Europe Travel 101 -

Europe Travel with the Celebs: Berlin - Europe for Visitors Archives  You are here: About > Travel > Europe for Visitors Travel Go Europe Essentials European Vacation Planning Map Europe Travel 101 - Before you Go European Distances The Best of Europe European Photo Gallery Articles & Resources Europe Travel Planning What to do In Europe Lodging - Hotels and More European Travel Maps Sex and Nudism Travel Photography Transportation Benelux Countries France Germany Austria Switzerland Greece Italy and Malta Travel Info Scandinavian Travel Spain and Portugal United Kingdom and Ireland Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks Italy Travel Guidebooks Europe Travel Guidebooks German Travel Guidebooks Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Europe for Visitors newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Europe for Visitors December 01, 2005 Europe for Visitors Blog Archives « November 30, 2005 | Main | December 03, 2005 » From James Martin , Your Guide to Europe for Visitors . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Europe Travel with the Celebs: Berlin Yep, Berlin is one hot European destination. Hotels are popping up all over, so prices are quite reasonable for a European capital. Nazi Bunkers are being transformed into luxury penthouses . Celebrities flock: Newlyweds Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher recently tripped the light fantastic at the Ritz-Carlton ( check prices on Berlin Hotels ), according to Celebrity Romantic Travel News . What more can you wish for in a travel destination? Of course Berlin offers more than cavorting rich people. You'll find a hot nightlife, compelling cultural events, and enormous and captivating museums to name a few. Find out more in our sketch of Germany's biggest city: Berlin, Germany Travel Essentials . And if all this hotness has you gasping, Iceland Express will whisk you from Berlin to Reykjavik on the cheap: as low as 7GBP on the ever changing " Icebreaker " fare list. Of course, the airline could add up to 30 GBP (British Pounds) in "taxes and charges," which seems devious to the max. I mean, when you ask, "what are you charging?" you hardly expect the answer to be, "9, but then there are charges of up to 30, of course." C'mon... 10:33 AM # Display Latest Headlines | | | Read Archives powered by Movable Type Advertisement Most Popular Europe Map - Distances Between Cities in Western Europe Europe's Best Nudist Beaches Europe Picture Galleries Italy Pictures Europe Travel 101 - Before You Travel to Europe for the Firs... What's Hot Power Adapters Noord-Holland - Delights of North Holland Travel Visiting Pompeii Italy Guidebooks Naples - Getting There Related Topics France for Visitors Greece for Visitors United Kingdom / Ireland for Visitors Eastern Europe for Visitors Italy for Visitors        Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About New Video iPod - Review POLL: Must-Have Gadgets VIDEO: Portable Gaming VIDEO: Choosing a TV Hugh Hefner's Life What's Hot Power Adapters Noord-Holland - Delights of North Holland Travel Visiting Pompeii Italy Guidebooks Naples - Getting There Headlines Antwerp Pictures Antwerp is a fashion and diamond center for Belgium and... Like to Travel Well? Follow the CIA! I really should have paid attention when the CIA came... Tapas from Cans? Ok, so you wander into one of Barcelona's most celebrated... North Holland: Noah's Ark Redux A pious north Holland businessman took out a 300 000...

