*** ANSWERMAN INTERNET EXTRA *** For the week of November 25, 1996 This is the weekly newsletter for the community of Internet users on America Online. Come see what's new at keyword ANSWERMAN. To unsubscribe from this newsletter, scroll down to the end of this message for instructions. *This week, AnswerMan's Focus is Internet sites for travel* =*=*= IN THIS ISSUE =*=*= AnswerMan's Update -- Going Somewhere, Turkey? Eagle's Exploits -- See the sights with these four sites Upcoming Weekly Focus & Chats -- What's coming down the pipeline? The End -- How to contact us or unsubscribe =*=*= WHAT YOU CAN DO THIS WEEK WITH ANSWERMAN =*=*= Go to keyword: For: AM FOCUS Links to travel sites ANSWERMAN Internet message board, daily tips, more good stuff AM CHAT Read transcripts of Internet chats that you missed AM GLOSSARY RTFM to decrypt that Internet jargon NET HELP Get quick help for your Internet questions Here are direct links for AOL 3.0 users: Go to keyword AnswerMan AnswerMan Focus =*=*= ANSWERMAN'S UPDATE -- Going Somewhere, Turkey? =*=*= by Kevin Savetz (AnswerMan) Before we got started, I'd like to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving. As a special holiday treat, I dug up and selected ten of the best Web sites that have to do with Thanksgiving. If you are looking for a fantastic stuffing recipe, would like to read George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789, or you just want to laugh at David Letterman's list of the "Top 10 Signs You've Eaten Too Much", you'll find these links (and more) at keyword AM FOCUS. (Next week we'll get totally into the spirit and delve into Kwanzza, Christmas, and Hanukkah sites too.) -.-.- This week's AnswerMan Focus is Internet sites for travel. CJ Eagle, in her column below, examines four great sites for travelers (and armchair travelers) and you'll find several more site listings at keyword AM FOCUS. I've been having a great time reading the Internet FAQs (frequently asked questions and answers lists) on travel topics. A FAQ is a document that contains numerous common questions and their answers on a particular topic. (We'll cover FAQs in depth in this newsletter in a couple of weeks.) Many of us have questions about travel, and the travel FAQs are a great source of information. The Air Traveler's Handbook FAQ covers just about any question you might have about going up in the air, junior birdman: including how to get free upgrades to first class, details on those pesky restrictions on electronics, info on special fares for military and clergy, and a whole lot more. It's interesting reading and great stuff to know if you fly regularly. If you're one of those people who packs six bags for a weekend trip, them you should read the "Travelite FAQ: How to travel with just a carry-on". This short file will coax you into the wonderful world of traveling light. It's at http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/travel/air/travelite-faq/faq.html. And when you're ready to book a flight: did you have any doubt that there was a way to do it on the Internet? Try the On-line Airline Information Page at http://iecc.com/airline/airinfo.html. This site will show you how to get airline schedules on the Internet for free, buy tickets from online travel agents and maybe get a special deal because you're an Internet user. The rec.travel newsgroups are great places to discuss all aspects of travel. The newsgroup names pretty much speak for themselves -- some of the choices include rec.travel.air, rec.travel.cruises, rec.travel.bed+breakfast, and rec.travel.resorts.all-inclusive. Other newsgroups are specific to a certain area or country: rec.travel.africa, rec.travel.asia, rec.travel.europe, rec.travel.latin-america, rec.travel.usa-canada and others. If you're going to be heading to a far-away country, or if you're just interested in other cultures, you'll be interested in the soc.culture newsgroups -- there are nearly 200 newsgroups, from soc.culture.afghanistan to soc.culture.zimbabwe. Discussion topics here are as varied as the cultures themselves. Here are direct links for AOL 3.0 users: AnswerMan AnswerMan Focus Thanksgiving Web sites Travel FAQs On-line Airline Information Page =*=*= Eagle's Exploits -- See the sights with these four sites =*=*= by Aminie D. Elsberry (CJ Eagle) Ever get hungry