Travel briefs: Farecast.com, National Geographic trips, 'Hoscars'
Farecast.com is now offering international predictions on airfares in 200 markets between the United States and popular destinations in Europe, Mexico, the Caribbean and Canada.
The company says that fares to Europe during the peak summer months will average 11 percent higher this year over 2007.
Consumers can expect to pay $600-$1,500 on the lowest price airfare from top U.S. cities to most European destinations, compared to $350 for domestic travel, according to the Web site, which offers guidance on when to book in order to take advantage of the lowest fares. Fares to top United States to Mexico and Caribbean markets average $360 in the low season, to over $500 in the high season.
National Geographic has teamed up with Putney Student Travel to offer trips around the world for high school students.
Each trip is joined by a National Geographic expert, and students are supposed to complete projects during their trip in either photography, journalism, documentary film, archeology or biology.
The trips will be three weeks long, with destinations including Belize, the Caribbean, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, India, Iceland, Ireland, Mali, Peru, Spain and Tanzania. Most of the trips run $6,000-$7,000, not including airfare.
For details, call (877) 877-8759 or visit www.ngstudentexpeditions.com.
A hostel in Krakow, Poland, won top honors in HostelWorld.com's annual ''Hoscar'' awards for best hostels.
The Flamingo Hostel in Krakow, Poland, got the highest average individual ratings from among properties rated by some 600,000 users of the Web site.
Voting customers, who booked their hostel stays online, were surveyed after their visit and asked to grade their accommodation based on character, security, location, staff, fun and cleanliness.
Other hostels that ranked in the top 10 were Mama's Hostel Krakow, Poland; Clarence Castle, Toronto; Jetpak City Hostel, Berlin; Hostel Estoril, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Hilux Valencia Feetup Hostel, Valencia, Spain; Hostel of the Sun, Naples, Italy; Travellers House, Lisbon, Portugal; Backpacker Hostel K's House, Tokyo, and East Seven Berlin Hostel, Berlin.