The border-free region of Europe expanded to several new eastern nations at the end of 2008. Known as the Schengen Zone, EU citizens and American tourists will now no longer be required to show a passport while crossing several borders.

This takes in a lot of inexpensive (relatively) destinations, including Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland.

The others joining anew were Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, and Slovenia.

Tim Leffel’s Cheapest Destinations notes that this arrangement so far doesn’t include air travel. You won’t need to show a passport if you’ll be arriving by land or sea, but by air. Tourists should always keep their passports with them for identification purposes and in case a border guard is feeling grumpy on a given day. US citizens, if you’ve been slacking on getting your passports you can to expedite the process.

The increase in security concerns, a weak US dollar, and the emergence of low-cost airlines will continue to cause a stir in 2008. After reading Travel Rants’ predictions for the upcoming year, I decided to look into my crystal ball to see what the travel future holds.

• Airline Prices Will [Continue] To Rise – The major air carriers, especially US companies, have been poor to adjust to their competition and the needs of travelers in general. Expect airlines to raise fares, even low-cost carriers, as they fill in the gap between the two. Cheap flights within Europe will still be around but you won’t be able to take advantage of them if you’re paying in dollars.
  • Americans should travel domestic or to countries where the dollar is still strong.
• Alternative Modes Of Travel Will Become Less Popular – The use of trains, buses, and other modes of transportation have and will continue to decline in ridership as people look to the skies to get around quicker. Train prices have gone up considerably in Europe and distances are too great within the US. Travelers should take note that trains and buses are delayed far less often than airplanes, even in poor weather conditions. City hoping by ground is also a good way to see sites off the beaten path.

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