Autumn is fast approaching, and with cool breezes and changing leaves come some of the year's most enticing travel opportunities. The beauty of autumn travel is that there are so many possibilities right outside your door, or a short drive away, allowing endless options for a quick, cheap and spontaneous fall getaway.  Here we've brought you some inspiring ideas for fall festivals and autumn travel, both near and far. Enjoy!

Oktoberfest 2010 – Where to Find Your Tracht
The rallying cry that begins Oktoberfest rings loud and clear. You’re surrounded by throngs of men and women of all ages rowdy to celebrate the historical German event. Maybe your glass is full and your spirit brimming, but you’re still not going to fit in wearing jeans and a tee. Get your Dirndl on...Read more>

Top 5 Autumn Festivals
From Day of the Dead in Mexico to Diwali in India, autumn ushers in some of the most intense festivals around the globe.  There are beer festivals, wine festivals, food festivals, music and arts festivals and many others. So clear your schedule and check out some of the amazing festivals on this list. Read more>

Sardinia: Serene in Autumn
Check out this far-flung destination in fall, the off-season, and you may be pleasantly surprised by the slower pace, lack of tourists, and syunning scenery.  "As the plane approached the island, I was pleasantly surprised to look down and see the sun was beating down on a magnificent coastline lined in threads of turquoise and green..." Read more>

The First-Timer’s Guide to Hot Air Balloon Festivals in the U.S
If you always imagined the only excitement at a hot air balloon festival meant rousting the kids at the crack of dawn and an aching neck from staring skyward for hours, think again. Big balloon festivals offer everything from the traditional morning mass ascension to competitive balloon challenges to evening balloon “glows.  Read more>

Fall Festivals of Bhutan
There is no better time to visit Bhutan than during the Tsechu Festivals. The annual celebrations around Bhutan are marked by incredible colors and exhilarating festivity. The adventure begins before your plane even touches down... Read more>

Swiss Food and Wine Festivals
At Fribourg's bénichon, an elaborate thanksgiving meal, diners are treated to a special mustard concocted only for this particular feast. In the Ticino area, entire towns are given to celebrating chestnuts... Read more>

Mid-Autumn Festival, Kuala Lumpur
Lantern processions are organized throughout the city during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Public parks, city squares and market places are decorated with beautiful embellishments. Lights of various colors and hues are used to decorate the city... Read more>

One of the greatest pleasures of travel is sampling local cuisine - both high and low end - and then reminiscing about amazing meals for years afterward. Everyone has their favorite travel food memory and their favorite local cuisine that they swear outshines all others. Enjoy these articles we've found that sample some of the most delicious and unique foods around the globe.

The Best Food & Where You Had It
Check out this great message board on Bootsnall.com, where users share their best meal and where they had it. Pig roast in Hawaii, pizza in Sarajevo, or home cooking in Mom's kitchen... everyone has a strong opinion on this subject! Read more>

New Orleans Cuisune
New Orleans is famous for having some of the best food in the world. Whether you're sampling beignets and coffee at the famous Cafe Du Monde, or digging into crawfish etouffe at one of the many Cajun joints around town, you won't be disappointed in the food you'll find in the Crescent City. Read more>

The Best Food in France
French cooking is universally renowned and downright delicious. The preparation and consumption of food are integral to French daily life, but while world-famous chefs and their three-star restaurants are a valued Parisian institution, you don’t have to pay their prices for excellent cuisine, either classic or adventurous. Read more>

The Foodhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: Siberia
Porcini Mushroom picking in Siberia is something you definitely want to try one day. This amazing experience involves driving through the beautiful remote forests of Siberia in an ancient Russian off-road van, finding & collecting hundreds of pounds of mushrooms, drinking vodka, and of course cooking them! Read more>

New York's Best Food Cultures
With over 8 million people in New York, you’d expect some great chow and some culinary diversity – and that’s exactly what you get. New York manages to bring dishes from all over the world and make them their own. Read more>

The Best Vietnamese Restaurants
Most Vietnamese restaurants have menus featuring plenty of fish and seafood because of the country’s close relationship with the sea. Vietnamese cuisine is particularly aromatic and delicately flavored thanks to a liberal use of herbs. Check out this great guide to Vietnamese cuisine from north to south and everything in between. Read more>

Eating Bilbao: A Celebration of Basque Cuisine
Food is a central part of Basque life. Bilbao is home to some innovative upscale restaurants pushing the creative limits of international fine dining, but they all rest upon a foundation of superior local products, historic recipes, and Basque traditions. Read more>

