Hyatt
Starting on Friday, November 27, use the code LTO110 (to avoid confusion, the first O is the letter, the second is number zero) when making reservations at hyatt.com for discounts of up to 30% off at brands like Hyatt Regency, Andaz, and Grand Hyatt. The code is valid for reservations made between November 27 and December 10, good for stays through February 10, 2010.

TradeWinds Sandpiper Beach Resort
The resort, on Florida's Gulf Coast, is offering rooms for just $25 (a $220 value), via a door buster-type promotion for reservations made starting at 6 a.m. EST on Friday. The resort is using Facebook and Twitter to update travelers on availability and rates. Check out more details at JustLetGo.com/BlackFriday.

Southwest Airlines
A Thanksgiving week "7 Days of Click 'n Save Deals" promotion means that flights are on sale all over the country, starting at $59 each way for bookings made on Southwest by November 30.

MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL
Black Friday: Shop for travel deals

The city is utterly different when viewed on two wheels. We felt especially chic on the day we filled our little chrome bike baskets with Clementines from the market on Rue Mouffetard.

[+] Enlarge photo

Me, testing out the old adage, "it's just like riding a bike" during our very first rental. I hadn't biked in probably a decade, and shockingly, I never saw a single biker wearing a helmet in Paris. Scary! (Courtesy Sara Morrow)

But I learned some additional lessons while cruising around.

• Tip: When a bike is defective (because its gears won't shift or it has some other flaw), a Parisian will typically turn its seat backwards as a signal to others not to use it.

• Try your AmEx card. This blog has previously reported that most American credit cards don't work at Vélib kiosks—the stands at each station that unlock available bikes. The typical European credit card has a microchip rather than a magnetic strip, but lucky for us, American Express Blue cards run on the chip system. On our first morning, we signed up for a one-day subscription in minutes using our AmEx Blue.

• Take the road less traveled by staking out a non-conventional route. We were staying fairly far down on the Left Bank, and each morning we'd bike up to the river, only to be met with Vélib stations that were at capacity. If all the spaces at one station are full, the kiosk screen will direct you to the nearest station with open spots, but we found this information wasn't always accurate. More than once we trudged from station to station looking for two spaces—a slightly deflating way to end an otherwise exhilarating ride. It seemed like most bikes were ditched at stations lining the river, but if you can start there and bike outward, you're sure to find plenty of working bikes and end with plenty of empty spaces.

• Parts of the city (around Canal St. Martin and down toward the Bastille, for instance) have gloriously divided bike lanes that are scenic and peaceful. In other parts of the city, though, one-way streets and bike lanes that double as bus lanes make it hard to get around. On one trip, we were yelled at by a French grandma and nearly barreled down by a bus. Let's just say that from then on, we mapped out our trips beforehand. As noted in Budget Travel's video, you can download a free map of the Paris bike routes.

EARLIER
Video: How to bike in Paris

Our Paris City page

Click the image to launch the slide show. (Courtesy vetmer/myBudgetTravel)

You impressed us with your fantastic photos of Australia. We picked 18 shots, including rugged Uluru in the Northern Territory, the stunning Great Ocean Road, and multiple angles of Sydney's iconic Opera House (there's even a peek inside).

See for yourself in our slide show.

RECENT READER SLIDE SHOWS
Nighttime Photos | France | Rainbows

(Courtesy Anne Lazarevitch/Flickr)

I'm not normally a big fan of the Champs-Elysées. This avenue is lined with quintessentially Parisian buildings and—frustratingly—international chain stores. What visitors find here looks a lot like what they left at home: a McDonalds, a Sephora, a Nike store, and so on. 

At this time of year, however, I make an exception to my grumpy rule. The Champs-Elysées during the holiday season is magic.

Until January 15, the avenue shines with fairy lights. Between the Arc de Triomphe and the place de la Concorde, 400 trees are wrapped in strands containing more than a million lights. Even an anti-Champs Scrooge like me is powerless to resist the twinkling charm. 

To complete the experience, vertigo-free visitors should stop at the giant ferris wheel in the place de la Concorde . La Grande Roue Brille (big shiny wheel) provides an unmissable view upon the 2 kilometer avenue, not to mention the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and other nearby monuments. It turns slowly every day from 10:30 a.m. to midnight and costs 10€ ($15) for adults, 5€ ($7.50) for children, and is free for kids younger than three.