but not know what you are hungry for? With the World Travel Guide, at http://www.wtgonline.com/, you can search for a country when you don't know which country you want to visit. This site touts that it has information on every country (and I believe 'em!) which includes information on accommodations, important addresses, business information, climate, essentials, resorts, social, and travel. Also at WTG are maps, information about the country's size, population, capital, geography, language, religion, time zone, electricity, communications (do they have Internet connections??) BBC and Voice of America frequencies, history, and government. You'll also find at this site travel news and features, travel industry endorsements, Far East in Focus, and much, much more. WOW! This site has so much information on any particular country it could also serve as a great resource for anyone doing one of those school reports on Antarctica. The site is also organized in such a way that it is very easy to find just what you weren't sure you were looking for. Next stop: the Travel People at http://www.1travel.com. At this site you will find the Travel Talk! bulletin board, view hotels & destinations, search for travel agents, travel books, and online travel resources -- which is a link to an online travel magazine "travmag". The site is organized by types such as tropical, european, world, U.S. destinations, sports, specialty, and packages like Club Med and cruises. You can also make airline, train, cruise and lodging reservations. This is a nice site and pretty well organized with a lot of travel information. And there is a text only version if you don't want to look at the pretty graphics. :-) Coming in for a landing at Travelution (http://www.rosenbluth.com)...This site breaks your travel experience down into three major categories -- Escapes (gotta get away), Road Warrior (gotta travel), Jump Start (before your trip). And each category is then broken down even more by traveler -- singles, families, couples, sports & spas, specialty, and cruises. The site is easy to navigate, and online booking for cars, flights, and hotels is also possible. While you're here, check out the planet cam for live pictures from sites around the world. For those of you not ready to travel outside of the virtual world, check out Travel Trends at http://www.traveltrends.com. The quarterly e-zine is edited by travel book author Edward Kaye. The 'zine has quarterly features and travel tips along with recommended travel reading in the "traveler's bookshelf". All in all, this is a nice addition to your travel bookmarks or favorite places folder. Until next week....Happy travels! Send me a postcard so I can wish I were there. Here are direct links for AOL 3.0 users: AnswerMan AnswerMan Focus: more travel sites! World Travel Guide Travel People Travelution Travel Trends =*=*= THE WEEKLY FOCUS & CHAT =*=*= Every week, AnswerMan focuses on a particular facet of using the Internet. Here's what's going on this week. Live chat on Sunday, December 1, 6PM ET -- Going Somewhere? Planning a trip for business or pleasure? Looking for cheap fares, searching for the best hotel, researching your destination, or just dreaming about a place that's away from the office? Let AnswerMan show you how you can use the Internet to plan your next trip, research destinations, and even make reservations online. And, here are the Weekly Focus topics we'll be covering in the near future: Dec 2 - Dec 8: Celebrating the Holidays on the Net Dec 9 - Dec 15: Use the Net to Find a Job Dec 16 - Dec 22: Facts about FAQs Dec 23 - Dec 29: Internet Agents Dec 30 - Jan 5: Mailing Lists Here are direct links for AOL 3.0 users: Go to the AnswerMan Chat. AnswerMan Focus. =*=*= THE END =*=*= That's all for this week. Got comments about this newsletter? We want to hear them! Send 'em to AnswerMan. The e-mail address is "AnswerMan@aol.com". There are two easy ways to unsubscribe yourself from the AnswerMan mailing list. You can use either. #1: send an e-mail message -- To: LISTSERV@LISTSERV.AOL.COM Subject: UNSUBSCRIBE Body: UNSUBSCRIBE ANSWERMAN #2: For AOL 3.0 users only: Click here then press "Unsubscribe". Copyright 1996 by America Online. All rights reserved. In the event of a water landing, this newsletter may be used as a flotation device.