We salute Gadling for spotlighting a new website, Urbanrail.net, that offers the world's most thorough online guide to the public rail systems. Gadling also points out a feature that's great for budget-conscious travelers:

A section on Practical Information includes the operating hours and the costs. More importantly, it lists various passes which can help make your visit all the more economical. For example, a single ticket on the Oslo T-Bane costs 20 Norwegian Krone. Yet, a 24-hour "Dagskort" pass costs just 60 NOK--a much better deal if you plan on taking many rides throughout the day.

Gas prices continue to soar above $2 a gallon. [Correction: This sentence has been updated since posting. See details at the end of this post.] This morning, the AP reports that the average price for self-serve regular has hit $2.87.

In other words, the average driver is paying $1.38 more per gallon now than they were in April 2003. That means that drivers like you and me will spend roughly $760 more on gas this year than we did four years ago, assuming we buy 10 gallons of gas a week. Yowzah!

Here's a tip on saving money when you hit the road for a long trip:

You already know that gas stations along major highways often mark-up their prices. But you may not realize that it's easier than ever to find stations selling cheaper gas. This year, several online mapping services, such as Mapquest and AAA.com, started letting users print out driving directions that mark the locations of gas stations on maps--and say what the latest gas prices are at those stations.

Want the details?

A reader of this blog, Lyle Harris of Knoxville, asks for advice:

We are planning a trip to Munich, southern France, and Paris for three weeks this September. Each person we ask has a different notion how best to travel. Some say combine rail and auto, some say auto only, some say rail only. What say you?

We plan to take as many side trips as possible and see small villages and wineries. We are in our 50s and the couple we travel with are in their 70s and in relatively good health. We plan to hike and bike on occasion. Advice would be welcomed.

Here's my advice about booking rental cars in Europe. Add your own two-cents by posting a comment below.

Your itinerary promises a memorable trip. The stops in villages and wineries, and the hikes and bike rides, ought to be fantastic.

Assuming that you are comfortable driving in a foreign country with foreign-language signs, a rental car will give you the most flexibility. In your case, a rental car will allow the four of you to avoid hauling your luggage on and off trains. (Another option is to choose a multi-sport tour company, such as Backroads, which will supply you with bikes and hiking guides and use supply trucks to tote your luggage from one stop to the next. However, such tour companies often charge high prices for their European offerings.)

Usually, you can rent a car from a major car rental agency without needing to obtain an International Driver's Permit. But if you get in a car accident--especially in a rural area--having such a permit along with your driver's license may come in handy. Why? Because it may assure local authorities that you are a cautious driver. (In contrast, train travel may take away the worries of driving. If you decide to hit the rails instead, consider buying a multi-stop pass for inter-city rail from RailPass.com.)

Here's Budget Travel's advice about rental cars.

Try AutoEurope.com first. The service rents new cars via the major players, such as Avis or Enterprise, which is important should anything go wrong. Chances are you'll pay less at AutoEurope than at a mainstream agency because you are required to pay a deposit in advance. (But still look at the bigger companies, also, to compare). As a rule, AutoEurope is a top option for short-term rentals all over Europe.

Renault Eurodrive is often a less costly option for longer-term vacationers abroad, meaning people who are staying at least 17 days in Europe and who plan to take out a short-term lease. Compare with AutoEurope's rates.

Hope this helps! Enjoy your trip, and if you come across any good solutions to your problem while traveling, please let our readers know! And, hopefully, a reader or two will post their own suggestions.

Earlier: Budget Travel's top tips for renting cars.

Hertz and Avis are placing bets on hybrids, cars with combination gas-and-electric engines that dramatically increase fuel efficiency and decrease greenhouse gases.

Hertz will add 3,400 Toyota Prius hybrid cars to its rental fleet by the end of 2008. The cars will be available at 50 major U.S. airports, including Boston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. By July, the first batch of roughly 1,000 Prius rentals will be mostly at airport locations in New York City, Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Orlando, Miami, West Palm Beach, and Atlanta. Rates are slated to start at $50 per weekend day--about $10 less than renting a mid-size SUV, such as a Ford Escape, in July.

