice, the resort towns of Antibes and St. Raphael, film-famous Cannes, and high-rolling Monte Carlo along the way.

10. Tokaido Shinkansen
Reduces the 320 miles between the bustling urban metropolis of Tokyo and temple and shrine-speckled Kyoto to a mere 131-minute journey, traveling at speeds of an astonishing 168 miles per hour (and accelerating to 186mph just beyond Kyoto). On a clear day, you’ll catch glimpses of majestic Mt. Fuji as you zip by the mix of urban and bucolic landscapes.

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