Travel News

Ask Peter: Egypt Travel Safety, Finding a Good Airfare & More

Locations in this article:  Honolulu, HI Madison, WI Phoenix, AZ Seattle, WA

Email from Anita: My sister and I are planning a trip to Honolulu and Waikiki Beach, and would like your advice as to which hotel to stay in. One that is reasonably priced, yet clean and quaint—at least a three-star rating, and we would also like to know if there is any site that is best to shop for hotel/flight specials and if you have any advice to share with us. This is our first trip to Hawaii and I want it to be special without breaking the bank

Peter’s Answer: When it comes to Hawaii, you are paying for any hotel on the beach and not all those beaches are great and you’re paying for it. I’m a big fan of one or two blocks away from the beach. And Kalakaua in Honolulu is a road rally out there. It’s noisy and it’s crazy, and you want to be a block or two away from there too.

If you have enough time, you want to rent a car and go over to the North Shore because that’s where you’re going to see the real Hawaii. And in Honolulu, check out the Segway tours and the glider rides from the Dillingham Airfield, which is in an abandoned Nike missile base. If you are traveling with kids, check out the Honolulu Zoo, which has a program called Zookeeper for a Day. They take the kid for the whole day and have them work with the veterinarians and the zookeepers; they have a great time..

In terms of shopping for flights, there are some secret flights to Honolulu that no one knows about. It’s on Alaska Airlines and they don’t just fly from Seattle, And Hawaiian Air even has a new nonstop from New York to Honolulu.

For more information on Hawaii travel, check out our Hawaii archives.

Email from Kevin in Madison, Wisconsin: I’m going to Sedona in December, There’s a flight available at $223, plus the $50 baggage fee, round trip. The flight is out of Milwaukee into Phoenix and back, nonstop each way. Do you think that’s a good price?

Peter’s answer: I think that’s a GREAT price. Jump on it. You’re going to Sedona at the height of the season, and it’s not an easy place to get to. These days $223 for a round trip anywhere is a good deal, especially when you’re seeing the airlines cutting back on capacity left and right. Usually I tell people to do book 45-day-in-advance for a deal. You’re about 65 days out now and if you can get that price, you jump on it.

Now that Kevin has scored a deal, he can find more information on Sedona in Affordable, Eco-Friendly Sedona.

By Peter Greenberg for Peter Greenberg.com