Summer travel preview 2005

Travel Where They're Not
Destinations that are increasing in popularity but still offer some respite from the tourist hordes include Eastern Europe, Mexico and Central America, Canada, and in some cases Australia.

Europe: travel to the old standbys of London, Paris, Rome, and the like will be both expensive and crowded. You can avoid crowds and soaring prices by heading for Eastern Europe, particularly to locations that were once behind the Iron Curtain or otherwise considered dangerous.

Now is the time to visit cities like Zagreb, Prague, Warsaw, and Budapest, which in many cases will show you an older Europe where global franchises have not yet proliferated, and local custom still rules. Even European travel agents are starting to send their more discerning clients to these destinations. In Slovenia, the town of Bled rivals most Swiss and northern Italian towns as a stunning getaway. Turkey and Malta are also making it onto the lists of discount-minded travelers willing to venture a little further to find Old Europe.

Also, the alternative package tour has come of age in Europe. I'm not talking about buses packed with Americans in plaid shorts and visors, noses pressed to air-conditioned windows; rather, think about a package tour that directly addresses your hobbies or interests, such as literature, politics, art, wine, Arctic fjords, historical figures - wherever your curiosity takes you. Check out our section on Special Interest Travel for ideas and outfitters.

Canada: Vancouver is arguably a bit like Seattle in 1990; artsy, relaxed, a little scruffy, and very vibrant. Nova Scotia is the Maine of the moment; small, thin-walled B&B's, long days, cool temperatures.

Mexico and Central America: the notion of a trip to Mexico in July is intimidating - it's going to be hot, right? Not necessarily. You can beat the heat by traveling to locales at higher altitudes, where the climate can be spring-like year-round, such as the highlands north of Mexico City, where you will find many of the best attractions, including the pyramids at Teotihuacán, and the Toltec outpost of Tula.

The Guatemalan tourist board likes to call the country "the land of eternal spring," and Nicaraguan and Guatemalan natives even have an interesting name for their rainy season, which occurs from May to October. While most Northern Hemisphere residents would call this stretch "summer;" locals call it invierno, Spanish for winter.

Many Central American economies simply use the dollar as currency, so certain amenities such as car rentals may actually rival US prices. However, when a full meal costs about 68 cents in a place like El Salvador, you can splurge on the 4WD for your ride.