Cheap Travel

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Asia Travel Guide Countries

Asia Travel Guide : BootsnAll Travel Network Visit other BootsnAll sites: BootBlog | Bali | London | Australia | Written Road | Travel News Daily Home | Ask an Insider | Members Forum Plane Tickets | Youth Hostels | RTW Guide About Us | Advertising | Contact | RSS | Staff First Time Visitor? Home » Asia Asia Travel Guide Countries in Asia Central Asia - Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Tajikistan , ... more Indian Subcontinent - Bangladesh , Bhutan , India , ... more NE Asia - China , Japan , Mongolia , ... more SE Asia - Brunei , Cambodia , East Timor , ... more BootsnAll Newsletters Sign up for any of BootsnAll's community, regional or deals newsletters. Why should you sign-up? Featured Country : India India Travel Stories Platform 4 - Calcutta, India Embarking on a Holy Adventure - India Prisoner Cell Bloke Ashram - Kerela, India Birthday Boy - Rajasthan, India Unlikely Pilgrims in Pushkar - Pushkar, Rajasthan, India India Nutz And Bolts Mmmmmumbaai - Mumbai, India Mumbai Nutz and Bolts Delhi Nutz and Bolts Varanasi Nutz and Bolts Agra Nutz and Bolts India Things To See And Do Rishikesh, India: Yoga Capital of the World - Rishikesh, India Mumbai Safari - Mumbai (Bombay), Maharashtra, India Confluence of Natural Highs, Wild Cannabis, Bemusing Natural Charms - Kullu Manali, North India Dakshin Chitra, A slice of Old-style living - India Off a Hidden Canal Road in Orissa - Bhubhaneshwar, Orissa, India Chennai The Journey's End in India - Chennai, India Dusty Daze in Triplicane - Chennai, India Pancake Overload! - Chennai, India All Aboard the Tamil Nadu Express: Next Stop, Insanity (or, Split Down the Middle ) - Chennai, India Back to the Future on Triplicane High Road - Chennai, India Chennai Travel Stories The Journey's End in India - Chennai, India Dusty Daze in Triplicane - Chennai, India Pancake Overload! - Chennai, India All Aboard the Tamil Nadu Express: Next Stop, Insanity (or, Split Down the Middle ) - Chennai, India Back to the Future on Triplicane High Road - Chennai, India Discussions Recent Asia Travel Stories You Aren't What You Eat - Singapore Conor Grennan spends his time in Singapore looking at food that closely resembles squeaky dog toys. Sri Lanka - on a Corporate Budget - Sri Lanka Kathryn Millett gives tips on traveling to Sri Lanka. Hiding in Lushun - Lushun, Liaoning Province, China Hilary Miller unknowingly ends up in a place she's forbidden to go. Buddhist Temples and Grotesque Rocks: My Tour of China - China Christine Chan tours the country of her ancestry. Platform 4 - Calcutta, India His train is four hours late, the conductor thinks he's crazy and Darren Grivec is watching kids play cricket on the train lines. More Asia Travel Stories » Submit your own Asia story! Home | Email BootsnAll | Become a Member | Top of page Travel Guides, Stories, Information, and Newsletters Africa Travel | Asia Travel | Pacific Travel | Europe Travel | North America Travel | Central America Travel | South America Travel | Middle East Travel Odds'n'Ends | Travel Book Reviews | Insiders | Travel Blogs | Travel Newsletters Around the World Travel Around the World Tickets | Around the World Travel Guide | Cheap International Plane Tickets | Around the World Travel Tips Airport Parking Reservations Philadelphia Airport Parking | Newark Airport Parking | Oakland Airport Parking | San Diego Airport Parking | Phoenix Airport Parking BootsnAll World Adventure Travel Tanzania Safari | Viet Nam Tours | Thailand Tour | China Tours | New Zealand Adventure | Australia Tours Youth Hostels Europe Hostels | New York Hostels | Paris Hostels | London Hostels | Amsterdam Hostels Eurail Eurail Passes | Britrail Passes | Eurail Travel | Eurail Tips Book Tickets, Hostels, Hotels and more anywhere in the world Search for Hotels | Traveler's Toolkit | Plane Tickets | Rent Cars | Search Youth Hostels | Travel Insurance | Learn Languages | Backpacker Tours | Cheap Tickets | Cruise and Vacation Packages | Cheap Hotels | Cheap Vacation Rentals | World Music Downloads | Travel Bookstore BootsnAll Travel Community websites, blogs and About the Company Press Kit | Advertise with us | Internships | TripPlanner Affiliate Partners | Link to Us | Join Us! | Privacy policy | BootBlog | Bali Travel | Australia Travel | BootsnAll TravelBlogs | Travel Writer's Resource | Travel Gear Blog | Eurail Blog | London Blog | BootsnAll Travel: Australia | UK and Europe Travel | Travel News Daily | World Travel Watch BootsnAll in Other Languages Chercher des Auberges De Jeunesse | Ricercare gli Ostelli di Gioventù | Busque para Albergues Juveniles de Juventud | Suchen Sie Jugendherbergen Suchen Sie Hotels --

Disney Vacation more affordable

