© chrisdlugosz

A new domain you've discovered is offering a name-your-own-price travel reservation service and you're wondering who's behind the site and whether it's reputable. Where do you go to find out?

With the influence of the Web growing, transparency has become a major concern on the Internet. The ability to find out just exactly who is behind a particular website has become important. And being able to find important facts about a web domain (like revenue, traffic patterns, and speed, and contact info) can be important to you, either for business reason or just to assess the credibility of the website. Where do you go to get information like that?

I recently came across the philoneist, a wiki that investigates and tells you what and who is behind a domain name. And with out much effort I found valuable information on a couple of websites I use pretty much every day.

An entry at the philoneist will often give you a screen capture image of the site being examined. That way you know that the entry is really about the site you're interested in.

The recession is cutting into the Caribbean's travel industry in a profound way, according to CNN

"The deals we are seeing in the Caribbean right now are unprecedented," says John Israel, Orbitz.com's Caribbean regional director. "There may have been similar deals post-9/11, but the breadth and depth of the offers right now really are the best we've seen in terms of value region-wide: Resort and spa credits, food and beverage credits, free nights and nightly discounts on vacation packages that amount to a 'fly free' credit.

The fairly lengthy article talks to a number of travel execs in the region.

If you hadn't noticed it yet, U.S. National Parks have waived thier fees for people who visit the parks on some weekends this summer. The weekends when visiting the parks is free are:

• June 20 and 21


• July 18 and 19


• August 15 and 16

That will save you between $3 and $25 per person (or vehicle) depending on the park you visit.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced the initiative earlier this month.

"National parks also serve as powerful economic engines for local communities, and we hope that promoting visitation will give a small shot in the arm to businesses in the area," Salazar said.


© kangotraveler

If you're thinking of renting a place this summer as part of your vacation, the NY Times says you should be very happy with the price you get in the current market - and it might pay you to shop around.

And up and down the East Coast, those who rent out vacation properties are wondering about that, too. So far this spring - from Cape Cod to the Jersey Shore, from Ocean City, Md., to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to Myrtle Beach, S.C. - real estate agents are reporting that business is down from last year. In some spots, it's absolutely sluggish.

According to the paper, houses on Cape Cod that usually go for almost $7,000 a week are down by about $1,000. They give examples of similar price cuts from New England to the Carolinas...


© terren in Virginia

Frommers recently published a very useful article on the value of the U.S. Dollar overseas. The piece tells you where you can get the most for your money this summer - assuming that your money is in dollars...

The Frommer's piece compares the price of a movie, bus fare, a cup of coffee, a beer, a meal, and a hotel room. Coffee ran from 45 cents in Saint-Louis, Senegal to $5.11 in Port Antonio, Jamaica. The cheapest beer was in Debrecen, Hungary while the most expensive beer was in Sapporo, Japan. Hungary also had the cheapest hotel rooms.

While the Frommers comparison is far from exhaustive, it's instructive. Thinking about the exchange rate as part of your vacation decision making is a smart thing to do.

© Loimere

World Hum took a look recently at Barbados, and how to get by there on a budget.

I'll admit, Barbados is hardly known as a shoestringer's paradise-this isn't $5, $25 or even $100 per day territory.

But still, after a couple of extended visits here, I've learned that it's not all pricey cocktails, rooms-with-a-view and chartered yachts, either. There are affordable accommodation options and wallet-friendly meals to be found-and, best of all, some of the island's most memorable spots are free, or close to it.

The piece looks at the island, section by section, and points out some great things to do that are, well, free. I'm starting to feel like a few days in the Caribbean wouldn't hurt me...

The nature of reality has changed. And it's good news. Not only can you now get cheap food in London, it's actually worth eating, according to Gridskipper.

It used to be that travelers didn't look forward to eating in London because the food was both horrible and outlandishly expensive. Now with the rise of London area restaurants like Fat Duck and St. John along with a whole slew of lesser-known gastropubs, it's hard to argue that the food here still categorically sucks.

The Gridskipper piece looks at six places in London where you can get palatable meals for under 20 quid (pounds). Gastropubs are on the rise...


© Ewan-M

Amtrak is lowering its fares for the summer by 25% on some of its Eartern lines in an effort to boost its passenger numbers. According to the Associated Press:

The discount runs from June 2 through Sept. 3. It applies to those taking regional trains on the Northeast Corridor which runs from Washington to Boston. The discount also is available from Washington to Newport News, Va

In order to get the discount you have to book at least two weeks in advance.


© jpmueller99

© Hong Kong dear Edward

Perhaps it's the recession. People have stopped flying as much and the airlines are scrambling to fill empty seats and slashing prices to compete with each other. Whatever the reason, World Hum pointed out recently that there are some great deals available at the moment on airfares.

How does New York (or Atlanta) to Ireland for $159 sound? How about Boston to LA for $79? Or LA to Melbourne or Sydney for $320? Those are all one-way.

Even Shanghai is getting cheaper. Roundtrip flights from the U.S. to Shanghai are going to as low as $838 at the moement. Look at the World Hum piece for more details.

Mark Kahler had a good post recently on mistakes people make when they're trying to travel cheap. His first tip highlights one of the most common mistakes budget travels make. Mark says don't feel like you have to trade either safety or cleanliness for a good deal.

Budget travelers are willing to do without mints on their pillows and turn-down service at night. But there are limits on what you should sacrifice to save money. Staying in an unsafe area is no bargain if you become a crime victim. Sleeping with lice or bedbugs is hardly worth a few dollars off of your hotel bill.

He gives a total of ten tips that can save you big bucks (well medium bucks, at least) on your trip. He deals with everything from pack well to when to exchange your money and whether to use air miles on a credit card. The piece is worth a read...


© zimpenfish