Airport Wi-Fi Service

It seems there are fewer and fewer direct flights to any destination, which opens the door to missed connections and vulnerability to bad weather. If you want to make your layovers more enjoyable and more productive by using your laptop, you may want to check out this this Web site: http://www.travelpost.com/airport-wireless-internet.aspx. The site lists airports across the nation, providing information about availability of Wi-Fi, cost (if applicable), service providers and hot spot locations. It's a very comprehensive list. The site also offers the same information for 80 international airports. Finally, it offers pricing for Wi-Fi access in airline clubs. Only Continental and Northwest off free club Wi-Fi access. Before your next flight, check the list to see which airports offer free Wi-Fi and which ones charge. It can make a difference in how you spend your layover. The site also provides valuable hotel information which can be helpful if you become stranded due to bad weather, missed connections or airplane malfunctions.

Spring trips: Paris, Peru, Patagonia and Normandy

Now is the time to book your spring travel, and Wolf Treks has a tantalizing array of options designed to meet your need for adventure. If you have never been to Paris, take this opportunity to visit the City of Lights, March 7 to 15, 2009. Spend a week exploring Paris on your own or via optional excursions. The land-only cost of this trip is $1,799 per person. Early booking discount: $100 if booked before Nov. 15, 2008. To learn more, click here. Call 800-627-2586 for airfares. .... Or maybe Peru and enchanting Machu Picchu are more to your liking. Wolf Treks offers an 11-day odyssey (April 13 to 23, 2009) to Peru designed to uncover its archaeological, cultural and natural treasures. Visit Lima, Cuzco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca. The cost for this trip, air inclusive, from Raleigh is only $3,795 per person. To learn more, click here . Call for pricing from your hometown. ... Or discover the urban allures and untamed landscapes of Chile and Argentina (April 7 to 19, 2009). Begin in cosmopolitian Buenos Aires before leaving behind the city life to explore the alluring natural beauty of the region. You'll see idyllic lakes, snow-capped Andean peaks and spell-binding coastal panoramas before ending your journey with a cruise of the waterways of southern Patagonia. Experience glittering glaciers, lush forests and fascinating marine life. Pricing for this land and cruise extravaganza begin at $4,995 per person. Airfares are separate; call for pricing from your hometown. To learn more, click here. .... Or spend a week in Normandy (April 20 to 28, 2009). Visit a pivotal place in history: the D-Day beaches. At the Normandy American Cemetery, understand the enormity of American sacrifice and pay your respects to those who gave their lives. Explore charming Honfleur and magnificent Mont-St-Michel. Eat the finest cheese of Normandy and sip a little Calvados. Book this trip for only $2,695 per person, land only. Early booking discount: $100 if booked before Dec. 9, 2008. Call for airfare pricing from your hometown. To learn more, click here.

For information about any Wolf Treks trip, contact Kathy Hart at 800-627-2586 or 919-515-3375. For a complete list of 2009 travel opportunities, visit our Web site at www.alumni.ncsu.edu/travel.

Popular Egypt Trip Almost Full

Only 10 spaces remain on our popular Egypt and the Eternal Nile trip (March 27 to April 12, 2009). Egypt has dazzled visitors with its archaeological wonders for centuries, ever since the Ancient Greeks visited the pyramids. From the frenzy of Cairo to the millenia-old tombs and temples of Luxor, the country transports the visitor back to the first great civilization in humankind. Watch Nubian history unfold on a luxury cruise of Lake Nasser. Follow in the wake of Cleopatra as you cruise the Nile to explore the Valley of Kings and Valley of Queens. End your journey in Alexandria, "the pearl of the Mediterranean." And we're offering this 17-day journey, air inclusive, from Raleigh for only $4,095 per person. To learn more about the itinerary or see a brochure, click here. Call 800-627-2586 for pricing from your hometown. To receive a brochure, send an e-mail to alumni_travel@ncsu.edu. Be sure to include your name and full address as well as the brochure you are requesting.

Holland and Belgium Bike and Barge Tour Discount Extended

Brochures for our Holland and Belgium Bike and Barge trip (April 24 to May 2, 2009) were mailed late, so our tour operator, Cross Culture Journeys, has extended its early booking discount to Oct. 31, 2008. We invite you on this spring trip that offers a balance of action and leisure, a close-up experience of the Flemish countryside in spring, and the camaraderie of biking and small-ship cruising. Board the intimate, 24-passenger barge Merlijn in Amsterdam for a journey through the waterways of Holland and Belgium. Cycle about 25 miles each day on a seven-speed hybrid bike through the region's gentle landscape, accompanied by an experienced cycling guide. Then rejoin the ship for a three-course dinner and a relaxing evening.