Howard Hillman's Guide to Japanese Cuisine
Japanese cooks are legendary for the beauty of their dishes. Though more complex cuisines exist, none comes close to matching Japan's culinary aesthetics. Take a look at this guide to authentic Japanese cuisine from food writer Howard Hillman. Read more>

Volunteering while traveling can be an incredible way to see the world while helping people, animals and environments in need, and can also be a cost-effective alternative to regular travel and touring. When spending time with locals and volunteers from all over the world, working toward a common goal, you get to know a place in a much deeper way than any tour or quick visit could ever offer.

Take a look at some of the best articles we've found about how to combine seeing the world with making a difference, and maybe you'll be inspired to give some of your time to one of these outstanding organizations and causes.

A Traveler's Guide to Making a Difference Around The World
Check out Lonely Planet's incredibly comprehensive guide to volunteering around the globe. Find out how to choose the opportunity that suits you best, what to pack, how much it will cost (if anything) and much more... Read more>

Cheap Volunteering Experiences: How to Find Volunteer Programs That Suit the Financially Challenged
Volunteering often comes with a price, and for those of us who may not have a mountain of money to spare and only have our time to give, it's hard to find an affordable volunteer experience. Check out these suggestions for a low-budget volunteer travel experience... Read more>

Volunteering in Costa Rica
The vast majority of volunteer work in Costa Rica involves conservation efforts in the rainforests, mountains, and on both coasts. They almost always involve working directly with the animals and plant life that make Costa Rica so unique...Read more>

Volunteer Vacation Packages
Have you been blessed beyond measure and want to share your knowledge, skills and time with those less privileged then you? Do you believe it’s better to give then to receive? Here is a chance to make a difference... Read more>

Alternative Travel and Volunteering
To really get close to the people and places you visit, you have to get involved. Take a language or cooking course, volunteer with children or community development, study Tibetan Buddhism or participate in an archaeological dig... Read more>

Tui Tai Humanitarian Charters in Fiji
On a Tui Tai cruise, there is always some sort of humanitarian work. Every and any endeavor (surfing, diving, etc) is blessed and acknowledged by the local people, and karma is on our side. Read more>

Summer 2010: 5 Great Places to Volunteer
In the latest years, active vacations have become a contagious trend. There are plenty of under-developed countries and marginalized people that need all the money, know-how and enthusiasm of their more fortunate fellows. Here are some amazing places where you can spend your active vacation. Read more>

Warm sun, freshly mown grass, bright blue skies. What other reasons do you need to get outside and enjoy the summer? How about some rocking summer festivals? Whether it's sampling microbrews in Portland or seeing top music acts perform on the coast of Spain, here's a sampling of some of the hottest events happening throughout the United States and abroad.

7 Classic and/or Weird American Summer Food Festivals
It doesn’t quite seem like summer if you don’t have the opportunity to go to a festival or fair, eat some food on a stick and enjoy a variety of interesting and unique treats. Here are some tasty places to get you started... Read more>

Portland Brewfest
For the last twenty years, the Portland, Oregon Brewers Fest has been a local favorite and a chance for local breweries to show off their latest creations and traditional favorites. If you like microbrews and plan to be anywhere near Portland during the summer, this is a must-see... Read more>

Top 10 Summer Music Festivals
Nowadays, music festivals are big business and there are plenty to choose from each summer whatever genre of music you're into or country you want to visit. This year there's a fantastic range of music festivals spanning the globe, so here is the pick of the ten best... Read more>

Baltimore's Summer Festivals
From Fells Point Fest to the Hon Fest to Artscape, there's never a dull weekend in Baltimore. Here's a go-to guide for all the info you need to get get to the festivals and events and enjoy them to their max... Read more>

Seattle's Chinatown Summer Festival
The major events of Seattle's Chinatown Summer Festival include dragon dances, rhythmic taiko drumming and many more, which are performed on the Nielsen Dragon Stage. The Karaoke Idol contest provides a great opportunity for the upcoming music talents... Read more>

Vermont Summer Festivals
Vermont offers a variety of summer festivals for every interest. Try the Burlington Jazz Festival, the Stoweflake Hot Air Balloon Festival, or the Strolling of the Heifers, a Mardi Gras like celebration that occurs annually during the first weekend of June. Read more>