Post staff gives tips on Seattle, Volvo trip

Adapted from the Washingtonpost.com Flight Crew chat conducted weekly by the Travel staff of The Washington Post:

Q: My wife and I have about a seven-hour stopover in Seattle in June. What do you recommend that we do? We’d like to have an enjoyable meal.

A: Check out Pike Place Market for sure. Go to the Space Needle if you must, but I skipped it with no regrets. Not to be missed, though, is the adjacent Chihuly Garden and Glass, which is spectacular. And you really ought to do the Theo Chocolate tour. There’s a lot of great food in Seattle, but two places we enjoyed were Serious Pie and Chan.

— Becky Krystal Q: My local Volvo dealer is pushing the idea of picking up a new car in Sweden. They’ll pick up the plane tickets — for two — and one night in a hotel. Is this a good deal?

A: It sounds like an adventure in the making, so if a Volvo is the car you want, I’d consider it. It could be really fun. I was initially a little skeptical about whether it’s a good “deal,” thinking that the manufacturer must have figured out a way to make this worth its while. It may be figuring it into the price of the car, for instance. But an article by MSN Autos would indicate that this is generally a pretty good deal and that people who’ve taken these trips seem happy. There are a few cons, though: It can take a couple of months between the time you order the car and pick it up in Europe, and then many weeks before it gets delivered to you in the States.

— Joe Yonan Q: My friend and I, both in our 60s, have decided to finally make a dream happen — a week in Paris. We’ve never traveled internationally before and wonder whether we should seek a hotel/air package, work with a travel agent or do it ourselves.

A: You could conceivably do this on your own, but if it were my first time traveling outside the country, I might go to a travel agent for help in finding the best rates for flight and hotel. A travel agent can also advise you about which part of the city to stay in and recommend restaurants, tours, etc. Plus, an agent will be on call and can help out during your trip in case anything should go awry.

— Zofia Smardz Q: My mom wants us to take a trip together to Montreal and Quebec. I’m trying to figure out what would be easiest and most budget-friendly: Fly to Montreal and take the train to Quebec; fly to Vermont and rent a car; fly into Montreal then back from Quebec; something else? She would love to stay at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec if we could find a deal.

A: Look into flying to Burlington, Vt., and renting a car. The drive is lovely, with lots of cute places to stop between Burlington and Montreal and lots to see on the drive to Quebec. On the Chateau Frontenac, you’re in luck; they’re running a 120th-anniversary deal. Rooms start at $189.30 Canadian (about $192 U.S.) through June, in honor of the hotel’s 1893 inauguration.

— Joe Yonan Q: We’re hoping to visit Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore. We don’t mind flying into a major city that’s a day’s drive away. Which one has the best airfares and rental car prices?

A: I would fly into Salt Lake City. It’s a 4 1 ⁄ hour drive from Salt

2 Lake City to West Yellowstone, and from Yellowstone to Mount Rushmore is about 7 hours, but the trip takes you through some of the most beautiful country on earth. We were there last year and can’t wait to go back.

— Christopher Elliott Q: We’re researching travel to Germany this summer for our family of four. How do we find special deals?

A: Flights to Europe have become expensive again, and that’s not likely to change anytime soon. Try using an aggregator like Kayak, which lists the fares of multiple airlines, from cheapest to more expensive. Also sign up for some fare alerts from various airlines — Lufthansa, American, Icelandair — and maybe you’ll hit pay dirt.

— Zofia Smardz