If you want to save money while traveling, consider hosteling. Several thousand hostels provide beds throughout Europe — in cities, towns and the countryside — for $20 to $40 per night.

For this rock-bottom price, you get “no frills” accommodations in clean, stark dormitories. The good news for couples and families is that many hostels have a few doubles and some family rooms (book ahead for these). It’s a great way to enjoy some privacy while saving...

In response to consistent requests for expanded coverage in ITN, we asked our readers if they wanted the magazine to also cover Mexico and the Caribbean.

Here is a small sampling (in the order received) of the answers. Then follows the prizes awarded.

“I vote for expanded coverage” … “A NO! Love the mag” … “No, please do not” … “Please give Mexico and the Caribbean the space in ITN that they deserve” … “Yes! But I would hope that you would continue to cover information about...

For years the cruise industry was a sellers’ market, with more eager passengers than cabins. But with the global economic crisis, many passengers are staying home, the cruising fleet is overbuilt and sellers are desperate for your business. This is good news if you can afford to go cruising, and at some of the discounts available you may be surprised how cheap it is.

In this column, I’ll describe how to research your cruise and some of the unusual discounts available. Throughout I...