Newsgroups for Everybody

Here’s a sampling of some of the more intriguing travel-related newsgroups on the Internet:

alt.appalachian Regional awareness, events and culture--from bluegrass festivals to poems about springtime in West Virginia.

alt.culture.alaska One of several alt.culture newsgroups of interest to travelers. Other examples include alt.cul ture.oregon, alt.culture. us.southwest and alt.cul ture.beaches, a new newsgroup devoted to beaches worldwide.

alt.vacation.lasvegas Best bets on everything from car rental deals to hotel swimming pools.

alt.travel.road-trip Joys, tribulations of hitting the open road.

misc.kids.vacation Tips on making the most of family vacations.

neworleans.info One of many regional newsgroups that offer local knowledge to would-be visitors. (Recent postings included advice on Jazzfest and where to find the best mudbugs--a.k.a. crawfish--in town.) However, not all Internet providers include access to regional newsgroups.

rec.arts.disney A wide-reaching newsgroup that includes advice on travel to Disney World, Epcot and Disneyland.

rec.backcountry Need help choosing a tent or avoiding black flies in Michigan? You’ve come to the right place.

rec.skiing.alpine Advice on equipment and resorts, plus up-to-date reports on ski conditions.

rec.travel.air Everything from frequent-flier program updates to musings about whether a jet could survive a mid-ocean landing.

rec.travel.asia Getting to, and traveling in, Asia.

rec.travel.cruises An impressively thorough array of information and no-holds-barred opinions on ships and itineraries.

rec.travel.europe Travel throughout Eastern and Western Europe.

rec.travel.marketplace A lively swap meet for airline and cruise discounts, condo rentals, hotels, you name it.

rec.travel.misc Wide-ranging discussion group on a variety of travel topics and destinations.

rec.travel.usa-canada Travel in North America.

soc.culture More than 80 newsgroups are devoted to particular cultures or countries and can be a great place to meet locals or expatriates.

Two other good resources, and their Internet addresses:

Net Travel, part of O’Reilly & Associates’ Travelers’ Resource Center, https:// www.ora.com/gnn/meta/ travel/res/nettravel.html gives advice on using newsgroups, as well as other ways to plan trips on-line.

For archives of postings to several travel-related newsgroups, most notably rec. travel.cruises, be sure to check out Brian Lucas’ Rec.Travel Library, https://www.digi mark.net/rec-travel.