The Disney Blog: Airline Shakeout could make Disney Vacation more affordable -- The Disney Blog Informing Disney Fans the World Over with the latest news and updates from all Disney companies, divisions, and related stories. Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruises, Disney Animation, Pixar, ESPN, and more are covered in as much detail as I can muster. Our Sponsors Blogads Disney DVDs Walt Disney: Walt Disney Treasures - The Adventures of Spin & Marty - The Mickey Mouse Club Walt Disney: Walt Disney Treasures - Elfego Baca and The Swamp Fox - Legendary Heroes Walt Disney Treasures - The Chronological Donald, Volume Two (1942-1946) Walt Disney : Walt Disney Treasures - Disney Rarities - Celebrated Shorts, 1920s - 1960s Disney Books Robert Tieman: The Disney Keepsakes Sequel to the Disney Treasures book. A must have for any Disney fan. (****) Pixar: The Art of Pixar: 100 Collectible Postcards Full of wonderful postcard art. 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First, if the consolidation of hubs and routes occurs this will leadto fewer seats in the air. This means less capacity to bring the hugecrowds to Orlando and Anaheim during the peak vacation seasons.Vacation Destinations had better be looking at alternate ways to getguests to the gates, more dependance on the international and localmarkets, or plan for flatter attendance patterns. Second, less capacity often results in increased demand. After thecurrent shakeout settles down expect to see a corresponding rise inprices, even on the low cost carriers, until some excess capacity isbuilt back into the system. Also expect there to be less flexibility inwhen and where you travel. The days of non-stop to your destination arewaning and the days of two-to-three hour layovers are once again uponus. Personally, the low cost airlines have worked just fine for me in mycoast to coast travel. I can usually find affordable non-stop flights.But they are less efficient going south to north on the west coast.What should be a 2 hour flight turns into a 5 hour ordeal with layovers and a trip on a commuter plane. I don't see the country becoming any less dependant on air travelanytime soon (and neither do the mega-vacation destinations like Las Vegas which keeps building new hotels). High Speed Rail is still a very expensive alternativeand, so far, impractical when large elevation changes exist. Gas pricesand time make driving much more than 6-8 hours in any direction lessefficient than flying and renting a car. Finally, there is one technology that might shift the balance oftravel. The radius at which it becomes less expensive to fly and rent acar could change dramatically with the wide spread use of fuel cells incars and dual hybrid/plug-n-go configurations. The complete economicramifications of this are left to those with more experience than I,but it will make the next five to ten years interesting to watch. Posted by John Frost in Travel , disney cruise , disney world , disneyland | Permalink TrackBack TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/1651163 Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Airline Shakeout could make Disney Vacation more affordable : Comments Post a comment If you have a TypeKey or TypePad account, please Sign In You are currently signed in as (nobody) . Sign Out Name: Email Address: URL: Remember personal info? Comments: Partner Blogs Home4Sale Orlando Bound Blog Resume Upgrade - New! The Home Blog RSS Feeds Subscribe to this blog's feed Recent Posts Attendance Numbers re-examined Not impressed with Disney Xmas Parade Coverage? Pixar and Disney: can a working partnership be reached? Toy Story 3-D? Can the Disney Co. Really be Saved? 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air travelers. These proposals

Air Travel Privacy Air Travel Privacy Latest News | Resources | Identification Schemes | Profiling | FOIA Documents | Other Documents | Analysis | Previous Files The right to travel is a part of the "liberty" of which the citizen cannot be deprived without due process of law under the Fifth Amendment ... Freedom of movement across frontiers in either direction, and inside frontiers as well, was a part of our heritage. Travel abroad, like travel within the country, may be necessary for a livelihood. It may be as close to the heart of the individual as the choice of what he eats, or wears, or reads. Freedom of movement is basic in our scheme of values. "Our nation," wrote Chafee, "has thrived on the principle that, outside areas of plainly harmful conduct, every American is left to shape his own life as he thinks best, do what he pleases, go where he pleases." -- Justice William O. Douglas, Kent v. Dulles (1958) Post-September 11, several measures have been considered to improve aviation security. Some of these proposals, such as improved training for airport screeners, checking all bags for bombs, strengthening cockpit doors, and placing air marshals on flights, do not implicate privacy interests and are sound security measures. Others, however, present privacy and security risks to air travelers. These proposals concern efforts to identify passengers and schemes to distinguish the "good guys" from the "bad." EPIC will make available on this page aviation security and privacy related documents it obtains from the government under the freedom of information law to promote and inform the public debate over these new schemes. In earlier responses to security threats the FAA issued a secret regulation that allowed airlines to demand photo identification and instituted a new profiling program called CAPPS (Computer Assisted Passenger Pre-screening System) based on travel data airlines routinely collected. See Previous Files . New proposals advocate using biometric credentials for "trusted travelers" and using extensive data mining of credit history, criminal records, and travel patterns to profile all airline passengers. NASA has even suggested developing "non-invasive neuro-electric sensors" or brain scans at the security gate to see if people are having suspicious thoughts. The stated goal of these new proposals is to rely on technology to reduce the "hassle factor" in airports and to reduce security threats. The core idea