Avis Budget Group Inc. also plans to start rolling out 1,000 Toyota Prius vehicles over the next few weeks at Avis locations in California, Portland, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. Although prices will vary according to the season and location, rates should be about $70 per day, similar to what you would pay to rent a standard SUV, such as a Chevrolet Trailblazer, in July.

Earlier: Hybrid-friendly hotels.

Related: Car rental advice.

Elsewhere: America's Best Green Hotels. [HotelChatter]

Starting in September, leisure travelers have a new car rental company to consider. Simply Wheelz is advertising rates as low as $15 a day on weekdays. And it promises faster service than the typical rental car counter by offering self-service kiosks, modeled upon Alamo's pioneering self-serve kiosks. Here's how it'll work: You'll print out a reservation document at home, similar to an e-ticket. Then, when you reach the Simply Wheelz office, you'll wave your document--and your driver's license--in front of a scanner. The kiosk will print out a rental agreement, which you can take to the lot to pick up your car. The company should get off on a good start because it is owned by Hertz, an established brand. The first location is the Orlando airport. The Simply Wheelz website, Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline and Travelocity have begun to accept reservations.

Correction: In my original post, I misspelled the word wave, writing instead: "you'll waive your document"

Carnival, Costa, Cunard, Holland America, Princess, and Seabourn are charging fuel surcharges of $5 a day to the first two passengers in each stateroom for sailings that depart on or after Feb. 1, 2008. The fee is being slapped on bookings that have already been made, and will be added to future bookings.

Other cruise lines will soon add fuel charges to bookings. Here's a bunch of them, courtesy of online booking agency Vacations to Go:

Cruise West, $12 a person, each day.
Crystal, $7 a person, each day.
Oceania Cruises, $7 a person, each day.
Regent Seven Seas, $7.50 a person, each day.
Majestic America, $8.50 a person, each day.
MSC Cruises, $6 each day, for each of the first two passengers in each cabin.
Norwegian and Orient Lines, $7 a person, each day, for the first and second passengers in a stateroom.
Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara: $5 a person, each day, for the first two passengers in each stateroom.
Silversea, $10 a person, each day.
Viking River Cruises, $7 a person, each day.
Voyages of Discovery, $10 a person, each day.
Windstar, $8.50 a person, each day.

EARLIER Adding fees after you've paid?

Alex Frankel recently did some undercover journalism by taking a job at Enterprise-Rent-A-Car. He reports on his stint as a counter clerk there—along with his brief gigs at a Gap clothing store, a Starbucks shop, and an Apple store—in his new book Punching In.

In the following Q&A, Alex talks about Enterprise—plus his tips for booking a rental car with any company:

By the end of the year, Orbitz.com and Cheaptickets.com will offer hybrid rental cars from Avis and Budget locations nationwide. The gas/electric cars include the Ford Escape, the Toyota Prius, and the Nissan Altima. [via PR Newswire]

EARLIER Rental car companies add green machines.

RELATED Confessions of a rental car salesman.

Bye-bye, Windjammer? As an earlier blog post noted, Windjammer Barefoot Cruises ceased sailing operations in September. But it continued to sell cruises scheduled to launch in November. None of those November sailings happened.

Paul Motter, the editor of Cruisemates, is warning people not to give Windjammer any money, even though the company has not yet declared bankruptcy. That sounds like good advice, and it's shared by Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor of CruiseCritic.com.

[Update 12/17: On my first posting, I mistakenly said that Paul Motter was editor of Cruise Critic. I regret the error. Here's the latest news on Windjammer.]

This news is a blow to budget travelers because Windjammer's four yachts and schooners offered laid-back Caribbean itineraries on small ships for only $1,000 to $2,000 a week per person, including meals and taxes. If you need a refund, see this helpful webpage.