MORE
Our Affordable Paris series

MORE WAYS TO BRUSH UP YOUR ITALIAN
Italy Menu Decoder

Video: How to order coffee like a Roman

iPhone: Top Language Translation Apps

"The whole idea is to bring a little surprise and joy into a traditionally painful day to fly," says a spokesperson for Bing.

About 1,000 folks at each airport will be picked. No specifics about terminals or airlines, but most of the vouchers will be handed out in the morning hours. Follow @Fareologist on Twitter for more information about the giveaway.

Any financial help will be welcome, as a few airlines have hiked their new "holiday travel surcharges" up to $50 each way for flying on key days during the holiday.

By the way, planning ahead for Christmas travel? Bing.com/travel can offer predictions on whether you should buy your tickets now or wait a little while for lower fares later.

EARLIER
Video: Thanksgiving travel forecast

There is no "holiday travel fee," no matter what you've heard

'Tis the season for holiday-themed train rides. Put on your pajamas and get ready for caroling, hot chocolate, and perhaps a visit from the jolly white-bearded big guy himself. All aboard!

Grand Canyon Railway
Depart from Williams, Ariz., en route to the "North Pole" (somewhere near the Grand Canyon's South Rim, actually), with cookies and a visit from Santa along the way. Tickets for kids ages 2 to 15 are $14 Sunday through Thursday in November and January, and $19 on Fridays and Saturdays for those months and all of December. Adult tickets are always $29. Hotel packages are available.

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, Colo.
Rides are offered through December 28, and the hot chocolate and whipped cream is served in a special take-home souvenir mug. A holiday song book is yours to keep too. Tickets are priced from $18 to $44 for kids (depending on date and style of seat), and $28 to $54 for adults.

Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, N.C.
Special Polar Express departures take off regularly through the holiday season, with tickets starting at $26 for kids ages 2 to 12, and $38 ages 13 and up. Rates are a bit higher on the peak days right around Christmas. Prices include admission to Smoky Mountain Train Museum in Bryson City, N.C., where the Polar Express departs.

Texas State Railroad
Roughly two-and-a-half hours from Dallas and three hours from Houston, the Texas State Railroad chugs through piney wilderness, with special Polar Express departures most days in November and December. Caroling and hot chocolate en route, and pajama-wearing is most definitely encouraged. Tickets from $19 for kids ages 2 to 11, $38 12 and up.

Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co.
Rolling out of Portland, this Polar Express eases slowly past brilliant holiday light displays along the way to pick up Santa, who doles out bells to kids (only to ones who truly believe, of course).

Nevada Northern Railway Museum
The journey from Ely, Nev., ends at yet another "North Pole," where Santa and his elves greet riders with special gifts. (Hint: It could be a bell from Santa's sleigh.) Tickets are $17 for kids 4 to 12, $28 for ages 13 and up.

EARLIER
Family Travel: 12 holiday spots to let your kids burn off some energy

[+] Enlarge photo

(Courtesy marcdroberts/Flickr)

One withered finger, a ghastly-looking thing that bears more resemblance to a twig than to a proper digit, eventually found its way into a display at the Institute and Museum of the History of Science in Florence. Other body parts went missing, but were recently recovered after a collector purchased them at auction and subsequently verified their authenticity.

So Galileo's long-lost thumb, finger, and tooth will join the museum's collection in the near future. For those of you counting at home, that will unite three of the scientist's fingers, all from his right hand. I can find no definitive news on the condition of the newly recovered body parts.

Note: The museum's website says that it is currently undergoing renovations, though a "significant selection" of the permanent collection is still on public display on the ground floor. Renovations should be complete by Spring 2010, about the time the recovered body parts will go on exhibit.

The shop has now unveiled its latest souvenir item: an éclair emblazoned with the sultry image of '60s siren Brigitte Bardot.

Using an innovative printing technique on the chocolate shell, this pastry is part of a series called Hommage, which aims to put the country's cultural heritage in your mouth. They've even got backing for their efforts from the French Cultural Ministry.

Something tells us that people are going to line up for the chance to let Brigitte—dressed in a towel and flavored with rose—dissolve slowly in their mouths (€6/$9).

Fauchon, 30 place Madeleine, 8th arrondissement

MORE
More affordable Paris info

[+] Enlarge photo

(Courtesy Meg Zimbeck)

To read more about the inspiration behind these portraits, check out Bomb magazine's recent interview with artist Badaude/Joanna Walsh. And for more information about Shakespeare & Company, including free English-language events like the one we described here, check their site.
Shakespeare & Company, 37 rue de la Bûcherie, 5th arrondissement, 011-33/1-43-25-40-93.

