No doubt there will be more fireworks over Vancouver's English Bay during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Photo: Colin Jewall, Tourism Vancouver

by Brook Wilkinson

Question from reader Larnold202:

"Regarding your annual list of terrific travel agents, I'd love to find one who can help me plan a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver for my wife's 40th birthday. Do you know of an agent who would be ideal for this?"

Our Canada expert Rebecca Falkenberry can be of assistance in obtaining both event tickets and accommodations. However, you'll have to wait a while before you can book anything. The minute that Vancouver won the right to hold the 2010 Winter Games, the International Olympic Committee froze all hotel rooms in the area. Once the committee decides how many rooms it needs for athletes, sponsors, officials, media, and the like, the rest of the available space will be released to the general public. This happens before every Olympics, and rooms are typically not released until 18 months prior to the Games. There's a good chance, however, that Rebecca's connections in Canada will allow her to reserve a few rooms before that.

Though President Bush made an official visit to Canada back in 2004, his D.U.I. (above) technically bars him from entering the country.
Photo: drunkdrivingdefense.com

by Brook Wilkinson

Ever done something really stupid, like drinking and driving? Your friends and family might have forgiven you, but Canada hasn't. As I learned from my new friends up in Montana, who live just 3 miles from the border, anyone who has been convicted of a crime isn't allowed to enter Canada. And we're not talking assault, but also D.U.I., shoplifting, possession of illegal substances, and the like. According to  Ed Perkins over at SmarterTravel.com, the law isn't new, but the border officials' ability to search U.S. records is.

If the skeletons in your closet are blocking your way into the north country, there is hope: rehab.

Approaching the Canadian border from Lewiston, New York.
Photo: lockport-ny.com

by Brook Wilkinson

Some careful readers noticed a loophole in my post about traveling without a passport. The State Department has temporarily lifted the passport requirement for travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean, as long as you show proof of a passport application. But those countries all require a birth certificate to enter their borders -- and you need to hand over your birth certificate in order to apply for a new passport (though not a renewal). So, what to do if you're flying to Vancouver next week and haven't yet gotten your new passport in the mail? I asked Richard Turen, a knowledgeable source for all kinds of travel conundrums. Richard says:

by Brook Wilkinson

I mentioned yesterday that the State Department had recently announced that Americans don't need a passport to enter Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean. Well, that's only half the story. If you don't bring a passport, you better bring a birth certificate.

U.S. officials have no problem letting you out of the country (or back in) with just a state-issued I.D. and proof that you've applied for a passport. Officials of those other countries, however, still want a certified U.S. birth certificate as well. You can read the exact documentation requirements of each country on the State Department's website.

U.S. officials did such a poor job of getting this message across that many people have been showing up at the airport in the last few days with only a driver's license and passport application, and have been turned down for flights to Quebec or Acapulco. Don't let the State Department's double-speak ruin your summer vacation.

Some people go to Montreal because it feels like Paris. Others go there in order to get to Paris.
Photo: Reimar Gaertner, World of Stock

by Brook Wilkinson

Question from reader Cadcats:

"Our son's high school graduation gift is a visit to Paris. He is over 18 and has a U.S. passport, but will be flying in and out of Montreal for a number of reasons. Will there be any complications, any troubles at the border or airport? Do the new U.S.-Canada regulations make this sort of trip more difficult?"

I didn't think there'd be any problem with this itinerary, but given all the complications of border crossings lately, I wanted to check with a Canada expert just to make sure. So I asked Mary Pyle Peters, whom Wendy and I recommend on Conde Nast Traveler's annual list of the world's best travel specialists. Here's what she said:

Not your typical cruise ship guest.
Photo: Bob Mesher/Cruise North Expeditions

by Brook Wilkinson

The cruising season in Arctic Canada is understandably short, but your window of opportunity is about to open. Expedition ship operator Cruise North runs trips from June 18 to September 1, and their first two itineraries are brand-new this year. I'm a big fan of Inuit-owned Cruise North's philosophy; they were named to Conde Nast Traveler's Green List last year for their dedication to cultural and environmental preservation. Why? They always have Inuit guides on board to give you a deeper understanding of your surroundings -- something you won't find on any other cruise line -- maintain an open bridge policy, and run an annual end-of-season clean-up cruise of an abandoned mining site.

Cruise North is introducing two new itineraries this year in Newfoundland and Labrador, and there are still cabins available on each. Their 8-night trip along Labrador's coast will be the first passenger navigation of the inside passage of Eclipse Sound. Technically, this is sub-Arctic, but if you're dead-set on crossing the Arctic Circle, check out their High Arctic departures on August 23 and September 1, when you're likely to see polar bears and the Aurora Borealis.

