Travel Q&A

Q I will soon take a driving trip through Europe that begins in Germany. When I rent cars in the United States, I skip the collision coverage because my credit card covers it. What should I do in Germany?

A Credit cards generally don't extend their coverage to travel outside of the country, so you may want to pay for a collision damage waiver, despite the fact that it can add hundreds of dollars to your costs. Know your options by checking directly with your credit card company: Ask not only if they offer the coverage, but whether there is a deductible (often there is, and it can be high). Minneapolis-based travel expert Durant Imboden, the guru behind the Europe for Visitors website, also offers this nifty suggestion: If you plan to stay longer than 17 days, consider a short-term lease.

Answers to travelers' questions appear in Travel weekly and every Monday at startribune.com/escapeartists; send your question by e-mail to travel@startibune.com.

KERRI WESTENBERG

PICTURE IT

Send us your best vacation photo -- from Ely to Australia -- and it just might appear on the cover of the Travel section on Jan. 3. That's when we'll showcase the best of the Viewfinder reader photos that appear on this page each week. You can upload your images at "Viewfinders" at startribune.com/travel. You can also send jpeg images to travel@startribune.com; please include a brief description of the photo, your name, and the name of the city or town in which you live.

KERRI WESTENBERG

GREEN NEWS

The Hotel Griffon in San Francisco recently fitted all its rooms with Perfect Flush dual-flush systems by Brondell, which allow you to choose a half or a full flush (remember that rhyme you heard at camp -- if it's yellow, let it mellow ... ?) Before the installation of the Perfect Flush, the hotel was using an average of 204,000 gallons of water per month -- and that's with 1.6-gallon tanks in all of the guest rooms. Now the hotel is saving an average of 31,000 gallons of water per month, or 372,000 per year, according to a Brondell press release.

CATHERINE PREUS

FAST FACT

Last Friday, the 57-mile Gunflint Trail got an upgrade: Since 1999, it has been a Minnesota State Scenic Byway. Now it is also a National Scenic Byway, an honor that must be approved by Congress. The two-laner gets my vote. During trips along the road, I've hiked its forests, stopped to let moose cross the road, and felt lost in the wonder of nature. For more information, go to www.byways.org and click on Minnesota on the interactive map.

KERRI WESTENBERG

REAL DEAL

The Portland Square Hotel in New York City's Times Square is getting ready for its final curtain call and undergoing a renovation to become the four-star boutique Sanctuary Hotel. In anticipation of its 2010 debut, the hotel is offering preview stays in model guestrooms with a special "Dress Rehearsal" rate. Those who book a stay in one of the nine Sanctuary Studio rooms will receive a preview rate starting at $159 per night. Once the hotel overhaul is complete, rates will start at $309 per night. Those who provide commentary from their stay will receive a $50 credit for a future stay. The promotion is valid through March 31, 2010.

CATHERINE PREUS

SIDE ROADS

On the Mississippi River, fall migration cruises will highlight tundra swans, bald eagles, hawks and other waterfowl and wildlife during the annual Rivers and Bluff Fall Birding Festival Saturday and next Sunday in Lansing, Iowa. Visitors will tour Pool 9 of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, and birding experts will share information about the refuge and migrating birds. Cruises will be offered twice on Saturday and once Sunday and weekends through Nov. 15. The cost is $39.99 for ages 12 and older and $34.99 for ages 4 to 11. Advance reservations are required; call 1-877-647-7397, ext. 1.

COLLEEN A. COLES