Shell Vacations is holding a Black Friday sale on 26 resorts in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, with up to 50 percent off nightly rates. Get rooms from $49 per night at the Peacock Suites in Anaheim, Calif. (a 40 percent off savings off standard rates), starting at $60 per night at the Desert Rose Resort in Las Vegas (a 30 percent off savings), and beginning at $99 per night at the Vino Bello Resort in Napa Valley (a 40 percent off savings). Sale starts Friday, Nov. 27.

Travelocity is running specials through Monday, Nov. 30. Get $75 off a four-night Colorado ski vacation, for travel through Dec. 31, 2009. Or take a tropical getaway to Mexico, Costa Rica, or the Caribbean and receive 40 percent off at Marriott hotels (travel Jan. 1-Apr. 30, 2010). Or, book a three-night stay or longer and get a $50 American Express Reward card, for travel by Dec. 15. (You need to book with an American Express card for this last one.)

MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL
Ask Trip Coach: Holiday Travel Survival Tips

There is no way to completely avoid airport delays. No one could have predicted yesterday's mess due to an FAA computer glitch, for instance. But you can increase your chances for smooth, speedy travel by avoiding connections at airports that are historically likely to experience big delays.

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics allows you to glance over the percentages of flights that have been delayed, cancelled, or on-time at every U.S. airport over the past ten years. What's more, because the winter holidays are sort of all-bets-off times to travel, when airports see more traffic and delays may be more likely, the BTS's holiday-specific airport data is especially helpful.

For our Ask Trip Coach story on holiday travel, we used the BTS's Winter Holiday Flight Delays filter to find out which hubs had the best (and worst) on-time percentages over the last three years, and not just at any time of year but specifically during the period just before Christmas lasting until just after New Year's. You can also filter the BTS's data by other holidays, including Thanksgiving and Easter, to give you a sense of your chances for a delay-free travel experience.

Is the data perfect? Does it guarantee you won't be delayed? No, and no. But it does give you some background that'll help you make a smart bet.

There is also tons of data that we didn't have the space for to incorporate into our Ask Trip Coach story. One particularly interesting set of data involves cancellations during the winter holidays. Like you'd imagine, by and large airports in northerly snowy climates are far more likely to have cancellations than airports in the South. Over the past three years worth of winter holidays, Miami, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and New Orleans have each had to cancel around 1 percent of flights, whereas the overall nationwide average is a bit over 3 percent, and Chicago O'Hare and Denver have cancelled about 7 percent of flights.

It used to be a cheap treat: a light, fruity, best-of-its-kind red, delivered straight from the wineries.

But the cost of shipping it over to the U.S. on a rush status, plus the unfavorable buying power of the U.S. dollar versus the euro, has hiked the price of beaujolais nouveau by more than 30 percent since 2003, as the Seattle Weekly points out.

Personally, that won't stop me from getting a bottle tonight, but if you only want to read about the event, you can "rewind" and read our coverage of beaujolais noveau last year: "C'est Arrivé!": The Bojo is upon us."

FOR MORE TRAVEL BLOGS
Check out travel.alltop.com

Scholastic Parent & Child put together quite a handy list, and all of the exhibits can be enjoyed by your little ones at least through early January. Every parent knows that children's museums can be sanity-savers, especially during the hectic winter holidays, when playing outside just isn't an option and you're sick of being stuck in a house packed to the gills with relatives. A sample of what's new around the country:

Forts! You get to design and build your own hideout at the Chicago Children's Museum.

Leonardo da Vinci: Machines in Motion. A display of 40 life-size, fully operational machines designed by the Renaissance master, which kids can touch and see how they work for themselves, at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, in Michigan.

Exploring Trees Inside and Out. Sounds like something of a dry lecture, but get this: With the help of a green screen, kids get to fly like birds (virtually) over the tops of trees. At the Boston Children's Museum.

Wherever your family is traveling this holiday season, there's probably an easy afternoon's worth of entertainment via a children's museum not too far away. To locate one, check out ChildrensMuseums.org.

EARLIER
Q&A with Debbie Dubrow of DeliciousBaby

EARLIER
Video of the Miracle on the Hudson