Happy Holidays! Thank you all for the questions you sent in this year. Looking forward to exploring travel in 2010 with you all. I am off to Dominican Republic with a multi-generational group of twelve for a week over Christmas.... look for my blog entries on the "All-Inclusive Experience" coming up in January.

Here are today's Questions & Answers...

Question: My dream honeymoon is Italy. We were planning to go right after the wedding next July but everyone tells me that Italy is too crowded then. Help?

Kerri, Toronto

July and August is European vacation time so popular places like Italy tend to be crowded and prices are high. If you can possibly delay until September (the honeymoon anyway!) it would probably be worth it.

I have heard this question before and there is actually a very cool travel guidebook out there by Craig Doyle, called Where To Go When. Each section of the book is a month. It lists the destinations in the world that are best to visit in each given month. The headings are divided into different interests such as Festivals and Culture, Luxury and romance, active adventures, etc. Each destination has a paragraph under each of the different interests with the reasons why to visit in that month. It also includes a weather watch, and some detailed itineraries in each destination. It's a great idea for people planning honeymoons who are tied to a certain date but want to enjoy the best of the best.

I have seen it on Amazon.com

Question: The prices of hotel rooms have dropped so dramatically this year. Where do you think the best hotel deals in 2010 will be?

Sean M - Calgary

Ski destinations such as Whistler, Jasper and Collingwood experienced the nation's steepest decline in room rates last Winter. This year, they say Whistler apart from over the actual Olympics still has some great deals out there for Winter 2010. In the East, due to Winter's slow start, you will see some deals out there too.

European cities such as Munich, Stockholm and Barcelona marked the greatest falls in average hotel room spend year over year by Canadian travelers in 2009. Those cities and other cities like London and Paris will continue to be more reasonable in 2010 than they have in previous years, but in terms of Europe's greatest bargain Iceland has seen hotel rooms drop by 50% and in the Middle East Dubai is poised to have its bubble burst ...I would expect hotels there will be offering some pretty good deals in 2010. Not dirt cheap, but good value vs. previous years.

The U.S. is still slow to rebound in the hotel market, New York City will continue to have deals relative to its usual high prices, but for true bargains...think Vegas.

Question: I am going to Jamaica in March and would like to bring toys down to local children. Any suggestions on how to do that?

Suzy Addison, Barrie

Definitely you don't want to show up out of the blue. You should contact the charity in advance and see what's most needed and appropriate. So,

  • Check with your resort or tour operator whether they have a relationship with a local charity.
  • Or check with a charity that you support at home and see if they have an affiliation with a charity in the area where you are travelling too.
  • A handy website- based out of UK...is www.stuffyourrucksack.com- it lists charities in various destinations around the world that are in need. When I was in Grenada in November, a colleague of mine found an orphanage through the website and I went with her to drop off toys ,school supplies and meet the kids. It really adds an amazing element to your vacation. You meet locals who are very happy to meet you! And leave something positive behind when you go home.