TRAVEL Q&A

Hot tips on travel to Iceland Q My husband and I would like to travel to Iceland in August. Is this a good time to go? How would you suggest we plan our flight and hotel?

A Yes, August is a great time to go, particularly if you want to spend time outside. Here's why: At the beginning of the month you'll have about 20 hours of daylight, and as the days grow shorter toward the end of the month, you'll have a better chance of seeing the aurora borealis light show. Though the weather varies depending on where you visit, the temps at that time tend to be mild. In the south, for example, you can expect a daily high between 50 and 60 degrees, and a low of 40 to 50 degrees. Also, August is a good time to go because the airlines that fly to Iceland, including Icelandair, offer regularly scheduled nonstop flights, and a long list of convenient air/hotel packages. If it's a short visit, I recommend staying in Reykjavik, where you can explore the city but still venture around the island. I recommend the guided Golden Circle tour, which takes eight or nine hours and gives you a good taste of the island's diverse landscape.

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.

JIM BUCHTA

AIRLINE UPDATE

What's up? Baggage fees Last week, Delta and United raised fees for checked bags (matching Continental's fees), and American and US Airways are consider a similar rate hike. The moves renewed a common lament of travelers: Why do airlines tack on fees instead of simply increasing the price of a ticket? Local travel expert Terry Trippler says it's because airlines want their name to pop to the top of any travel website search. Travelers who want to compare ticket prices that include baggage fees should log onto booking website www.kayak.com. On the left-hand side of the search screen, you can opt to include baggage fees in the price of a ticket. For Delta, United and Continental, the first checked bag now costs $23, and the second will run $32. You'll be hit with an additional fee if you don't log onto the airlines' websites to pay in advance ($2 for the first bag, $3 for the second). The new rates are for coach travel within the 50 states, U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada and Puerto Rico.

KERRI WESTENBERG

OLYMPIC NOTEBOOK

Sports with a side of art Going to the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games? If so, you'll find more to do than watch downhill skiing. From Feb. 6 to May 2, the Vancouver Art Gallery will display the anatomical drawings of Leonardo da Vinci's "Anatomical Manuscript A" in the exhibition "Leonardo da Vinci: The Mechanics of Man." On loan from the Royal Collection of Queen Elizabeth II, the exhibition will be free to the public during the games. For more information, go to www.vanartgallery.bc.ca.

WASHINGTON POST

BOOK BRIEF

Les femmes de Paris "A Guide to Paris and Her Remarkable Women" (Little Bookroom, $19.95) is a handsome and unusual book by Lorraine Liscio. It offers a new perspective on the City of Light as seen through profiles of 16 women whose lives intersected with Paris in ways both remarkable and inspirational. Heloise, the 12th-century woman of letters, and the French actress Sarah Bernhardt made the book. Other women include writer Simone de Beauvoir, scientist Marie Curie and fashion designer Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel. The portraits are accompanied by sites associated with the women.

MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

SIDEROADS

North Shore ski fest Ski and snowshoe on trails throughout Cook County, Minn., on the North Shore, during the Volks Ski Fest Saturday through Jan. 31. On Saturday, individuals and teams are invited to cross-country ski on 400 kilometers of trails. The registration fee is $10 (a Minnesota ski pass is required). Other activities include skijoring, rides on horse-drawn sleighs and dog sleds, and book signings by Andrew Slade, author of "Skiing the North Shore."(www.volksskifest.com; 1-218-663-8058)

COLLEEN A. COLES