Your route takes you into several cities rich in artistic and architectural heritage: canal-laced Amsterdam, dynamic Antwerp, the university town of Ghent and beautiful medieval Bruges. The Merlijn will spend a night in each of these cities, allowing time for evening walks and morning tours. If you'd like a different balance of biking and leisure, feel free to spend the day on the barge as you watch the passing landscape from the sundeck. Since you'll be in Holland during tulip season, consider the option of starting with two days in Amsterdam on your own. You could see the famed Keukenhof Gardens and have time for some of Amsterdam's outstanding museums and restaurants.

The ship takes only 22 guests, so we encourage you to reserve your cabin now. This is an exclusive NC State departure. To make a telephone reservation or for more information, call Wolf Treks Travel Coordinator Kathy Hart at 800-627-2586. To read more about the trip, click here. The land-only cost of the trip is $3,395 per person. Early booking discount: $100 per person for reservations made before Oct. 31; pay in full by the same date and take off an additional $100 per person. Call for roundtrip airfares from your hometown. Questions? Send an e-mail to alumni_travel@ncsu.edu.

NC State Exclusive Trip to Egypt

The Egypt brochures have just arrived in the office and should be in mailboxes soon. If you would like a trip brochure, please contact me at k_hart@ncsu.edu. This Odysseys Unlimited small-group tour, which limits participation to 24 NC State travelers, is slated for March 27 to April, 12, 2009. It sold out last year in less than a month and the feedback from travelers was very good. The trip offered "great historical value at a great price," wrote one Wolf Treks traveler. This 17-day historical journey begins in Cairo, where you'll visit the acclaimed Egyptian Museum, the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, the Sphinx, the Pyramids of Giza and Old Cairo. After a flight to Abu Simbel, you'll board a deluxe cruise ship to explore Lake Nassar, visiting temples, the famous statues of Ramses II and his wife Nefertari, Nubian temples, the avenue of sphinxes at Wadi el-Seboua's "Valley of the Lions and the impressive Aswan High Dam. In Aswan, you'll change ships as you cruise the Nile, stopping to explore ancient Egyptian temples, the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, the dramatic Temple of Hatshepsut and the enormous Colossi of Memnon. After two nights in Luxor, you'll end your journey in Alexandria, the great city of antiquity founded by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C. , where you will visit the Fort of Quaitbay and explore the city's Greco-Roman heritage. Priced at $4,095 per person roundtrip from Raleigh or Charlotte, this trip is a excellent value. It includes accommodations at deluxe and superior class hotels, six nights aboard deluxe ships, 34 meals, all in-country transportation and a professional Egyptologist tour director. To see a complete itinerary, click here.

Safeguarding Cash, Credit Cards & Passport

Nothing can ruin a trip faster than lose of your cash, credit/debit cards, driver's license or passport. To avoid loss, it's always wise to carry these items in a travel security pouch that can be worn under your clothing. They have ones that fit around your waist, hang around your neck or strap to your leg. While it may be slightly uncomfortable, you are much less likely to loose anything of value. You can carry a small amount of cash in your purse, pocket or pack for easy access, but the rest should be stashed safely below your clothing.

If you're traveling with another person, divide your credit cards (it's always wise to travel with two cards) so you're not both carrying the same ones. If one person's wallet gets stolen or lost, you'll still have cards you can use.

Make several photocopies of all your cards and passport to keep separately. Take a copy with you, give one to a travel companion if you have one and leave one at home with a family member or trusted friend. Be sure to include the toll-free numbers for reporting lost or stolen cards. U.S. toll-free numbers work in some but not all foreign countries, so also list a non toll-free customer service number that can be called from abroad. Don't place your photocopied list in a checked suitcase where dishonest security personnel or baggage handlers will find it. Select unlikely containers for the travel card and passport photocopies. Tuck them into an extra pair of rolled-up socks or tubular toothbrush container in your carry-on.

Wolf Treks Travel: New Zealand & Australia

Brochures just arrived in the office for our New Zealand and Australia trip next spring, March 1-14, 2009. This fabulous trip offers five days in scenic New Zealand. Remember the beautiful scenes from "The Lord of the Rings." Then you jet off to Sydney, Australia, for a warm Aussie welcome. Spend three days exploring Sydney before ending your trip with a cruise on the Great Barrier Reef, where you'll have the opportunity to see a wealth of sea life, from playful dolphins to lumbering sea cows. The cost of this 15-day extravaganza begins at $4,495 per person, double occupancy, land only. Book before Oct. 8, 2008, and save $500 per person, making the trip only $3,995 per person. The trip costs depends on the level of cabin chosen for the Grand Barrier Reef cruise. Airfares are separate. Gohagan, our tour operator, provided these roundtrip airfares quotes to me today: $2,393 per person from Raleigh/Durham and $2,447 per person from Charlotte. If you want to use frequent flier miles to reach Los Angeles, you can reduce the roundtrip cost to $1,985. I checked these prices on farecompare.com, and they are very competitive. The flights from New Zealand to Australia and the internal flights within Australia are included in the trip base cost. To receive a brochure, send me an e-mail at k_hart@ncsu.edu. To read more about the trip, click here. Questions? Call me at 800-627-2586.