In September, the crowds have thinned but it's still warm enough to hit the beach or sit outside at a cafe in Gunduliceva Poljana Square in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Photo: Digital Vision, Getty Images/Conde Nast Traveler

by Brook Wilkinson

Question from reader Psbex:

"Wendy, your April 2007 Iconic Itinerary for Moscow and St. Petersburg was amazing! So well thought out and researched. I was planning to go this September, but based upon your article I will now go next April or May. I am also planning a December/January journey to Egypt. I saw that Egypt will be one of the trips you will feature in the coming months, but am concerned that if I wait to make arrangements, things will be booked since that is high season. Have you published anything similar to the Moscow/St. Pete article on Egypt that I can access now?

"In the meantime, I'm looking for a new place to go this September. What areas of the world would be perfect to visit then? We love ancient ruins, architecture, museums, prehistoric sites, etc., and one of us has heart disease, so no scuba diving or rappelling!"

Psbex, I hope you haven't booked anything for Egypt yet, because Conde Nast Traveler's editor-in-chief, Klara Glowczewska, strongly recommends traveling there in May, June, or early July in her Iconic Itinerary. Yes, it's hot, but it's also far less crowded than December.

As for where to travel in September, Wendy and I put our heads together on this one.

Conde Nast Traveler's bash last night at New York's Museum of Natural History
Photos: Patrick Butler

By Wendy Perrin

What are the world's best islands?  The Maldives.
What's the best city in Europe?  Florence.
What's the world's best resort? The Four Seasons Bali at Sayan.

We learned all this and more last night at Conde Nast Traveler's annual Readers' Choice Awards ceremony, which honors the destinations, airlines, hotels, cruise lines, et al., that the magazine's well-traveled readers have rated the world's best. The award ceremony will be televised on the Travel Channel on October 25 at 8 pm E/P, but instead of making you wait, I'll share some of my favorite moments:

The actor Liam Neeson, a dedicated flyfisherman, told this story before handing out the award for best airline:  He enjoys discovering rivers off the beaten track and was once fishing in Patagonia with a 9-year-old river guide in a remote spot so "pure" that not only had the boy never heard of Paraguay, he'd never even heard of New York.  LOVE that!  The winner of the award for best U.S. airline, by the way, was JetBlue.  Singapore Airlines beat out Cathay Pacific and Emirates for best foreign airline--which surprised nobody, since Singapore has won for 18 of the last 19 years. Everyone laughed when Singapore's head of North American operations accepted the award and said, "In the words of Madonna . . .  'lt's just like the very first time.'"

I also enjoyed when Marcia Gay Harden, who was presenting the awards for best Mexican resort (La Casa Que Canta in Zihuatanejo) and best Atlantic Ocean resort (One & Only Ocean Club in the Bahamas), recalled how she was first smitten by the travel bug: As a child, she and her 4 siblings flew to Japan. (Harden's mom deserves a red badge of courage.  Can you imagine taking 5 kids between the ages of 9 and 2 on a 15-hour flight?!)  The flight attendant gave Harden a pen and a coloring book, and she couldn't have been happier. Ever since her first moments in Japan, she said, "I've loved looking for the next best place to go."

The comedienne Sandra Bernhard, who makes no secret of her lesbian leanings, announced,  "I'm proud to be bi. . . coastal" and then handed out the award for best city in the Americas (outside the U.S.): Vancouver. The Vancouver award accepter quipped that yes, it's true, in Vancouver "you can ski and golf in the same day. . .but only if you come back early from sailing."

Ivanka Trump said that one of her most meaningful vacations was when she spent two weeks traveling in Patagonia alone and learned a lot about herself.  The cruise-line awards she handed out were perhaps the biggest upset of the evening. Crystal Cruises, which has been rated the best large-ship cruise line for the last 11 years, was edged out by Regent Seven Seas by 1/10 of a percentage point.  As for best small-ship cruise line, Sea Dream Yacht Club (click here for my recent post about it) snatched the honor away from longtime favorite Silversea.

The complete award results can be found in the November issue of Conde Nast Traveler (and at cntraveler.com starting Oct. 24).  Or you can tune in to the Travel Channel on October 25.

Natasha Richardson in the green room before presenting awards onstage at the Conde Nast Traveler 2006 Readers' Choice Awards ceremony, Oct. 16, 2006