If you think you will get to Italy once, and want to include a variety of the most popular destinations, certainly we recommend starting with Rome, Florence and Venice. With more time, add the following, in this order: (1) rural Tuscany, (2) the Amalfi Coast & Bay of Naples area, and (3) the lakes north of Milan.

It's hard to beat the combination of Rome, Florence and Venice for a first trip to Italy. They're all world-class cities, they each have a different feel, and you can tie them together by train with short travel times -- an hour and 36 minutes between Rome and Florence, and 2 hours, 48 minutes between Florence and Venice. You'll see that we offer at least 11 different packages with Rome, Florence and Venice..

For nature or eco tours go to Baracoa, Vinales, Topes de Collantes (Escambray), Granma Province (Siera Maestra Mountains) If you want to go into a resort relaxing at the beach: Varadero, Jardines del Rey (Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo), Guardalavaca. Maria La Gorda is best but there are many other diving areas around Cuba. Check the Water Sports Page

Many, but the best to enjoy life music all around Cuba are the Casa de la Trova's, located in almost every city around Cuba. In a nutshell, due to the 40-year-old embargo imposed on the government of Cuba after the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Bay of Pigs Invasion, Americans must adhere to the Trading with the Enemy Act which is overseen by the Treasury Department and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). It disallows the spending of money there so as not to support the Cuban government.

While everyone Chicago has a great variety of attractions and points of interest, and people have their own favorites, you might start out by reviewing the List of Chicago's Most Popular Attractions to get some ideas.

Our packages start at $1,445 per person in the winter season, between November 15, 2007, and the end of February, 2008. Our rates are for the land-only part of your trip. You get your own air tickets. For most of our clients, airfare adds between $500 and $1,500 per person, depending on when you travel and where you're flying from. The rates assume 2 people traveling together, double occupancy at the hotels.

Unfortunately, due to the heightened security alert, aircraft spotting at Orlando International Airport has been suspended until further notice.

For the countryside and the coast, considering both heat and crowds, our opinion is mid-May or late September. If you want to rent right in town, however, our advice is different. For Rome, Florence, or Venice, our advice as to the best time to travel is March or April (avoiding the week before and the week after Easter) or November. Alternatively, any winter month (except for Carnevale in Venice). And finally – you won’t believe this – August.

Italy has a very favorable climate compared to that of the UK with milder winters and warmer, dryer summers. We recommend visiting Tuscany, Umbria and Le Marche in May, June and July and September to October. Puglia and southern Italy has a longer season and can be visited in March/April until November. It is usually hot in August which may restrict sight seeing if you do not like the weather too hot. The temperature in Puglia in August can soar to over 40 degrees.

Some of our clients choose to drive to Italy so that they can stop in France/Germany en route. We recommend flying and have listed direct flights from the UK on our travel page. Click HEREto view the travel information.

Anytime is a good time to go to Italy. Every season offers its own charm and flavor. Some things to consider when choosing a time to travel are: The coast and countryside are best visited in mid-May or September when the heat and crowds are less. For city rentals we advice March, April or September. Another great time is August; this is because most Italians take this month off for their own vacations and leave the cities relatively empty and uncluttered.

The most popular times for weather in Italy are generally (1) from the end of March through June and (2) from September through the middle of November. In March and November, the weather can swing through a broad range of temperatures, cooler but usually not wintry. July and August will certainly be hot and humid, with temperatures in the 90's. December through February, temperatures range from the 30's to the 50's but are typically in the 40's.

This can be a long one to answer, so give us a call to discuss it. But most people will choose between three basic modes of travel...(1) trains, (2) self-drive car rentals, and (3) motorcoaches. Trains and cars are for independent travelers, who don't want to be with a group and who are willing to manage their own travel through Italy. Motorcoaches are for people who want a tour director to lead them around Italy and who are willing to travel with a group, typically of about 50 people.

This depends on where you wish to go in Italy, during which season, and what kind of hotels you want. Generally we will not undertake trips starting in less than 30 days. We can plan most trips with 60 days' lead time. But it's best to have more time, so that your options for hotels are not reduced. Most of our clients book in the window of 3 months to 6 months prior to their departure dates.

Download an application in MS Word format here, fill it out, and email or fax it back to Peaks & Places at (970) 626-5251.

This FAQ only covers the alt.binaries.sounds.mp3 hierarchy, not the entire www. Sorry. There are many search engines available to help you with your search. www.yahoo.com , www.lycos.com www.infoseek.com, www.excite.com etc.

Sport climbing opportunities are few in the southeast, but the few we have are very good. Foster Falls, Tennessee. Red River Gorge, Kentucky. New River Gorge, West Virginia.

We offer a wide variety of rivers and trip formats from which to choose. Do you want a long trip or a short one? Mild whitewater challenging rapids? Do you have a particular interest in fishing, or perhaps bird-watching? To help decide which trip is best for you start by reading the questions and answers on our help me choose a trip page. If you need more assistance review our at-a-glance river comparison chart, read more about each river and trip, and check out our schedule and price page.