is to focus security resources on suspicious travelers, while ensuring that most people are not inconvenienced by heightened security. Terrorists, however, have been known to go to great lengths to look like most people. Former Transportation Security Agency chief John Magaw refused to endorse a "trusted traveler" card, fearing that it would be the first thing a terrorist will try to obtain. New profiling and identification programs will convert airport security into all-purpose police stops where criminals, deadbeat dads, and others seeking to avoid law enforcement for non-aviation security related reasons face the risk of being arrested. The basic structure of passenger profiling is to use an algorithm to determine indicators of characteristics or behavior patterns that are related to the occurrence of certain behavior. The CAPPS-II initiative will expand the range of databases searched for suspicious activity so that each airline passenger will be subjected to an extensive profiling. John Pointdexter's office in the Defense Department is considering developing a similar Total Information Awareness system. Each structural element of the CAPPS-II profiling system, however, raises a host of complex questions: Algorithm: What logic will be used? What is the basis for developing the algorithm? What are acceptable false positive and false negative rates? Indicators: What indicators are relevant? Are these indicators available? Who will collect and store the relevant indicators? Related: How are the indicators related to particular kinds of behavior? Is that relationship reliable? Behavior: Who determines what behavior should be targeted? What types of specific behavior will the system try to catch? In addition there are several technical issues such as how reliable is the data used to make profiling decisions? What kind of data should be collected and how long should the data be retained? Who will have access to the data and for what purposes? The policy issues also need to be addressed: what will be the rights of individuals to control their personally identifiable information? What recourse will be available for someone wrongly identified or denied a service? Will profiling based on deep data-mining stand up to charges of equal protection and due process violations? The new proposals directly implicate long standing constitutional protections under the fourth and first amendments, including the right to travel, and must be clearly understood and properly considered by the public. Latest News EPIC Joins Campaign Against Biometric Identification. Civil liberties organizations have sent a letter to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regarding their plans to include biometric identifiers such as fingerprints and facial scans on all newly issued electronic passports. The letter, organized by Privacy International , warns this will lead to the first truly global database of biometric information. For more information, read the letter from the Campaign, see EPIC's biometrics page, and read a story by the BBC . (Mar. 30) EPIC Suit Uncovers Watchlist Errors. EPIC has uncovered agency documents through the Freedom of Information Act that raise important questions about how the Transportation Security Administration currently operates the "No-Fly" watchlist. The concerns surrounding the agency's administration of the list previews several potential problems with the proposed roll out of CAPPS-II , the Enhanced Computer Assisted Passenger Pre-screening System. For more information, see EPIC's analysis of the FOIA documents. (Apr. 1) Senators Want Answers on Air Profiling. The Senate Commerce Committee has unanimously agreed to an amendment (pdf) by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) that would require the Transportation Security Administration to report to Congress on the privacy and civil liberties implications of the controversial CAPPS-II air passenger profiling system. See EPIC's Passenger Profiling page for more information. (Mar. 13) EPIC Comments on Air Travel Database. EPIC submitted comments on a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) proposal [PDF] to create a new database of Aviation Security Screening Records on all airline passengers. EPIC argued that the proposed system did not provide sufficient information for the public to contribute meaningfully to this rule-making procedure, and that the proposed system would infringe on the Constitutional right of association and travel. See TSA Docket for more information and public comments. (Feb. 24) EPIC Criticizes Gov't Rule on Citizen Travel. EPIC has filed comments [PDF] on the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)'s proposed rule to collect passenger manifest information on all international travelers, including American citizens and legal permanent residents. The comments argue that the proposed rule is legally deficient because the INS has not complied with the Privacy Act in creating this new "system of records." EPIC has asked the INS to reissue its notice and meet the requirements of the Privacy Act. The comments also note that, by collecting and sharing travel data about citizens, the INS is placing a burden on the right to travel and the rights of anonymous association. (Feb. 4, 2003) EPIC Files Suit for "No-Fly List" Information. Seeking information about aviation security watchlists, EPIC has filed a lawsuit [PDF] against the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in federal court in Washington. The