Vacation Rental Information

Lampedusa?s novel ?The Leopard? charts the decline of his noble family, and serves as a portal to an ancient island?s harsh and startling beauty.

A growing number of Barcelona restaurants called bistronomics are dedicated to offering high quality, contemporary ? and yes, occasionally clever ? cooking at reasonable prices.

Great restaurants, excellent shopping, breakthrough galleries and prestigious museums make this city of 89 distinct neighborhoods a hip destination.

From swanky Midtown to the hip Lower East Side, a guide to imbibing in (and on) the city?s rooftop hotel bars.

Guests who reserve a three-night stay at hotels in the nation?s capital can receive a 30 percent discount.

With a rich architectural legacy and a non-euro economy that?s easy on the dollar, Zadar may be the country?s most underrated destination.

As if flying wasn?t miserable enough, now, after being frisked at security and jockeying for overhead bin space, passengers must endure a string of in-flight advertisements.

The region?s network of hiking and biking trails is among Europe?s most pristine and untrammeled.

Maine?s crisp beaches, the art scene in the Berkshires and West Virginia?s balmy springs are but a few quick getaways for the East Coast urbanite.

The seas off of the coast of North Carolina have swallowed many a vessel ? resulting in a Xanadu for scuba divers.

The new travel book ?First Stop in the New World: Mexico City, the Capital of the 21st Century? gives a low-life tour of the city?s sex clubs as well as its food stalls.

Relying on the kindness of strangers, the Frugal Traveler hitchhikes across the Mediterranean island.

Life, beer and the ravages of time are pondered at a college reunion at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y.

European and Asian airlines have carved out ?premium economy? sections with better seats, legroom and food.

Events in Beijing, San Francisco and Philadelphia are worth getting on a plane for.

To the Editor: Regarding ?Checking Baggage? Not at These Prices? (June 15): My husband and I have traveled for two-week trips to China, Italy and India over the last three years. We have come to realize that you should take half the amount of clothing and twice the amount of money.

To the Editor: Peter Meehan had me from hello with his smart and funny culinary review of the nation?s baseball parks in his ?Buy Me Some Sushi and Baby Back Ribs? (June 8).

To the Editor: I was delighted to read in ?From Pickles to Paintings? (June 22) that the Lower East Side is seeing a resurgence of galleries, with many open on Sundays and having less high-brow attitudes than is too often the case.