Trip Coach: December 5, 2006

Budget Travel editors: Lucky you! Vancouver is a beautiful city. One place I would definitely recommend visiting is Stanley Park. The park is huge, and a very close walk from downtown. You can see the city of Vancouver from almost every angle on the "Seawall"--the paved path that wraps around the park. I would imagine the view is spectacular at sunset as well. The park has gardens, nighttime dancing, beaches, a pool, tennis courts, a children's farmyard, and a great aquarium. Restaurants are located in the park as well. Theatre Under the Stars has a yearly production at the park. Go here for an updated schedule. Parking is a pleasure at the park--you pay once for however long you want to stay, and you can use the same pass all day at any of the park's parking lots.
If you can't make it to Theatre Under the Stars, Vanier Park in Vancouver also features Bard on the Beach every summer. The theatre tent opens up in the back, and you are left watching the production at sunset with a beautiful view of the mountains. Tickets should be bought online in advance.
For great shopping and dining, be sure to hit up Robson Street. Enjoy your visit!

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Overland Park, KS: My parents, sister, my husband and myself are all traveling to Miami for New Years. We'll be there December 28th to the 1st. My parents are in their early 50's, my husband and I in our mid-twenties and my sister is in her early 20's. None of us are drinkers or into the party scene. We need some ideas of places to visit, things we shouldn't miss, etc!

Budget Travel editors: While there will be more than a fair share of wild late-night New Year's parties, sun-kissed Miami offers plenty else to keep you busy. We recently ran a local's take on the city's laid-back side, My Hometown: Miami. And our Miami Snap Guide is packed with tips on where to eat, shop, and sightsee, from the Miami Art Museum to the crafts market along Espanola Way.

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Anonymous: If I am making my first trip to Italy and I have only 3 weeks and want to include Venice, Florence (and some towns in Tuscany)...plus Rome and the Amalfi Coast--how should I break that down, and in what sequential order?

Budget Travel editors: How lucky to have three weeks to spend in Italy! You should have enough time to cover all the destinations on your list without running yourself ragged or over-programming each day. We suggest beginning with four days in Venice--hit the blockbuster sights like St. Mark's Square and Basilica and the island of Murano; then spend a day or two wandering the maze-like streets to see how the locals live and hop over to less-touristy islands like Giudecca and Isola San Michele, home to a stately cemetery where Ezra Pound and Igor Stravinksy lie. Make Florence your next stop. You can walk through the compact historic center in a few hours, but you'll want four days to begin to absorb the city's staggering collection of Renaissance and Medieval art (The Uffizi Galleries, David at the Accademia, the Medici Chapels, Palazzo Pitti...). Allow yourself another four or five days for exploring the countryside--choose among nearby towns such as Pisa, San Gimignano, Lucca, Greve in the Chianti region, or Siena. On your way south to Rome, you could spend a night in the lively university town of Perugia. Give yourself five days in Rome to refuel and tackle its millennia of art and history, and reward yourself with a few final days kicking back on the Amalfi Coast.
As for logistics, search sites like kayak.com or sidestep.com for multicity airfares, allowing you to arrive in Venice and then depart from Naples or Rome. You can look up train fares and schedules on the official site. And for more destination inspiration, here are a bunch of our favorite articles on Italy: Renting an Apartment in Venice; Eat Like a Local: Florence and Venice; Secret Hotels of Tuscany; Rome Snap Guide; and Secret Hotels of the Amalfi Coast. Buon viaggio!

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Nashville, TN: I'm a recent college graduate faced with only having one week a year to travel (Dec 25-Jan 1). Please help me find a great last-minute deal!

Budget Travel editors: You're right to be frustrated--that week is a tough one for bargain-hunters. If you plan to wait until Dec. 20 or so, try Site59.com, which specializes in last-minute packages (mainly in the U.S. and Latin America). Airfare to Western Europe drops in winter because of the chilly weather, but the holiday time frame means the savings won't be as great as in, say, late January or February. A quick search on sidestep.com reveals a round-trip fare between Nashville and London for $740 on American Airlines, departing on the 26th and returning on the 1st. For air/hotel packages, try tour operators such as Go-Today.com and Gate1Travel.com. A six-night package for Amsterdam and Paris with airfare from Nashville in late December starts at $1,219 at Go-Today.com, based on double occupancy.

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Seattle, WA: What's the safest way for Americans to travel to Cuba? My Canadian friends go all the time and when I was in Cancun, my hotel offered a $200 excursion to Cuba. I'm worried about US regulations--lots of my friends have gone, however, and I'd really like to know the best way to go and not get in trouble.