legislation creating TSA authorizes the agency to maintain such lists, which reportedly have been used to interfere with the travel of political activists. (Dec. 12, 2002) Resources EPIC's presentation for the National Academy's seminar on Concealed Threat Detection , March 2005. Transportation Security Agency Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2002 EPIC v. TSA FOIA Lawsuit seeking information on new identification and passenger profiling schemes Implementation of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act with a Focus on the 60-day Deadline for Screening and Checked Baggage House Transportation Committee, Subcommittee on Aviation, Jan. 23, 2002 Audit Reports on Aviation Security Office of Inspector General, Department of Transportation White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security web page. EPIC's Profiling Page. EPIC's National ID Page. EPIC's Biometrics Page. EPIC's Face Recognition Page. EPIC's Terrorism Page: Information on pending efforts in Congress to increase wiretapping and gather personal information. EPIC's new page on Surveillance of European Air Travelers . Identification Schemes Gilmore v. Ashcroft -- FAA ID Challenge Aviation Security Biometrics Working Group [see Steering Committee Analysis for detailed information on proposed biometric identification schemes] Airlines Plan Quick System For Identifying Passengers Washington Post , June 22, 2002 Smart Check-In Cuts Airport Lines Wired News , Feb. 5, 2001. [Trusted traveler schemes have been contemplated well before 9/11] Maximus Flysecure proposal Profiling Trading Freedom for Security . The New American Magazine , May 5, 2003. EPIC's new Passenger Profiling page. Air Security Focusing on Flier Screening . Washington Post , September 4, 2002. Intricate Screening Of Fliers In Works . Washington Post , Feb. 1, 2002. Carnival Booth: An Algorithm for Defeating the Computer-Assisted Passenger Screening System . MIT/Harvard Law School Student paper. Electronic Record Systems and Individual Privacy . U.S. Congress Office of Technical Assessment OTA-CIT-296. House Transportation Hearing on Airline Passenger Profiling . Feb. 27, 2002. ACLU Passenger Profiling Complaint Form Documents Obtained under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) EPIC Suit Uncovers Errors in TSA's Watchlist , April 2003. NASA Ames Research Center Northwest Airlines Briefing . December 10-11, 2001. Other Documents Final Report of the White House Commission. Initial Report of the White House Commission (September 9, 1996). Executive Order 13015 creating the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security (August 22, 1996) ( PDF version ) Initial Federal Register notice of public meeting of White House Commission. Revised Federal Register notice announcing that part of the Commission's meeting will be closed to the public "in the interest of national security." 1994 statute authorizing FAA research into security matters (including "behavioral research") and exempting information relating to such research from disclosure under the FOIA. Analysis Image of a person scanned using a new x-ray device from AS&E. National Academy of Sciences report " Airline Passenger Security Screening: New Technologies and Implementation Issues " Paper on the limitations of profiling , Roger Clark, Australia National University. ACLU testimony before White House Commission on "Civil Liberties Implications of Airport Security Measures" (September 5, 1996). Letter to Privacy Journal editor Robert Ellis Smith from the FAA denying Smith's request for a copy of the FAA Security Directive on identification of airline passengers. HotWired article " Fear of Flying " on proposals. (September 11, 1996). Previous Files FAA Proposes Profiling Regulations. The Federal Aviation Administration published proposed regulations on April 19, 1999, governing "Security of Checked Baggage on Flights Within the United States." The draft rules detail the use of computer profiling techniques to identify suspicious passengers. Public comments can be filed until June 18, 1999. Airline Passenger Profiling Goes Into Effect. The Computer Assisted Passenger Screening System is scheduled to be phased in nationwide beginning on January 1. Under the system, passengers who "fit the profile" will be selected for heightened security measures, which can include a thorough search of their luggage, intrusive personal questioning, tagging of luggage with orange tape, and a physical escort from the check-in counter to the airport gate by security personnel. The ACLU is providing an online complaint form for passengers targeted by the profiling system. Microsoft Chief Architect Charles Simonyi tells what happens when you "fit the profile" (from Slate ). Proposed FAA rule for collecting personal information including name, address, Social Security Number, Date of birth and next of kin for every domestic passenger. General Account Office report, Aviation Safety and Security: Challenges to Implementing the Recommendations of the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security (Testimony, 03/05/97, GAO/T-RCED-97-90). The Gore Commission has released its final report recommending passenger profiling. A coalition of 17 groups has sent a letter to Gore opposing ID checks, profiling, new x-ray technologies and excessive secrecy by the FAA in making decisions. EPIC Privacy Page | EPIC Home Page Last Updated: March 29, 2005 Page URL: http://www.epic.org/privacy/airtravel/default.html